Skip to main content

The final day of practice has wrapped up in what was another highly successful Senior Bowl week. Unfortunately, the teams moved practice indoors, limiting a little bit of the media exposure to the goings-on. 

As a result, there wasn't quite as much information coming out as the first two days, but that doesn't mean there were not still some standouts from the day. Plenty of prospects were able to make themselves some money as this week of practice does factor heavily in the evaluation process especially for small-school guys around the country. 

Another aspect that factored heavily into today’s practice was the fact that the prospects were moved around to different positions to see how they handled the transition. Some shined while others showed they will need some work if expected to move around.

One final note before diving into the takeaways from day three's practice is that most media and even teams will start evacuating Mobile on Thursday and Friday. Very few stick around for the actual game on Saturday as the majority of the evaluation on each prospect is complete. 

The game does matter, it just factors in a lot less than the practices. That's one of the unique aspects of the Senior Bowl. 

One position that arguably has more to gain in the game as opposed to practice is that of the running backs. Practices do not set up well for RBs to showcase their talent like that of a live game. 

Teams have gotten what they need from the majority of the other positions and will adjust their boards accordingly.

North Team

Troy Pride Jr, CB, Notre Dame: Pride might not have had the best day of practice, but he has easily been the most consistent cornerback all week. He has show well as a press-man corner with quick feet, route recognition, and by challenging receivers at the catch point.

Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming: One of the biggest questions Wilson had coming into this week was how he would handle coverage responsibilities. Thursday's practice he did especially well to answer that bell. He looked comfortable dropping back into zone coverage and being able to make a play or two.

Josh Jones, OT, Houston: Barring a collapse at the Combine, Jones has secured himself as a first-round talent. He looked more comfortable with each practice and on Thursday showed some real power in putting defenders in the dirt. The other aspect that stood out was how the coaches asked him to play some right tackle. He handled the switch well and didn’t seem to find himself out of position.

Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor: If there is a name from the Senior Bowl to get well acquainted with it is Mims. Every single day he has made highlight catches. He had questions about route running and some of those still remain, but he showed much more at these practices than what Baylor asked of him. Mims is not just a track star. He is showing he could end up a top-tier receiver from this draft class.

K.J. Hill, WR, Ohio State: Another year has gone by with an Ohio State receiver showing they enter the NFL with some of the best route running in the college ranks. Hill continued his dominance of winning at the line of scrimmage on day three and even added a one-handed catch on a throw behind him, which topped off another great day on the field.

Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame: Claypool has been overshadowed by other receivers this week, but that doesn’t mean he has had a bad week. Day three at practice, he was a touchdown machine, catching almost everything thrown his direction. He has proven that an NFL team could really take advantage of his ability to win contested catches and in the red zone.

What happens next for the Broncos in free agency & the draft? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

South Team

Dane Jackson, CB, Pittsburgh: Jackson has had a bit of an up and down week with being out of position on a few throws his way. On day three, though, he was dominant especially when the South worked on red-zone drills. He showed incredible click-and-close ability on more than one occasion, breaking up a couple of would-be touchdowns.

Terrell Lewis, LB, Alabama: This is not the deepest LB/Edge class of recent memory. There are prospects that will have opportunities to really spring up draft boards and Lewis just might be one of them. He showed well again on day three with strong hands to keep blockers off of him and the closing ability to finish off plays.

Ben Bartch, OL, Saint John’s: One of the best things about the Senior Bowl is seeing small school prospects get an opportunity to show they belong. Bartch has done just that. The coaches have moved him all over the offensive line with him working quite a bit on the interior in day three's practice. He held his own against the big boys on the interior, giving him that added value of versatility.

Lloyd Cushenberry III, OL, LSU: Cushenberry has made sure that all who have left Mobile this week view him as the top interior offensive lineman from the Senior Bowl. He continued his dominance on day three, showing technique, power, and leverage.

Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State: Another small-school prospect that has caught the eye of many this week. On day three, he showed well, dropping back into zone coverage and reading the eyes of a quarterback to find the football. He is a bit undersized, but if he can continue to prove he is a quality cover linebacker, his stock should continue to climb.

Alex Taylor, OT, South Carolina State: It should be no shock that some of the prospects that have shown the most growth throughout the week are of the small-school variety. It does take a second to adjust to the increase in talent across from them. Taylor had a very solid day three in pass protection, getting his hands inside and his body in position to stop pass rushers from even trying a pass rush move.

Collin Johnson, WR, Texas: Johnson has continued to impress teams with his route running with another solid day today. He did have one bad drop on a nice throw from Oregon QB Justin Herbert, but otherwise had a very solid day. At 6-foot-6, he has really answered the questions about his ability to be more than just a jump-ball receiver.

Van Jefferson, WR, Florida: Jefferson might have improved his draft stock as much as anyone. He caught most everything thrown his direction and showed that he will be a day-one contributor in the NFL because of his outstanding route running. Broncos OC Pat Shurmur demands receivers that can win one-on-one and Jefferson has shown that as well as anyone at the Senior Bowl. 

Follow Carl on Twitter @CarlDumlerMHH and @MileHighHuddle.