Risers, Fallers, Sleepers & Ballers

[Bolt Dude]

With the Senior Bowl coming this week, and the impending combine-ish thing + pro-days, etc., I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread tracking the ups and downs of our favorite prospects.

What mid-round workout warrior is gonna rocket into day one? Which highly touted CB is gonna run a 4.62? ETC!!

Every year there's always a few unlikely surprises.

Who will be be this year's risers, fallers, sleepers and ballers?

[wu-dai clan]

Ambry Thomas MAN CB Mich
rising to round 3...does he bite off more than he can chew.

Levi Onwuzurike 4i Wash round 3.

Adetokunbo Ogundeji SOLB ND rd 4

Dillon Radunz OT N Dak St
James Hudson OT Cin
round 2 or 3.

Marvin Wilson Wi FSU
the great enigma round 2-4.

JaCoby Stevens JACK round 7.looks pretty good in coverage.
oversized Safety.

Cameron Sample 4i Tulane rd 7
moves well--what a sleeper !

David Moore OG Grambling
round 4-5 mean, very long arms
6'2 320#.

finally.
Kadarius Toney WR/KR Florida
rd2 second coming of Percy Harvin...incredible stop/start.

[Bolt Dude]

Good chance for Elijah Molden to fall. No Senior Bowl appearance due to injury. Practicing in front of NFL coaches would have been his bread and butter. I think his pure measurables may be underwhelming. Definitely not a straight line speed guy. This is good news for us if he slips into the 3rd.

[like54ninjas]

Good chance for Elijah Molden to fall. No Senior Bowl appearance due to injury. Practicing in front of NFL coaches would have been his bread and butter. I think his pure measurables may be underwhelming. Definitely not a straight line speed guy. This is good news for us if he slips into the 3rd.

I think you may underestimate his long speed.
His size is my only concern. Too small for an outside CB and will be a test of his body and toughness to play NCB.

[Bolt Dude]

Senior Bowl Day 1 Risers:

WR - D'Wayne Eskridge
"The first half of practice saw Western Michigan’s D’Wayne Eskridge tear it up on a regular basis. Known as one of the more explosive receivers in the 2021 class, Eskridge was able to consistently create separation in one-on-one drills, using his explosiveness and a refined arsenal of releases to make plays."

"Eskridge showed off his world class speed and ability to stop and get to full speed in a couple steps. He had a great catch and spin move in a one-on-one drill to leave a corner in his dust. Good start to the week for both players."

WR - Nico Collins
"Collins, who opted out of the 2020 season, showed terrific ability to get off the line of scrimmage and gain separation. His best catch of the day was a toe-tapping 25-yard gain showing off terrific body control along the right sideline in a team drill."

OT - D’Ante Smith
"Measured in at 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds, which was one inch and 16 pounds bigger than he was listed in college. He looked powerful at the point of attack in one-on-one drills, and he also showcased very good agility in space."

"Coming in with with the longest arms at 35 2/8”, Smith did not let many bodies around him. He was very explosive off the snap, showing outstanding feet and a square base in pass protection. When he landed his hands on defenders, the rep was over."

S - Hamsah Nasirildeen
"Nasirildeen from Florida State was the biggest standout, no pun intended. Not only did he measure in at 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, but he looked incredibly fluid and proved that he has the fluidity to play in single-high shells as the centerfielder, as well as perform reliably in the box."

EDGE - Jordan Smith
"UAB’s Jordan Smith was a bigger winner of the day, measuring in at 6-foot-6 and 251 pounds while looking explosive and slippery in drills."

"The 6-foot-5 and 255 pounder was fantastic off the edge, showing power in his hands, utilization of his long arms, explosion off the line of scrimmage and great agility when turning the corner. Like Roche, Smith had a standout rep against Leatherwood. Arguably one of the biggest risers in this year’s class, Smith has the chance to go before the end of the second day in the draft."

DT - Levi Onwuzurike
"Along the interior, Washington’s Levi Onwuzurike proved to be dominant at the point of attack. He was a powerful forced to be reckoned with in one-on-one drills, and he required double-team blocks often in scrimmages. Seen as a fringe Day 2 prospect earlier in the draft process, he could be playing himself into high Day 2 territory with some more strong practices."

