Mayock's Senior Bowl Winners - Kalil, Bowe, Okoye

NFL Network's Mike Mayock believes Ryan Kalil, Dwayne Bowe and Amobi Okoye improved their NFL draft status the most at the Senior Bowl.

Mayock on Kalil -
I think he's been the best offensive lineman down here as far as technique. He's throwing a shutout right now. I really like the way Ryan Kalil moves, so I think he's making himself some money. He could be a first-round center.

on Bowe -
He's 6-2½ , 222 pounds, a great-looking kid with great speed. I think he's a natural first-round pick for a West Coast offense.

On Okoye -
He's really been impressive. His age is an upside for teams. He's 19 and his best football is ahead of him.

Quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl

Fox Sports has a huge article on Senior Bowl week. Including an in-depth look at the quarterbacks. Here are some of the comments:

Drew Stanton - ...he's back and playing well enough to be a late first-round prospect.

Troy Smith - His arm has been average and the height issue has been a factor.

Chris Leak - He's been rock solid this week showing he can be deadly accurate on the short-to-midrange throws.

Kevin Kolb - He's big, mobile, through not a runner, and has the arm.

Jordan Palmer - great arm, lousy decision maker

Tyler Palko - this week showed he can't throw at an NFL level

Senior Bowl: Day Three Notes

Big day at the Senior Bowl as all the players have shaken off the rust and nerves. Today was the last day in pads, Thursday and Friday won't see nearly as much action. A lot of news to cover, so lets get started.

Sigmund Bloom and Cecil Lammey return with their scouting notebook. A must read is their day three North and South reports. They include notes on just about every player at each practice.

Denverbroncos.com reports David Clowney and Aaron Rouse made big plays all day. Clowney caught everything and Rouse had two interceptions. Also, in an interview Clowney claims he ran a 4.28 40 -yard dash.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Auburn cornerback David Irons has been one of the South team's best players this week. Also, more praise for Dwayne Bowe, "who was far and away the most impressive receiver Wednesday".

Mlive has a closer look at the linebackers reporting that David Harris is showing pretty well. He's calling the defensive sets and is always around the ball. He does a good job of taking on blockers and puts himself in position to make the tackle.

Buccaneers.com has a good piece on Tony Hunt's Senior Bowl performance, stating "The solidly-built, 220-pound back isn’t flashy, but he has been exactly as advertised – a North-South runner who runs with power and can dish out as much punishment as he receives. "

They also report that Daymeion Hughes sat out most of Wednesday’s session after his back tightened up and that Eric Weddle made a big impression by being in the middle of two turnovers during the scrimmage.

SI.com lists it's risers and sliders for day three. They note that Ken Darby had a great day, breaking off several long runs and was difficult to bring down.

Finally, a nice write-up by forum member InstaGATOR on both the North and South Practice.

Staley, Kalil, and Blaylock improve draft stock

NFL.com analyst Pat Kirwan details some offensive linemen making an impact during Senior Bowl week. He was especially impressed with Joe Staley, Justin Blalock, and Ryan Kalil.

Kirwan on Staley -
As I walked towards him he reminded me of a young Jon Runyan -- a big athlete with a nasty streak ... he will be a 10-year starter in this league. Staley's techniques are good and his competitive nature is better.

Blalock-
Blaylock isn't a bad tackle prospect but he's a terrific guard talent. He's tough with a road-grader style when he's inside...

Kalil-
He's not bulky at 290 pounds but his techniques and effort to finish are outstanding.

Senior Bowl: Day Two Practice Notes

Sigmund Bloom and Cecil Lammey return with their Senior Bowl notebook. Don't miss their North day two practice notes and South day two practice notes.

Bowe and Carriker hot, Palko and McCauley not

SI.com lists it's risers and sliders after two days of the Senior Bowl.

Risers of note include Adam Carriker and Dwayne Bowe.

Carriker impressed right out of the gate during the weigh-ins, measuring up at 6'6" 290 with an impressive build and huge reach. During practice he's been the top player on the field and impossible to stop. He has a great combination of power and speed.

Bowe also awed during weigh-ins. Looking more like a linebacker then a receiver at 6'2" 220. He's shown great speed and soft hands during practice.

Sliders of note include Marcus McCauley and Tyler Palko.

McCauley is following up a poor senior season with a poor Senior Bowl. He's getting beat deep and underneath. Despite his remarkable phiysical tools, he needs to pick up his play or his stock will really suffer.

Palko just doesn't look like an NFL QB. He's undersized. His arm is weak and inaccurate.

Daymeion Hughes impresses coaches at Senior Bowl

Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes has impressed coaches during the first two days of Senior Bowl practice according to buccaneers.com. Hughes 'shocked' everyone yesterday by measuring in at only 5'10" after being listed at 6'2". However, his height hasn't stopped him from making plays.

“All these guys out here are playing hard, but he’s (Hughes) kind of standing out a little bit,” said Bucs’ Defensive Backs Coach Raheem Morris. “He made a couple big plays yesterday and looked good again today. He’s a quick-feet guy. He’s a little bit of an undersized guy and all that stuff people keep talking about, but some of that stuff doesn’t even matter. I like the kid and I like the way he plays.”

Stanton impressive during 2nd day

MLive.com reports that Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton impressed teams during this morning's practice.

