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MOBILE, Ala. — The Senior Bowl game is coming up Saturday afternoon, but most NFL evaluators have left having enjoyed a full week of practice and some delicious seafood.
Each squad had three full practices with three different environments — Tuesday was outside and dry, Wednesday was outside and wet, and Thursday was indoors and controlled. Regardless of the practice, the main takeaway from the week was dominant defensive line performance, both on the interior and outside by the edge rushers. But for my practice wrap-up, I wanted to highlight one player from each position who “won” the week.
I’m not saying these players will be the first drafted at their position among Senior Bowl players (although some will). But these are the players who consistently stood out from Tuesday to Thursday and were the best at their position this week.
Quarterback: Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh (6-3, 217)I struggled making a pick here because although each quarterback had moments this week, there wasn’t a no-doubt-about-it winner. Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder started slow but got better throughout the week. Liberty’s Malik Willis was terrific in the elements Wednesday but was up-and-down inside during Thursday’s practice. In terms of overall consistency, I have to go Pickett.
Also, I heard glowing reviews from several scouts about Pickett and the way he handled himself during interviews this week. For teams willing to bet on high-upside traits, Willis could be QB1 on some draft boards. But for teams looking for a quarterback ready to step in and compete for starting reps from day one, Pickett will have the edge. One thing is for sure, we didn’t have one quarterback separate himself throughout the week of practice.
Running Back: Dameon Pierce, Florida (5-9, 220)I thought Missouri’s Tyler Badie had his moments, especially as a receiver. As did Alabama’s Brian Robinson and Baylor’s Abram Smith. But Pierce consistently showed out, both as a pass-catcher and in pass protection drills, and was the easy choice for me here.
Pierce never eclipsed 600 rushing yards in any of his four seasons in Gainesville as he shared the workload. But he can be as productive as his volume and be an every-down back capable of a larger role. Pierce has an NFL build and run style, and scouts were talking positively after practice about his performance this week as a blocker.
Wide Receiver: Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama (6-1, 195)Several wide receivers stood out this week. The plant, burst, and short-area acceleration from Memphis’ Calvin Austin created separation for him all week. Boise State’s Khalil Shakir was the best route-runner I saw, and he was consistent at the catch point. SMU’s Danny Gray showed an explosive gear that gave cornerbacks trouble and belongs in the NFL.
But in terms of overall consistency, Tolbert unsurprisingly impressed. Once Penn State’s Jahan Dotson pulled out, Tolbert became the clear top wide receiver on the Senior Bowl roster, and he lived up to that high billing. Though not a burner, he can win at the line of scrimmage and mixes his gears really well to out-leverage coverage. Tolbert was at No. 49 overall in my recent mock draft, but I’m not sure he lasts that long.
Tight End: Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State (6-5, 250)Even though he missed Thursday’s practice with a minor injury, Ruckert impressed during the first two days. He is smooth in his routes to uncover downfield, and his ball skills were on display, consistently snaring throws away from his frame.
Although Colorado State’s Trey McBride is the favorite to be the first tight end drafted, that isn’t a consensus opinion around the league, and Ruckert is very much in the mix. A pair of “F” tight ends (tight ends who play more as receivers or H-backs) who looked good this week and are also in the early round discussion are Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah Likely and UCLA’s Greg Dulcich.
Offensive tackle: Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa (6-6, 330)It wasn’t always pretty with Penning this week. He struggled to consistently play with balance, either because he gave up his chest or tried to overpower everything. And some of his finishing techniques were out of control. But all the NFL scouts I talked to this week raved about his nasty temperament and his ability to piss off edge rushers as a result of that.
Coming from the FCS level, Penning has dominant tape against inferior competition, so this was an important week for him. And although there were rough patches, he showed steady improvement each day and had his most consistent day of practice Thursday. I don’t think Penning had the type of week that will put him in the conversation to be a top-10 pick. But with his impressive length (34 3/4-inch arms) and movement skills for that size, I think he likely solidified himself as a top-32 prospect.
Guard/Center: Zion Johnson, Boston College (6-2, 314)Chattanooga’s Cole Strange and Memphis’ Dylan Parham also deserve high praise for their week of practice. But Johnson is just on another level, especially considering he played most of the week at center, a position he had never played before. I gave Johnson a first-round grade based on his 2021 tape, and nothing that happened during Senior Bowl practices has changed that projection.