"Washington defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike was really impressive. Size, speed and strength, Onwuzurike has it all."

"Onwuzurike won multiple reps during pass-rush drills and got into the backfield to blow up running plays throughout the National Team's inside period."

CB - Thomas Graham
"Prior to coming to Mobile, Graham led the nation in passes defensed. Graham was strong carrying receivers vertically and in man coverage. He displayed quick feet & hips and physicality at the line of scrimmage. He currently projects as a Day 3 selection, but he could be a steal when all is said and done."

"Thomas Graham Jr. from Oregon battled hard in one-on-ones and looked very good in terms of his route-recognition and fluidity. He was sticky in coverage on nearly every rep and held his own against quality competition. "

Fallers...
OT - Alex Leatherwood
"His initial practice with the American Team had its ups and downs. The primary reason behind a possible transition to the interior originates from less-than-ideal lower-body flexibility. Leatherwood's long arms can offset a lack of fluidity in his footwork, but he must be able to adjust and consistently ward off edge-rushers. He struggled a little Tuesday. Still, the fact Leatherwood is expected to remain at left tackle all week will allow him to provide critical reps at a premium position. "

[Bolt Dude]

Senior Bowl - Wednesday Risers:

C - Quinn Meinerz
"Meinerz beat Ogundeji twice in one on ones, showing very good anchor, positioning, and a mean nasty streak that reminds me of Ben Bartch, the St. John’s prospect from last year who was drafted in the fourth round"

T - James Hudson III
"Cincinnati tackle James Hudson III is a converted EDGE prospect who looks lean and quick at tackle. Hudson’s feet, fluidity, and movement skills were apparent in drills and the fact that he’s raw, and learning, may lead some NFL teams to believe that there’s a lot to work with due to his athletic profile."

WR - D’Wayne Eskridge
"No one is making more money than Western Michigan wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge. A smaller school prospect who is winning in so many different ways; it looks like he’s shot out of a cannon - lightning quickness. Eskridge had 33 catches for 768 yards and 8 touchdowns in 6 games this season. He is going to skyrocket up boards after looking this good against Power-5 opponents."

CB - Ambry Thomas
"Michigan’s Ambry Thomas looked very solid on both days. He’s patient at the line of scrimmage, disruptive at the catchpoint, and sticky in man coverage. Oregon cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. had a nice Day 1, but seemed to regress on Day 2. He was beaten really badly on a double move by Eskridge."

[Bolt Dude]

Thursday's Risers:

Drake Jackson - C
"Not sure about him in pass pro yet, but zone heavy schemes should be looking at Kentucky C Drake Jackson. Put some great reach blocks on tape this week in Mobile. Quick off the ball."
"..the 6-foot-1, 290-pounder more than held his own during one-on-one drills against interior pass rushers.”

Quinn Meinerz - G/C
"He's the one with the rolled up jersey and belly out. He's also been one of the most consistent players here all week."
"Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Quinn Meinerz continues to have a very impressive week. He’s holding up athletically, with his strength, and is doing a solid job in team periods as well."

Jaylon Moore - T
"Western Michigan OT Jaylon Moore has also had a very good week and continued to show that he belongs in today’s practice."

James Hudson - T
"Speaking of anchoring, Hudson sunk his hips and sat on a Shaka Toney bull rush attempt. The Penn State EDGE couldn’t get off the anchor of Hudson, and the initial punch from Hudson was able to force Toney inside; Hudson shifted his weight, moved his feet well, and Toney’s lateral bull-rush was stopped about a yard into the pocket."
"On the last play of that red zone drill, Cincinnati left tackle James Hudson had driven a defender at least 12 yards downfield."

D'Ante Smith - T
"East Carolina tackle D'Ante Smith has been really good this week although he's one of the lighter offensive linemen here in Mobile. When he moved inside to guard for some pass rush reps, he was equally as efficient and effective as he had been dancing with guys on the outside. If he could just get to 305 or 310, teams would LOVE him. As it is, I think he can play."

