Quinton Coples Senior Bowl: Coples Will Solidfy Draft Stock with Monster Outing

Prior to the season, North Carolina defensive lineman Quinton Coples was considered a lock to go in the top 10 of the NFL draft. For whatever reason, his stock has taken a bit of a hit, but Coples will bounce back with a monster game at the Senior Bowl.

At nearly 6'6" and 281 lbs, Coples has the prototypical size that scouts are looking for in a lineman. In addition to that, he is extremely athletic, making him a versatile player. Due to Coples' size and skill set, he could be a defensive end or tackle in a 4-3 scheme at the next level, or he could be a defensive end or outside linebacker in a 3-4.

There are very few players with that type of potential, so it's a bit strange that most outlets are now predicting that Coples will go closer to the middle of the first round than the beginning. Coples had just 7.5 sacks in his senior season after racking up 10 as a junior, but all the tools are firmly in place.

I think it's fair to say that opinions are already starting to change regarding Coples, as he has gotten rave reviews in the all-important Senior Bowl practices. It may not seem like a practice should mean much, but the Senior Bowl practices focus on a lot of one-and-one drills, and Coples has excelled in that aspect.

As great as it is for a player to impress in practice, though, it really all comes down to in-game performance. Coples is a relentless pass-rusher who looks like he can play in any scheme, so I fully expect him to make his presence felt early and often in the Senior Bowl game.

The majority of the elite prospects in the draft are underclassmen, but Coples is one of the rare top-flight talents that will be participating in the Senior Bowl. In such exhibition games, the cream normally rises to the top, so it is of the utmost importance for Coples to make sure that he is noticed.

Because of the emphasis on passing in today's NFL, pass-rushers truly are at a premium. It isn't easy to find good ones, so when a potentially great one like Coples is available, you would expect teams to jump at the chance to select him.

I think that Coples' slight drop in draft stock is little more than an anomaly. For whatever reason, draft stocks rise and fall following the bowl season even though nothing is actually happening. When talent evaluators get a good look at Coples in the Senior Bowl, though, I think he will easily reverse his downward trend.

Provided Coples comes through with a monster game as I suspect, it would be shocking to see him fall any further than the Buffalo Bills at the No. 10 pick in the draft. More than likely, though, he will end up somewhere just outside the top five.