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Coming into the 2011 it was expected that Isaiah Pead and Derek Wolfe would be among the top NFL prospects on the team. Three months and dueling Big East Player of the Year trophies later nothing much has changed. Pead and Wolfe are by far the most highly regarded prospects in the Bearcats ranks. This week both Pead and Wolfe are in Mobile Alabama for the annual Senior Bowl, and both guys have created their own fair share of buzz this week.
Pead
Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead held his own in pass protection on Tuesday. "That's a drill that all running backs have to have in order to play this game, so I was looking forward to it," Pead said after practice. Pead said he would like to "bulk up" — "You don't really see too many 190-pound backs," he noted — but he was stout enough on Tuesday. I asked him about his lower-body strength, as he appears to have relatively skinny legs for a running back. "I'm a heavy squat guy back at school. I just can't show for it," he said, referring to his legs. "But I've got some strength behind me."
Wolfe
Derek Wolfe/DT/Cincinnati: Wolfe is not flashy nor a defender that makes a lot of plays on the ball. What he does so well is hold the point of attack and control blockers. This allows his teammates to get to the action and make the play. On more than one occasion Wolfe was double teamed by blockers yet did not give up an inch of room. He’s going to make some defensive coordinator happy at the next level.
It is still early in the process but two more days of good practices, not to mention the game on Saturday, from Pead and Wolfe could cement both guys in the 2nd or 3rd round.