Todd McShay Post Senior Bowl Rankings

With the Senior Bowl (pdf document) in our rear view mirror, it's time to assess where we're at.  The various seniors were ranked prior to the game and over the course of a week of practice and the game itself, those rankings have certainly changed.  Over at the world wide leader, Todd McShay discusses his post-Senior Bowl rankings (Insider-protected).  While he discusses risers and fallers, I'm just going to throw up his top five offensive and defensive rankings for now:

Top five offensive players
1. Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt
Biggest pro: Agility.
Biggest con: Explosive power.
Draft projection: First round.

2. Sam Baker, OT, Southern California
Biggest pro: Agility.
Biggest con: Bulk/strength.
Draft projection: First round.

3. Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California
Biggest pro: Precision route-runner.
Biggest con: Bulk/strength.
Draft projection: Late-first or early-second round.

4. Chad Henne, QB, Michigan
Biggest pro: Efficiency as a pocket passer.
Biggest con: Inability to make plays outside the pocket.
Draft projection: Second round.

5. Joe Flacco, QB, Delaware
Biggest pro: Prototypical size/arm.
Biggest con: Adjustment from small-school, shotgun-heavy offense.
Draft projection: Second round.

Top five defensive players

1. Sedrick Ellis, DT, Southern California
Biggest pro: Explosive quickness.
Biggest con: Durability.
Draft projection: Top-10 pick.

2. Keith Rivers, OLB, Southern California
Biggest pro: Motor and leadership.
Biggest con: Not a playmaker in passing game.
Draft projection: Mid-to-late first round.

3. Dan Connor, ILB, Penn State
Biggest pro: Toughness, instincts and tackling.
Biggest con: Lack of ideal speed.
Draft projection: Mid-to-late first round.

4. Ali Highsmith, OLB, LSU
Biggest pro: Range versus run and in coverage.
Biggest con: Undersized.
Draft projection: Late-first round.

5. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State
Biggest pro: Size/athleticism.
Biggest con: Run support.
Draft projection: Late-first round.

One name I'm glad to see up there is Lavelle Hawkins.  He was always in the shadows at Cal and yet he was a very solid receiver.  DeSean Jackson was the sizzle, but Hawkins was definitely the steak.  I don't know if Hawkins will ever be a superstar in the NFL, but I definitely think he can put together a very solid career.

Chris Williams has come up in discussions here and it will be interesting to see how high his stock rises over the next 3 months.  Some were projecting him as a potential 49ers second round pick, but that could change with a great showing at the combine.  Seeing a guy run the 40 yard dash in shorts and no pads doesn't do a whole lot for me, but unfortunately it does wet the whistle of many pro folks.

One final note is on Joe Flacco.  While I'd heard of him before, I didn't know much.  My knowledge is not much better now, other than the fact that he played in a shotgun offense at Delaware.  He got to work with Mike Martz this week so I'm curious what Martz thinks of him.  There is at least one 49ers personnel guy who likes him.