NFL Draft Risers and Fallers

By Rob Rang
The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com

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The Senior Bowl is like any other all-star game in sports -- it is designed to acknowledge celebrated athletes with the fan in mind, and the first priority of the coaching staff is getting every player on the field, not necessarily winning the game. With that in mind, the highly competitive practice sessions held Monday through Wednesday are the greater opportunity to scout prospects than Saturday's game. Many teams send their entire staff -- coaches, scouts and top decision-makers -- and just as many are out of Mobile by Thursday morning. Players can still impact their grade dramatically in the weeks to come. But these 15 players altered their stock the most in Mobile. Ten helped themselves greatly and five are hoping scouts will trust their four years of college game tape and not allow three disappointing days at the Senior Bowl impact their stock too much.

Risers and Fallers - Rob Rang -- (Updated 1/27/2011)
Risers
Rank	Picture	Player	Pos.	School	Summary
1.		Vincent Brown	WR	San Diego State	Has a burst off the line, explosiveness out of his cuts and sticky hands to catch everything in sight. Brown might have made the biggest jump of any prospect in Mobile.
2.		James Brewer	OT	Indiana	Overshadowed by a crop of high-profile offensive tackles, Brewer's massive frame (6-6, 323) and athleticism might ultimately help him enjoy a career comparable to many of his Senior Bowl teammates.
3.		Kendall Hunter	RB	Oklahoma State	Explosive, elusive and shows the strength and aggression in pass protection atypical for backs of his 5-7, 199-pound frame, Hunter again looked like the back that led the Big 12 with 1,555 rushing yards in 2008.
4.		Cameron Jordan	DE	California	Dominant at right defensive end and when moved inside at defensive tackle, Jordan would have racked up the sacks and tackles for loss numbers in Mobile had he been able to take ballcarriers to the ground. His position and scheme-versatility could see his stock skyrocket just as it did with former Cal teammate Tyson Alualu after a similarly strong effort in Mobile last January.
5.		Colin Kaepernick	QB	Nevada	He showed the arm strength, accuracy and touch to be an early round pick. Kaepernick played side-by-side with Washington's Jake Locker -- and was the more impressive thrower.
6.		Jeremy Kerley	WR	TCU	Coming from TCU's spread offense, there were questions about Kerley's route-running. His quick feet separated him from the rest of the South's receiving corps just as fast as he did the South's defensive backs.
7.		Von Miller	OLB	Texas A&M	Already a first-round lock and NFLDraftScout.com's highest-rated prospect in the Senior Bowl, Miller demonstrated his spectacular pass-rushing skills, but his ability to blanket running backs in coverage was the stock-boosting surprise. The Butkus Award winner could wind up the first senior prospect drafted.
8.		Luke Stocker	TE	Tennessee	Despite absorbing some hellacious hits, Stocker didn't drop a pass all week. At 6-5, 255 pounds he has the bulk to contribute as an-line blocker. He isn't Jason Witten, but he could be a second-round pick.
9.		Danny Watkins	OG	Baylor	A left tackle for the Bears, Watkins made a seamless transition inside to guard, belying the fact that he has only four years of experience in organized football.
10.		Shareece Wright	CB	Southern California	With his senior season Wright's only one as a starter, the Trojan needed a strong performance in Mobile to emerge as a Top 100 pick. He did so by showing the agility and speed for coverage while measuring in at a respectable 5-11, 182 pounds.
Fallers
Rank	Picture	Player	Pos.	School	Summary
1.		Jeremy Beal	OLB	Oklahoma	Lacking explosiveness off the snap and the strength to push tackles into the pocket, the Sooner superstar might have been exposed as a high-motor player with limited athleticism and upside.
2.		Mark Herzlich	OLB	Boston College	Everyone respects Herzlich's successful recovery from bone cancer can't be overlooked. As a prospect, the bottom line is this: He was the No. 1-rated senior prospect just two years ago and looks like a third-round pick in 2011. And that rating is before teams worry themselves about the possibility of his disease's recurrence. Herzlich was routinely beaten in coverage and proved surprisingly ineffective rushing the passer at the Senior Bowl.
3.		DeMarcus Love	OT	Arkansas	A first-team All-SEC selection at offensive tackle, Love's poor posture forced him to lunge at pass rushers at the Senior Bowl, turning him into a virtual turnstile. To rectify the situation Love may have to be moved inside to guard.
4.		Pernell McPhee	DE	Mississippi State	Having signed with Mississippi State as one of the nation's top JUCO prospects, McPhee struggled to make an impact as a pass rusher in the SEC. He wasn't much better at the Senior Bowl, struggling to keep his feet and could see his stock slide into the middle rounds.
5.		Stephen Paea	DT	Oregon State	After showing off the burst and power during Monday's practice that earned him consecutive Morris trophies as the Pac-10's most dominant defensive lineman, Paea was on his way to an impressive week at the Senior Bowl. Instead, the discovery of a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee ended Paea's week after just one practice. That puts any chance at being Oregon State's first defensive lineman selected in the draft's opening frame in serious doubt.

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