For those who missed it this past weekend was one of the better College Football games I've seen before, and even though it was about as vanilla as you can get (teams could not blitz, use motion, run trick plays, or attempt to block kicks) it was still interesting to see how the prospects fared here. The East vs. West Shrine Bowl is for the prospects who are more likely to end up on Day 2/3 of the draft but with a solid performance they might be able to move up to day 1. The game ended up with the East squad winning 13-10 on a touchdown from Northwestern QB Mike Kafka to Penn State TE Andrew Quarless with less than 10 seconds left. Here are the biggest movers and losers from this week of practice and the game itself.
Stock Rising
1. Kam Chancellor S Virginia Tech 6'3 225 *NFL Combine Invite
Thought to be about a 3rd round pick in this years draft Chancellor had a lot of question marks surrounding his ability to cover, especially the deep ball (see Alabama game), but throughout the week of practice he consistently made plays over and over again in 1-on-1 and 7-on-7 drills. In the game he also did a solid job of defending the pass breaking up several passes during the game. Chancellor is best at defending the run and is known for bringing the wood on receivers coming across the middle. I really see Chancellor ending up as an OLB in the NFL but he could play a SS in some Defenses.
2. Roger Saffold OT Indiana 6'4 304 *NFL Combine Invite
I debated on whether or not Saffold had improved his draft stock the most considering that he was looking at being drafted in the very late rounds at best, but all week he stayed with some of the best DE's in any of the postseason games and not only holding his own but flat out neutralising some of these guys. Thought to be too slow and not strong enough he was flat out dominant at times showing quick feet and a great initial punch on his pass block. He came out a little high during the game but he was strong enough to overcome that. I think he may have bumped himself up to a late 4th to early 5th round selection.
3. Keaton Kirstick LB Oregon State 6'2 229 *NFL Combine Invite
If there was anyone that helped themselves it was Mr. Kirstick who I didn't think would get drafted, but after seeing how he performed in the game I fully believe he has a great shot at being drafted in the later rounds. He isn't big but he is an automatic tackler, solid in coverage, and he played with more discipline than anyone out there. With his good, not great, speed he could be one of those fan favorite special teams guys that make pro bowls shutting down kick returners.
4. Greg Hardy DE Ole Miss 6'4 261 *NFL Combine invite
When healthy and playing at 100% (mentally) Greg Hardy can be one of the most dominant DE's in football. He has everything you want in a defensive end but there are 2 major questions regarding Hardy, who is considered a late 2nd round pick. 1 - Can he stay healthy? He has not played an injury free season since his freshman season. That's part of what makes him so remarkable is though considering the numbers he puts up playing a full season. If he can heal his wrist, shoulder, ankle, and knee he could be a great one.. that's a lot of injuries. 2 - Will he give a consistent effort? He has been benched the last two seasons for his lack of effort in some games and suspended for showing up late and missing team meetings. If he can get his head right, which he showed promising signs during the week, he can be a great one. As far as this game went Hardy was near dominant all week, including in the game where he managed 2 sacks and a number of QB hurries.
5. Jamar Wall CB Texas Tech 5'9 197 *NFL Draft Invite
Considered a late round draft pick because of his size and lack of dominant production in college Jamar Wall had a great week of practice and capped it off with a solid performance in the game. He never fell for double moves and showed off some great anticipation. If he has a solid showing at the combine he could really make a move to be an mid day 3 pick.
6. Mike McLaughlin LB Boston College 6'0 247 *NFL Combine Invite
This guy is a badass. A straight up badass. He doesn't have the size or the overall athletic ability but there was nobody that played harder than Mike McLaughlin during the Shrine Game. He consistently lit up players left and right, played emotional football, and consistently gave his all on every play. This may not be a big enough move to improve his stock that much but I would be wiling to bet that he gets drafted around the 4th round and will provide someone with a solid backup.
Losers
1. Max Hall BYU QB 6'0 200 *NFL Combine Invite
While Hall actually had a decent game he did struggle all week long with his accuracy and on his placement of deep throws. I didn't consider him to be drafted in the first place so this was a major set back for him as he needed a really good showing this week to have a chance. He is already very short so he can't afford to have arm strength and accuracy problems on his throws. He is going to have to have an unbelievable combine to get drafted in my opinion.
2. Mike Tepper OT California 6'5 317
This has been a rough week for Tepper who, already considered a late day 3 pick he really hurt his chances of even getting drafted after his performance this week. He gave the effort but he didn't show that Offensive Line aggressive "mean" attitude that many scouts wanted to see. Add on to that he showed he was a step slower than people thought and that equals to UCONN's Lindsey Whitten and Ole Miss' Greg Hardy beating him like he stole something all day Saturday. He was not invited to the combine so the fact that he did nor impress here could really cost him.
3. Stephen Virgil CB Virginia Tech 5'10 185 *NFL Combine Invite
One of the fastest players at the Shrine Game he also proved to be one of the most aggressive....to a fault. He was burned time and time again on double moves and than didn't show the recovery that scouts look for. The most disturbing thing about his performance was that he never improved, he continued to get burned as if he never learned from his mistakes. A 5th round prospect at best he'll be lucky to go that early.
4. Chris Scott OT Tennessee 6'4 316 *NFL Combine Invite
One word to describe Chris Scott. Slow. He struggled all weak with protecting the QB as any player that rushed on the edge got by him. Heavy footed, slow getting set, and slow reaction do not bode well when trying to protect the quarterback out in space. He did show great strength and a that he can be a solid run blocker. While this may have hurt his chances as possibly a a 4th round selection as a TACKLE I can still see Scott being taken in the 5th round as a GUARD.
5. John Skelton QB Fordham 6'5 245 *NFL Combine Invite
He was productive in college and has great size and arm strength. He's still missing upstairs though. Skelton struggled to read defenses all week and tried to force too many throws because of over confidence in his arm. He was often off the mark and had trouble looking off his receivers and even checking down to his safe options. He may look the part but looks can be deceiving... thought to be a late day 3 pick he is going to need a good effort at the combine if he wants that to hold true..
Other Draft news: LSU RB Charles Scott has been declared Medically Ineligible for the Senior Bowl. His replacement will be Alabama running back Roy Upchurch. That's rough on Scott probably dropping his stock a full round, and a wonderful opportunity for Upchurch.
Hope you guys enjoyed and let me know what you think.
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