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MOBILE, Ala. -- The final day of practices at the Senior Bowl took place on Thursday, and several players made a final push to impress NFL scouts and personnel members. With Friday's practices being just a walk through, just about every NFL person will have left Mobile, Ala. so any good that's come from the week is over.
Coming into the week, there were some questions about LSU linebacker Deion Jones. He weighed in at just 219 pounds and was just a one-year starter for the Tigers. On Thursday Jones showed his size isn't an issue. On a third-and-goal play at the one-yard line, Jones came up and stuffed the running back in the hole for a stop.
After practice concluded, Jones said some teams have asked about his weight and said his usual weight at LSU was 227 pounds. Jones said he liked being lighter because it lets him move around the field faster. Jones is naturally compared to Telvin Smith of the Jacksonville Jaguars because of their similar size, but this week he showed he can move around just as well.
Auburn cornerback Jonathan Jones had a good day as well. Jones only got beaten on one play I watched, and received a lot of praise from Oklahoma wide receiver Sterling Shepard.
Another one of those players who stood out was Northern Iowa cornerback Deiondre' Hall. Well, he stood out when he wasn't trying to cover Ohio State's Braxton Miller. Hall got a lot of attention on weigh-in day when it was revealed he has 34-inch arms. That's an ideal number for an offensive tackle, let alone a cornerback. Hall was putting them to good use on Thursday to jam receivers and reach in to break up passes. Hall has a swagger about him that most players in this setting do not. Some teams will covet his combination of size and confidence.
Georgia wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell really stood out for the South team on Thursday. Mitchell was consistently getting himself open and showed good hands. He may not get drafted high, but Mitchell could provide solid production from a fourth receiver role, at least.
None of the South team quarterbacks stood out all week, but Alabama's Jake Coker put together a solid day on Thursday. Coker has good size and puts good touch on his throws.
More notes:
Thursday saw the addition of South Carolina State defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to the North. He's coming off a great week at the East-West Shrine Game, and shined in the limited opportunities he got during the afternoon practice.
South Carolina tight end Jerell Adams had a good day for the South team on Thursday. Adams has good size at 6’5 and 244 pounds, but showed he has good footwork to get open. On some plays near the goal line, Adams was able to fake one way and cut back the other to create separation. He has soft enough hands to make open catches and also pulled in a couple of contested throws.
Michigan State center Jack Allen is the type of player a team will draft on Day 3 and contribute early in his career. All week Allen has been able to anchor at the point and hold his spot without giving up too much of a push. Allen looked good again on Thursday, especially in one-on-one drills that often cater to defensive linemen.
Maurice Canady played well in red zone drills that are really set up to make the receiver look good. Canady is a technician with solid size to break up passes. He can play press coverage, and it showed on Thursday.
Minnesota’s Eric Murray had a good day, as long as he wasn’t matched up against Miller. Murray is a scrappy individual who plays with a ton of effort.