Senior Bowl Weekend

Senior Bowl Weekend

The NFL has one of the shortest seasons in pro sports, but the offseason goes all year long. Big name coaches and scouts are in attendance for this weekend’s Senior Bowl game in Mobile, Alabama, where prospects of all positions across the board are trying to boost their value in the upcoming NFL draft. The Senior Bowl is a lot like the Pro Bowl, but where NFL players are trying to avoid the game, the kids in Mobile have what could be millions of dollars on the line. History has shown that a player’s stock can definitely rise with a great performance, but coaches are more interested in seeing players in game mode, because after this weekend it’s nothing but combine measurements and practice drills.

Believe it or not, Mock Drafts are already coming out even though it’s only been days since some underclassmen have declared for the NFL draft. The draft order has been finalized except for the two remaining Super Bowl teams.

Since picking games is more our field of expertise, Gridiron Experts isn’t about to run our mouths about prospects before consulting with “draft experts”. So we have contacted a few people that are at the Senior Bowl, and have become loyal readers to many Draft and Senior Bowl blogs. Many people look to Mel Kiper of ESPN for his insider info, but recently we stumbled on an article that disproves Mel’s big mouth. Last year Kiper’s board was no more accurate than any other mock draft you could find on the web. As we were never fans of Kiper to begin with, the piece written by Bryan Curtis is definitely worth a laugh. Either way, this is what we’re hearing so far throughout the practices from the week at the Senior Bowl:

Ole Miss OT Michael Oher- So far this monster has man handled defenders, burying them into the  ground with his size and technique. Staying for his senior year has really paid off, as most people have nothing but great things to say about this guy and are eating their words. Oher should be a top pick for sure, maybe top 5 condsidering the teams sitting there.

Boston College DT B.J. Raji- Raji has been the talk of the week, either from his insane bull rush speed or his ability to beat tackles with his finesse moves. He has many people talking about going early in the draft, but the question is how early and who could move up to get him?

Oklahoma St. TE Brandon Pettigrew- One of the top tight end prospects of the ’09 Draft. His week of practice has been focused on his blocking techniques, as I’m sure he was advised to show off the fact that he can be on the field on every play. With skills of not only making great catches but also laying out defenders, this guy could go earlier than most people think.

Oregon RB Jeremiah Johnson- This speedy running back was a shadow to Jonathan Stewart for 3 seasons until he got the spotlight in ’08. Johnson had over 1200 yards and averaged 7.1 yards per carry at Oregon. His week of practice has been great proof that he can run in a pro style offense, as opposed to the spread offense that is run with the Ducks.

stay tuned…

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