[Quesadilla Joe]

2018 Senior Bowl Day 2 South: Kyle Lauletta Steps Up, and the DL Impresses

Spoiler!

While the South roster doesn't have the same allure of the North, as none of the South quarterbacks are protected first-round picks, the talent at receiver, along the offensive and defensive line, and in the defensive backfield have continued to impress.

Day 2 South Roster Winners include Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta, LSU RB Darrel Williams, Oklahoma State WR James Washington, North Carolina A&T OT Brandon Parker, Virginia DT Andrew Brown, Clemson LB Dorian O'Daniel, and Auburn SAF Tre Matthews.

Reports from Eric Galko, Christian Page, Derrik Klassen, Dan Matney, Filip Prus, and Parker Henry


Quarterbacks
-Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta had the best outing among all the South quarterbacks. Showing plenty of zip on the football, he continued to squeeze the ball into tight windows. He looked plenty calm and comfortable in the pocket trusting his arm to make NFL throws. One throw in particular, Lauletta threaded the needle in the end zone, sandwiching the ball in between the cornerback and incoming safety.

-Mike White of Western Kentucky still managed to underwhelm in Day 2 of Senior Bowl practices. He has shown to get in a habit of throwing the ball short to receivers and not showing enough consistency to develop into a good practice. He showed glimpses of impressive throws down the field while also connecting on the sidelines showing above average anticipation.

-Virginia's Kurt Benkert continues to struggle with consistency across the board. Benkert lacks the zip to nail receivers in stride across the field resulting in many batted passes and near interceptions. The Virginia quarterback shows no consistency with ball placement leaving many throws behind receivers with little to none to gain from the catch (if caught).

-Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers had a mediocre day. He missed some layup throws over the middle of the field and in the screen game. Silvers proves to have a quick release but ball placement has not been sharp this week so far. A middle of the road day is not bad in practices but an opportunity missed in an average South quarterback group is unfortunate.

Running Backs
-A former backup at LSU, Darrell Williams has really helped himself this week and had an impressive 2nd day of practice. He started off the day with a couple of impressive inside runs where he displayed balance and strength between the tackles. Known for his power and ability in short yardage situations in college, Williams was impressive in the passing game today. He hauled in a touchdown and displayed the ability to get open in one on ones.

-Southern Miss speedster Ito Smith continues to display impressive athletic traits. While his straight-line speed and burst are impressive, his lateral agility popped out throughout the day. Though undersized at 5090, 201 pounds, he looked solid running between the tackles. He is projected as a change-of-pace back at the next level but he’s proven to be one of the most athletically gifted running backs in Mobile so far.

Receivers
-Kansas State’s Byron Pringle was impressive all practice, he did a great job of using his acceleration and speed to get on defensive backs toes and making them open their hips before breaking off his routes, this allowed Pringle to create separation all practice long. Another thing Pringle did well was come back to the ball on his routes eliminating the chance for a DB to get in front and make a play. Pringle is sudden in and out of his breaks which also helps him create separation.

-The UCF receiver Tre’Quan Smith was a tough cover all practice long, especially in the red zone period, Smith was very physical all the way through his routes and did a very good job using his body to box out defenders at the top of his routes. Smith showed concentration and hand strength when catching the ball, smith had some trouble creating separation but his strong hands and concentration allowed him to catch the ball despite the defender being in a good position to make the play.

Oklahoma State’s James Washington again was impressive on day two of practice, and quite frankly has been the most consistent and impressive receiver thus far this week. Washington has shown he can win with speed on deep balls, and also with physicality and strong hands on short and intermediate routes. There has not been a defensive back who has been able to really stop Washington through two practices and he is showing why he was the Biletnikoff winner in 2017.

-Oklahoma State's Marcell Ateman feasted over the middle of the field. Ateman regularly won inside and gained enough separation to present a clear window. During the red zone session, Ateman caught a touchdown in the back of the end zone after shredding the defensive back.

In a group of talented deep threat receivers, Oklahoma State's James Washington shined the most. There wasn't a defensive back that could keep up with him down the field. Washington regularly won his short and underneath routes, as well.

Offensive Line
-Georgia left guard Isaiah Wynn has looked very comfortable this week kicking inside from left tackle. Wynn continues to consistently win his leverage battles and has impressed in pivoting interior lineman to create running lanes, as well as looking extremely explosive when asked to pull. Wynn is also one of the most refined pass protectors from the other interior lineman in Mobile thanks to his experience on the outside.

-Speaking of Brandon Parker, the North Carolina A&T player is making the most of his opportunities against premium competition. After an up-and-down first day, Parker steadied himself and did well to bounce back to anchor against power. Parker is an intriguing developmental prospect and a team could pull the trigger sooner than anticipated simply based on potential.

