Standout players at NFLPA Bowl
Eleven NFL prospects who impressed both in practice and during the game
I had the opportunity to coach the American team in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on Saturday, and while the final score (34-0) wasn't what I had hoped for as coach, it was a great experience for everyone involved. The players got an opportunity to perform in front of professional scouts, gain a familiarity with the culture of an NFL minicamp, and attend seminars off the field. I thought they competed well and it was a hard-fought game. It also gave me an opportunity to evaluate some players who could be drafted this year.
When evaluating college prospects, there are a few key things that I look for. First, their measurables: What is their height/weight/speed combination relative to other players? What level of competition did they play at?
Second, their intangibles and potential ceiling: What kind of upside do they have? What type of instincts? What is their football intelligence? Can they grasp what they've learned in practice and apply it on the field?
Finally, their will to compete and their leadership qualities: Can they inspire and make the players around them better? Those are two things you can't really coach, but they are incredibly important in the NFL.
Taking all that into account, here are the 11 players who stood out to me at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
Christopher Slaughter, WR, Fort Valley State Wildcats -- Slaughter has good size at 6-foot-3 and can make plays down the field. With good hands and deceptive speed, he can also catch the ball outside the numbers. He had three catches for 35 yards in the game.
To read about all 11 of Herm's NFLPA Collegiate Bowl standout players, plus get access to all of Insider's NFL content, you must be an ESPN Insider.
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- Joined ESPN in 2009
- Spent eight years as NFL coach, 10 as a player
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