By Eric Edholm
Jan. 24, 2008

Cal RB Justin Forsett

MOBILE, Ala. — Every year, the fans who take in the Senior Bowl week adopt a favorite player. The early odds-on leader has to be Cal WR Lavelle Hawkins. Right on his heels is his college teammate, RB Justin Forsett.

Through three days of practice, Hawkins has been outstanding. Wednesday was his best yet. He started the festivities with a gorgeous catch on a high-arcing deep pass from QB Chad Henne, reaching up high while twisting in the air and coming down with a catch very high on the degree-of-difficulty meter. Henne-to-Hawkins would be the theme of the day — and it has been a big connection through three days of practice.

“He definitely has tremendous speed,” Henne said. “Today he showed that he can go and get the ball, too. He makes big situations, if that makes sense.”

After watching Hawkins on Wednesday, it does. He caught an intermediate pass in between two defenders in zone coverage, then threw on the brakes and let them fly by, like Maverick in “Top Gun.” Hawkins turned outside and made about a 45-yard gain on a simple pass. It drew the biggest ovation of the day from what was the biggest practice crowd yet this week.

“He just shot out once he caught it,” Henne said. “I think I missed two or three moves he made (on that play), but I saw the end result.”

Hawkins said his it has taken time this week to “get cool with everybody,” but he has looked as comfortable catching the ball as anyone here.

“Today was a good day for me,” he said. “I hope (Thursday) is even better. You are trying to impress the scouts, and there are a lot of things running through your head, but you just try to keep it simple when your number is called.”

Forsett flashed in a different way. He has looked good all week, running every play out full, just as the coaches have asked him and the other players to do. Forsett is one of the few who have done it every time he has touched the ball. Whether he has been tackled two yards past the line of scrimmage or has seen open field, he has run well past the whistle.

But Wednesday he showed his wheels. When Forsett got the ball in his hands in the open field, he looked like a slightly bigger Darren Sproles on that screen pass against the Colts a few weeks back. Forsett shares that same liquid quickness and low-center-of-gravity shiftiness that has given the North team defenders fits this week.

“You give me a chance out there (in the open field),” Forsett said, “and I feel like I can make something happen. I think I can make people miss and get extra yards once I get some space.”

Both guys are small for their positions, but Forsett gets a kick out of a reporter suggesting that the slightly larger Hawkins’ size might be a bit prohibitive. “I should keep my mouth shut,” Forsett said, giggling nearby. And when Hawkins is asked if he’s 186 pounds, as he is listed at on the Senior Bowl roster, he quickly corrects the misinformation.

“One-eighty-seven,” he said. “I need that extra pound. Don’t shortchange me!

“But seriously, I feel that if you make the tough catches and play big, you’ll be all right.”

Neither guy will be selected in the first round of April’s draft, but each is making a case to be taken soon thereafter. Raiders WR Charles Coe more than once screamed out, “There you go!” when Hawkins made one of his circus catches. And RB coach Tom Rathman constantly praised Forsett, invoking the name Charlie Garner to another Raiders staffer after one of Forsett’s lickety-split catch-and-runs. Rathman coached Garner during his previous stint in Oakland.

It’s not as easy to pinpoint who Hawkins’ doppelganger might be, but he has been as consistent this week as he has been flashy. He has run clean routes and used good footwork, something he said was a product of his college offense.

“At Cal, that’s expected of us,” he said. “There’s not a lot of freelancing (allowed). We have to be where we are supposed to be. I learned that lesson early.”

Hawkins spent much of his career playing second fiddle to fellow WR DeSean Jackson, and even Forsett arrived in Mobile with more publicity. But this season, Hawkins was a more consistent producer than Jackson with 72 receptions, 872 yards and six touchdowns.

Forsett gained his reputation with a phenomenal senior season, rushing for 1,546 yards with 15 touchdowns, but his lack of use in the passing game was surprising. He caught only 41 passes in his career, 22 of them coming last season for a tame 202 yards.

“That’s why I am enjoying (this week) so much,” Forsett said. “I am able to show all my skills.”

The praise is coming with it. The USC guys, all nine of them at the Senior Bowl, might be getting the headlines back home, but the Cal kids are doing their best to steal the thunder. Hawkins said doing well is fun, especially playing with so many guys he has competed against before, but he made sure to kiss the hand that has fed him most often — his newest friend.

“Chad Henne and the other quarterbacks have been making great throws,” Hawkins said. “If they aren’t on, we’re all off.”

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Eric Edholm's Around the NFL blog from Mobile, Ala.