NFL DRAFT NEWS

Senior Bowl: Butler, Ward turning heads for North

The Sports Xchange

January 27, 2016 at 9:28 pm.

Jan 26, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad defensive tackle Vernon Butler of Louisiana Tech (93) and defensive end Jason Fanaika of Utah (71) and defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis of Temple (90) stretch at the start of Senior Bowl practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 26, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad defensive tackle Vernon Butler of Louisiana Tech (93) and defensive end Jason Fanaika of Utah (71) and defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis of Temple (90) stretch at the start of Senior Bowl practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

by Rob Rang, The Sports Xchange

MOBILE, Ala. — It is the nature of the game for the big guys playing along the line of scrimmage to be overshadowed by the so-called skill position players.

But ask the hundreds of NFL personnel watching from the stands at Ladd-Peebles Stadium at the Senior Bowl and it is clear that the top talent playing in this year’s Senior Bowl resides predominately among the defensive line.

Two relatively unheralded defensive linemen taking full advantage of the big stage Wednesday were Louisiana Tech’s Vernon Butler and Illinois’ Jihad Ward.

Butler was unblockable at times, showing an exciting combination of initial quickness, balance and a refined swim move, belying his 6-foot-4, 325-pound frame.

His teammate, Ward, was nearly as effective.

Despite a frame perhaps better suited to playing inside at defensive tackle, the 6-foot-5, 296 pound Ward enjoyed much of his success Wednesday at right defensive end, slicing inside would-be blockers to force running backs and quarterbacks, alike, to alter their plans.

This wasn’t a case of Butler and Ward taking advantage of poor blocking from the North offensive linemen. In fact, in left tackle Jason Spriggs and Notre Dame center Nick Martin (among others), Butler and Ward often opposed two of the highest rated offensive linemen playing in the prestigious all-star game.

Rather, Butler and Ward are simply prospects whose talents have been somewhat overshadowed to this point because of this year’s extraordinary defensive line class — a group one high-ranking NFL scout called one of the best he’s ever seen.

Other highlights from Wednesday’s North Team practice:

–While Butler and Ward were the big winners Wednesday, there were several other standouts deserving of attention. Temple’s Matt Ioannides continues a strong week, showing burst and power to disrupt. Big Ten standouts Adolphus Washington (Ohio State) and Penn State teammates Austin Johnson and Carl Nassib, the reigning Ted Hendricks (nation’s top defensive end) and Rotary Lombardi Award (best lineman or linebacker) winner, also made big plays Wednesday.

–While their opponents along the defensive line certainly enjoyed the better day overall, Spriggs and fellow offensive tackle Kyle Murphy (Stanford) each won their share of battles, as well. Stylistically, the two share little with Spriggs, a former tight end looking to prove this week that he has the strength and tenacity to handle NFL defenders after starring in an up-tempo spread offense for the Hoosiers. The 6-foot-6, 301 pounder has shown the quickness and balance this week that scouts have appreciated about his game in the past, while also flashing some nastiness, looking to pancake opponents when he can. Murphy has shown some positional versatility, sliding to right tackle this week after starring on the left side for the run-heavy Cardinal. While not as long or nimble as his new teammate, Murphy fared well in pass protection Wednesday, showing fluidity in his kick-slide to handle the North’s edge rushers.

–Tuesday, it was Ohio State’s Braxton Miller taking the starring role among the North’s pass-catchers. While he enjoyed another solid performance Wednesday, Rutgers’ Leonte Carroo was the flashier receiver in his second Senior Bowl practice. After measuring in at an imposing 6-foot-0, 217 pounds, Carroo showed off an exciting blend of initial quickness, agility and acceleration to sneak behind the defense, as well as strong hands and the vision to track passes over his shoulder. Unfortunately, Carroo suffered an undisclosed injury late in Wednesday’s practice which may sideline him for Saturday’s game. As long as the injury isn’t anything serious, the final impression he left with scouts Wednesday was a good one.

–Add Southern Utah safety Miles Killebrew to the list of relatively small school prospects boosting their cause this week. After turning heads during the weigh-in with a chiseled 6-foot-2, 219-pound frame, Killebrew has impressed with his awareness and closing speed.

Rob Rang is a Senior Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed in partnership with The Sports Xchange and CBSSports.com.

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