Eric D. Williams 9y

Final thoughts on Senior Bowl practices

The Senior Bowl wrapped up three days of padded practices on Thursday. Usually Friday's practice is a walk-through, as the coaches give players a day to rest their legs and get ready for this weekend's game.

The one-on-one pass protection and route-running drills provided an opportunity to see how players compete, while 7-on-7 and team drills gave us a chance to see how players translated what they learned in the classroom onto the field.

Here are some players to watch for in Saturday's game that could make some sense for the San Diego Chargers in the upcoming draft.

Carl Davis, DT, Iowa: He won the practice player of the week award. At 6-4 and 320 pounds, Davis showed the ability to consistently push the pocket in one-on-one pass drills. I also liked his ability to pursue sideline to sideline in team drills. He's probably more of a 3-technique in a 4-3 scheme, but the Chargers could use more active and disruptive defensive linemen up front.

Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami (FL): At 5-10 and 183 pounds, Dorsett is fast, fluid and easily creates separation with his speed. But Dorsett isn't just a burner. He flashed solid hands and showed the ability to weave in and out of traffic to create explosive plays. Dorsett totaled 36 receptions for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns his final season at Miami. Dorsett's skill set has drawn comparisons to NFL receivers Antonio Brown, John Brown and T.Y. Hilton.

Ladarius Gunter, CB, Miami (FL): Gunter is another speedy player from Miami with good movement skills. I liked how he played physical at the line of scrimmage and transitioned well at the top of the route. At 6-1 and 200 pounds, Gunter also is a bigger, press corner who plays the ball well.

Rannell Hall, WR, Central Florida: At 6-2 and 192 pounds, I was impressed with Hall's effort and ability to make contested catches. He was productive in college, finishing with 49 catches for 500 yards. But he didn't have a receiving touchdown his final season at Central Florida, which is concerning.

Tre Jackson, OG, Florida State: He showed good feet and was stout in one-on-one pass protection during the week. Jackson measured in at nearly 6-4 and 323 pounds, and finished as a three-year starter and All-ACC performer at Florida State.

Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson: At 6-1 and 288 pounds, Jarrett is a bit undersized for an interior defensive lineman. But he has a good get-off and showed the ability to push the pocket inside. Jarrett's strong for his size and put up good numbers for the Tigers, finishing with 99 tackles -- including 19 for a loss -- and four sacks his final two seasons at Clemson.

Arie Kouandjio, OG, Alabama: Big and physical (6-5, 318 pounds), Kouandjio would give San Diego a physical road grader inside to upgrade the team's run game. His brother, offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio, was drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Bills last year.

Tyler Lockett, WR, Kansas State: He can come and help the Chargers right now as a slot receiver. He's a polished route runner who understands route concepts and how to set up defenders. He has the suddenness to create separation at the top of the route, and also has the ability to make defenders miss after the catch. Lockett also is one of the best returners coming out of college this year. Lockett's father Kevin played seven years in the NFL as a receiver.

Nate Orchard, OLB, Utah: He won the Ted Hendricks Award as the college football's best defensive end, and Morris Trophy as the Pac-12's best defensive lineman. Orchard finished with 84.5 tackles, including 21.5 for a loss, and 18.5 sacks. The Chargers place a value on production, and Orchard has that. At 6-3 and 251 pounds, he also possesses an arsenal of pass-rush moves and plays with urgency. San Diego needs more guys like Orchard on defense.

Kevin White, CB, TCU: At 5-9 and 180 pounds, White is small for the position. But the Chargers had the smallest secondary in the NFL last season. Like his former teammate Jason Verrett, White has excellent shadowing and anticipation skills. He also showed good recovery speed and played the ball well in the air. However, White is not as physical as Verrett, and could struggle in the run game.

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