Attention draft nerds, a title that includes all St. Louis Rams given the current state of the team, this is Senior Bowl week, our first opportunity to get a look at some of the nation's top football prospects in a certifiable evaluation environment. The hype machine is officially in high gear!
(Ok, technically, it's maybe the second draft-y event, after the East-West Shrine Game, but it's the biggest of the first events...according to me).
The first practice for the Senior Bowl is today at 2:30 p.m. Mocking the Draft has a list of players whose draft stock could rise or fall with a good showing this week. Of particular interest are the quarterbacks. Tony Pike and Dan LeFevour are two players that we've talked about here in the past. Neither offer the kind of total package you'd want in a high first round pick. Both spread QBs will relish the opportunity this week to get some looks working under center, something that could boost their draft stock. I've been informed by some Iraqi nationals that there's a tall guy with a shaved head carrying around a clip board that keeps surveying the locals about the possibility of the Rams taking a QB in the second round of the draft, specifically mentioning Pike and LeFevour. If those guys have a good showing this week, the second round could well become an option for them. Of course, there's also Tim Tebow, who'll be playing this week.
Two other QBs worth keeping an eye on are from two of the country's schools featuring OSU as their initials: Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson and Oregon State QB Sean Canfield, a lefty, will be looking to get their names in the QB conversation this week. Canfield completed 67 percent of his passes this season, throwing 21 TDs and 7 INTs.
The full Senior Bowl rosters are here.
Does anyone know why the Rams coaching staff isn't coaching at the Senior Bowl this year?
Speaking of the draft, AmpLee has a great fan post up with a mock draft positing a trade down from the No. 1 spot, down to the No. 2 spot, based on a very plausible scenario of Ndamukong Suh having a Combine that bolsters his draft stock even higher.
We'll keep a finger on the pulse of the Senior Bowl this week...unless you'd rather talk Pro Bowl. No? I didn't think so.