| QB – Jake Locker, Washington |
| Locker is all hype and no substance. He lacks the accuracy to play quarterback in the NFL and he’s going to fall out of the 1st round. |
| RB – Mark Ingram, Alabama |
| Ingram wasn’t even the best running back on his own team this past season. Comparisons to Emmitt Smith are being tossed around, but he reminds me more of Ron Dayne. |
| WR – Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh |
| A gifted athlete with elite size and strength, but just doesn’t play up to his potential. |
| TE – D.J. Williams, Arkansas |
| Athletic, but doesn’t really have a position. Too short to be a star at tight end. |
| OT – Nate Solder, Colorado |
| Suffering (or benefiting, I guess) from the media’s Bruce Campbell syndrome. He’s athletic, but far from a finished product. |
| OG – Mike Pouncey, Florida |
| He’s not his brother. He’s good, but his stock in the media has risen because of his last name. |
| DE – Adrian Clayborn, Iowa |
| After a stellar 2009 he took a step backwards as a senior. There are some concerns about his effort on the field. |
| DT – Marcell Dareus, Alabama |
| He’s never performed at an elite level as a full-time starter – not exactly the résumé of a top-10 pick. |
| OLB – Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue |
| Is he strong enough to play defensive end? Is he athletic enough to play linebacker? |
| ILB – Greg Jones, Michigan State |
| A gifted athlete who consistently falls short of expectations. He benefits from a very weak class for the position. |
| CB – Brandon Harris, Miami FL |
| Fast enough to stick with anyone, but he’s undersized and consistently gets beat by more physical receivers. |
| S – Robert Sands, West Virginia |
| Its easy to be intrigued by his size, but very few have ever played the position effectively at his size. |
All-Overrated Team (pre-combine edition)
Ryan Kerrigan scouting report
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Ryan Kerrigan DE Purdue |
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Ht: 6’4″
Wt: 255
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| Strengths: | ||
| Prototypical 4-3 defensive end who may have the athleticism to stand up at linebacker in the 3-4. Decent athlete who was asked to do a lot for a weak Purdue defense. Excels as a pass rusher. An effective speed rusher off the edge. Has experience lining up with his hand both on and off the ground. Some experience dropping into coverage. Coaches have nothing but great things to say about his character and work ethic. | ||
| Weaknesses: | ||
| Not an explosive athlete and he may need to polish more of his moves to be effective as a pass rusher at the next level. Not a dominant force against the run; may struggle at the point of attack at the next level if he doesn’t add some lower-body strength. | ||
| Comments: | ||
| Kerrigan excelled as a pass rusher at Purdue, despite often seeing double teams. He’s quick off the snap and frequently beats less athletic linemen with his speed. However, to prove his worth as a potential 1st-round pick he’ll need to show he has the strength to be a true three-down lineman. He is probably best suited to play linebacker in a 3-4 scheme where teams can get more creative with their packages and tailor their scheme to his skill set. | ||
Most intriguing battles at the Senior Bowl
Von Miller vs Ryan Kerrigan
There aren’t many elite 3-4 pass rushers in this year’s draft class, which is typically one of the most sought-after positions early in the draft. Both Miller and Kerrigan are capable of playing outside in the 3-4 scheme and a number of teams could be in the market for them in the 1st round. Both players grade out very close and this could be an opportunity for one to get the upper hand.
Jake Locker vs Ricky Stanzi
Talent-wise, there’s no comparing Locker and Stanzi (Locker wins easily). Production-wise there’s also no comparing them (Stanzi wins easily). If Locker plays up to his full potential, this should be his opportunity to reclaim his consensus 1st-round grade. However, if he is out-played by Stanzi – who plays with a similar style and has a comparable skill set – Locker is almost certain to fall out of the 1st round.
Gabe Carimi vs Anthony Castonzo vs DeMarcus Love
Do we have a left tackle in this group? All three are fringe 1st-round prospects and what holds them back is the question about their position. None of the three have the elite athleticism you look for in a left tackle, but all three had productive careers on the left side in college. Seeing all three on the same field will help clear up the picture as to who has a legitimate case to be a 1st-round pick.
Mike Pouncey vs Ben Ijalana vs Rodney Hudson
Who is the top interior lineman in Mobile? Entering this week I give a slight edge to Ijalana, but we have yet to see him face elite competition. With a solid week Ijalana could become a potential 1st-round prospect, much like Mike Iupati used the Senior Bowl as a spring board last year. However, Pouncey and Hudson will have that same opportunity. All three have different body builds and are very different players, making this an interesting competition to watch. [updated: Mike Pouncey has elected not to participate].