The Senior Bowl took place on Saturday, with three days of practices during the week. Between the 1 on 1 drills, team drills, and the game itself, it is a great way to see some of the draft’s top prospects go head to head. The new environment can help teams see how players are able to adapt, while the interview sessions allow them to get to know the person. As I mentioned when looking back at the East-West Shrine Bowl, it is early in the process and this was my first exposure to most of these players. While I won’t be drawing any definitive conclusions on anyone, there are a handful of players who really stood out from either the game or from what I was able to watch of the practices.
OT, Max Iheanachor
School: Arizona State
Iheanachor might have been the best player throughout the Senior Bowl week. His size was noticeable, but the way he was able to move at that size is what really stood out. He can really get after it in the run game, paving lanes and blocking on the move. As well, he looked very sturdy in pass protection, possessing the mass, reach, and enough athleticism to win his matchups. He stood out in the practices during the 1 on 1 drills, and the game, which surely will help his stock.
OT, Gennings Dunker
School: Iowa
Dunker is next up on my list. Funny to start with two offensive linemen, given that the o-line crop as a whole didn’t look great, but here we are. It seems like every year, we have that one lineman at the Senior Bowl who has that certain personality. A bit of a nasty streak and a desire to constantly play through the whistle and finish his blocks. Dunker is that guy. Based on what I saw of him throughout the week, coaches will love what he brings. In addition to the attitude, he brings strength and toughness. He was consistent in the 1 on 1 drills, and from what I saw, plays with clean technique.
S, Bud Clark
School: TCU
I could say that some of the defensive lineman were the most fun to watch, but given the o-line crop, it was tough to fully judge them. So instead, I’ll give this one to Clark. He seems to have the range and instincts to play as a deep safety, and on one play in team drills, he came away with a nice interception. Adding to that, he doesn’t seem to shy away from the physical aspects. He’ll be someone for the Bengals to keep an eye on.
WR, Lewis Bond
School: Boston College
Bond was the receiver that I noticed with the most consistency at the Senior Bowl. His route running was savvy and he was able to generate a good amount of separation, both in team drills and the 1 on 1’s. He has the speed and quickness to compliment the technical aspect, and didn’t seem to have any issues catching the football.
WR, Malachi Fields
School: Notre Dame
Fields is a massive target, and moves very well for his size. He did have the odd drop, but having not seen much of him outside of this setting, my gut feeling is that they were outliers. Because on several other occasions, he made nice hands catches, and at no point struggled with bobbles. Fields probably made the best catch of the week, making an acrobatic play downfield. Despite being a bigger receiver, he was able to create separation, and also looks great in contested situations.
CB, Colton Hood
School: Tennessee
Hood is being talked about as a 1st rounder, and I thought he looked good during the practices. He showed the ability to blanket in coverage during the 1 on 1 drills. I liked that he wasn’t too handsy and made a habit of getting his head turned to the ball at the right time.
DE, Vincent Anthony
School: Duke
Anthony was one of the game standouts. He showed some good speed and bend when getting around the edge. It led to some pressure on the QB, as well as one play that resulted in a strip sack.
DE, Nadame Tucker
School: Western Michigan
Tucker is in the same boat as Anthony. A game standout that was able to get home for a strip sack. He had a nice dip move, and enough bend to threaten. While the QB kind of maneuvered away from his path, Tucker still was able to stretch out his arm and get a hand on the ball to knock it loose, leading to a turnover.
DT, Gracen Halton
School: Oklahoma
As mentioned above, it was tough to evaluate the defensive linemen when they had more talent on their end. However, in the team drills, Halton unleashed a wicked spin move that fully deserves its credit. It was a clean win on the rep, that would have been a sack, had defenders been allowed to hit the QB.
DE, TJ Parker
School: Clemson
Parker was an interesting one. From what I had heard beforehand, there were some questions about his pass rush toolbox. However, he seemed to have more to him than what the reputation suggested. I’m not sure if this is something he made a point to prove, or if the other stuff was just wrong. Either way, he had a good showing in Mobile, and was able to win pretty consistently in the 1 on 1 drills throughout the Senior Bowl week.
WR, Kevin Coleman
School: Missouri
Coleman looked like a sparkplug kind of receiver. Smaller, but he got open a lot and was able to make plays. He has the shiftiness, the speed, and the route running ability to be someone who could potentially make an impact out of the slot.
TE, Tanner Koziol
School: Houston
I didn’t come away super impressed with the TE’s that were there. However, Koziol might have had the best play of the TE’s. He got the size to be a mismatch in the passing game, and he used it on one occasion during redzone drills to really elevate over the defender and high point the football. His catch radius was impressive.
QB, Garrett Nussmeier
School: LSU
I wouldn’t say any of the QB’s wowed me, but Nussmeier probably had the best combination of traits and consistency at the Senior Bowl. Though not really elite in any area, he can make all the throws, extend plays, and throw with accuracy. Especially during the game, when pressure was frequent, his poise stood out.
