MOBILE, Ala. -- The final day of full pads practice at the Senior Bowl has finished as NFL general managers, coaches and scouts get ready to depart Mobile. With only the game left to play, here's the stock report from Wednesday.
Lane Johnson/T/Oklahoma: Johnson capped off three good days of practice with an outstanding performance on Wednesday. His pass-protection skills were some of the best of any offensive lineman at the Senior Bowl. Johnson's long frame has scouts believing he will get bigger and stronger in time, which will only improve his run blocking ability.
Brandon Williams/DT/Missouri Southern: The small school tackle really watched his game take off today and showed why some scouts rank him so highly. Williams knocked aside blockers or bull-rushed them off the line as opponents struggled to handle his quickness and power. His size and strength are enticing for teams looking to draft a 3-4 nose tackle and today Williams proved he has the ability to play at the next level.
Sylvester Williams/DT/North Carolina: Williams is another highly rated defensive lineman who really stood out during Wednesday's final practice. He constantly beat opponents off the snap with a terrific first step then showed tremendous lower body power and leg drive penetrating up the field. Williams also displayed a variety of moves and hand techniques to protect himself and to get off blocks. Williams looked every bit the part of first-round pick that some scouts have pegged him to be.
Aaron Dobson/WR/Marshall: Dobson put on a pass-catching clinic during Wednesday's practice and looked like an NFL-ready wideout. He did a terrific job finding the open spot in the field or battling opponents down the sidelines to make the reception. He practiced with outstanding focus and concentration, making a number of difficult catches all over the field. He's not a vertical threat, but is rather a consistent underneath pass catcher who improved his stock today.
David Quessenberry/OL/San Jose State: Quessenberry lined up at both tackle and guard on Wednesday and was effective at both positions. He blocked with terrific fundamentals, showed a great deal of agility in his game and played smart football. What stood out about Quessenberry was the ability to adjust to defenders then knock both linemen and linebackers from the action on the same play. He needs to improve his playing strength, but Quessenberry had scouts buzzing on Wednesday.
Jonathan Cyprien/S/Florida International: Cyprien has established himself as the best and most complete safety at the Senior Bowl. He's a well-sized defensive back at 209 pounds who constantly makes plays on the ball. Cyprien displayed a lot of toughness in run defense as well as great range in centerfield covering the pass. His ability to quickly get to the sidelines and assist cornerbacks in coverage impressed scouts on hand.
Xavier Nixon/OL/Florida: Nixon, the fine left tackle for the Gators, lined up at guard and tackle during Senior Bowl practice and looked good at both spots. He's relatively athletic and blocks with solid fundamentals. Nixon did a great job out-positioning defenders from the action and sealing them from plays. He opened the running lanes throughout scrimmage and also did a fine job protecting his quarterback. The versatility Nixon displayed on Wednesday will help improve his draft stock.
Vince Williams/LB/Florida State: Williams displayed good speed early in the week at Senior Bowl practices and started to make plays on the ball Wednesday. He was explosive up the field defending the run while also displaying the ability to go sideline-to-sideline and make plays in pursuit. Williams looked very much like a three down defender, something which will only help his standing in April.
Stock Down
Nico Johnson/LB/Alabama: Johnson struggled to prove he's anything other than a one-dimensional run defender during three days of Senior Bowl practice. Wednesday he looked slow, tentative and could not catch ball-carriers in pursuit.
Robert Lester/S/Alabama: Lester was another member of the title-winning Alabama team who had a tough go of it on Wednesday. He was victimized for a number of receptions and struggled making plays with his back to the ball. He displayed himself as a zone safety that will have to be put in a system which almost exclusively has him facing the action.
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