-Humboldt State OT Alex Cappa’s aggression continues to show up on every rep as he continues to play like an unchained gorilla in individual match ups. Cappa’s biggest issue thus far has been reaching prematurely and losing his balance based on excessive upper body lean, which is fixable with coaching. One thing you can’t coach someone to do is be a rude dude, and Cappa is nasty.

Defensive Line
-In a battle of length vs. length, UTSA’s Marcus Davenport had some issues bending around taller Tackles Brandon Parker and Joe Noteboom in individual drills. Davenport’s power and short area burst continue to be put on display, but he will need to become more calculated with his footwork to be more successful as a pure stand-up edge rusher if he ends up in a 3-4 defense.

-Andrew Brown continues to show off exceptional athleticism to pair with his striking physique. The Virginia defensive end was pound-for-pound the most impressive athlete running hoop drills and has little to no wasted motion with his lateral control. Brown has also won the majority of his match ups and has played with violence and showed off his lightning hands in his individual battles.

Linebackers
-Clemson’s Dorian O’Daniel is a bit of a tweener at 6004, 215 pounds, but he has displayed impressive athletic traits all week and did so again today. He covers ground quickly and displayed instincts in run defense throughout the day. He has the speed to match tight ends in coverage, and he needs to continue to play bigger than he’s measured at.

-Auburn’s Tre’ Williams has continued to struggle in all areas of the game. He had a bad play yesterday where he misdiagnosed a run and opened up a wide lane, and he wasn’t anything special in run defense today. Williams is very stiff hipped and got beat consistently in coverage today. A productive college player with a thumping body, Williams is going to need to finish the week very strong if he hopes to have his name called before late Day 3 in April.

Defensive Backs
-Auburn’s Tray Matthews had a standout day today from the safety position. The Auburn Saftey who is one of the more physically impressive looking players played with physicality all day in both the run and pass games. Matthews in run defense knew where to fill his gaps and did a good job of tracking the ball carrier to get in position to make the tackle and showing explosiveness when he hits the ball carrier. In pass coverage Williams working against the tight ends was physical at the line of scrimmage and had the foot speed and frame to keep up with and challenge the bigger tight ends staying in the tight ends pocket throughout the route and breaking up multiple passes during practice.

-North Carolina corner MJ Stewart, who made this list as a standout yesterday, backed up his performance again at practice today. Stewart who was particularly impressive in the slot showed patience in man coverage doing a good job of not opening his hips too early and staying square in both press and off man coverage. Stewart foot and hip quickness have stood out he is constantly moving his feet to get into position and opens his hips to run quickly reaching full speed in a few steps. Stewart has been a tough matchup for every receiver he has faced and is consistently in position to make a play on the ball. In the red zone period today he showed field awareness not giving ground mirroring receivers and being physical at the goal line eliminating throwing windows.

-Levi Wallace: Alabama's Levi Wallace is dangerously skinny, but has the technique to still stand a chance. Wallace was good when asked to run down the field and play in space, though physical receivers got the best of him.

-Virginia's Quin Blanding wasn't getting around as well as one would hope. Blanding didn't show the speed to keep up with most other athletes on the field, and didn't have quick enough recognition to make up for it entirely. Hopefully Blanding can settle in on the final day.

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2018 Senior Bowl Day 2 North: Josh Allen Shows Promise, OL Stand Out

Spoiler!

By Eric Galko

After a long day 1 of weigh-ins and practices, Wednesday at the Senior Bowl allowed for better quarterback and receiver comfort, added confidence for offensive and defensive line, and an opportunity for the top players to rise to the top.

Day 2 North practice winners include Wyoming QB Josh Allen, Penn State WR DaeSean Hamilton and CB Christian Campbell, Colorado State WR Michael Gallup, UTEP OG Will Hernandez, NC State DTs Justin Jones and BJ Hill, and Rutgers' Kemoko Turay.

Reports from Eric Galko, Christian Page, Derrik Klassen, Dan Matney, Filip Prus, and Parker Henry

Quarterbacks

-After an average first day of practice, Josh Allen proved to be more comfortable on Day 2. Allen was consistent on the deep ball hooking up for a couple scores on 40-yard vertical routes with Michael Gallup (Colorado State) and Allen Lazard (Iowa State). On these throws Allen showed excellent touch and control with impeccable ball placement on the back shoulder of receivers.

