The final leg of the collegiate all-star games took place this past weekend, with scouts from around the league gathering to watch the Senior Bowl. This is the most prestigious of the pre-draft all-star games, with several early round prospects taking part. It started off with 3 mid-week practices, and concluded with the game on Saturday. Let’s take a look at some standouts from the practices and the game.
DT, Darius Robinson (Missouri)
Robinson was one of the biggest standouts in the practice week. He had several great reps in the 1 on 1 and team drills, showing off a variety of rush moves. He also displayed great speed and athleticism, which translated into effective play when moved across the line. Robinson showed great versatility, which helps his draft stock a lot.
WR, Roman Wilson (Michigan)
Wilson was arguably the best WR during the Senior Bowl practices. His speed was evident, and he was also able to use crisp route running to create a nice amount of separation on a consistent basis. As well, he showed strong hands, making some difficult catches along the sideline.
OT, Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State)
Fuaga is a highly rated OT in this year’s draft class, and he did not disappoint at the Senior Bowl. He displayed good power and discipline in the 1 on 1 drills, handling some of the better pass rushers at the event with relative ease.
C, Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon)
Powers-Johnson was a top performer at the Senior Bowl, and was one of the most consistent players in the 1 on 1 drills, a drill that typically favours the defensive lineman. His anchor ability was on full display, and he had the strength to handle high end players on the other side.
DT, T’Vondre Sweat (Texas)
Sweat was quiet on day 1 of practice, but by day 2, he looked like a man possessed. His size, even for a NT is unbelievable, and the way he was pushing people back, both in team and 1 on 1 drills, turned a lot of heads.
WR, Jha’Quan Jackson (Tulane)
Though not a big school name, Jackson was one of the most impressive WR’s throughout the week of practice. He has dynamic speed and runs good routes. His ability to win deep down the field was on full display.
CB, Chau Smith-Wade (Washington State)
Smith-Wade was arguably the top performer at his position for much of the week. He was making plays in practice, playing tight in coverage and breaking up passes. Smith-Wade then followed it up with an interception in the game, which he returned to the 1 yard line.
WR, Ladd McConkey (Georgia)
McConkey is another of the WR’s who had a good week of practice. He brings some speed to the table, but I think route running is where he really impressed. The Georgia product is so quick in and out of his breaks, and was able to create a lot of separation. He didn’t see as much action in the game, but the same things were visible when he was on the field, even on plays where he was not targeted.
OT, Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma)
Guyton definitely fits the bill of “glass eater,” a style the Bengals have made efforts to find more of in recent years. He loves to bully his opponent, and is a mauler in the run game. Guyton anchored well in practice, but did have some hiccups too. His hand technique is among the things that he can still improve on. But overall, the traits he put on display had scouts excited.
DT, Braden Fiske (Florida State)
Fiske was good during the practices, but was able to further elevate his play in the Senior Bowl game. He played with good power, showing an ability to get into the backfield. Fiske made 4 or 5 tackles in this one, with a couple of them going for a loss, while also adding half a sack.
LB, Cedric Gray (North Carolina)
Gray was all over the field, making several tackles in this one, including some behind or at the line of scrimmage. He also showed out well in coverage, getting depth on his backpedals and then leaping up to break up a couple of passes.
CB, Nehemiah Pritchett (Auburn)
Pritchett showed a good blend of size and speed during Saturday’s game. He has the ability to play tight in coverage, and in one instance, was able to make a nice play on the ball to breakup the pass.
WR, Luke McCaffrey (Rice)
The younger brother of Christian, Luke was solid during the mid-week practices, but stood out even more during the game. He is a solid athlete, but his quickness is what really stood out. His route running is very crisp, and he is a clean catcher of the football.
