Jason Spriggs - OT Indiana: Ask anybody down here in Mobile who generated the most buzz today besides Carson Wentz and Jason Spriggs will probably one of the first names you hear come up. Despite not having flashy athleticism, Spriggs continually jumped out at you because he seemingly never lost a rep and was incredibly consistent throughout. Spriggs' footwork, leverage and hand use are rock-solid as he never is off-balance and is always in good position to cut off angles to the quarterback. Combine that with his already established reputation as a downhill road-grader and Spriggs is starting to generate some first round buzz. Darian Thompson - Safety Boise State: The NCAA's active (formerly) leader in career interceptions (19) Darian Thompson is off to a hot start in Mobile, generating buzz that he might be the most impressive defensive back from either squad. It's easy to see why Thompson was such a ball-hawk in college with how well he anticipates passes, takes sharp angles when tracking and aggressively attacking the football at it's high-point. Thompson was all over the field in practice today, intercepting one pass in WR/DB drills and also stepped up into the backfield more than once in 11-on-11s. Vernon Butler - D-Line Louisiana Tech: Despite flying under the radar nationally, Vernon Butler was picking up buzz prior to the Senior Bowl in NFL circles and has only validated himself with his performance so far this week. Butler shows tremendous quickness for a 310 pound interior lineman and uses his hands very well to rip upfield and defeat blockers with a range of pass rushing moves. He's a top fifty prospect and rising. http://www.nfldraftgeek.com/seniorbowlpractice_northwednesday.html
Noah Spence - Edge Eastern Kentucky: It's been an arduous road for Noah Spence, but it looks like his final destination will end up being the one most initially expected when he burst onto the scene at Ohio State. Spence is unquestionably the best pass rusher down here in Mobile, showing off elite speed and explosion off the edge which has made him a nightmare for the South offensive tackles. Spence has been handling himself well off the field in interviews and seems to be beyond the drug issues which were his undoing at OSU. Spence's talent obviously never left him (22.5 TFls for Eastern Kentucky in '15) and is back on track to being a first round prospect. Le'Raven Clark - OT Texas Tech: Noah Spence was nearly unblockable off the edge today, but the one guy who was able to relatively slow him down was Le'Raven Clark. We've long known Clark to be an excellent pass protector with lateral agility and sharp footwork. However, I've been impressed this week with his functional strength and ability to re-anchor once given an initial jolt off the line. Clark is one of the more underrated prospects here in my opinion. Cody Whitehair - OT/OG Kansas State: Much like Jason Spriggs for the North, Cody Whitehair has been the model of consistency this week handling any and all defensive lineman with apparent ease. Whitehair is acclimating himself very well to guard after spending most of his K-State career at tackle, and even held his own against Bama's Jarran Reed which is no small feat. Whitehair displays a strong anchor, plays with great leverage, heavy hands and can mirror side to side effectively. Jonathan Jones - CB Auburn: I watched a lot more Auburn football than I wanted to this year, but never came away impressed with cornerback Jonathan Jones. This week however, Jones has been a standout as he clearly has some high-level man to man coverage skills. Jones' footwork in and out of his back-pedal are elite, and combined with a smooth transition into his sprint as well as downfield awareness, Jones has been breaking up the majority of passes thrown his way. Josh Forrest - LB Kentucky: Off-ball linebacker is one of the tougher position groups for players to stand out because there isn't any tackling, but what Josh Forrest has been allowed to do he's been doing very well so far. Even before the ball is snapped Forrest jumps out as one of the most physically imposing players on the field at 6'3" and 245 pounds with really long (32 7/8") arms. Forrest has done well in the pass rushing drills, using his length to his advantage and looked fluid when asked to turn and drop in coverage. http://www.nfldraftgeek.com/seniorbowlpractice_southwednesday.html
