Senior Bowl 2015: Final Takeaways and Analysis

The 2015 Senior Bowl is the first big landmark of a three-month job interview for many of the top NFL hopefuls across the country, offering the opportunity for players to show their mettle against quality competition.

Players have been known to significantly impact their draft stock depending on how things go at the Senior Bowl—both positively and negatively—from the weigh-ins, to performance in practice, all the way up through the actual game.  Some top names declined the opportunity to participate this year, whether due to injury, fear of one or to protect their draft stock from taking a potential hit.

Those who declined opened the door for many late additions to the roster, giving plenty of other players the opportunity to show their talent under the microscope of NFL personnel executives and media scouts.

I was in Mobile, Alabama, all week for the North and South team practices, keeping track of the good, the bad and the ugly from both squads.

Who impressed with their performance in this week's practices?  Who left plenty to be desired after coming in with high expectations?  What small-school sleepers made a name for themselves with a strong week against top competition?

Here are my biggest takeaways from the 2015 Senior Bowl.

Norfolk State's Trail Is an Athletic Freak

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Coming into this week, there was already plenty of intrigue surrounding Norfolk State outside linebacker Lynden Trail, a Florida transfer who destroyed FCS competition.

Trail didn't disappoint at the weigh-ins on Tuesday morning, measuring just over 6'6" and 262 pounds, but his impressive week in Mobile didn't end there.  The former Gator put his massive frame and wingspan to good use on a daily basis, showing flashes as a pass-rusher and displaying flexibility in coverage, as well.

Things got interesting on Thursday, when Trail was given reps at tight end during one-on-one drills, giving him the chance to show his versatility and natural athletic ability. He proved difficult for the South team safeties to cover, even hauling in a touchdown during the drills.

In the same practice just minutes later, Trail used his long arms to cut down a passing lane in seven-on-seven, tipping a pass up and making an athletic play to come down with the interception.

The buzz surrounding Trail was palpable coming out of Thursday's practices, and I expect him to test well at the combine.  Don't be surprised if teams fall in love with his size and athleticism on draft weekend and he ends up being a Day 2 pick.

Truth Hurts at Weigh-Ins

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Inflating players' height and weight has been a longtime tradition for many college football programs, but the Senior Bowl is usually the first chance for NFL teams to get true measurements on the participants. 

While some players came in either right at or near where they had been previously listed, others weren't so lucky.

Stanford wide receiver Ty Montgomery was brought back down to earth after being listed at 6'2" while at Stanford, measuring in at 5'11".  Especially for a receiver, that's a huge difference and one that could have a sizable impact on his draft stock—though his struggles to catch passes earlier in the week will likely have a bigger one.

Coming in overweight is the biggest issue for linemen, and there were some in that category again this year.  Florida's Trenton Brown has massive height at 6'8", but he tipped the scales at 376 pounds, 15 pounds heavier than his listed weight while at Florida.

A drastic discrepancy at the weigh-ins isn't a death sentence for any of these prospects, but it's not the best first step on their road to the draft.

Auburn's Marshall Has Potential After Switching to Cornerback

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Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall announced before practices began that he would be switching to cornerback, and while his technique is obviously raw, he made significant improvements throughout the week and will be an intriguing name to watch throughout the predraft process.

Marshall looked a bit uncomfortable during the first practice, but by Thursday, he was making solid plays, including two deflections during one-on-one drills in the red zone—one of which was against Auburn teammate Sammie Coates.

Emory Hunt of Football Gameplan would prefer to see him stay at QB but recognized his success at his new/old position this week.

I spoke with Marshall after Wednesday's practice, and he said his decision to switch positions wasn't necessarily driven by requests from NFL teams. "I made the decision on my own.  It's just what I felt like was best for my future.  I'm comfortable right now," he said.  "There's still a few things I've got to brush up on, but I'm still looking forward to getting better every day."

Marshall started his college career in the secondary at Georgia, and while he definitely needs plenty of refinement at his old position, his combination of ideal size for the position and overall athletic ability should have plenty of NFL teams interested come draft day.

Absence of Top Quarterbacks Hurt Everyone

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Draft analysts have been saying for weeks that beyond Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston, this year's crop of quarterbacks leaves plenty to be desired.  This was confirmed in Mobile, as the entire unit for both squads struggled all week long.

For the North squad, Baylor's Bryce Petty had a decent enough first practice but regressed over the next two days.  Sean Mannion continues to reinforce that his size (6'5.5", 229 lbs) is by far his best asset, while East Carolina's Shane Carden looked nearly undraftable at times.

On the South team, nobody stood out in a positive way, either.  Alabama's Blake Sims measured in under 6 feet tall and showed the same inconsistency all week that I've seen on film.  Colorado State's Garrett Grayson had some decent throws, but he also struggled with consistency.  A late addition to the roster, Southeast Louisiana's Bryan Bennett was the least impressive of the group.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller confirmed the diagnosis of a weak quarterback group this week in Mobile.

Ball security was an issue for both groups, as fumbled snaps and exchanges were plentiful all week.  It's easy to think that Auburn's Nick Marshall—who switched positions to cornerback—would have been the best quarterback of the bunch this week.

Big Men in the Middle Deliver

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Football games are won and lost in the trenches, and a couple of interior linemen definitely won with their performance in Mobile this week.

Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton had his moments of inconsistency but overall had a rather impressive week.  He was nearly unblockable during one-on-one drills and even gave opposing linemen trouble during double-team drills.  At 6'2", 343 pounds, Shelton is a perfect fit at nose tackle and cemented his first-round status.

Also on the North team, Iowa's Carl Davis was a disruptive force all week long, showing a quick first step and fantastic leverage, especially for a player with his height.  At 6'5", 321 pounds, he has the frame and versatility to play inside in a 4-3 or at the 5-technique in a 3-4, something he spoke with me about earlier in the week.

"I'm just embracing the moment right now, getting to talk to these people and kind of fulfill my dreams," he said.  "I've heard a lot of different things.  That's what (teams) understand is that I'm versatile.  Wherever they line me up, I'm fine with it.  I love playing football, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes."

B/R's Matt Miller noted that Davis might lack Shelton's level of power, but his first step was the quickest at this position this week.  Both players already had strong draft stock heading into the week, and they've only improved it after a solid week in Mobile.

Miami's Walford, Dorsett Steal the Show

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When it came to pass-catchers, a pair of Hurricanes stood out from the rest at their respective positions, as Miami (Fla.) tight end Clive Walford and wide receiver Phillip Dorsett both had an impressive week of practice.  Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports pointed out the success of both, as well as other 'Canes who had solid weeks.

Walford easily had the best week of any tight end, consistently creating separation in one-on-one drills with quick routes and great technique, and he caught the ball well every day.  On Wednesday and Thursday, his performance received loud praise from both players and coaches, as he made opposing defensive backs look silly on multiple occasions.

Dorsett's elite speed is well-documented, but he proved himself a more complete receiver this week with quick, sharp routes and more reliable hands than I'd previously seen on film.  His lack of size—just 5'9", 183 pounds—is his biggest flaw, but Dorsett proved this week that he could be more than just a career slot receiver/return man at the next level.

Guards Impress, Top Tackles Disappoint

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One of the hottest names coming into this week was Pittsburgh offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings, who was expected to impress with his length and athleticism in order to prove he can make the switch to left tackle at the next level. Instead, after a decent showing on Tuesday, Clemmings was uninspiring during both full-pad practices, showing poor technique and ending up on the ground far too often.

Another college right tackle with high expectations this week was Colorado State's Ty Sambrailo, but his performance was disappointing.  He lacked both strength and athleticism, showing little punch and poor balance.

The most impressive tackle in Mobile came from Hobart College, as the little-known Ali Marpet turned heads all week.  B/R's Ian Wharton reported the Packers were responsible for him being in Mobile this week and that he could see his stock rise to the point where he might be a top-100 pick come draft day.

Wisconsin's Rob Havenstein also put together a strong week of practice, showing great strength and balance in pass protection.  B/R's Matt Miller said the former Badger is one of many players who made themselves some money in Mobile this week.

At guard, there were plenty of solid performances this week.  Duke's Laken Tomlinson showed better athleticism and movement skills than I expected, to go along with his great power and balance, while Georgia Tech's Shaq Mason and Alabama's Arie Kouandjio also improved their stock with strong efforts.  In addition, Arizona State's Jamil Douglas played well this week and has the versatility to play inside or outside.

Other Notables

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Here are some other players who stood out this week, for better or worse:

• At running back, Minnesota's David Cobb was the best of both squads, showing the size (5'11", 229 lbs), skill set and versatility of an every-down NFL back.  The most intriguing back was Northern Iowa's David Johnson who, while being a bit stiff and upright as a runner, showed great hands and has plenty of potential.

• Quite a few receivers had impressive weeks, including Duke's Jamison Crowder, Michigan State's Tony Lippett, Fresno State's Josh Harper, Auburn's Sammie Coates and Central Arkansas' Dezmin Lewis.  According to Roster Watch, a poll of Senior Bowl defensive backs said Crowder was the hardest receiver to cover this week, despite his lack of ideal size.

• At linebacker, USC's Hayes Pullard, Texas' Jordan Hicks and Clemson's Stephone Anthony all stood out in positive ways.  Cincinnati's Jeff Luc made some solid plays but was stiff in coverage and didn't get a draftable grade from B/R's Matt Miller.

• This year's class of edge players has been highly touted, and they didn't disappoint in Mobile.  Missouri's Markus Golden, Utah's Nate Orchard, Washington's Hau'oli Kikaha and Louisville's Lorenzo Mauldin all had strong weeks and solidified their draft stock.

• The top performers in the secondary included Miami (Fla.) CB Ladarius Gunter, USC CB Josh Shaw, Miami (Ohio) CB Quentin Rollins, Mississippi S Cody Prewitt and TCU CB Kevin White.  An intriguing, small-school prospect to watch is Northwestern State's Imoan Claiborne, who had an up-and-down week but flashed enough talent to get a serious look at the next level.

• A few defensive ends who made some money this week were UCLA's Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Kentucky's Za'Darius Smith and Arizona State's Marcus Hardison.  Penn State's Deion Barnes seemed to struggle against stronger tackles.

• Delaware tight end Nick Boyle had a great week of practice, showing a balanced skill set as a receiver and an in-line blocker.  He's worth late-round consideration.