Notes From The Margin, Senior Bowl Edition: Post-Event Tight End Evaluations

January 29th, 2009 by Jason Roberts

To say that I came away from last Saturday’s Under Armour Senior Bowl game slightly disappointed is hardly an understatement.

Shaun Nelson of the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

TE Shawn Nelson of Southern Mississippi

First, not only did the South, with the scrambling of its beloved quarterback from the University of Alabama, the uncharacteristic strong throwing of its hometown passer from the nearby town of Daphne, and game-changing reception by a University of Mississippi wide receiver, carry the day over the Pac-10-ladened North, but so too did a handful of the nation’s best graduating tight ends remain nearly non-existent for both squads for the duration of the contest.

In fact, perusing the box score from Saturday evening’s Civil War-esque melee in Mobile, one discovers the disturbing fact that not once was a catch hauled in by a tight end on either squad during the entire length of the game.

Keep in mind that the six tight ends which graced the rosters of the Senior Bowl’s North and South squads this year – Brandon Pettigrew of Oklahoma State, John Phillips of Virginia, Connor Barwin of Cincinnati, Shaun Nelson of Southern Mississippi, Anthony Hill of North Carolina State, and Travis McCall of Alabama – are hardly limited by the blocking schemes traditionally defining their respective position. Instead, the majority of the aforementioned have shown a propensity to be strong pass catchers as well, serving as much as targets downfield in space as pass rush blockers along the offensive line. The stats tell the story; as a group, this year’s Senior Bowl tight ends individually combined for 170 receptions, 1701 yards, and nine touchdowns during the 2008 college football season, with Pettigrew, Phillips, Nelson, and Hill integral parts of their respective team’s passing attacks.

Practices held last week in preparation for Saturday’s showdown suggested that such a trend would continue into the actual playing of the 2009 Senior Bowl. Nelson, in particular, was a repeated go-to for the South’s quarterbacks during scrimmages, while Phillips and Hill also made a buzz for their ability to get open, make the reception, and move downfield after catching the ball.

Still, Saturday night’s Senior Bowl did little in our opinion to boost the stock of any one of the five (see below) tight ends featured during the game. A few errant passes were thrown the way of players like Pettigrew, but aside from that, there was little reason to celebrate a full week of preparation after the performances put on on a stage as large as that represented by Under Armour’s crown jewel in Mobile.

That being the case, NFTM here attempts to give a quick overview of each respective player mentioned and highlight what was being seen and said about each last week in Mobile in hopes of better understanding how each individual might fare heading into the month of February, the NFL Combine, and late April’s draft.

North Squad

Brandon Pettigrew of Oklahoma State Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State – To read press reports coming out of Mobile last week, one would have thought that Pettigrew was top of the class when it came to the North’s tight end corps. NFL scouts from Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta swarmed the 6’6”, 257 pound youngster, apparently enamored with his size and ability to catch the ball. A career total of 112 receptions for 1450 yards and nine touchdowns suggests with little doubt that Pettigrew could be the next coming of Alge Crumpler or Antonio Gates at the next level. However, questions linger about his blocking abilities, with Pettigrew was relegated to the sidelines to be coached on how to better take on defenders trying to break to the outside. Pettigrew subsequently wasn’t much of a standout in terms of receiving when it came to scrimmages for the North. No doubt that the NFL will get a better feel for what the Cowboys’ tight end can bring to the table in Indianapolis, but hard to believe that much was determined based off Pettigrew’s Senior Bowl participation.

John Phillips, Virginia Cavaliers – For many, Phillips was perhaps the story of the Senior Bowl for the North squad. A lesser-known out of the ACC, Phillips produced 48 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns on a Cavaliers’ squad that suffered greatly at the quarterback position and instead leaned heavily on the running of fellow-Senior Bowl teammate Cedric Peerman and junior Mikell Simpson. At 6’6” and 250 pounds, the native of Warm Springs, Virginia carries similar size as Pettigrew and appeared equally talented in terms of pulling down the ball. As the week progressed, Phillips also looked increasingly comfortable in route-running and embraced his role as a go-to in the North’s passing game, getting plenty of looks, particularly on Thursday and Friday. If any one player came away from the trip to Mobile with increased interest from scouts, it has to be Phillips. Keep an eye on him heading into the NFL combine.

Connor Barwin, Cincinnati Bearcats – Barwin played both sides of the ball for Cincinnati in 2008, but landed just one catch for one yard and one touchdown this year. The North coaching squad focused on Barwin as a blocker along the offensive line, but also allowed him to see time on the defensive side of the ball, where he played (ironically) on the outside as a pass rusher. Hard to see where Barwin might best fit in the NFL, though his role in Cincinnati’s special teams could certainly land him a spot on a team there at the next level.

South Squad

Shawn Nelson, Southern Mississippi – If there was anyone that was to come away from the practices in Mobile with an award for Most Outstanding Performance at Tight End, then it would have to be Nelson. He clearly emphasized his ability to grab the ball no matter the type of throw and was a mainline target in scrimmaging around the endzone for the South’s quarterbacks. Unfortunately for Nelson (as well as NFTM and our readership), the Southern Mississippi standout (53 receptions for 557 yards and three touchdowns in 2008) tweaked a hamstring during the week and elected not to risk playing on Saturday evening, telling the Hattiesburg American, “Had this been a Southern Miss regular-season game, there is no doubt I could have played but since it was an exhibition, I felt like I needed to rest up for the Combine and not risk making it any worse.” Despite this fact, Nelson looked fantastic in the earlier part of the week and was right on the money when he told the American, “I think I was able to open a lot of eyes showing my abilities against the best players in the nation. Hopefully, I was able to catch some eyes and jump my stock in the draft.”

Anthony Hill, North Carolina State – An injury sustained early in the 2008 season hindered Hill’s ability to have a breakout senior season with the Wolfpack, but the Houston, Texas native still managed to finish out the year with 19 receptions for 234 yards and four touchdowns. Scouts liked his 6’6”, 265 pound frame and felt he had a good handle both in blocking responsibilities and running crisp routes in order to get open and make the catch down field. Issues relating to his durability may keep NFL teams guessing about whether or not he is a good gamble at tight end; still, Hill looked exceptionally strong at the latter part of the week and certainly did not hurt himself by participating in the Senior Bowl.

Travis McCall, Alabama Crimson Tide – Many questioned the invite of McCall to this year’s Senior Bowl, particularly when freshman Nick Walker outplayed the Prattville, Alabama native for the Crimson Tide. The 6’2”, 260 pounder served primarily as a blocker along the offensive line in Senior Bowl practices, especially as he struggled greatly in passing drills, but may actually be better suited to play in the NFL as a hybrid fullback or halfback, a role he played while at the University of Alabama.

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