Cade Johnson - WR
"SDST WR Cade Johnson also continues his week of success; he beat two corners, one being Norwood from Oklahoma, on seven routes to the back pylon. Johnson may be undersized, but he’s consistently shown the ability to create separation and win up his stem."

Richie Grant - CB
"UCF cornerback Richie Grant turned heads with his second interception of the day in the red zone."

Daelin Hayes - EDGE
"After winning a few pass rush one-on-one reps, he came down to cover tight ends on the goal line. On the two reps I saw, he stayed in phase twice on two different tight ends. I was impressed to say the least, considering there were some safeties that couldn't stick with the same tight ends on the same routes."

Thursday's Fallers:

Jake Curhan - T
"California offensive lineman Jake Curhan hasn’t been as sturdy and has had arguably the worst week of all the National Team offensive lineman."
"There was one offensive lineman that I seen beat on just about every one on one I won’t mention a name but the team was the Cal Bears."

Injuries:

Malik Herring - DL
"Malik Herring had been having a strong week down in Mobile, Ala., at the Senior Bowl. That’s what makes Thursday’s news that he suffered a torn ACL all the more gutting. Rivals’ Anthony Dasher was the first to report the news that Herring tore his right ACL. He was spotted on crutches during Thursday’s practice."

Ben Cleveland - G
Georgia guard Ben Cleveland also picked up an injury this week, suffering one to his right ankle.

[chargerkdb]

I’ve seen several sources mentioning Khalil Herbert RB VT as standing out. Was hoping he flew a bit under radar. Really hoping he’s there with one of our 3rds

[Bolt Dude]

I’ve seen several sources mentioning Khalil Herbert RB VT as standing out. Was hoping he flew a bit under radar. Really hoping he’s there with one of our 3rds

Haha, yeah he’s a stud. A Herbert to Herbert combo would be lit. Personally, I’m hoping to fill our first 4 rounds with OL, EDGE, CB, and DL.
But I think there’ll be some late round RB gems. Really like Jermar Jefferson from Oregon State. Kid runs with malice and disdain.

[Tol]

Thursday's Risers:
James Hudson - T
"Speaking of anchoring, Hudson sunk his hips and sat on a Shaka Toney bull rush attempt. The Penn State EDGE couldn’t get off the anchor of Hudson, and the initial punch from Hudson was able to force Toney inside; Hudson shifted his weight, moved his feet well, and Toney’s lateral bull-rush was stopped about a yard into the pocket."
"On the last play of that red zone drill, Cincinnati left tackle James Hudson had driven a defender at least 12 yards downfield."

I'm excited to see how far Hudson rises up the draft boards.

D'Ante Smith - T
"East Carolina tackle D'Ante Smith has been really good this week although he's one of the lighter offensive linemen here in Mobile. When he moved inside to guard for some pass rush reps, he was equally as efficient and effective as he had been dancing with guys on the outside. If he could just get to 305 or 310, teams would LOVE him. As it is, I think he can play."

Another OT prospect I've been interested about. The above reinforces kind of what I had in mind about him.

Daelin Hayes - EDGE
"After winning a few pass rush one-on-one reps, he came down to cover tight ends on the goal line. On the two reps I saw, he stayed in phase twice on two different tight ends. I was impressed to say the least, considering there were some safeties that couldn't stick with the same tight ends on the same routes."

I've been mocking Hayes a lot recently in the 4th or 5th to add quality depth at EDGE/DE. Definitely keeping an eye on him.

Injuries:

Ben Cleveland - G
Georgia guard Ben Cleveland also picked up an injury this week, suffering one to his right ankle.

That's a bummer. I read he's had a lot of bad beats with injuries.

[like54ninjas]

I’ve seen several sources mentioning Khalil Herbert RB VT as standing out. Was hoping he flew a bit under radar. Really hoping he’s there with one of our 3rds

He’s looked really impressive in everything I’ve been able to watch.

[AK47]

Small School Sammy drool alert. Look at starting 2:00 mark.