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Jene Bramel’s 2018 Senior Bowl Defensive Review
In most years here in Mobile, one or two defensive players stand out as likely difference makers in the NFL. Aaron Donald dominated nearly every individual and team practice repetition. Melvin Ingram and Dee Ford and Ezekiel Ansah routinely disrupted the pocket during team drills and made it difficult for quarterbacks to find any comfort […]
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Jene Bramel’s Senior Bowl Preview: The Defensive Front Seven
Jene Bramel delivers his defensive player watchlist at the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for the 2018 Senior Bowl. There are no headline defensive talents at this year’s Senior Bowl. That’s not unusual. The Senior Bowl has produced five or fewer first round draft picks in each of the past three seasons. Don’t take the lack of […]
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Senior Bowl Practice Wrap: Defense – 2017 NFL Draft Prospects
The week of Senior Bowl practices is a worthwhile evaluation period. NFL coaches take teaching drills seriously and are encouraging but demand improvement. Many of these players are facing the best competition they’ve seen all season. However, it’s important to understand the limitations of the week. Practices are non-contact and repetitions are limited. This year’s […]
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Senior Bowl Day 2: Defensive Practice Report – 2017 NFL Draft Prospects
The second day of Senior Bowl practice confirms first impressions and highlights the players who quickly grow comfortable with newer concepts and better competition. We’re still seeing limited repetitions in non-contact situations but, many players take a day to understand a drill they haven’t seen in college or fully assimilate the alignments and schemes they’ll […]
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Senior Bowl Day 1: First Impressions, Defense
Prologue In reality, college players turned aspiring NFL athletes get many chances to make a positive impression. Teams evaluate multiple games on film and get access to players for interviews here in Mobile, at the combine, and at Pro Days. But Senior Bowl Week is the first time the NFL calendar and news cycle turns […]
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Rod Marinelli: Mickey Goldmill and the Physics of Defensive Line Play
Widely recognized as one of the best teachers in the game, Rod Marinelli’s direct, passionate, encouraging, and personable demeanor was on display throughout practice. As I stalked Rod Marinelli from one end of Ladd-Peebles Stadium today, I kept hearing Mickey Goldmill and Richard Feynman in my head. Stay with me. The parallels to Rocky Balboa’s […]
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Defenders I’ll Be Watching In Mobile
Bramel shares where practice helps analysts value defensive prospects and who he’ll be watching perform these drills in Mobile. Some argue the limited playbook and lack of full contact during team drills prevent a full reckoning of a defensive player’s talent during Senior Bowl practices. I always counter that there’s much to see in the […]
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Jene Bramel: Sr. Bowl Day Three From the Trenches
Bramel parcels his defensive observations into categories that you can use. I like to think of the third day of Senior Bowl practices as Confirmation Day. Talented players keep their momentum and continue to win the majority of their reps. Projectable players improve as they adapt to better competition and respond to coaching. Others […]
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Jene Bramel From the Trenches: Day 2
Jene Bramel gives you his takes on the defensive side of the ball this week at the Senior Bowl. Day 2 Defensive Notes Both teams were in full pads today and the practices were crisp and physical. That was a welcome contrast to the sometimes sloppy Day 1 North team practice, which left something to […]
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Jene Bramel’s GM Decision: With the Flow or Against the Grain?
What is 2014’s Writer’s Project? This year’s RSPWP is a different take on team building. I will have 15-20 written scenarios based on true NFL stories provided to me from current and former NFL employees (scouts, players, and consultants). In each scenario, the participating writer is the general manager of an NFL team has a […]