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This is Charlie Campbell's Wednesday 2013 Senior Bowl Rumor Mill. Charlie is reporting live from Mobile, Ala., and he'll describe what he sees at practice and whom certain prospects talk to all week.
With all the general managers, coaches and scouts in attendance at the Senior Bowl, there is a lot of chatter going around. Here are some of the highlights from the rumor mill on the second day.
Oklahoma offensive tackle Lane Johnson has played well at the Senior Bowl and is making a strong case to be the third tackle selected. A couple of scouts told WalterFootball.com not to be surprised if Johnson gets consideration late in the first round. If he falls into the second day, they believe he won't last long. This isn't a strong tackle draft, but there are plenty of teams that need tackles. That lack of supply should definitely help Johnson on Draft Day.
Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib has had a disappointing Senior Bowl in the early going. Sources have said that they expected more out of Nassib. They also were disappointed to see a hitch in his delivery that slows down his throwing motion. They did say that they like Nassib's intelligence and confidence. However, Nassib hasn't done enough to make himself a top contender to be the second quarterback selected.
Scouts say that North Carolina State quarterback Mike Glennon is clearly the best quarterback on the North squad. They like his arm strength and his ability to spin the ball. Glennon hasn't had a dominant week, but his skill set is very intriguing. Seeing him in person has won him more admirers, but there is still an ongoing debate about how high Glennon should go.
One scout who has had success finding running backs is a fan of Gators running back Mike Gillislee. He believes that Gillislee could reward the team that drafts him with the ability to play on all three downs. The scout said that Gillislee is a good worker who really prepared himself well in the weight room for the 2012 season when he finally had a chance to be the starter with Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps out of Gainesville.
There are already rumblings about a vacancy at USC less than a year from now. There is building fan pressure to fire head coach Lane Kiffin, and the coaching community in the NFL has interest in the USC job. Coaches feel that the college game is easier work and the money from colleges is competitive with NFL salaries. Colleges also offer more job security. If Kiffin gets fired, USC certainly will have options in the NFL if they want to go that route.