MOBILE, Ala. — One of my favorite things about Senior Bowl week is coming down here, not knowing anything about some of these players, and watching them impress me firsthand.

Once you talk to these kids, of course, you figure out they have been the stars of their high schools and colleges and are used to being the big man on campus.

There's no doubt it has been the Tim Tebow week. After all, who was the last Senior Bowl player to need two police escorts to come off the field every day? And certainly there were other well-known players, some for not-so-good reasons, such as Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount. (Blount, incidentally, impressed me with both his play and how he has handled the daily questions about the most famous punch since Kermit Washington decked Rudy Tomjanovich.)

But for the lesser-known players, until they do something here, they might not get the full attention of NFL people, or at least from dopes like me.

I came into this week thinking it was not a great group of talent here. I even had the nerve to ask South team coach Tony Sparano if he thought the same, compared to other years. He looked at me strangely and assured me it was as solid a group as he could remember.

And I think he's right. Sure, there might not be a lot of top-10 talents strolling through here this week, but I saw some really good players, several of whom I hadn't had a chance to see before.

Here are five players whom I knew little or nothing about coming in but was impressed by this week:

Washington LB Donald Butler

I had to read up on Butler after watching him look solid all week. Turns out he was second-team All-Pac-10 with 15½ tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two interceptions. Those are pretty nice numbers for a middle linebacker on a rebuilding Huskies defense.

Butler was a late addition to the North roster, but he has shown he belongs. I can tell how he got all those tackles for losses: Butler appears to diagnose plays well and fit in the proper run gaps. He showed a quick first step, was willing to take on bigger blockers in the live portion of practice and looks like he has the athleticism to be a three-down linebacker in some systems.

"I feel most comfortable at the 'Mike' but I can play (weak side) if needed," Butler said. "I didn't drop below 240 (pounds) and didn't get above 245 my senior year, and that's where I am at now. I feel like I can gain some weight, to 250 or 255, and still be able to run. And I think I could drop to about 235 or 230 and play in a Tampa-2 defense."

Boston College C Matt Tennant

It's not that I didn't know of Tennant before, having watched a good amount of BC games the past few years. It's just that I didn't know he was this good. It's so cliché and lazy to say this, but he really reminds me of Dan Koppen when he came out of Chestnut Hill several years ago. But then again, don't all those interior Boston College linemen have a similar type of build and game? I asked him whether he thought the BC lineage helped or hurt him, given the sheer number of linemen that school has produced over the years.

"It definitely raises the bar," Tennant said. "BC has developed some great linemen. I just want to continue that tradition. And I know everyone else back there wants me to, also."

From the first practice on Monday, Tennant fit in very well. He held up in individual drills, standing up some accomplished linemen such as Penn State's Jared Odrick, North Carolina's Cam Thomas and Purdue's Mike Neal despite being a tad light in the shorts at 290 pounds. But Tennant has been as consistent and solid as any lineman here — not ever getting embarrassed and perhaps not dominating people. He looks like one of those 10-year centers who constantly is overlooked but does his job day in and day out.

"I came out here in all this craziness, learning a new scheme, and all the while you are being evaluated by all 32 teams," he said. "I think I played great this week. I won my one-on-ones, and I showcased my talent."

Arkansas State DE Alex Carrington

I knew zilch about this guy coming into the week. Nada.

But he was one of the first guys to catch my eye in what appeared to be a so-so group of North team defensive linemen. First, you notice the size — he's 6-5 and 284 pounds — and you think, 'Man, this kid looks like a base end in a 4-3 defense or even a five-technique in a 3-4. Then, you notice the quickness. He flew off the snap and really harassed most of the North offensive linemen, frustrating them with his strength and quickness. Even Mike Iupati, probably the best lineman in town and a possible top-15 pick when it's all said and done, was completely manhandled by Carrington on one play.

One of my regrets was not getting a chance to talk to him this week. I will be running by the hotel today and hope to snag his number so we can get a Q&A with him down the road.

Once I started reading about Carrington, it was clear that he didn't always play up to his potential in college. But he dominated on the small-school level and came into Mobile and did the same thing. Carrington looks like Jarron Gilbert, who was a high third-rounder last year, but to me might be a better player. In fact, the talk now is that he is a second-rounder for sure.

Citadel WR Andre Roberts

Roberts had two memorable moments this week. The first was when he made a diving catch, sustaining a crushing blow from Taylor Mays, one of the big boys. Not only did Roberts catch the ball, but he simply got up after the hit and ran back to the huddle. The next was when Roberts adjusted to an overthrown ball from Tebow and made a terrific over-the-shoulder catch, keeping both feet inbounds on the sideline.

Turns out I was not the only one who didn't know much about Roberts coming into the week. Some Alabama fans behind me asked who "that Carolina receiver" was, assuming that his powder-blue helmet meant he went to Chapel Hill. To me, Roberts looked like he could have gone to a bigger school, and heck, he might have even given some of those Tar Heel receivers from last year a pretty good run.

Roberts has a quiet confidence to him. He acts and carries himself well. I can see a home for him in the slot, but I didn't leave here this week thinking he was only a two-way go guy. He lined up outside plenty of times and got off press coverage. Roberts might be tad raw, but I thought he stood up nicely against the competition.

Miami (Fla.) TE Jimmy Graham

I caught up with Graham, the former Hurricanes basketball player who has been playing football for less than a year, and asked him if we could give him a call down the line. He was another player I wished I had chatted with (you can't get them all) because he has a fascinating story and appears to be a very athletic and intriguing prospect.

My guess is that if Antonio Gates can make the transition from hoops to football, so can Graham. Why? Graham is at least an inch taller, looks fluid running routes and, simply, doesn't look clueless out there on the field. That's the first thing I looked for: Does he look like a football player?

Unequivocally yes. Will he be a Gates-level star? Well, let's hold back on that a little bit. But Graham has something. His nice footwork and post-up ability are evident. Now I heard that he was loafing it during practice this week, but I honestly can't say I saw it. It's not as if I was watching Graham and only him this week, but I saw no evidence of him not giving a solid effort.

We'll see. My guess is he can make a team and add an interesting dimension if he can commit to blocking and special teams. And I can't wait to hear about his family when we chat down the line.

Watch for multiple postings each day this week from the Senior Bowl, including blogs and our prospect of the day.

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