South Practice Notes:


Tennessee State defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was nothing short of excellent, both in drills and coverage. Smooth athlete with quick hip flip, playing both free safety and cornerback.

Michigan's Chad Henne was sensational Monday and stands to benefit greatly because of his overall passing efficiency. Kentucky's Andre Woodson showcased his rifle of an arm but understandably struggled with his timing during the first day of practice. Otherwise, there wasn't much positive to say about the performances turned in by Colt Brennan (Hawaii), John David Booty (USC), Joe Flacco (Delaware) and Erik Ainge (Tennessee). Brennan had toughest first day. His erratic passing performance in practice was preceded by him tipping the scale at a measly 185 pounds during the morning's weigh-in.

• Sweed and LSU's Early Doucet stand out as the top two receivers on the South roster. We still have questions regarding Doucet's top-end speed and toughness, both of which will be put to the test in full-pad practices the next two days. Doucet was dominant in one-on-one and seven-on-seven sessions, though. He displayed the quickness and fluid hips to consistently separate from man-coverage and looked extremely smooth when catching the ball away from his frame and/or on the run.

• Speaking of which, Troy CB Leodis McKelvin's draft stock has experienced a meteoric rise the past few months. While his quick feet and explosive burst were easily distinguished during drills, McKelvin's ball skills left much to be desired. In addition to dropping two potential interceptions, he muffed as punt during special teams drills. It will be interesting to see if McKelvin can shake off the rust and finish the week strong.

• LSU OLB Ali Highsmith turned in a solid day's work and appears to be one of the most complete linebackers here. He started strong, showing quick feet running through bags during individual drills and never looked back. During nine-on-seven drills, Highsmith located the ball quickly and took sound pursuit angles. Highsmith was just as impressive dropping into coverage. He showed great awareness and got good depth when asked to drop into zone coverage while showing he's also quick enough to match up with most backs. However, one of Highsmith's biggest weakness is he doesn't control blockers as well as scouts would like and it showed up one play in particular today. Arkansas FB Peyton Hillis sealed Highsmith inside paving the way for the back to turn the corner and break a long run.

• Georgia Tech ILB Philip Wheeler had his ups and downs Monday. Wheeler is a tough and relentless run stopper who can shed blockers quickly, so it came as little surprise that he was in on multiple tackles during nine-on-seven drills. The problem is he looked lost and struggled in coverage. He got caught out of position at times and looked stiff trying to match up with backs in man coverage.

• Tulane RB Matt Forte's blend of versatility and size opened some eyes at practice. The 222-pound back read his blocks well and is tough to bring down, making him an effective between-the-tackles runner, but he's showing he's fast enough to turn the corner as well. In addition, Forte looks like he can make an impact in the passing game. The crispness of his cuts and the separation he created working against the linebackers during one-on-one drills was impressive. Forte also showed the ability to turn on the jets and track the ball downfield when he beat South Florida ILB Ben Moffitt deep for a reception.

• Michigan State TE Kellen Davis has some serious potential. He has a great build and is a very fluid with his movements. He has the chance to develop into a feared target. However, Davis still has a long way to go. He doesn't find and snatch the ball consistently and his ball skills and ability to adjust to the football is questionable at this point. If he dedicates himself to working on the nuances of playing tight end, Davis could make a real impact at the next level. But it will not come overnight.

• In a shocking contrast, P Mike Dragosavich is nearly a foot taller than his special teams counterpart, K Alexis Serna. Obviously these two spent a lot of time together during the bulk of practice and they look like the stars of "Twins" sequel. When they got their time to shine, Serna came through on his several field goal attempts, while Dragosavich's performance left much to be desired. Dragosavich has very long kicking levers and is too deliberate in getting his punts away. He also didn't demonstrate very good control with his punts.

Around the South practice
• Tulane RB Matt Forte is making some money in Mobile this week. The 6-foot-1, 221-pound back is proving to scouts on hand that the nation's second-leading rusher in 2007 is not simply a function of lower-level FBS competition. In fact, he is standing out as the most complete back thus far on the South roster -- and that includes Georgia Tech standout Tashard Choice. Forte is a strong, compact runner who displays good burst through the line of scrimmage. He has soft hands and is very comfortable catching the football. He also shows good instincts and the strength to anchor as a pass-blocker. Outside of Arkansas' Darren McFadden and Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall, Forte could be the highest-rated running back weighing in at 215-plus pounds in a deep 2008 class.
• It's easy to see why some teams are high on LSU OLB Ali Highsmith. He is a fast-flowing, athletic defender with good closing burst and initial striking power. But Highsmith isn't for everybody. He runs around too many blocks because he lacks the base and strength to win in the phone booth. As a result, he will occasionally get out of position and compromise his unit's gap integrity. Bottom line: Highsmith only has first-round value on a smaller defense that emphasizes athleticism over strength (see: Colts, Buccaneers, Lions, etc.).


