Scout talk: Senior Bowl winners and losers

After a week of watching Senior Bowl practice, NFL scouts are getting a better handle on how draft prospects should stack up in comparison with one another.

One of the big winners last week was Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco, who looked like the best passer in Mobile. One front-office man said Flacco has gone from a third-round pick to a high second-round pick, and it's even possible he could sneak into the first round. Flacco also may have passed Louisville's Brian Brohm as the second-ranked quarterback in the draft behind Matt Ryan of Boston College.

"Flacco doesn't have real good feet, but he has very good arm talent," one scout said. Chad Henne of Michigan also showed well, but not all the quarterbacks helped themselves. Colt Brennan of Hawaii showed up at 186 pounds after a bout with the flu and showed questionable arm strength. Kentucky's Andre Woodson might have had a chance to move into the first round, but he did not capitalize.

The best player participating was Southern California defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, who should be a top-seven pick. As expected, USC players dominated practice. Others who stood out were linebacker Keith Rivers and tight end Fred Davis.

The player who might have helped himself the most was Tennessee's Brad Cottam. During the season the tight end didn't play much and caught only five passes for 5 yards, but at the Senior Bowl he showed he can run and he also looked like he has some natural blocking ability.

Two offensive linemen practiced well. Vanderbilt's Chris Williams might have solidified his stock as a first-rounder, and Texas-El Paso's Oniel Cousins also helped himself.

On the defensive line, Maryland's Dre Moore was a pleasant surprise.

"On tape I didn't like him, but he was ballistic in the one-on-ones," one NFC college scouting director said.

Notre Dame defensive end Trevor Laws looked comfortable playing defensive tackle.

It was a strong group of cornerbacks, with Indiana's Tracy Porter, Auburn's Patrick Lee, Tennessee State's Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Alabama's Simeon Castille and Louisiana State's Chevis Jackson leading the way. Rodgers-Cromartie worked at safety also, and looked good at both positions.

Of Porter, another NFC executive said, "You wanted to see him be more physical, and he tried. He competed in practice."

Against better competition, Troy cornerback Leodis McKelvin did not fare as well as some scouts had hoped.

The best wide receiver in the game probably was Lavelle Hawkins from Cal. In addition to showing good speed, Hawkins appeared to have a complete game. Eddie Royal of Virginia Tech wasn't as productive in college as he could have been, but during Senior Bowl practices he looked like he has bona fide NFL skills.

Two running backs who helped themselves were Matt Forte from Tulane and Justin Forsett from California. Forsett is only 5 feet 8 inches, but he showed quickness, toughness and the ability to read defenses. One college director compared him to Michigan's Mike Hart, who opted not to participate.