However, Allen continued to struggle with touch and accuracy on the intermediate throws. He lacks the velocity control to land the ball in stride to the receivers. He hasn’t shown consistency underneath with touch or accuracy. On one of his first seven on seven throws, he failed to read the safety and threw an interception trying to thread the needle to his tight end.

-Baker Mayfield showed plenty of poise and comfort in seven on seven drills. He looked somewhat raw in his five step drops, for obvious reasons, and showed some inconsistencies shifting his weight throughout his lower body preventing him from making some accurate passes. Mayfield showed excellent timing today hitting receivers in stride and looking comfortable in reading coverage. Mayfield threw passes with anticipation and appropriate timing seemingly developing some kind of rapport with his receivers already.

-The late addition quarterback, Tanner Lee, had a below average day. His arm strength and tight spiral are attractive traits, but he continues to have issues reading simple defensive concepts leading to inaccurate (poor timed) throws and interceptions. Lee shows a trend of throwing too many dead passes (not leading receiver or showing much anticipation) while also missing a couple of wide-open receivers on the boundary.

-Luke Falk, Washington State, looked comfortable in Day 2 of practice. He had some inconsistencies early on when throwing from the far hash to the sideline missing the mark high on a few passes. He managed to settle in and threw the ball well in seven on seven and 11 on 11 drills. One play in particular, Falk rolled to his left when pressured and threw an accurate pass on a drag route to the receiver. Falk was impressive showing anticipation and timing on more than a handful of throws. He was most accurate on play-action passes when rolling right. Falk would most likely be the best passer on the South squad.


Running Backs

-Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage continued to build on a strong first day and has been the most impressive back on the North roster. He isn’t necessarily explosive but he’s shown burst running between the tackles and displays impressive suddenness as a route runner. His hands have been consistent so far this week with the exception of a drop on a swing route that was thrown a little behind him. Additionally, Ballage has been impressive in 1 on 1 pass protection drills vs. linebackers and has shown the ability to recover when he gets beat. If he continues to perform at the same level the rest of the week, Ballage could experience a massive rise in his stock.

-Iowa’s Akrum Wadley continues to display speed and quickness turning the corner, but he has some struggles on the second day of practice. He hasn’t been able to run with much power inside, and he got dismantled by BYU’s Fred Warner in pass protection drills early in practice.


Receivers

-The best route runner at the Senior Bowl this year is Penn State's DaeSean Hamilton. Not only does he clearly take pride in route definition and timing in his breaks, but his upper and lower half are consistently in-sync, allowing him to, while balanced, separate with subtle hand and arm movements. He's different than Cooper Kupp from last year's Senior Bowl, but he's starting to win in the same ways. After being the best Shrine Game receive last week, he's not far off from being one of the best Senior Bowl receivers this week.

-If Hamilton is the best route runner on the North team, then Colorado State's Michael Gallup is the second best. He separates with quickness and burst rather than greatly developed nuance, but his work on deep comebacks, crossers, and vertical routes has really impressed. He's built the best rapport with Wyoming's Josh Allen.

-Miami (FL)'s Braxton Berrios was tough to handle in 1-on-1s. His ability to stop on a dime, redirect, and get open was impressive. There were a few balls he could not bring in, either due to height or not adjusting particularly well, but he got open.

-Justin Watson, one of the lesser-known receivers coming into this week, has been impressive through he first two days of practice. Wilson has shown great body control effectively using his 6’2 215-pound frame to box out defenders and helping create separation out of his cuts. Watson has shown strong hands, being able to finish catches despite defenders ripping at his arms and hands once he catches the ball. One area that Watson needs to show is if he can get off press coverage more efficiently.

-Iowa State's Allen Lazard looked like a catch point only player today. It is clear he has a size and strength advantage, but he did not move well in 1-on-1s. Defensive backs had little issue sticking to him, especially on shorter routes.


Offensive Line

-UTEP offensive guard Will Hernandez was easily the best offensive lineman at the North practice. He entered the week as our top-rated offensive lineman, and he hasn't disappointed. He plays with outstanding hand strength, sliding well after engaged and dealing with both quicker and thicker defensive tackles well. He hasn't gotten a chance to move too much in space yet, but he'll impress there for a 340-pound lineman.

-UCLA's Scott Quessenberry doesn't have the elite length or measurables to earn top-two round grades, but his play this season and now during the week of practice speaks to his likely seven-plus year career as a center in the NFL. Refined in hand placement and quickness, great burst off the snap, and finishing opportunities once he engages all lend themselves to a long NFL career.

-Making a transition from right tackle to right guard, Washington State lineman Cole Madison has looked natural and his athleticism in individual drills has been noticeable. While Madison has proven to be an adept pass blocker in Mike Leach’s pass-heavy offense (78% of his snaps this year were pass plays), a few more stacked practices inside at guard showing his run blocking prowess can go a long way for Madison’s stock.

