Senior Bowl 2011: Stock Up, Stock Down Report for Day 3

Senior Bowl 2011 is a chance for this year's graduating seniors to show what they've got for the NFL scouts.

For some players, their stock will skyrocket prior to and during the college All-Star game.

For others, they could see themselves fall off considerably if they consistently struggle and fail to impress.

There have only been two days of practice so far, but there's definitely been some winners who have established themselves ahead of the pack and some losers who are hoping to rebound.

So whose stock is up and whose is down as we head into day three (today)?

Let's find out. 

5. Stock Down: DeMarcus Love, OT, Arkansas

Arkansas offensive tackle DeMarcus Love entered Senior Bowl week as a fringe first-round prospect, mainly because scouts were unsure whether he would play guard or tackle at the NFL level.

Well, they have their answer to that question, but it's not a good one for his draft status.

Love is a bit too clumsy to play tackle, and he struggles at blocking outside pass rushers because he plays too high.

The buzz about Love right now is that he'll move to guard in the NFL, with the ability to be a last-option tackle.

And we all know that tackles come at a higher premium than guards in the NFL draft.

5. Stock Up: Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi State

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - NOVEMBER 13: Defensive lineman Pernell McPhee #90 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs sacks quarterback A. J. McCarron #10 of the Alabama Crimson Tide November 13, 2010 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Al Messersch

On day one, Mississippi State defensive end Pernell McPhee couldn't get much of anything going.

But the 6'4", 285-pounder exploded on day two and was constantly disrupting plays when rushing off the edge.

McPhee was also able to recognize whether it was a pass or run play very quickly, and his size and strength have showed that he'll do well as a base 4-3 end at the NFL level.

The biggest knock on McPhee coming into the Senior Bowl was his desire to play football, but when he's shown that his head is in the game, he's been a beast along the defensive line. 

4. Stock Down: Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada

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LAS VEGAS - OCTOBER 02: Quarterback Colin Kaepernick #10 of the Nevada Reno Wolf Pack looks to pass against the UNLV Rebels in the third quarter of their game at Sam Boyd Stadium October 2, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevada Reno won 44-26. (Photo by Et

At 6'6", 225 pounds, former Nevada star Colin Kaepernick possesses the look and size of a prototypical NFL quarterback.

But although Kaepernick has shown a ton of athleticism, mobility and arm strength this week, he's one of those "project" players.

He's often held onto the ball too long in the pocket, and his accuracy has been a huge issue during Senior Bowl practices.

Kaepernick will probably go in that fourth to sixth-round range simply because of his physical tools.

But expect to see him sit on the bench for two or three years because he's still an incredibly raw prospect.

4. Stock Up: Jeremy Kerley, WR, TCU

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FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 16: Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley #85 of the TCU Horned Frogs carries the ball against the BYU Cougars at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 16, 2010 in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU beat BYU 31-3. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

With fellow wide receiver Edmund Gates (Abilene Christian) nursing a hamstring injury, it was Jeremy Kerley's chance to wow the scouts.

And that he did.

Kerley showed amazing quickness, incredibly smooth cuts on his routes and the ability to separate from any cornerback who attempted to cover him.

The 5'10", 192-pound Kerley has also shown phenomenal speed and huge game-breaking ability, making him an ideal candidate to line up in the slot in the NFL. 

3. Stock Down: Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - OCTOBER 03: Quarterback Jacory Harris #12 of the Miami Hurricanes drops back to pass as defensive end Jeremy Beal #44 of the Oklahoma Sooners gets past offensive lineman Matt Pipho #65 at Land Shark Stadium on October 3, 2009 in Miami

Jeremy Beal's week started off on the wrong foot when he looked a little overweight at the weigh-in, but his play on the field has been even more disappointing.

He's struggled mightily against bigger, physical blockers and was pancaked by Marshall tight end Lee Smith on Monday.

Beal has shown some potential as a pass rusher every once in a while, but he has been constantly overpowered when locking up with tougher linemen and tight ends.

Though listed as a defensive end, we could very well see Beal get drafted to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

3. Stock Up: Jake Locker, QB, Washington

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TUCSON, AZ - OCTOBER 23: Quarterback Jake Locker #10 of the Washington Huskies drops back to pass during the college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Huskies 4

A former favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2010 or 2011, Jake Locker's draft stock fell off considerably during the 2010 season.

But he seems to be making his way back up draft boards this week.

The former Washington quarterback showed excellent mechanics, arm strength and accuracy on his first day of practice.

And much to the delight of scouts, Locker was also very vocal and looked like a natural leader on the field.

In a rather interesting tidbit, the Minnesota Vikings scouts seemed to focus more on Locker than any other scouts. 

2. Stock Down: Ronald Johnson, WR, USC

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 30: Ronald Johnson #83 of the USC Trojans celebrates his two point conversion for a 32-29 lead over the Oregon Ducks during the third quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 30, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Phot

On day two of practice, USC wide receiver Ronald Johnson had one main problem: getting open.

And even on the rare occasion when he could break away from defenders, Johnson still struggled when running routes and dropped two very catchable passes.

He's been using his body rather than his hands to catch passes—never a smart idea—and he also had a rough go-round on day one.

Given the recent struggles of Dwayne Jarrett and Mike Williams (until this year, that is) in the NFL and Johnson's small stature (6'0", 185 pounds), his lack of hands and breakaway speed are really not doing him any favors. 

2. Stock Up: Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami

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MIAMI - NOVEMBER 20: Leonard Hankerson #85 of the Miami Hurricanes catches a touchdown over Davon Morgan #2 of the Virginia Tech Hokies at Sun Life Stadium on November 20, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Miami wide receiver Leonard Hankerson put on a receiving clinic during the first day of Senior Bowl practice.

He ran amazingly crisp routes, was able to distance himself from every defensive back in drills and perhaps most importantly, caught everything that was thrown his way.

Hankerson's downfield speed is never going to be considered on par with the faster NFL wide receivers, but his skills as a receiver and his phenomenal hands will cover that up.

With the wide receiver picture pretty cloudy after A.J. Green and Julio Jones, Hankerson might shoot up draft boards more than other player if he continues to impress scouts this week. 

1. Stock Down: Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State

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ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 1: Running back Knowshon Moreno #24 of the University of Georgia rushes around linebacker Greg Jones #53 of the Michigan State Spartans at the 2009 Capital One Bowl at the Citrus Bowl on January 1, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo b

Though Greg Jones racked up a staggering 464 career tackles at Michigan State, his lack of athleticism has been a huge let down this week.

The 6'1", 240-pound linebacker has hit the wrong gaps on numerous plays and was destroyed by Wisconsin's John Moffitt on a running play.

Jones has also had a hard time in pass coverage, often getting outmaneuvered or straight up outrun by more athletically gifted tight ends and running backs.

He even failed to turn around on a deep route to Owen Marecic, instead playing face-to-face coverage the entire play.

For a guy who had a lot to prove this week, Jones hasn't proved much of anything. 

1. Stock Up: Cameron Jordan, DT, California

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BERKELEY, CA - OCTOBER 09: Kevin Price #4 of the UCLA Bruins is tackled by Cameron Jordan #97 of the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

The fastest riser at the Senior Bowl practice so far has been California's Cameron Jordan.

The 6'4", 283-pound defensive tackle was nearly unblockable at Cal, and that's continued this week.

Jordan has consistently bulldozed each and every interior lineman he's faced, whether that be on run or pass plays.

He's been an incredibly disruptive force—particularly on run plays, where he makes it to the backfield with relative ease—and could very well be climbing into the top half of the first round.