MOBILE, Alabama – Earlier, we took a look at which players on the offensive side of the ball have stood out during the first three days of practice at the Senior Bowl. Now, it's time to focus on the defense …
Defensive End: Quintin Coples, 6-6, 281, and Vinny Curry, 6-3, 265 – Defensive end is one of the most difficult positions to cull down to only two standouts, but Coples is an easy choice. The physical freak from North Carolina, Coples will almost assuredly be the first Senior Bowl participant to be selected come April's draft. He dominated with ease throughout practice and will be able to aid the pass rush of all 32 teams in the league. The only concern with Coples is his motor, which was reportedly off and on during his senior season, but even that won't stop him from being selected within the top 10 picks. After Coples, there were several defensive end standouts. South Carolina's Melvin Ingram and Alabama's Courtney Upshaw (who also projects as a 3-4 outside linebacker) will both be first-round picks and were dominant at times throughout the week. But Ingram and Upshaw were expected to impress. Virginia's Cam Johnson opened some eyes with his speed, but Marshall's Curry gets the nod after showcasing some impressive pass-rush skills. On Wednesday, Curry consistently beat Ohio State's Mike Adams, the best offensive lineman in Mobile. At this point, Curry is said to merit second-round consideration, with an outside chance to move all the way up to the back end of round one.
Defensive Tackle: Brandon Thompson, 6-2, 311, andKendall Reyes, 6-4, 300 – With apologies to Michigan's Mike Martin, who opened eyes with his ever-running motor and ability to bust up running plays in the backfield, Thompson and Reyes stood above the defensive tackle fold. Thompson, out of Clemson, was especially dominant on day one and cemented himself as a likely second-round pick with possible late first-round consideration. Thompson is a load inside and can not only hold the point of attack but can move offensive linemen back with ease. Reyes, meanwhile, was constantly in the North backfield during practice, though the crop of offensive linemen wasn't particularly impressive. The Connecticut product is quick for his size and should be able to make some trouble at the next level.
Linebacker: Zach Brown, 6-1, 236, James-Michael Johnson, 6-1, 249, and Sean Spence, 5-11, 228 - Several linebackers impressed throughout the first three days, including Florida State's Nigel Bradham and Texas' Keenan Robinson, both physically imposing linebackers who also showed the ability to cover ground all over the field. Brown is a no-brainer and a likely first-round pick. The North Carolina product was the best coverage linebacker in Mobile by a significant margin and scouts were heard referencing him as a counter to the emergence of explosive NFL tight ends. Johnson makes the list as the best of the middle linebackers at the Senior Bowl. During the inside run drills, the Nevada product showed the ability to shed blocks and get to the ball-carrier, breaking up several plays in the backfield. Watch him on Saturday to see if his run-stuffing ability translates. And then there's Spence, who is certainly a bit undersized at first glance. But no linebacker made more plays in the backfield during run drills than Spence, an impressive outcome because of those underwhelming dimensions. Make no mistake, Spence is well put together, as he showed during the weigh-ins, and his nose for the football was unmistakable. There are some things he can work on in coverage, but Spence is also said to be as sure a tackler as there is in the linebacker class, so he'll make someone happy.
Cornerback: Dwight "Bill" Bentley, 5-10, 176, and Brandon Boykin, 5-9, 183 - North Alabama's Janoris Jenkins has grabbed a lot of headlines, and rightfully so, but he did more to affirm the opinion of his skills rather than enhance it. Furman's Ryan Steed just missed out, as he showed that he can hang with the high-level collegiate wide receiver talent in both speed and reflexes. But Bentley was the cornerback who made the biggest jump, showing not only the physical ability, but the swagger and self-confidence often requisite at the next level. Bentley was decisive in his coverage decisions and also showed the ability to play the ball well in the air. Bentley may have helped his draft stock more than any other player at the Senior Bowl. As for Boykin, he was a stud from the first minute of Monday's practice to the last snap of Wednesday's. In one-on-ones, Boykin blanketed every receiver he went against. In team drills, Boykin wasn't burned a single time, though that also related to how dominant the defensive line was. After proving himself in the SEC, Boykin won't back down from the jump in talent in the NFL.
Safety:George Iloka, 6-3 ½, 222, and Harrison Smith, 6-2, 212 – South Carolina's Antonio Allen did well to quiet questions about his speed during the week, but Iloka and Smith were the class of the safeties with little argument. Iloka made one of the plays of the week when he made a diving interception of Kirk Cousins on Tuesday. Iloka makes good plays on the ball, but some question his ability in one-on-one coverage. Still, Iloka and Smith are likely to be the second and third safeties off the board come April, behind Alabama's Mark Barron, who pulled out of the Senior Bowl with an injury. Smith certainly looks the part and will likely play strong safety at the next level. Safety is one of the tougher positions to judge in practice because of the lack of tackling, so Saturday should provide a litmus test for the position, but Smith's speed and physicality should translate to the game.
