McNabb's stock rising at Senior Bowl
Posted: Thursday January 21, 1999 02:35 PM
In the past, players like Bears cornerback Walt Harris and Broncos
linebacker John Mobley
used strong Senior Bowl showings to vault them into the first round of the
NFL draft. This year, several players have seen their stock rise, like
Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Pro coaches have been surprised by McNabb's arm and poise in the pocket and
no longer consider him to be just an option quarterback. Tulane quarterback
Shaun King has drawn comparisons to Steve McNair, and several
other offensive players are being likened to current NFL stars: LSU's Kevin
Faulk has been called "the next Warrick Dunn" and Florida's Travis McGriff
"the next Wayne
Chrebet."
Two players have been so impressive in workouts and scrimmages, they may
force a change of drafting philosophy. Syracuse's Rob Konrad and
Tennessee's Shawn Bryson may convince coaches to select a fullback earlier
in the draft than is the norm. Both have opened a lot of eyes with their
size and athleticism, and they are both being called "the next Mike Alstott."
By far, the deepest position at the Senior Bowl is the offensive line. I
talked with two NFL coaches who said they'd swap their entire starting line
for five guys here at the Senior Bowl. Strong words, but you get the point.
Notre Dame's Mike Rosenthal started the week at right tackle, volunteered
to play guard the next day, and worked at left tackle the next.
Consequently, he has scored points for his versatility.
But the player who has helped himself the most according to all the coaches
I spoke with has been Eastern Michigan tackle L.J. Shelton. The son of
former NBA standout Lonnie Shelton may have played himself into a top-15
pick because of his ability to play left tackle.
Another thing that will be interesting to watch is whether the Raiders and
Bucs wind up drafting any of the players their staffs are working with
here. Tony Dungy admitted Wednesday that having the chance to work so
closely with 59 draftable players during Senior Bowl week provides valuable
insight into the evaluation process that is very helpful on draft day.
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