MOBILE, Al. – The second day of Senior Bowl practice has concluded as the pace picked up and the pads popped a little louder. If defense won the day on Tuesday, it was the other side of the ball that stood out today. Here are eight risers and a pair of sliders from Wednesday's practice.
Ali Marpet/OL/Hobart – Marpet, 6-3, 307, has done everything required of a Division-III player attending the Senior Bowl. He has looked completely comfortable battling a higher level of competition and has won out more times than he's lost. Marpet has lined up at both left tackle and guard, facing off against some of the better defensive linemen on the field. He stymied defensive tackle Danny Shelton and pass rusher Nate Orchard, a pair of PAC-12 stars. Marpet's performance the past two practices has elevated his draft grade into the middle rounds.
Justin Hardy/WR/East Carolina – Hardy is not a receiver who passes the eyeball test as he measured just over 5-10, 190 during weigh-ins. He is also not a wideout with blinding speed. But numbers aside, Hardy is a terrific receiver and a very good football player. On Wednesday he was unstoppable, using quickness and terrific hand technique to separate from defenders before catching everything thrown in his direction. Hardy is a natural at the position and is very smart, which will make him a welcome addition to any roster.
Max Garcia/C/Florida – Garcia came to the Senior Bowl as an unheralded lineman but has raised a lot of eyebrows with his play in Mobile. He's about the only lineman in attendance able to slow down defensive tackles Danny Shelton and Carl Davis. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Garcia played with great fundamentals throughout the opening practices and now rates as one of the draft's better centers.
Devin Smith/WR/Ohio State – Smith, who thrived as a vertical receiver during his time at Ohio State, effectively ran underneath patterns during the second day of Senior Bowl practice. He ran crisp routes and quickly came back to the ball exiting breaks, then extended to pluck the pass from the air. Smith, 6-0, 190, made a number of impressive catches in the short field when battling defenders to come away with the ball.
Ben Koyack/TE/Notre Dame – The tight end play during Senior Bowl practices has been solid and Koyack, 6-4, 249, is the best of the bunch. He's a fluid athlete with natural receiving skills and the ability to make the tough catch in traffic. Though blocking is not his strongest suit, Koyack has held his own during drills and scrimmage.
Gabe Wright/DL/Auburn – Many of the defensive linemen from the North squad stood out on Tuesday and today Wright stepped it up for the South. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound tackle displayed impressive quickness, explosion as well as strength. He consistently beat opponents, penetrating the line of scrimmage to disrupt the action.
Stephone Anthony/LB/Clemson – Possibly the most underrated linebacker in the upcoming draft, Anthony, 6-2, 245, turned in a complete performance on Tuesday. He did exceptionally well in coverage drills, which he carried over into the scrimmage period. Anthony got depth on pass drops and easily stayed step-for-step with running backs or tight ends who came over the middle of the field. He also showed speed and range in pursuit, quickly getting outside the numbers then cutting off the corners as he ran down ball carriers.
Lorenzo Mauldin/OLB/Louisville – Mauldin, 6-3, 256, has made the switch from college defensive end to outside linebacker prospect with few bumps in the road. He's looked very comfortable playing in space, easily moving laterally or in reverse and has done a good job diagnosing plays from the snap of the ball. In many ways Mauldin's Senior Bowl performance parallels the play of Marcus Smith, his former Louisville teammate and first-round pick of the Eagles last year.
Sliders
Ibraheim Campbell/S/Northwestern – Campbell competes and gives effort but struggles in too many facets of the safety position. He does not possess the range necessary to get outside the numbers pursuing the action. Campbell has been stamped by scouts as a one-dimensional, run-defending safety who can only play downhill.
Deion Barnes/DL/Penn State – It’s been a struggle for Barnes almost every day. When lined up at defensive end he's easily neutralized by blockers and Barnes looks unnatural and indecisive standing up over tackle.
