Senior Bowl Recap
With the Senior Bowl week of practices wrapping up in Mobile let’s take a look at some of the top standouts….
Every year the Senior Bowl down in Mobile is an event for league and media personnel nationwide to meet up and take a look at some of the best graduating talent in this year's draft. The actual game takes place on Saturday at 2:30 EST, but the few days of practice tell the real story. It gives scouts a glimpse into how a player conducts himself on and off the field as well as valuable in person reps versus other top talent. There were a lot of great performances but there were a few players that made the biggest statements in my eyes.
Dawand Jones - OT - Ohio State
Any time a player comes in with insane measurables it turns peoples heads, when coupled with excellent on field play, you get budding first round hype. Dawand Jones measured in at 6’ 8”, 375 lbs with an almost 90” wingspan this week. He then paired it with excellent on field work vs speed and power rushers alike. An excellent start to the draft circuit has him as a potential first round pick and possibly the first RT off the board come May.
Will McDonald - EDGE - Iowa State
Will McDonald isn’t the biggest rusher at just a shade over 240 but he is wildly explosive. The Cyclone pass rusher showed even with his thin frame he can hang with the big boys, his burst off the edge combined with smooth bend gives him the pass rush upside that could make him a Top 50 pick. His signature spin move even garnered a few “oohs” and “ahhs” from the watchers this week.
Ade Adebawore - IDL - Northwestern
Adebawore was primarily an EDGE at Northwestern but the benefit of All-Star games is the ability to showcase yourself at multiple positions. He more than had enough power to dominate when reduced down inside this week (which is likely his NFL home) and at 6’ 1” he has some outstanding leverage versus every lineman he faces. His performance this week should cement him as a top 100 pick.
Keeanu Benton - IDL - Wisconsin
Benton is best known for being a run stuffing IDL from Wisconsin which already gives him a high floor as a prospect. What turned so many people’s heads this week was his dominance in pass rush drills. The run-first defensive lineman showed burst, power and excellent hand work that made him difficult for any of his teammates to stay in front of.
Michael Wilson - WR - Stanford
All-Star games are especially huge for prospects like Michael Wilson. Wilson comes from a run-heavy offense in college and to boot he struggled to stay on the field at Stanford (16 games in 3 years). In Mobile, Wilson showed off his release package and route running skills at 6’ 3” with fantastic ball skills and hands. It’s only a couple days but for prospects with limited tape it can make all the difference in the world.
Tank Dell - WR - Houston
All-Star games are meant for players with speed and quickness. Dell, the diminutive receiver out of Houston (5’ 8”, 163 lbs), certainly has that in abundance. Dell might have been the best overall player this week and I don’t know if he lost a rep. His burst and change of direction skills generated massive amounts of separation, something he needs to do consistently to thrive at the next level given his frame.
Tyjae Spears - RB - Tulane
Spears has been a draft crush of dynasty content creators and draft nuts alike for the better part of 3 months now. Mobile might have finally destroyed any sort of anonymity Spears had left. He first checked the weight box by coming in at over 200 lbs in weigh-ins, then he turned around and dominated in drills. His explosive running style and tremendous vision popped even in non-tackle practices. He also had one of the highlights of the week (even if it's not a translatable rep) on a 1 v1 route where he showed exceptional balance and body control.
Ivan Pace - LB - Cincinnati
Ivan Pace may not have had the best week of any one there but he showed some really intriguing traits. His athleticism and pass rush ability popped this week and in a weak off-ball linebacker class a few elite traits could be huge for his stock. Pace is not a perfect player with his speed and pass rush chops he could be a significant role player Day 1 for whatever team enlists his services.