Pick Six: Senior Bowl Notebook

Scout.com's Chris Steuber and Ed Thompson are in Mobile, Ala., to bring you the latest news, notes and quotes from the Senior Bowl. Steuber and Thompson pick six of the top story lines below in their daily notebook.

Oklahoma safety Nic Harris is listed as a linebacker on the North Team roster for this weekend's game, which isn't surprising when you consider that he's a hard-hitting 6-foot-2, 233-pound dynamo who brings a lot of confidence and attitude to his game. After putting on the pads Monday afternoon for the team's first practice, Harris said that he's hoping that his performance will send a clear message to NFL teams. "I'm hoping that they will see that at the end of the day that I can play with anybody, and you can put me anywhere on the field. I'm one of those selfless guys who will play wherever the coach wants me to play. If he wants me to play down-lineman, I'll do that," he said with a smile. Harris has already talked to half a dozen teams prior to Monday night's round of interviews.

Missouri DT Evander Hood adjusted well to the scheme the Bengals have in place and was a standout on Monday. Hood had a tremendous burst off the line and showed a variety of moves inside, which included an insane spin move against California center Alex Mack. The 6-foot-3, 298-pound Hood is a strong penetrating inside force, who had a consistent career at Missouri. He had a strong senior campaign for the Tigers, as he recorded 62 tackles, seven for a loss and five sacks. Although it was only the first day of practice for the players in Mobile, Hood’s performance on Monday was reminiscent of the strong start former Notre Dame DT Trevor Laws showcased last year. Laws was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

After LSU offensive lineman Herman Johnson tipped the scales at 382 pounds during Monday's weigh-in, one NFL scout noted that his team isn't the least bit interested even though Johnson is one of the top-rated players at the guard position. "We don't even have him on our sheet." he said. A number of team representatives seemed surprised that Johnson, who is listed at 351 pounds on the LSU Athletics website, was so much heavier. During Monday's practice, the weight didn't seem to be a hindrance, but he may need to drop a few pounds between now and the NFL Scouting Combine to show teams that his weight won't be a problem.

Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman had hoped that he and fellow Buckeye linebacker James Laurinaitis would get the chance to play shoulder-to-shoulder one more time, but he said that Laurinaitis has been battling the flu and made the best decision to stay home. Meanwhile, Freeman is glad that he's in Mobile, getting an opportunity to play the game he loves. "It's great being out there and competing with the best players in the nation, having a chance to be rough and going out there and having fun," he said. "It's kind of like organized fighting. It's fun and I've always enjoyed it."

After he had a less than stellar showing Monday afternoon, Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim received extra attention after practice from a member of the Cincinnati Bengals coaching staff who are coaching the North team.  At 6-foot-3, 249 pounds, Sintim, who starred for Virginia in their 3-4 defense, is trying to digest the 4-3 scheme the Bengals coaching staff has installed. When asked if the transition from a 3-4 to a 4-3 would be a challenge for him at the next level, Sintim said, “I don’t think anything is out of my realm as a football player; you never want to limit yourself. A 4-3 defense is different; it’s definitely different, but I knew that it was going to be a challenge when I came here. I’m just excited for the opportunity to play in this game and I’m trying to get better in the 4-3 by using my versatility." The fact that Sintim is in Mobile - unlike some of the other top linebacker prospects - learning a 4-3 scheme is a plus. But it's obvious that he fits a 3-4 defense the best

Wake Forest safety Chip Vaughn looked good during Monday's practice session, and he believes that his versatility will help separate him from the others as the week goes on. "I can play both free safety and strong safety, or if they want me to play corner or nickel, I can. I'm big enough to play inside the box, but I'm fast enough to run with any receiver out there." The 6-foot-1, 218-pound defensive back has already talked with representatives from roughly 15 teams who have undoubtedly noticed his blend of size and speed.

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