• For the second straight day, Florida WR Andre Caldwell produced at a high level. Caldwell continues to impress scouts by displaying excellent ball skills with the ability to open his hips and pull in balls thrown behind him. Caldwell's overall strength was quite noticeable as he was able to withstand any jam defenders threw at him. Caldwell did a nice job of being stout and showed good ability to knock defenders hands down while creating a clean release off the line. The thing that impressed the scouts the most was his ability to attack the football. Caldwell showed no hesitation when coming across the middle going after and using his strong hands to haul in a catch in traffic.

• WR D.J. Hall's lack of suddenness is more obvious in a setting like this than it is watching most of his college games on film. Hall was a tremendously reliable and productive receiver at Alabama. He is an instinctive route runner with good size and excellent hands, which is why he should make some impact in the NFL. However, his inability to separate versus faster, more physical cover corners in press-man will likely prevent Hall from growing into a full-time starting role.

• LSU CB Chevis Jackson does not possess good top-end speed and likely will need to play in a Cover 2 heavy scheme in the NFL. However, it has not taken long to realize he's the most naturally instinctive cover corner on the South roster. He has an uncanny knack for reading quarterbacks' eyes, as well as anticipating receivers' breaks.

• On the flipside, Alabama CB Simeon Castille struggled out on an island. Giving up too much cushion combined with a lethargic break on the ball, Castille often gave up too much separation to wideouts. Castille's top-end speed is also in question as he allowed receivers to run by him on several occasions. In Castille's defense, he did display solid ball skills when in position to make a play on the ball. Castille also showed good overall athleticism and may have a niche as a nickel package defender at the next level.

• Red Bryant has to be catching the eyes of coaches and scouts. He is difficult to miss. Bryant is a giant person (6-5, 329) who has long arms and the bulk to be a true, two-gap lineman. He can really jolt offensive linemen with his heavy powerful hands and once he has a hold of his blocker, he simply drives him backwards with his power. He is very difficult to move and occupies space in the middle quite well. Bryant is also difficult to throw over and should bat down a lot of passes in the NFL. While he isn't overly dynamic and doesn't have an especially wide array of pass rush moves, players with Bryant's skill set are difficult to find. He should have many suitors from teams that need big, space-eating defensive tackles or clubs that employ a 3-4 scheme.

• Pitt's Mike McGlynn runs from drill to drill like his hair is on fire. It is hard to miss a 309-pound offensive lineman running at full speed down the field to get to a drill. While hustle and "want to" are great traits, he needs to settle down a little bit. McGlynn is an intriguing prospect because he could potentially fill in at every line spot in the NFL with the exception of left tackle. At this point, he is a master of none, but does have some upside, particularly as a guard. McGlynn is also able to deep snap, which adds to his versatility. If he gets the opportunity to snap for punts -- it is a safe bet that McGlynn will hustle down the field.

• Maryland's Dre Moore was the most impressive big man for the South squad today. He has a reputation of turning it off and on and this forum is fantastic for him in that regard, but there was no denying that he was on today. As exciting as he is now, NFL decision makers need to temper their enthusiasm and go back and watch his game tape before pulling the trigger on Moore. But, he has excellent size and a fine physique for the position, runs very well and can make plays down the sideline. He is very powerful with fine explosiveness when he stays low out of his stance. Bowling Green C Kory Lichtensteiger was tortured by Moore today, but he wasn't alone. Moore can be a difference maker -- if he wants to be.

• It is somewhat odd how the South coaching staff is using their offensive tackles. Barry Richardson got the most snaps at left tackle today, but Oniel Cousins also got his share of reps there as well. Richardson is huge (6-6, 345) and can engulf his opponent, but lacks the quickness out of his stance and lateral agility to compete at left tackle at the highest level. Cousins (6-4, 303) is a far better athlete, but lacks ideal left tackle height and weight. The best candidate for the left side on this roster is Chris Williams, who is probably the top offensive line prospect on this squad. Williams is more of a finesse player than mauler, which doesn't suit the right tackle spot he was playing today. Williams had a very good practice, however, and stays square to his target with excellent lateral agility. He has the light feet and natural knee bend to adjust and recover when beaten. Williams should be on the left side.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.