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DD Day 2 Practice Pics: South
D.J. Williams works hard in practice.
Sam Acho battles James Carpenter.
Nate Irving and Josh Bynes in linebacker drills.
Phil Taylor, Cedrick Thornton and Jake Kirkpatrick.
Marcus Gilchrist warms up on defense.
Von Miller faces Colin McCarthy in linebacker drills.
Greg McElroy and many others in team drills.
Chris Neild interviews after practice.
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Tuesday Afternoon: South Practice: Ladd-Peebles Stadium
The sun emerged from the clouds, and a pleasant breeze flowed through the stadium. It's afternoons like this (and my upcoming dinner at The Brick Pit) that make me really appreciate getting out of the frigid Northeast and down to Mobile.
As a general football note, the offense that the Bills coaches are installing is closer to the spread offenses in college than what they see in the AFC East. It is heavy on draws, screens, and passes. There are no I-formation power plays, tosses or stretches, and very few runs in general.
As a result the linebackers are getting alot of work in coverage but very few reps in what would be considered traditional running situations. It helps evaluate the receivers and other players but not playing to the strengths of this North linebackers group.
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Skill Players
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Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams was an interesting prospect to watch. He hustled relentlessly, does a servicable job at blocking and hasn't dropped a ball all week. He seemed quick covering the field and getting in and out of breaks. But lack of ideal size may have scouts wondering if he can be a running down or goal-line tight end.
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TCU wide receiver Jeremy Kirley made several outstanding grabs today, including a diving catch toward the end of practice. He had the speed to elude defenders after the catch and could be a middle of the field threat at the next level.
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Florida safety Ahmad Black played way bigger than his 5095 listed height today. He was alert diagnosing the play, recorded at least two passes defended and was rangy, moving well in coverage.
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Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder had an up and down day but made several pretty throws as practice progressed. He can smartly find the open man on one play and execute crisply, but lock in on a covered target on another. He's a likely backup with potential for more.
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Louisville cornerback Johnny Patrick showed well in coverage. He can cover ground, with good quickness and foot-speed. He needs to work on his awareness but coaches will see potential in his raw skills.
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Clemson safety Deandre McDaniel is one of the better safeties in Mobile. He has great size and looked like a smooth athlete. McDaniel doesn't look lost playing the Cover-1 look that these exbition games often demand.
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Hawaii wide receiver Greg Salas displayed soft hands and smooth route running during most of practice. He had several let downs toward the end but overall projects well as a slot receiver. As with all the skill players, his timed speed will dictate his draft status.
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West Virginia running back Noel Devine had a bounce back day, looking shifty in open space and using gamebreaking speed. Devine has been a tremendous college player over the years but injuries have slowed him as a senior. When healthy, Devine is a truly dynamic player.
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We try not to highlight the same players over and over but it should be noted that Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker had the play of the day, with a nice one-handed catch despite getting lit by the defensive back. It's probably been shown on tv highlights several times, but we are noting it for posterity, great play. Also, Miami wide receiver Leonard Hankerson has continued to make outstanding catches on less than ideal balls. He comes back to the ball and fights for it. Both players have had a great week of practice thus far and look like professionals at their positions.
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Trench Players
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Alabama offensive lineman James Carpenter was working at left tackle today and had positive results. He battled Sam Acho to a standstill twice and was powerful washing out opposition in the running game. He's not the most agile, but when he gets his hands on the defender it's over. Could possibly contribute at every line position except center.
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Texas defensive lineman Sam Acho has had a nice couple of days of practice. He got off the ball fast and there's an audible crunch when he hits his man. He didn't always get to the quarterback but he has a high motor, good athleticism getting around the edge, and desire to realize his upside.
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Florida offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert has been a tough battler at right tackle, and had several pancakes from that role. While his technique was not ideal, he has responded well to coaching this week and has the frame to start as his technique improves.
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North Carolina State linebacker Nate Irving displayed lateral quickness and was able to stick with his assignments in coverage better than other the North backers. Irving is a sure tackler and could be a three down player.
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West Virginia defensive tackle Chris Neild was a brawler at the point of attack and is strong against the run. He doesn't offer much in the pass game but reminded this onlooker of a poor man's Kyle Williams, another underrated athlete no one really gave much of a chance, who is currently in the Pro Bowl.
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Georgia offensive lineman Clint Boling was bumped out to right tackle today, instead of guard, and his play seemed to improve. He isn't flashy but can lock down his assignment in pass protection and has a great natural strength to deal with defenders.
