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| 2011 Senior Bowl Weigh-In Analysis |
| By: Justin Onslow |
| January 24, 2011 |
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Stephen Paea |
The 2011 Under Armour Senior Bowl weigh-ins lacked the buzz and excitement of the Tim Tebow spectacle that was
the 2010 weigh-ins, but there were still some interesting story lines developing throughout the process. Among those
were the defensive tackle measurements, Noel Devine's underwhelming size,
the impressive results from some of this year's top linebackers and the weak group of wide receivers in attendance this week.
Last year, Terrence Cody, Dan Williams and Cam Thomas headlined a solid group of nose tackle candidates. This year, no one name stood out
entering the weigh-in process. Many considered Stephen Paea to have the potential to
play nose tackle at the next level, but Paea weighed in at a mere 295 pounds, and did not look stout enough to anchor a 3-4 defense.
On the other hand, Ian Williams (Notre Dame) and
Phil Taylor (Baylor) looked the part. Williams, at 6-1⅜ and 311 pounds seemed to
possess enough bulk to be a suitable candidate in a 3-4 nose tackle position. Taylor weighed in at 337 pounds, and looked very solid.
This week will be a good indication of how well each of those prospects may perform in the NFL.
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Noel Devine
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Ole Miss' Dexter McCluster was a media favorite last year at the Senior Bowl. He was undersized for either the running back or wide receiver
positions (5-8⅛, 165 pounds), but impressed a lot of people with his heart, determination and explosiveness, ultimately being drafted to
the Chiefs in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Noel Devine is a similar prospect this year.
His speed and explosiveness is his biggest asset, and after weighing in at 5-7 and 160 pounds, Devine will need to showcase those talents this
week during Senior Bowl practices in order to move up the draft boards and find a home next year in the NFL.
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Mark Herzlich
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Some believe this year's linebacker class falls well short of those from previous years, but scouts could get a pleasant surprise this week by
Boston College's Mark Herzlich, Washington's Mason Foster
and Michigan State's Greg Jones. Herzlich's battle with cancer was well documented
(as was his return to football), but many are still sleeping on his abilities. Herzlich weighed in at 6-3⅝ and an impressive 250 pounds,
and didn't look to carry too much extra body fat. If Herzlich shows half as much talent this week as he showed heart in his return to football,
scouts will fall in love with him heading into the draft.
Foster and Jones also looked rather impressive today. Foster has made a name for himself by way of an extremely high motor and a nose for the football.
He came in at 6-1⅛ and 241 pounds (very close to his previously listed measurements), and looked very stout. Jones has been under the
microscope in the past because of his short stature for a linebacker (listed at 5-11), but weighed in at nearly six feet-tall (5-11⅞)
and 240 pounds. Jones has long been one of my favorite inside linebackers in this class, and could sway the opinions of scouts this week with
good practices and a good performance in Saturday's game.
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Courtney Smith
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The 2010 Senior Bowl seemed to lack elite wide receiver prospects, and this year appears to be no different. No names stand out, but that does not
mean a leader will not arise from the pack this week. Last year, the Citadel's Andre Roberts wowed a lot of scouts and made a name for himself at
the Senior Bowl. Perhaps the most intriguing story at the position is the late addition of Courtney Smith. Smith is a local favorite due to the
fact that South Alabama plays in Ladd-Peebles Stadium (home of the Senior Bowl), and happens to be the tallest receiver in Mobile this week.
Smith measured in at 6-4 even and 220 pounds. We have yet to see what he can do blocking or catching the football, but his size in certainly
an intriguing topic as we head into practices this week.
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(January 24, 2011) --
Sideline Scouting has posted full weigh-in results for the 2011 Senior Bowl, as well as a short
write-up of observations on some of the players and story lines for the week.
Keep checking back for multiple updates per day, practice notes, press conference transcripts and interviews.
The North team practice notes from Monday are now posted,
and we will be attending both North and South team practices for
the remainder of the week.
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