Defensive players at the Shrine and Senior Bowls followed the narrative heading towards this year’s draft: terrific performances could be found by edge rushers as well as off-ball linebackers, yet good play in the secondary was tough to find. Here are the winners and losers from the defensive side of the ball after a week of practice at each event.

Defensive Line

Winner- Lee Hunter/Texas Tech: Several defensive linemen stood out during both weeks of practice, yet none was as consistently dominant as Hunter.  The big man tipped the scales at 320 pounds during the Senior Bowl weigh-in, then showed a terrific combination of quickness, power, and agility every time he lined up for a snap. If Hunter was not bull-rushing blockers off the line of scrimmage, he fired past them with a great first step to penetrate gaps while also showing the ability to move laterally on twists or stunts. Entering the season graded as a late-round choice, Hunter now projects as a top 60 pick.

Loser- Jeffrey M’ba/SMU: M’ba turned in a solid season at SMU last season after transferring from Purdue, yet had little impact during Senior Bowl week.  He showed no versatility in his game and proved to be nothing other than a straight-ahead, bull rusher.

Edge

Winner- Derrick Moore/Michigan:  There were several terrific edge rushers at both events, yet none as dominant as Moore. He started his Senior Bowl week with a bang, knocking Markel Bell, the offensive tackle from Miami who has a 104-pound advantage on Moore, off his feet and onto his butt. The former Wolverine displayed exceptional quickness and athleticism, which he paired with his power to constantly penetrate the line of scrimmage and make plays. Moore terrorized opponents all week and made a lot of offensive linemen look bad.

Loser- Marvin Jones Jr./Oklahoma: Jones showed up at Shrine practice looking like a physical specimen, yet had little impact during the week.  He looked athletic as well as quick, but was handled through most of the practices.

LB

Winner- Kyle Louis/Pittsburgh: When Louis measured just over 5-foot-11.5 and 224 pounds at the Senior Bowl, red flags were raised: where would he play on Sunday? Yet once practice started, Louis dashed those concerns, and he was one of the few players who played better every day. He was explosive upfield defending the run, showed speed in lateral pursuit, and made plays in coverage. More than anything else, Louis was fearless and played with reckless abandon. He’ll be terrific in a defensive system like the one implemented by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Loser- Harold Perkins/LSU: I’m higher on Perkins than most, which is probably the reason why I was so disappointed in his play during Shrine practice.  He never stood out in any single aspect and never dominated as he should have.

DB

Winner- Bud Clark/TCU: The argument could be made that the safeties looked better than the cornerbacks over the past two weeks, and no player at the position made the impression Clark did during Senior Bowl practices. He was terrific in coverage and made several interceptions during the final two days of practice, showing excellent range in centerfield. The way Clark communicated with the players in the secondary and led the unit was very impressive.

Loser- Colton Hood/Tennessee:  Hood projects as a first-round pick, but struggled during Senior Bowl practice from the very first day. Early in the opening practice, Hood was beaten badly by Tyren Montgomery, the small school receiver from Division II John Carroll, which drew a loud reaction from scouts. Hood rebounded after that day one blunder, but did not look like a first-round cornerback.