The first day of the 2015 Senior Bowl is in the books, and the amount of talent across the field was highly impressive. Take a look at our scouting notes from Day 1, where we spent the day in the trenches. 

North Team

Offensive Line

• One of the more consistent offensive linemen of the first day was Duke guard Laken Tomlinson. The 6’3”, 323-pounder had a couple of difficult matchups in Danny Shelton and Marcus Hardison. Shelton got the best of every other blocker except Tomlinson. Tomlinson is a power guard with strong hands, but he has enough quickness and balance to withstand the speed and strength combination that Shelton brings to the table. His monster performance Day 1 could signify that he’s going to be the top guard prospect.

• Three other interior linemen that stood out were Arizona State guard Jamil Douglas, Florida’s Max Garcia and Hobart’s Ali Marpet. Douglas moved inside from tackle this week, and he showed extended glimpses of brilliance. His lateral agility on pulls as the left guard demonstrated his potential to be an effective run blocker. In the passing game, he showed that his punch needs some more strength and refining as far as placement, but he held up well throughout individual and team drills.

• Garcia has experience at guard and center, and showed to be a tough, strong blocker at the point of attack. He was able to handle Shelton on all but one snap, which is very impressive. His ability to block without help is a major bonus, and he could rise if he continues his early success.

• Marpet is an intriguing small schooler that showed great versatility. He lined up as center, guard and tackle. With his physical profile and way that he uses his hands, he looks like a very natural guard in a zone-blocking scheme. Marpet is a little undersized, but his technique for handling power rushers is good and he has enough strength to make it work.

• Pittsburgh’s T.J. Clemmings drew a lot of attention from the Detroit Lions’ staff, and his immense athleticism showed all day long. He is naturally strong and has the length and quickness desired for a lineman. His issue right now is that he does not engage with defenders with a consistent punch, and his hands get sloppy when he’s trying to re-direct the rusher. Clemmings has all of the potential in the world, but he needs time to master his hand techniques.

• The player who struggled most was Penn State’s Donovan Smith. Smith has an intriguing physique, but he was out of breath early and didn’t take to coaching well. He lacks the anchor in his bottom to withstand power rushers, and he’s a liability against speed because he doesn’t use his length effectively. He allows the rusher into his body, or he will bend over at the waist to reach his man.

Defensive Line

• Washington’s Danny Shelton looked good with his combination of size, power and speed. He’s got weight concerns, but his ability to win in a phone booth shouldn’t be questioned. Shelton is extremely disruptive and continued to show that on Day 1.

• Stanford defensive end Henry Anderson can be a very intriguing player if he can continue to play with leverage. He’s as strong as an ox, but his 6’6” frame makes it difficult for him to consistently keep his pads low and explode through the snap. He blew through Clemmings on one play, but was shoved aside on another snap against Marpet.

• Nate Orchard of Utah had an inconsistent day that highlighted his positives and negatives. He wins with quickness and activity, which is nice for a secondary rusher. Orchard does struggle when he has to get inside of the lineman and use his length and strength, so it’ll be important to watch how he uses his hands the next couple of days.

South Team

Offensive Line

• It was a rough day for the entire group, but most notably TCU’s Tayo Fabuluje and Auburn’s Reese Dismukes had practices to forget. Fabuluje has had stamina issues in the past, and it showed again today. He’s a mammoth that has some really good tape, but he never plays a full game, and he looked gassed halfway through practice. His inability to stay balanced or keep his legs moving in pass pro is a huge concern.

• Dismukes struggled even snapping the ball, as he botched three snaps. His inability to hold blocks seems to stem from his small hands, and he might be a center that has to only be a help blocker in the NFL.

• La’el Collins was really bad in pass protection, bending too much and not using his length. He needs to improve his hand placement and staying back, or else he will have to move to guard. Collins did look good as a run blocker, however. He was beaten throughout the day with speed moves to the outside.

• The other highly touted tackle, Ty Sambrailo, struggled to look like he belongs as a Day 1 NFL prospect. Sambrailo lacks the upper and lower body strength to handle some of the power present in Mobile, and he was ripped to the ground a few times because he doesn’t have a good punch or upper body control. He admitted afterwards that he didn’t play well. Hopefully that changes.

Defensive Line

• The top performer on the line was UCLA defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa. After a great weigh in, he was able to flaunt his quick, light feet in individual drills, and then showed to be a powerful force in team drills. Odighizuwa has great length and plays low enough to be a good run defender consistently.

• Clemson defensive tackle Grady Jarrett had a great day as well. He has quick feet that allow him to change directions quickly, and showed enough burst off the snap to be a headache for opposing linemen. He has good power to his game as well, pulling down Arie Kouandjio twice during individual drills.

• Auburn’s Gabe Wright and Mississippi State’s Preston Smith both had solid practices as well. Wright is another player that wins with quickness, and although he wasn’t as impressive as Jarrett, he looked the part of a nickel speed rusher. Smith also looked good, showing that his relentlessness and strength translates to the highest collegiate competition well. His ability to play multiple positions is a major bonus. He can win in a 4-3 or 3-4 because he gets into the chest of the blocker effectively and drives them backward.

• Missouri defensive end Markus Golden looked painfully average as an athlete throughout the day. His feet are nothing special and lack quickness, and his pass rush prowess is similarly bland. Golden needs to show more quick twitch traits this week.

Linebackers

• Three linebackers that stood out at random parts of team drills were Martrell Spaight of Arkansas, Stephone Anthony of Clemson and Miami’s Denzel Perryman. Spaight showed great fluidity when he dropped back in coverage, which is a nice plus for the pass rusher. Anthony has NFL size and speed, and had two notable plays that he made while moving downhill. His ability to drop into coverage is very intriguing as well. Perryman was predictably effective when moving downhill, but he drew the praise of scouts for numerous big hits. He’s got a nose for finding the running back, and now needs to prove that he can play in coverage.