Previewing the 2009 College Football Senior Bowl

With the growth of interest in the NFL and NFL Draft, the Senior Bowl has taken on a higher profile the past few years.  With the addition of the NFL Network, fans now get to see the practices in addition to the game. 

While casual fans will tune in just for the game, most of the scouts will have left by kickoff.   For the scouts, the practices, especially Monday through Wednesday, are the key to the week. 

How do the players match up compared to one another in workouts with pads?  How do they perform in drills? What is their work ethic? In other words, a much deeper football analysis than the combine will provide and possibly a look one won't be able to find by watching the tape.  

Here are six stories to watch:

1. How well do the small-school players perform? 

The 2009 Senior Bowl features a larger than usual pool of players from FCS schools this year.  Six players (QBs Nathan Brown and Rhett Bomar, RB Rashad Jennings, WR Ramses Barden, DE Lawrence Sidbury and CB Domonique Johnson) have been given their chance to show their wares vs. the big boys. 

Even if scouts have had a chance to watch any of these players, it was not against top competition.   In particular, I am looking forward to seeing how Rashad Jennings performs against a group of mid-round prospects.

2. Will a quarterback emerge from the week?

While it is exciting to see FCS quarterbacks Nathan Brown and Rhett Bomar being given an opportunity to play in the Senior Bowl, it is also a reflection on how weak this year's quarterback class is. 

Will Bomar show he is the real deal? How will Pat White function in a pro-style offense? Is Graham Harrell a product of the Texas Tech system or a real pro prospect?   We will have a much better answer to each of these questions by week's end.

3. Can Michael Oher take advantage of Eugene Monroe and Jason Smith skipping the Senior Bowl? 

Those three linemen are all bunched together on most draft rankings for the No. 2 spot behind Andre Smith at offensive tackle in a deep class, with Oher being the one whose ranking fluctuates the most. 

Some believe he is the most physically impressive and all-around tackle of the three, but he lacks consistency.  Can he answer the questions about his ability to pick up schemes?

Can he showcase the remarkable athleticism for which he is known?  No matter what, he earns points in my book for showing up and performing. 

4. The battle royale at center.

The 2009 draft is loaded at the center position, and the top five guys (Alex Mack, Max Unger, Jonathan Luigs, Eric Wood, and Antoine Caldwell) are all here to show their stuff.   A lot of money will be made by the one or ones who have a great week.

Both the North and South have some good measuring sticks at defensive tackle to evaluate their performance against, including BJ Raji and Ron Brace of the North and Vance Walker and Peria Jerry of the South.

5. How the safeties match up. 

Six of NFLDraft101's seven top safeties have decided to show up this week and the only player not here is an underclassmen.  William Moore is the top dog, but he will need to show strong coverage skills if he wants to move into the middle of round 1. 

Two guys who will challenge to be Day One picks whom you may not have watched this season are Derek Pegues of Mississippi State and Louis Delmas of Western Michigan.  This is their chance to show they belong with the top names at the position.

6. A strong 3-4 linebacker class.

It may not be a great year for outside linebackers but there it is an extremely deep group of 3-4 outside linebackers.  While the 4-3 will be used exclusively during the games, the following players will be evaluated for their ability to get after the quarterback as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

• Defensive Ends: Larry English, Cody Brown, Connor Barwin, and Lawrence Sidbury
  
• Outside Linebackers: Zack Follett, Clay Matthews, and Brian Cushing

Players I am most excited to see (not necessarily because they are the best at their position):

QB: Pat White - His last chance to prove he is an NFL QB. 
RB: Rashard Jennings and Andre Brown - two guys with a lot to prove
WR: Mike Wallace and Ramses Barden
TE:  Shawn Nelson
OT: Michael Oher and Troy Kropog
OG: The north trio of Urbik, Levitre, and Canfield
C: All of them - This is the position to watch.
DT: BJ Raji - Can he be this year's Senior Bowl practice star?
DE: Connor Barwin, Larry English, and Lawrence Sidbury (hopefully they spell Sidbury's name on his jersey right this week).  Also, why is Barwin playing TE and DE?  His future is clearly at DE.
LB: Darry Beckwith and Zack Follett - How do they perform against the position's best?
CB: The North team's practices where you have a strong collection of 2nd - 4th round talent.  This week may be what separates them.
S: A deep and talented group.

Guys who decided to sit this one out: (if you are not a first round guy you are taking a big risk not showing up)

Making a mistake unless they are injured:
WR Demetrius Byrd, LSU
RB: Javon Ringer, Michigan State
OT Jason Smith, Baylor - May have lost his chance to be the second tackle taken by sitting out.
OT Eugene Monroe, Virginia - Missing his chance to impress the Bengals coaches who are drafting sixth and need a LT.
DE: Michael Johnson - He had a lot to gain by playing.  Unless he was slow or extremely week, I don't see how he had a lot to lose.  He is all about upside anyway.

Not a big surprise:
OG Duke Robinson
DE Tyson Jackson, LSU
DE Brian Orakpo, Texas
ILB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State - Does not want to take a chance on having his athleticism nitpicked.

OLB Aaron Curry, Wake Forest - His stock is soaring already.

Chris Maier is Senior Editor for NFLDraft101.com. He can be contacted at [e-mail].