Giants.com's John Schmeelk shares his notes and observations from Senior Bowl practice:
After looking at the quarterbacks and skill position guys yesterday, I kept a close eye on the trenches today and here's what I saw. North practice first:
• I have to start with Will Hernandez out of UTEP. He measured in yesterday at 6'2 and 340 pounds. He is a tank of a man and his play is exactly what you would expect out of someone his size. He was manhandling defensive lineman to the point where his opponents in drills got chippy after reps. I don't see why he can't be a day one starter at guard in the NFL. The UTEP miners went 0-12 last season but they have a stud in Hernandez. He is a hog molly.
• At tackle, I thought Oregon's Tyrell Crosby was the best of the crop during North practice. At just under 6'5 and 319 pounds he has the frame to play tackle in the NFL, and showed he has the arm length and feet to do it. They used him at both left and right tackle.
• Army tackle Brett Toth, who was rarely asked to pass protect in Army's run heavy offensive attack had some good reps in pass protection. He will have to serve two years in the military after graduating West Point.
• Allen Lazard, wide receiver from Iowa State, is 6'4 and 227 pounds and used that frame to make some plays in the passing game. He might not be the fastest player on the field but he found a way to make some catches.
• Wide receiver Braxton Berrios is only 5'8 and 177 pound but he definitely has some serious jitter and side to side quickness to his game. He could be a weapon in the slot.
• Of the two Ohio State pass rushers here, I've been more impressed with Tyquan Lewis, who seems to be extremely explosive.
• Rutgers pass rusher Kemoko Turay flashed both speed and power during pass rush drills. At 6'4 and 252 pounds, the former basketball player could be an intriguing players with upside in the draft. He is an athlete.
• Josh Allen put a perfect deep ball on Michael Gallup on a go route for a score during practice. Gallup was able to accelerate into the catch, grab it in stride and score a touchdown. Gallup, a wide receiver from Colorado State, is someone that may jump up draft boards as we approach April. South Practice
• Texas defensive tackle Poona Ford got an invite to the Senior Bowl after a strong week at the East-West Shrine game and he did not disappoint. He showed good power and used his 80 inch wing span (the average wingspan for someone 6'8) to win in one on ones.
• Isaiah Wynn once again stood out at both guard spots. He has good feet, stays in front of defensive tackles, and doesn't let them push him into the backfield. In team, I watched him push a defensive tackle all the way to the second level in the run game. He is an interior offensive line prospect to watch on day two or three with versatility to move outside since he played left tackle at Georgia.
• I liked what I saw from Brandon Parker, the 6'7 303 pounder from North Carolina A&T. He played in the MEAC but had a few good reps at tackle, including two against Marcus Davenport and Uchenna Nwosu.
• Idaho State guard Skyler Phillips had a few good reps as well, showing his meddle against players from larger schools.
• The trio of players from undefeated Central Florida all showed up in a big way. One-handed Shaquem Griffin lined up on the line of scrimmage as a stand-up rusher, as an outside linebacker, and at safety. He is versatile at 6'0 and 223 pounds. I saw him use a nice spin move to get to the quarterback, and shed a couple of blockers in the run game to make plays on the ball carrier. He plays with great energy.
• UCF receiver Tre'Quan Smith and tight end Jordan Akins both had red zone scores. Akins had the catch of the day, a leaping one handed grab for a touchdown. Judging by the talent here, I am not surprised UCF went undefeated.
