Lots of interesting stuff about former Pac-12 players trying to impress NFL coaches and scouts at Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Ala.
It appears that former UCLA LB Jordan Zumwalt is turning heads, and this little tidbit made me smile.
Throughout, Zumwalt, 6-foot-4, 231, played with nonstop intensity, so much so that coaches politely asked him to dial it down a bit. Zumwalt presented himself as second-round material, something which could come to fruition if the competitive linebacker turns in good workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine.
I'm shocked to hear Zumwalt's dial goes up to 11. And he wasn't the only UCLA player noted for his physical play.
Another receiver that has caught my eye is Shaq Evans of UCLA. A corner came up to press Evans, and Evans just put him on the ground. Very physical play. He also showed good long speed on a deep ball, and he has decent size at 6'1, 210.
Jim Mora has talked about changing UCLA's culture. Winning 19 games over the past two seasons is proof enough, but reading about former players getting edgy at a college all-star game has to warm the cockles of Bruins fans' hearts.
Here's a pretty thorough look at Utah DB Keith McGill:
He needs to improve his press technique, but he has the tools to do it. McGill's size will be tempting for teams. He’s 6-3, 214 pounds, which is slightly bigger than Richard Sherman when he was coming out of school (6-2, 205) and roughly the same size as [Brandon] Browner when he was coming out (6-3, 221). For teams in the middle rounds looking to add size at cornerback, particularly one who can hold his own in press coverage, McGill could be an intriguing option.
And another on McGill:
The corner with the highest ceiling looks like Utah’s Keith McGill. At 6-3, 214 pounds, he moves with tremendous fluidly through transitions and impressed during T-step redirect drills. He’s not a natural hands guy and continued to drop interception opportunities. Nevertheless, the length to affect the catch point is still overwhelming for some of the South receivers he faced. When lined up in press man, he flashed the ability to mirror and wall receivers to the sideline, but will require further development with his hand usage through the release.
Former California defensive tackle Deandre Coleman is also playing well:
DT Deandre Coleman, California: Coleman isn’t a big-name D-lineman like Ford or Arizona State’s Will Sutton, but he has played really well both days here. He looked very strong against the double-team on Tuesday, using his hands effectively and playing really hard. He plowed through Oklahoma’s Gabe Ikard during one session.
And, yes, Cal fans, there were some folks who wondered where this beastly version of Coleman was this season:
Powerful and surprisingly athletic, the 6-foot-5, 315 pounder is position and scheme versatile, though scouts are left to question where this passionate play was throughout a disappointing senior season in the Pac-12.
There seem to be some questions about where Stanford OLB Trent Murphy will fit in with an NFL defense. At present, he's playing defensive end and having mixed results.
Murphy, a playmaking outside linebacker for a highly physical Stanford squad, is also having a tough time adjusting as the Falcons are asking him to play defensive end. While known for his toughness and physicality with the Cardinal, Murphy looked surprisingly lean during Monday's weigh-ins, showing little upper body development on his 6-foot-5, 253-pound frame. He has strong, active hands to knock away blockers' attempts to latch on and accelerates around the edge in a controlled, efficient manner. He isn't an explosive athlete in any way, however, leading to questions about where he'll fit at the next level as he does not possess great burst nor the strength teams are looking for in an end capable of setting the edge.
Former Oregon WR Josh Huff continues to play well.
On Monday, while most observers were buzzing about Oregon receiver Josh Huff, I wrote about Wyoming receiver Robert Herron and even slapped a TY Hilton comparison on him. Tuesday’s practice did not reaffirm my observation. Huff continued to stand out in his position group and Herron struggled with a few drops and at times looked uncomfortable settling under the ball.
Arizona State DT Will Sutton's weight is still a big question, and it appears he plans to drop some pounds after the Senior Bowl.
Will Sutton of Arizona State is still working to lower his weight during this draft season after playing the year at 325 pounds because his coaches asked him to. His goal is to get back down to 300 pounds by the NFL Combine, which could further help his quickness after his first rush. He uses his hands well, attacking guards and centers with quick, decisive movements and generating pressure initially with high frequency. However, when he didn’t win initially, he struggled to recover.
Finally, I thought this was interesting: an inside look at a team interviewing a player at the Senior Bowl.
And, again, here are the Pac-12 players in Mobile:
North
Shaquelle Evans, WR, UCLA
Trent Murphy, OLB, Stanford
Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State
Ryan Hewitt, FB, Stanford
Josh Huff, WR, Oregon
Jordan Zumwalt, LB, UCLA
South
Deandre Coleman, DT, California
Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State
Keith McGill, S, Utah