Day three of Senior Bowl practices is complete and again, a number of players looked terrific. Here are the risers for Day 3 and seven players who made money for themselves in Mobile.
Montravius Adams/DT/Auburn: Adams was completely dominant and looked like a man amongst boys today. He was unstoppable and bull-rushed opponents off the line as they attempted in vain to block him. He regularly collapsed the pocket and was an overwhelming force. Adams also flashed athleticism and made plays down the line.
Jonnu Smith/TE/Florida International: After OJ Howard, Smith was probably the most complete tight end at the Senior Bowl. He’s a tremendous pass catcher who quickly got into the secondary and effortlessly made the contested reception. His blocking was better than advertised in both effort and results. Smith far and away exceeded expectations.
Zay Jones/WR/Eastern Washington: Jones had a great final day of practice Thursday to cap an excellent week. He won at all levels of the field and showed the ability to run the entire route tree, scoring touchdowns on slants, post-corners and nine routes among others. He doesn’t have great speed but runs sharp routes, wins out in contested situations and adjusts well to errant passes. He was consistently good during each practice and did a lot for himself in Mobile.
Rasul Douglas/DB/West Virginia: Douglas was another standout for the North on Thursday after a tepid performance Wednesday. He showed great closing speed to break up several passes and played the deep ball well, reacting quickly with his back to the ball when opposing receivers went up for the catch. Douglas was a bit handsy at times during the week but his combination of ball skills and size (6-2, 204) will make him very appealing to NFL teams.
John Johnson/DB/Boston College: Senior Bowl practices aren’t the easiest place for safeties to show out, but Johnson did just that with three straight days of great performances. He was very fluid and athletic and did a nice job staying with receivers in one-on-ones. Johnson played a good center field as well and showed natural hands and ball-tracking skills, and his recognition of routes and play-action was excellent. Johnson boosted his draft stock in a big way this week.
Corey Clement/RB/Wisconsin: Clement has been one of the most complete backs of the week and looked like the total package today. He showed a quick burst as he picked his way on the inside through the running lanes. He showed the agility to turn the corner and did a terrific job catching the ball. Clement also looked good in blocking drills today.
Fred Ross/WR/Mississippi State: Ross improved with every practice in Mobile and capped his Senior Bowl week with an impressive showing Thursday. He displayed good ball control and ball-tracking ability and is a smooth athlete with good coordination, as his hands and feet work well in conjunction with each other. He separates well and shows nice sideline awareness, both of which were apparent on the final play of South practice Thursday, as Ross beat Ezra Robinson on a fade to the corner of the end zone, reeled in a dime from Davis Webb and kept his feet in bounds as he went to the ground. It was an emphatic ending to an excellent week for the former Bulldog.
