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Scouts' Take: Tuesday

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

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By Nick Wagoner

Senior Writer

MOBILE, Ala. – For most of this week at the Senior Bowl, we will be checking in with some scouts from around the league. Discussions with those scouts will give you a better idea of who is doing well and boosting their stock and who isn’t doing enough to land in the top rounds.

Without further ado, here’s what those scouts thought of Tuesday’s practices.

STOCK UP

USC DT Sedrick Ellis – This guy has been so much better than everyone else that his stock should be perpetually high. One scout had this to say about Ellis: “Here’s by far the best player here. This is child’s play for him.” Indeed, Ellis pushed around everyone who dared get in his way. He’s a legit top 10 pick as a nose tackle or as a three technique.

Troy CB Leodis McKelvin – The small school stigma has already been eliminated in just a couple of practices. McKelvin is fast, has excellent hands and has the potential to be a game breaking return man. “He’s having no trouble covering these receivers,” one scout said. McKelvin is helping his stock considerably here.

Nebraska OT Carl Nicks – Nicks absolutely rag dolled Jason Jones of Eastern Michigan in the morning practice, drawing some ooohs and aaahs from the assorted scouts in attendance. One scout had this to say about Nicks: “He is big and strong and he has that mean streak that I absolutely love.”

Mississippi State LB Titus Brown – Brown made a particularly strong impression on a couple of scouts Monday and had another solid effort Tuesday. Brown can go sideline to sideline and appeared solid in coverage.

STOCK DOWN

Oklahoma State WR Adarius Bowman – Had one of the worst practices of any players in Tuesday’s morning session. Bowman dropped almost everything thrown his way and was described by one scout as “stiff, stiff, stiff.” Another said he “looks the part, but certainly doesn’t play it.” That’s a long way to fall for the guy once thought to be the best receiver in this draft.

West Virginia FB Owen Schmitt – Schmitt had a reputation as a hard hitting lead blocker with solid running ability in a pinch. But Schmitt has also been tagged with the stiff label and is going to have trouble finding his way in the NFL.

USC OT Sam Baker – Baker hasn’t been viewed with much favor because he simply hasn’t done much to impress. Purdue DE Cliff Avril ran circles around him in pass rush drills. “He’s not really athletic and he’s not really strong,” one scout said. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement. Baker will likely still go fairly high in the draft, but he’s not helping himself so far.

Michigan LB Shawn Crable – File Crable under the Adarius Bowman Memorial “Looks the part” file. “He looks like he was born to play football, but you’d never know it watching him.” Crable is 6’5, 243 pounds and played for the Wolverines, but he simply doesn’t appear to have the athletic ability to make it at the next level.