Senior Bowl Winners & Losers

SRW · Jan 27, 2008

Senior Bowl provides early draft barometer

It's only a step in a long process, and it does nothing more than set the tone for the combines, but Senior Bowl week does matter in the jockeying for draft position. Who was average, like Kentucky's Andre Woodson, and who was fantastic, like USC's Sedrick Ellis, throughout the week?

Who's Hot ...

Lavelle Hawkins, WR California & Justin Forsett, RB California
The two Bear playmakers might have been the most polished offensive stars of Senior Bowl week. Forsett time and again blew into the second and third levels and proved he could handle himself on inside runs, too. Hawkins was smooth and productive throughout looking the part of a potentially rock-solid No. 2 or 3 NFL receiver. He's not going to be a one, but he showed he could be a producer.

Gosder Cherilus, OT Boston College
While he needs plenty of work in pass protection, struggled big-time in a few practices, and proved he isn't going to be able to handle most NFL speed rushers from the left side (most quarterbacks' blind side), but he's big with great reach and massive hands that proved deadly when they locked on a defender. As inconsistent as he was, he's one of the must-see prospects at the Combines on measurables and potential.

Chris Williams, OT Vanderbilt
One of the best traits a prospect can show is versatility. Williams has tremendous athleticism and was fantastic when able to lock on a lineman, but his biggest marks are coming for his potential to play either tackle spot. In an average year for offensive tackles, he appears destined for a spot in the mid-to-late first round.

Dan Connor, LB Penn State
The knock on him is a lack of NFL athleticism, and nothing has changed after the last few weeks, but he still proved he can play. Simply put, he's a player; he hits like a ton of bricks, mentally appeared to be two steps ahead on almost every play, and looked like an NFL run stopper.

Erik Ainge erased a bad week of practice by coming up big in the fourth quarter. (Dave Martin / Associated Press)

Sedrick Ellis, DT USC
Glenn Dorsey is still everyone's No. 1 defensive tackle, but Ellis closed the gap considerably and now in a great battle with North Carolina's Kentwan Balmer to be No. 2 ... but it took a few days. If he can sell the scouts that he can be consistent, he'll be one of the big calls of the first ten picks. He pushed around linemen from the start and was unstoppable as a pass rusher. The only question might be stamina. When he was able to go full-bore, he was the best player in the practices. Later on, he started to hit the wall and became average.

The Mid-Level Quarterbacks
Michigan's Chad Henne might be considered by some to be mid-level, but he's not currently in the upper-tier on most draft boards. That might change. He was fine in the game, completing five of nine passes for 64 yards, but he really stood out in practices. The shoulder problem is a thing of the past as he proved he could make all the throws, especially on his deep balls, while also showing off some surprising athleticism. With Brian Brohm out, Tennessee's Erik Ainge was able to step in and shine, carrying the South to the win by completing 13 of 21 passes for 159 yards in the second half, and led the way on the game-winning drive. However, he was better in the game than he was in practices.

Who's Not ...

The Top Quarterbacks
Louisville's Brian Brohm skipped the game with a knee injury, so the star power, at least among the true top prospects, was missing. Kentucky's Andre Woodson had his moments in practices, and occasionally looked the part of an NFL passer, but he was too erratic throughout. Delaware's Joe Flacco is either one of the three best quarterbacks prospects, or still a work in progress depending on who you believe. He was fine in practices, and certainly didn't hurt himself with his size and arm strength, but he wasn't lights-out special when it came to moving the offense. The game didn't help as he completed a mere two of seven passes for 22 yards with an interception. USC's John David Booty was decent and effective, but hardly anything special with an average arm and nothing that stood out. The biggest loser in the process appears to have been ...

Colt Brennan, QB Hawaii
Brennan needed to come up big after the Sugar Bowl disaster. He didn't. He's smaller than originally listed (but only by an inch), failed to show an NFL-level arm, and worst of all, his accuracy, his calling card at Hawaii, was missing. He completed two of six passes for 29 yards and a pick in the game. Now, with the emergence of Joe Flacco and Chad Henne, Brennan, who was sick before the week, might have gone from being in the hunt for the No. 3 quarterback taken, behind Matt Ryan and Brian Brohm, to not being even close to cracking the top five.

Both Colt Brennan and Andre Woodson did more bad than good in the Senior Bowl. (G.M. Andrews / Associated Press)

Jack Ikegwuonu, CB Wisconsin
As proven by the Senior Bowl, this is a relatively decent year for corners. Ikegwuonu, a junior (so obviously not a part of Senior Bowl week), was moving higher and higher on the draft charts, even with past off-the-field baggage to overcome, before a torn up knee in a workout changed all that. With his speed, coverage skills and tackling ability, he appeared ready to become one of the hot prospects going into the Combines, but now he has to undergo surgery for his torn ACL.

Terrence Wheatley, CB Colorado & DeJuan Tribble, CB Boston College
Senior Bowl week was a big chance for Wheatley and Tribble to shine, but, at best, they graded out as an incomplete. Wheatley showed the athleticism to be close to coming up big, but he failed to stand out when a big play needed to be made. Tribble had even bigger problems, struggling against the big, physical Adarius Bowman, and having even more issues on when pressed on deep balls.

Hamstrings
LSU's Early Doucet is supposed to be the No. 1 receiver on the board, but he has a big red flag when it comes to toughness and injury issues. Hurt for half of the year with a groin problem, he tweaked a hamstring this week, which might be just enough to knock him down a few draft spots even though he was uncoverable at times and showed off great hands. North Carolina DT Kentwan Balmer had everyone buzzing as a big, strong rock in the middle, but just when it looked like he was ready to go through the roof on everyone's draft board, he hurt his hamstring and was out.
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