Ever since his impressive Insight Bowl performance, Blaine Gabbert has been the talk of the draft community. And rightfully so: the 6’5″, 235-pound signal caller possesses ideal size, a rocket arm, and enough mobility to make plays outside the pocket. Now that Andrew Luck’s opted to stay in school, the Missouri QB has a shot at being the first quarterback to come off the board this April.

Coming out of a spread offense, Gabbert lacks experience taking snaps from under center, and his pocket presence can be shaky. But those exceptional physical tools stand out on tape, as they did in Mizzou’s season opener against Illinois.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5nGYHLeB2g

NFL teams will have to determine during the interview process whether Gabbert has the smarts and work effort necessary to become a quality NFL quarterback. However, there’s little doubt that he possesses top-shelf tools and a very high ceiling.

Some notes on how the top prospects fared in last night’s bowl game:

- West Virginia defensive tackle Chris Neild may not be selected until late on Day 3, but he showed last night why he’ll end up being a valuable reserve for the team that takes him. At 6’1 5/8″, 307 lbs., Neild isn’t a mammoth run-plugger, but he does a very good job of using his big mitts to control blockers. In the game, he repeatedly displayed the ability to disengage from his man, move laterally, and bring down the ballcarrier. When he played too high, as happened on a few occasions, Neild did get washed out of the play by double teams. But as long as he stays low, Neild can be a deceptively stout interior lineman, using great technique to make up for his lack of super size. In fact, his stout play could get Keep Reading…

Oklahoma wideout Ryan Broyles posted incredible numbers this fall, hauling in 118 passes for 1,452 yards and 13 touchdowns. And Broyles made amassing those numbers look easy, effortlessly hauling in over the shoulder grabs and gliding past defensive backs.

Broyles’ impressive skills were on full display in the Colorado game, in which the Sooner lit up the scoreboard with three touchdown catches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV38YcmdkPI

Broyles lacks great size and won’t blaze the turf in Indy, but his quickness, awareness, and strong hands should earn the underclassman a spot in the 2nd round. With a better than expected 40 time, Broyles very well could make his way into the first frame.

Corey Liuget dropped thirty pounds before the season, and the positive effects were easily noticeable on the field. The newly-svelte 6’3″, 285-pound defensive tackle looked explosive penetrating into opposing teams’ backfields and displayed an impressive motor making plays in pursuit.

The junior notched 58 tackles, 10 TFL, 3.5 sacks and 10 QB hurries, earning himself second-team All-Big Ten honors. In impressive outings like the one against Ohio State, Liuget showed why he’ll be a highly coveted draft prospect, either in 2011 or ’12.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlprPUyKL8M

According to a recent report, Liuget is leaning towards entering the draft. His gap-penetrating ability could make him a top 60 selection for a 4-3 squad, most likely one that runs a Tampa 2.

With their 27-3 loss to the Steelers, the Carolina Panthers moved one step closer to securing the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The ultimate consolation prize for an awful season, the #1 pick would be a big boon for the Panthers, but it also would be a crushing blow to Jimmy Clausen’s young career. Despite being the team’s top pick in 2010, Clausen now appears to be on the verge of losing his chance to be the team’s QB of the future.

Initially, there was a sharp discord between draft analysts on who was the better quarterback prospect, Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen. Only in the final months before the draft did it become clear that NFL decisionmakers were extremely high on Sam Bradford and not nearly as sanguine about Jimmy Clausen. By contrast, it’s been clear for a while now that Stanford QB Andrew Luck is Keep Reading…