-Virginia Tech’s Wyatt Teller has looked sluggish coming out of his stance and has been delayed with his hand punch in lineman blocking drills. Teller was a converted defensive tackle with the Hokies, so his lack of fluidity and cumbersome explosiveness is somewhat surprising, especially when followed up by UTEP’s Hernandez.


Defensive Line

-Rutgers edge rusher Kemoko Turay impressed with his ability to bend around the edge and got home for a would-be sack, as well as disrupting a few other plays beyond the line of scrimmage. Turay also showed that he has the strength to hold stout at the point of attack and is working hard this week to combat a poor motor narrative, playing with his hair on fire throughout (and sometimes beyond) the whistle in practice. Turay has only been playing football for five years, and while there is definitely a lot to work to cultivate the raw talent, a talented defensive line coach could reap the benefits of the high-ceiling Turay.

-Defensive Tackles Justin Jones and BJ Hill put the Wolf in Wolfpack today working from the interior. The former collegiate teammates were giving linemen fits with Jones taking on the brunt of the double teams and Hill penetrating up-field and winning with several moves from both 3 and 5-tech alignments. Jones has played with violence this week and any team that is looking for a stout 1-technique, who can also provide some pass rush, should covet Jones.


Linebackers
-BYU's Fred Warner is an intriguing prospect that checks off the physical boxes at 6034, 235 pounds, but his change-of-direction quickness and ability in coverage showed up today. He’s a strong, physical player that beat Akrum Wadley with ease in 1 on 1 drills, and he’s continued to display effective in pursuit of the outside run. If he can continue to work and improve in coverage, Warner could solidify himself at the best linebacker on the North squad.

-Oklahoma linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo has routinely displayed a physical, effective play style as an edge rusher all season, but he showed some real ability in 1 on 1 coverage drills today. He isn’t the smoothest or most fluid athlete, but he had a really nice play vs. standout Kalen Ballage on a wheel route down the left boundary that turned some heads. He was able to stay attached to Ballage’s hip pocket running downfield and he did a nice job getting his head around and his hand up when the ball came his way. While he stills projects as a tweener edge rusher, his impressive display in coverage leaves reason to believe he could have the ability to transition into an off-ball linebacker as the draft process continues.


Defensive Backs

-After sitting out Monday’s practice because of illness, Florida’s Duke Dawson made up for the reps he missed yesterday by being all over the field today. The physical Dawson lined up both outside and in the slot, utilizing his quick feet. He showed great mirror skills off the line of scrimmage. Where Dawson really shined was when the ball was in the air. He showcased great timing and strength by recording at least four pass breakups today, mostly by playing through the receivers hands and knocking the ball out. Dawson was also impressive in zone coverage not chasing receivers and doing a good job of communicating and passing off routes while maintaining zone eyes to get positive breaks on the quarterback.

Dawson was a little inconsistent, but his peaks were on display. Dawson is an impressive athlete who was at his best following players down the field and getting into their hip pocket. He'll need to show more as a shallow click-and-close player tomorrow.

-After an impressive Day 1, Christian Campbell did not disappoint on Day 2. Campbell again was impressive all day in press coverage, as his lateral movement and long arms were creating major issues for receivers trying to get off the line. Something Campbell improved on today was his pad level. At times, Campbell played high yesterday which affected his ability to get out of his breaks. Today Campbell played with improved pad level allowing him to sink his hips quicker limiting receivers separation on quicker breaking in and out routes .

-Isaac Yiadom bounced back from a somewhat lackluster day one, Yiadom was able to use his long 6 foot frame to bother receivers all day, Yiadom played physical thorough routes throughout the practice, particularly on vertical routes where he was able to open his hips quickly, turn and run with the receiver down the field effectively using his body to squeeze the receiver to the sideline limiting the throwing windows. Yiadom struggled in his off coverage today but was very impressive in press man, doing a great job staying square until the route declared.

-Armani Watts was impressive for the second straight day flashing today mainly in the run game. Watts is quick to trigger from his safety spot and brings his hips with him when he strikes the ball carrier, delivering the biggest hit of the North practice during the third down period. Watts also showed range and zone reaction in zone coverage today making a pass breakup on the sideline after coming from the middle of the field.

-South Carolina's Jamarcus King had one disgusting rep in which DaeSean Hamilton shook him down the field. Outside of that rep, King was solid. King looked comfortable pressing and getting grabby with receivers. He was as physical at the catch point as one would wish from a defensive back.

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