Stanton displayed accuracy, zip and arm strength in his throws, and combined with his protypical NFL QB size (6- 3, 235) he was surrounded by scouts from at least five NFL teams as the morning workouts were completed. Among the teams expressing interest in Stanton were the Chiefs, the Patriots, the Vikings and the Texans.

Stanton had a disappointing senior season and his draft stock has suffered. Prior to the 2006 season many scouts felt he could be a first rounder. A great senior bowl week could raise his stock and position him as the number three quarterback behind Jamarcus Russell and Brady Quinn.

Troy Smith off to a good start at Senior Bowl

DaytonDailyNews.com reports Troy Smith looked good during the first day of practice. He was on the money with his passes, hitting his receivers in stride, and threw the ball with nice touch and pinpoint accuracy. Bucs head coach Jon Gruden was impressed.

"Troy's arm strength was impressive, and he's learned the playbook quickly," Gruden said. "It's going to be a pleasure to work with him this week."

Senior Bowl: Day One Offensive Notes

Don't miss the scouting notebook from Sigmund Bloom and Cecil Lammey. It's an unedited look into their day one Senior Bowl practice notes. They break down every offensive skill position.

Senior Bowl: Day One Practice Recap

The day started off with the weigh-ins and the big news was Troy Smith’s height. He measured in at 6’ even. While shorter then his OSU listed 6’1” its better then the rumored 5’10” or 5’11” some scouts were whispering. The first round is still doubtful for Smith and he’ll still need an excellent Senior Bowl and combine to keep his stock in the second round.

On the practice field it was a cold and rainy day. The wet football caused some problems for the offense and resulted in sloppy play, botched exchanges, dropped balls, and wobbly passes.

North coach Jon Gruden worked closely with quarterback Drew Stanton. Gruden drafted Cadillac Williams after coaching him in the 2005 senior bowl. Could Stanton have a future in Tampa Bay?

During drills Aundrea Allison and Brandon Myles displayed nice hands and made some difficult receptions.

Jason Hill was quick and showed a nice burst off the line.

Marcus McCauley showed poor footwork during drills. He has great physical tools, but needs to have a strong Senior Bowl week after a very disappointing senior season.

Adam Carriker impressed the most during today’s practice. He showed good quick moves during one-on-one drills and was in the backfield often during the full scrimmage.

Levi Brown dominated LaMarr Woodley in on-on-one drills. On two occasions, Brown pushed Woodley to the ground.

Tony Hunt had a mixed day. On the positive side, he showed his power and pushed the pile. On the negative, he showed poor hands, dropping an easy pass.

Brian Leonard received playing time at both fullback and halfback.

Observations taken from NFL Network's Senior Bowl coverage.

Players who must excel Senior Bowl week

SI.com details their players who must excel during Senior Bowl week.

The list includes: Troy Smith, who needs to rebound from a poor BCS game. Also, Jason Hill, Quentin Moses, and Kenneth Darby must improve their stock after poor senior seasons. While USC center Ryan Kalil could push himself into the first round with a big week.

Senior Bowl Question: Next Jay Cutler?

Last year, heading into the Senior Bowl all the QB talk was about Young and Leinart. During Senior Bowl week, while Young and Leinart sat at home, Jay Cutler wowed scouts and his stock took off.

Again this year, the top two QB prospects are not at the Senior Bowl. Brady Quinn has a minor knee injury and will skip the game, while JaMarcus Russell is a junior and can't participate. Which QB will impress scouts during the week to move into the number three ranked QB spot?

Here are the QBs that will participate:

Trent Edwards, Stanford
Kevin Kolb, Houston
Chris Leak, Florida
Tyler Palko, Pitt
Jordan Palmer, UTEP
Troy Smith, Ohio St.
Drew Stanton, Michigan St.

Troy Smith's Florida nightmare

Florida's defense dominated Ohio State and Troy Smith in the BCS Championship game. The Heisman trophy winner managed just 7 total yards and was hurried and harassed all night, spending most of the game running for his life or on the ground. When Smith did manage to get a pass away it was usually off the mark. He completed just 4 passes on 14 attempts.

This will knock Smith down on some draft boards and he'll have a lot to prove at the Senior Bowl and scouting combine. The first question to be answered will be his height. If he is only 5-11, as rumored, he won't stand much of a chance at being chosen in the first round, maybe not even the second. He'll also have to show he can perform against other elite prospects, something he couldn't do against Florida.

Quinn and Smith accept Senior Bowl invites

Troy Smith and Brady Quinn will both compete in the Senior Bowl on January 27, 2007. The Senior Bowl is an important pre-draft event featuring the nation's best senior collegiate football stars and top NFL draft prospects. Players are coached by the entire coaching staffs from two NFL teams and practices are attended by over 700 general managers, head coaches, assistant coaches, scouts and other front office personnel. Past Senior Bowls have had a big influence on the draft stock of the top prospects.

For Smith, the weigh in portion of Senior Bowl week could have a huge impact in his draft stock. If his official height is around his listed 6-1, he'll have a good chance of being a first rounder. If he measures up to only 5-11, as rumored, it's doubtful he'll make the first round.

Quinn has less to prove and some may question why he'll even participate in the Senior Bowl. However, NFL personal will appreciate his desire to compete and unless Quinn has a miserable game his draft stock shouldn't be affected.