Like Penning, it was far from perfect. But his ability to reset multiple times mid-rep stood out consistently during each practice. Johnson is stout at contact and plays with strong, precise hands to plant and re-leverage himself as he works to stay centered. Watching him work from 30 feet away gave me even more appreciation for his muscle twitch and reaction skills.
Edge Rusher: Jermaine Johnson, Florida State (6-4, 259)Defensive line was the most competitive position all week. With his skilled and heavy hands, South Carolina’s Kingsley Enagbare was my runner-up. And there were no shortage of worthy candidates that who deserve mention (Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie and Jesse Luketa, Miami (Ohio’s) Dominique Robinson, Cincinnati’s Myjai Sanders, etc.). But Johnson entered the week as the top-ranked defensive player in Mobile and he only exceeded expectations.
Johnson is long, agile and powerful, and he understands how to use all of those traits to break down the rhythm of blockers. He was already considered a potential early-round prospect a year ago when he was part of Georgia’s rotation-heavy scheme. Since then, he established himself as the alpha of the Florida State defense, led the ACC in tackles for loss and sacks, and stood out as the top defensive player at this year’s Senior Bowl. Johnson was already in the first-round conversation, and now the question is, how high could he realistically go?
Defensive Tackle: Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma (6-3, 303)Like edge rusher, the defensive tackles were awesome this week. Georgia’s Devonte Wyatt and UConn’s Travis Jones were tough to block all week and showed why they are potential top-50 picks. Houston’s Logan Hall backed up why I believe he is a top-32 prospect in this draft. Arkansas’ John Ridgeway had several splash plays in each practice, and Missouri State’s Eric Johnson impressed at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and continued that momentum in Mobile.
But Winfrey was consistently disruptive all week and is going to force a lot of evaluators to revisit their initial grades. During one-on-one’s, he slammed his heavy hands into blockers and consistently created movement with natural power and remarkable length (35 1/2-inch arms and a wingspan that is just shy of 86 inches). Winfrey also showed his quickness, using an explosive rip-swipe move a few times to create his own rush lane. He also brought an infectious energy to every practice that rubbed off on all of his teammates.
Linebacker: Troy Anderson, Montana State (6-3, 242)For “small school” prospects, the main thing at these all-star games is to show you belong — and Andersen did exactly that with his impressive athleticism. He was frequently called out in a positive way by the Jets’ coaches for his range and speed during 7-on-7 drills, making plays all over the field. Before Thanksgiving, I tweeted that some west coast-based NFL scouts believed Andersen was a top-100 draft pick, and he hasn’t done anything to hurt that projection.
This was one of the best plays I saw after studying Thursday’s practice tapes. Andersen finds himself out of position for a split-second, but he recovers, stays under control and plays through the hands of the tight end to break up the pass without drawing the flag. After spending much of his college career on offense as a quarterback and running back, Anderson has only been playing the linebacker position full-time for two years, so he is still raw in areas. But plays like this are why you bet on his athletic traits.
Safety: Jalen Pitre, Baylor (5-10, 196)After playing the “star” position in Dave Aranda’s defense, Pitre was well-equipped to show out in the drills during Senior Bowl practices. With his athletic versatility and toughness, he showed the coverage skills to challenge backs and tight ends man-to-man at every level of the field.
Something that stood out on college tape with Pitre were his spatial awareness and natural feel for angles, both in the passing game and in pursuit. And that carried over to practices this week as Pitre confirmed what we thought going in. It is a shame Penn State’s Jaquon Brisker wasn’t here, because Pitre and Illinois’ Kerby Joseph both had a good week of practice and helped themselves in the eyes of NFL scouts.
Troy Anderson sounds like Chazz Surratt.
It'll be interesting to see who the Vikings replace Barr with. Some decent middle round depth in Dye and Surratt, but where neither has done much to stand out, I've liked everything I've seen from Blake Lynch, the undrafted kid from Baylor.
I'm really high on Penning, but I just don't know if we could justify the pick.
Willis going to be the first QB taken IMO. When, not sure.
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