Senior Bowl Wrap-Up

A closely-contested ball game with more than a few standout performers. A recap of the game can be found at the link below:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3216294

When including performance from this past week's practices, it is arguably the case that the prospect who impressed the most in Mobile, AL was QB Chad Henne of Michigan. Henne reportedly recorded a great week of practice, showcasing his terrific arm strength and accuracy on post, slant, and deep routes. In addition, Henne seemed to develop good chemistry with his teammates while maintaining good command of the huddle. Henne also didn't fumble any snaps during practices, a problem that plagued QB's Joe Flacco (Delaware) and John David Booty (USC). With 2 TD passes in the game itself, Henne may have solidified himself as no worse than an early Round 2 selection in this year's Draft, and if QB Andre' Woodson does not improve his now-falling "stock" in workouts to come, the former Wolverine QB may become the 3rd overall QB selected in the 2008 Draft.

Other players reported to have impressed in Senior Bowl practices and/or the game itself:

Justin Forsett, RB, California
Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California
Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
Keith Rivers, LB, USC
Sam Baker, OT, USC
Fred Davis, TE, USC
Owen Schmitt, FB, West Virginia
Trevor Laws, DE, Notre Dame
Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee
Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M
Tashard Choice, RB, Georgia Tech
Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida
Matt Forte, RB, Tulane
Ali Highsmith, LB, LSU
Xavier Adibi, LB, Va. Tech

I won't go into detail about every prospect who didn't perform well, but on the whole, it seems that the player who did the most damage to his "stock" over this past week was QB Colt Brennan of Hawaii. Even more than his sub-par performance in the game itself, Brennan reportedly had a miserable week of practice, as he struggled mightily making the transition from a Shotgun formation (which he operated out of in June Jones' "Run & Shoot" offense while in college) to a classic, pro-style 3-5 step drop. There were repeated instances when coaches (in particular new 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz) made Brennan perform routine QB duties over and over again until some level of satisfaction on their part was reached, and Brennan also struggled with accuracy on his throws. Moreover, Brennan, already a rather skinny individual by nature, reportedly checked in at shocking 185 lbs. If he is to play in the NFL for some time, Brennan will need to sport a frame weighing at least 210 lbs., otherwise, the same durability issues that cropped up throughout his Senior campaign and especially in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia will continue to haunt the former Heisman Trophy finalist. As of now, Brennan stands as no better than a late-round Draft pick.