A pair of defenders separated themselves from the rest of
the pack and along with Carson Palmer of the South, stand atop the others.
Oklahoma State defensive tackle Kevin Williams was
absolutely unstoppable this afternoon and may have moved himself into the first
round. Big and strong, Williams offers
outstanding athleticism and plays with a large degree of explosion. He ran over blockers and around them on his
way into the backfield. The end result
had scouts saying “wow” every time Williams put his hand on the ground and
destroyed the opposition. One prominent
Oakland Raider scout put it best when he told us, “Williams is a monster.”
The other player getting a lot of attention, and deservedly
so, is Marcus Trufant of Washington State. A true shut down corner, its’ been rare for Trufant to allow a reception
this week and his skills are impeccable as is the intelligence he plays with. He has caught the eye on many teams,
possibly none more than the Kansas City Chiefs as general manager Carl Peterson
and coach Dick Vermiel had a long discussion with the cornerback after
practice.
Another North defender garnering praise is Michael Haynes,
who again pressured quarterbacks up the field. Haynes is starting to dispel the rumor he cannot defend the run as every
time opposing blockers try and get a hand on him Haynes slides off to the
inside and makes a play. On a number of
occasions during the scrimmage Haynes was in the signal callers face but had to
pull up as hitting the passer is not allowed.
Arnaz Battle and Bobby Wade both caught the ball well on
offense yet scouts seemed most intrigued by 6-foot-4 Tyrone Calico of Middle
Tennessee State who has improved all week.
Michigan’s Victor Hobson had a good session at linebacker as
did Nebraska defensive end Chris Kelsay, who was briefly used with the middle
line defenders for a short period. Fullback Ovie
Mughelli opened running lanes all day with fierce blocks up the middle.
The quarterback play for the North has been erratic. Kyle Boller of Cal has a strong arm,
possibly too strong as rarely does he take anything off his throws and
receivers have a difficult time handling the pass as it zips through their hands.
Dave Ragone of Louisville looks masterful on
one snap then comes back and plays horribly on the next play. Finally, much like his teammates, Seneca
Wallace has the physical skills to compete but sprays his throws and has
trouble seeing over the line of scrimmage at barely 5-feet 11-inches tall.
Overall it was a good day of work for the North and the
players who improved their draft stock far outweighed those whose rankings may
have diminished.