Senior Bowl helps Moore's draft status

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Nebraska's Moore aiming to improve his draft status

BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Feb 01, 2007 - 12:46:28 am CST

As Jay Moore tries to elevate his NFL Draft status, he also seeks to dispel a myth.

“There’s a stereotype of white defensive ends that they’re not necessarily athletic, that they’re overachievers, that they just make plays out of hustle,” the former Nebraska standout said Wednesday.

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Moore flashed plenty of athleticism and hustle last weekend at the annual Senior Bowl all-star game in Mobile, Ala. He recorded three sacks, forcing fumbles on two of them, to help lead the North squad to a 27-0 victory over the South.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. projects Moore as a second- or third-round selection in the April 28-29 draft, and Moore’s performance in Mobile probably bolstered his stock. Moore, however, will try to help himself further later this month by running a fast 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

“I think I had a good Senior Bowl,” Moore said. “But I think running a good 40 would really showcase my ability. It’s really the most important thing for everybody. That’s how the money is made.“

That’s why Moore has been training ever since the Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl at the Parisi Speed School in New Jersey. Former Nebraska cornerback Fabian Washington parlayed his 2005 training at Parisi into a blistering 4.25-second 40 time at the NFL combine — the fastest of any combine participant that year.

Washington was selected in the first round (23rd overall) by the Oakland Raiders and recently completed his second season as a starter.

Moore said his fastest 40 at Nebraska was a 4.75 two years ago. He said he hopes to run in the 4.6s at the combine.

“I’m having fun,” he said. “I think my body is starting to feel the rigors of the Senior Bowl week a little. But I’ve gotten in a real good training routine. It’s really about wanting to put in the hard work. I’m trying to improve every day. If I run good at the combine, I should be pretty happy come draft day.“

The Senior Bowl game capped an important week for players on hand in Mobile. In addition to Moore, Nebraska was represented by fellow defensive end Adam Carriker and outside linebacker Stewart Bradley.

As usual, NFL teams sent front-office personnel to Mobile during the course of the week to watch Senior Bowl practices. In addition to watching practices, NFL team representatives (including general managers, coaches and scouts) interview players. Moore, for instance, met with 18 teams.

Todd McShay, director of college scouting for Scouts Inc., this week listed the 6-6, 295-pound Carriker among a handful of players who benefited most from the week in Mobile.

Kiper projects Carriker as the 16th overall pick in the draft.

“You don’t see many defensive ends carrying 300 pounds who can move as well as Carriker,” Kiper says.

Meanwhile, Kiper projects Bradley as a third- or fourth-round pick. The 6-4, 225-pound Bradley made five tackles and forced a fumble in the Senior Bowl.

At around 5 p.m. Wednesday, Moore rested after finishing his second workout of the day. He said he felt nervous as he prepared for the Senior Bowl and feels less pressure now that it’s over.

“I did well, and now I can just really focus in on the combine,” he said.

Briefly

Brandon Jackson, who announced last month he was skipping his final season at Nebraska to enter the draft, is ranked by Kiper as the third-best running back available, behind Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson and California’s Marshawn Lynch.

 
Am I the only one who thinks that Mel Kiper Jr's projections are a little off? It kind of seems, to me at least, that he tends to project based on who his agent friends are. Not saying BJax doesnt deserve to be this high cause he was one heck of a workhorse for us, but with some of his past projections it makes me wonder. If I remember correctly last year on ESPN radio Jay Cutler brought up that fact and it got me thinking. What does everyone else think?

 
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Todd McShay also has BJax third on his list. He's been called the "young Mel Kiper" and is supposed to be much less influenced by others than Kiper is. Who knows if Kiper was "influenced" by McShay.

 
hastingshusker said:
Am I the only one who thinks that Mel Kiper Jr's projections are a little off? It kind of seems, to me at least, that he tends to project based on who his agent friends are. Not saying BJax doesnt deserve to be this high cause he was one heck of a workhorse for us, but with some of his past projections it makes me wonder. If I remember correctly last year on ESPN radio Jay Cutler brought up that fact and it got me thinking. What does everyone else think?
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I think all this draft projection crap is, well, CRAP!

:box

 
One would think that being the third best running back, that BJax would be picked in the 20s or 30s of the draft. AD will be top 10, and Lynch will be probally top 15-20. So BJax will probally be taken by a team at the end of the first or first part of the second round.

 
gamecocks said:
One would think that being the third best running back, that BJax would be picked in the 20s or 30s of the draft. AD will be top 10, and Lynch will be probally top 15-20. So BJax will probally be taken by a team at the end of the first or first part of the second round.
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That would be awsome!!!! But yet somehow sad at the same time. Because of the fact that we could have used that talent, but I stand by saying that Lucky will be much improved next season.

 
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i dont want to be a nay sayer here about BJax draft status, but i really do not think that he will be a 1 or 2 rounder. i think he is going to be 3 or 4 rounder

 
I think that the projections for Moore, Carriker and Bradley are accurate. BJax is a little higher than I anticipated, but last year, Addai was the 3rd or 4th back taken at #30 and he has VERY similar stats in college, height, weight, speed and versatility.

 
Carriker could go as high as 4 to the Bucs as much as they seem to love him, however thats not likely at all so unless they move down (also highly unlikely) they may miss out on him unless they move up from 35. Right now it looks like he could end up in St. Louis with the 12th pick, however they also need run support so they may look more towards LB in the first round. Green Bay is an option but they will most likely be going offense in the first round again which brings us to a very real possibility and a very intriguing situation where he could end up in Tennessee playing opposite former Husker, Kyle Vanden Bosch. If Tennesee passes on him I wouldn't be shocked if Tampa Bay tries to trade up to 20 to grab him before the Broncos or Jets are on the clock as those are the last two likely teams looking for defensive linemen in the first round.

Bradley looks to be a potential 4th or 5th round pick, most likely either by Cleveland or Minnesota. - Minnesota especially seems really high on him.

Jay Moore was getting some attention from the Jets but its unlikely they will use their 25th overall pick on him so he most likely try to grab him at 38, however they also need a HB and may take that there and hope Jay falls down to the end of the 2nd where they can grab him with pick 57 which probably is unlikely as he could be a great grab for Detroit at 34, Cleveland at 36, St. Louis (if they don't draft Carriker) at 45 or Pittsburgh at 48 (if he shows good speed during the combine)

Jackson's name has been mentioned anywhere from being the 3rd best back in the draft and a late first round pick to the 8th best back in the draft going in the late 4th early 5th and pretty much everywhere in between with half the league mentioned as a possibility for him... until he works out for scouts its a tossup as to where he could end up.

If I had to make an educated guess right now I'd say Carriker at 19 to Tennessee, Moore at 34 to Detroit, Jackson at 61 to Baltimore and Bradley at 135 to Minnesota.

 
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I'm just hoping that one of the two, AC or Moore, goes to the Cowboys. We could use another great end opposite Marcus Spears.

 
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