MOBILE, Ala. -- One of the most electrifying scenes of the practice week at the Reese's Senior Bowl -- and one that, not coincidentally, is heavily watched by NFL scouts and personnel execs -- are the live pass rush drills between the linemen.
It's where a lot of money can be made where draft stock is concerned, not only with the rushers but the pass protectors.
One of the standouts in drills has been Auburn defensive end Dee Ford, who has been impressive with a quick first step and powerful finish since practices commenced.
Said one scout of Ford: "I haven't seen anyone block him all week."
College Football 24/7 takes you inside the drill with five video clips of the day's top South squad matchups:
Pass rushers and pass protectors who can play at an elite level are very difficult to find, hence the scouting interest in these premium positions.
Patchan looked outstanding, particularly given that he is a late arrival to the South squad as the injury replacement for Tennessee's Ja'Wuan James (knee sprain). Smith has been effective as an edge rusher, but at just 266 pounds, he surprisingly slid inside to rush from a tackle position at one point during the South team drills.
On the North squad, Trent Murphy of Stanford, Aaron Donald of Pittsburgh and Minnesota's Ra'Shede Hegeman all have drawn praise for their pass rushing skills from coach Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons, who are in dire need of a pass rusher in the upcoming draft.
NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks, however, had a different take on Murphy's performance this week, saying he's been a major disappointment.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
