MOBILE, Ala. -- With five players on the North roster, it should come as no surprise when Ohio State players have good days at this year's Senior Bowl. That was the case on Day 1 of practices on Tuesday with a couple of Ohio State's big names standing out in front of throngs of NFL scouts and personnel people.
One of the bigger attractions on the day was Braxton Miller, the quarterback turned wide receiver. Pressed about the position switch on Tuesday, Miller declared his quarterback days are "in the past" and that he's a receiver now. As he's switched to wide receiver, Miller said he closely studies Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots and Randall Cobb of the Green Bay Packers.
On the field, Miller displayed many of the same skills Cobb does. He runs crisp routes, has quickness and really impressive body control. Miller looked like a natural returning punts as well. He's the type of multi-talented player who can fill two roster spots for a team.
Side note: Miller said he never considered transferring to Alabama before last season, despite some reports to the contrary.
Another Ohio State player who stood out on Day 1 was defensive tackle Adolphus Washington. He's the total package as an interior defensive lineman. He used his speed to work past blockers and his power to push them around. After practices concluded, a couple scouts were quick to meet with Washington and set up future meetings. (Random things you learn hearing a scout interview a player: Washington was only subleasing his apartment and is figuring out his living arrangements. Scouts ask weird questions.)
Washington moved from nose tackle to the three-technique defensive tackle role for Ohio State last season. Washington said he prefers the new position. He said teams have spoken to him about staying at that position as a pro.
"I like three-technique because it lets me use my quickness," Washington said. "(Three-technique) lets me get to the quarterback faster."
Quarterbacks quiet on Day 1
Things are a little different for the quarterbacks at this year's Senior Bowl. In previous years, each team had three quarterbacks. This year it's four per team. That means fewer snaps for each. Because of that, it was hard to get a gauge on them because real consistency couldn't be developed.
The headliner, of course, is Carson Wentz of North Dakota State. His day started optimally at weigh-ins where he came in at 6'5 1/4 and 233 pounds. His hand measurement of 10 inches also caused a stir. The belief has always been that larger hands mean a better grip, so there should be no questions for Wentz in that regard. On the field, though, a few of his passes were off. During one string, he threw the ball at his receiver's feet, threw it over the receiver's head on the next play, and finished the series by overthrowing on an outside pass. Wentz's passes had a lot of zip, and his timing with a new group of receivers was impressive. But over the next couple of days it would be nice to see his accuracy on point.
Still, Wentz looked like the best quarterback in this year's game. Alabama's Jake Coker threw a few solid deep outside passes. Dak Prescott of Mississippi State showed good placement on a few plays, and the ability to move out of the pocket when there's pressure. The other quarterbacks in attendance really did nothing else of note.
Spence stands out on the South roster
Eastern Kentucky pass rusher Noah Spence lived up to the hype on Tuesday. Spence moved around effortlessly in drills, tossing blocking dummies to the side with ease. Some of the drill work can be overblown, but it does show functional traits to help project a player to the next level.
Spence's aggression was utilized on sentient beings as well. In one-on-one drills against offensive linemen, Spence's mean streak showed. Following one play against John Theus, Spence had to be physically removed from the Georgia blocker. At 6'2 5/8 and 254 pounds, Spence looks the part. On Tuesday he played like it.
