GBN Senior Bowl notes Jan 23

I talked about OT Lane Johnson of Oklahoma in October. I noticed right away that he had first round potential because of how well he moves, bends, and punches. Such a balanced athlete. Finding a left tackle like this is rare. He was a former quarterback, tight end, and defensive end. Still learning a lot of the nuances to the position. Enters the league with less wear and tear because of the lack of experience in the trenches.

The one defensive linemen to give OT Eric Fisher fits was UCLA’s Datone Jones. Jones looks a little stumpy at the initial glance. A guy that may not have an ideal position. But I think fares well on the edge despite being a little thicker than the prototypical 4-3 defensive end. He explodes out of his stance better than most of the guys in Mobile. His hands are stronger than cement blocks, not a guy that offensive tackles will be able to lock on to. He may not beat a lot of tackles to the edge, but they will only be able to block him for so long.

http://www.gbnreport.com/breakingdownthedraft.html

 

More notes from GBN, Paul Guillemette and Colin Linsday:

While I was in that area I watch DATONE JONES/DE during DL drills and then in pass-pro. This guy is one of the best-proportioned DL in Mobile. He’s very light on his feet for a 280 pounder. He has quick feet and might be the fastest DL in a 40-yard dash.

DESMOND TRUFANT may (be) the 3rd and best TRUFANT brother to play in the pros. And brother MARCUS was a 1st Rounder, back in the day. DESMOND has better size and more athleticism than MARCUS or ISAIAH.

Scouts also got a pretty good sense what they’ll get from Texas DE Alex Okafor. On the one hand, he looks a little bit like a young Michael Strahan with his ability to knock opposing OTs off balance with his initial move and then beat them to the pocket with a quick counter move. Okafor also appears to be ahead of most other pass rushers in Mobile in his ability to set up pass rush moves, but he also clearly lacks the pure foot-speed to consistently run around people which is going to be of concern to pro teams over the next few months.

Good coverage at times by safeties T.J. McDonald of USC and Fresno State’s Phillip Thomas.

http://www.gbnreport.com/seniorbowlreport.htm