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L.S.U. linebacker Kelvin Sheppard was a vocal leader for the North defense, making sure all around knew their jobs prior to the play began. He's aggressive and a hard hitter. Sheppard has to improve in shedding blocks but there's alot to like about the way he plays defense.
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Tuesday Morning: North Practice: Ladd-Peebles Stadium
Rain passed through last night, leaving the field turf moist for morning practice. The sun was only out for a couple minutes, and conditions were cooler than Monday but with less wind to interfere with the quarterbacks and wide outs.
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Skill Players
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San Diego State wide reciever Vincent Brown had an outstanding day of practice. He ran sharp routes, displays great hands and used his body to shield defenders despite being heavily covered. He can run well after the catch and avoid tacklers. Quarterbacks looked to him as practice continued and he did not dissapoint. Brown's draft stock is clearly rising with his practice success.
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Virginia Tech cornerback Rashad Carmichael was a sticky man-to-man defender and was among the top coverage players on either team. He shadowed his receiver and often took him out of the equation. If he runs as fast as he's rumored to run, could be a surprisingly high draft pick.
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Washington quarterback Jake Locker started erraticly in drills, throwing high, but made several nice plays as practice progressed into more live team activities. He is better throwing on the move than in the pocket, and at times his accuracy can be an issue. But he has a live arm and is a gamer. Locker has the raw attributes for which league scouts are searching and with all the quarterback needy teams, should easily fit into the first round picture.
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North Carolina cornerback Kendric Burney showed excellent feet and hip-flip; he can change direction on a dime. Burney was able to snag interception of a Ricky Stanzi over-throw and while he had his flaws, showed alot of raw potential for coaches to mold.
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Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi was having an excellent day of practice, finding the open man, making nice throws and throwing a tight spiral. However after the Burney interception, his game came apart a little and seemed to lose confidence toward the end. Still, he turned in a very solid performance overall, and a team could find a starter in Stanzi, at backup prices.
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Colorado cornerback Jalil Brown displayed good coverage skills and had several nice pass deflections. He's a man-to-man cornerback that can remain on an island while teams blitz from other areas.
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Oklahoma running back Demarco Murray was quick through the hole and showed reliable hands in the screen game. He ran high at times but if he stays healthy could be a three-down back who could project as a Darren McFadden type player at the next level.
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Trench Players
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California defensive lineman Cameron Jordan was an absolute beast all practice. He was shredding blocks in the pit drills, and dominated almost every matchup with a combination of vicious hand-play and a sudden first step. He was played at tackle and end and saw success at both locations. He came through like a freight train on the quarterback during 11-on-11, which is not technically encouraged (they want the skill players to get reps) but there are no refs at Senior Bowl practice to enforse this provision, and there was no stopping Jordan today. This was not a bad group of North lineman he was beating, compared to years past. Jordan was just that much better than his competition, and could very easily be the highest selection in town this week.
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Iowa defensive tackle Christian Ballard made some dough in the Pit drills, as he was close to unblockable on the inside. He showed quickness and aggression against guards and centers, and was a load in the run game as well. Ballard is shaping up to be a scheme-diverse player who can help any league defense.
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Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder was chippy in drills, hitting players in the back and showing some edge. He showed athleticism and nimble footwork. Solder had several interesting battles with Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, most of which ended in a stand-off.
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Kerrigan covered a ton of ground quickly, and has the clear edge speed to make it to the quarterback. It will be interesting to see what he runs on the track. He has been playing with his hand in the dirt, and this may be his natural position going forward, but he has the potential to kick out to outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.
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Michigan inside linebacker Greg Jones wasn't a star at weigh-ins, but showed today he can flat out play the game. Jones had several big hits on the inside, and has a knack for sorting through garbage to find the ball-carrier.
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Wisconsin offensive tackle Gabe Carimi has been working on the left side and had success at that spot. In pass protection he did a good job. He's not an amazingly quick player but his sheer size, arm length and bulk make him tough to run around. It's like running around a house, and in that way, reminds this observer of Marcus McNeil. He's an obvious load in the run game and could be distinguishing himself this week from the other North tackles.
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Off to South practice in the afternoon, stay tuned for more updates as the day progresses.
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DD Day 2 Practice Pics: North
Colin Kaepernick drops back to pass.
Cameron Jordan playing special teams.
Ryan Kerrigan and others in team drills.
Jeremy Beal and others in team drills.
Kendric Burney vs Titus Young in blocking.
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