Oregon Ducks Raise NFL Draft Stock At Senior Bowl Practices: Josh Conerly Jr., Jeffrey Bassa

The Oregon Ducks had the most players at the Senior Bowl. Offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. as well as linebacker Jeffrey Bassa were voted as practice players of the week. Did they do enough to raise their NFL Draft stock?

Dec 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (2) during Rose Bowl media day at Sheraton Grand LA. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Before the Senior Bowl on Saturday, a number of NFL Draft prospects took advantage of the practices during the week to catch the attention of the scouts and fellow players in attendance. Of them, Oregon Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa and offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. appeared to have some of the best weeks of practice out of the entire group.

Jim Nagy, director of the Senior Bowl, announced the honors on Friday, and both Bassa and Conerly Jr. were voted as the top practice players on the National team.

More specifically, Bassa was voted as the top linebacker on his team, voted for by the offensive line, tight end, and running back prospects practicing against Bassa and the rest of the linebacker group. Additionally, Conerly Jr.'s award for the best offensive lineman on the National squad was voted on by the defensive line and linebacker groups.

Dec 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (2) during Rose Bowl media day at Sheraton Grand LA. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The two sides in the Senior Bowl are called the National Team and American Team. Including Bassa and Conerly Jr., all six of Oregon's participants are on the National Team: quarterback Dillon Gabriel, wide receiver Tez Johnson, tight end Terrance Ferguson, and defensive lineman Jamaree Caldwell.

Johnson received some love on social media for his ability to create separation against opposing defensive backs. In one-on-one drills, Johnson made multiple highlight plays with his route running. Still, Iowa State receiver Jaylin Noel was voted as the practice player of the week after an impressive showing in practice.

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However, the only two Ducks to earn awards from the week of practice were Conerly Jr. and Bassa. The honors were voted on by their peers, but it seems as though scouts and coaches have also taken notice of both Conerly Jr. and Bassa.

“Conerly was the best offensive lineman out here. He carried himself like a pro. That’s a player ready to play on Sunday,” an anonymous NFL scout said at the Senior Bowl. 

The NFL Draft is not until April, and the NFL Combine begins on Feb. 27, but Conerly Jr. is already generating buzz as a potential first-round pick. On the other side, Bassa has earned the trust of coaches and will be wearing the green dot on his helmet, allowing him receive communication from his coaches on the field.

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. (76) against the Liberty Flames during the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“I take a lot of pride in it,” Bassa told The Oregonian's James Crepea. “The ability to have the coaches trust me from what I’ve done at Oregon, especially here now there’s a lot of great linebackers out here, a lot of guys who could have wore the green dot first. For them to have the ability to trust me, that means a lot. That shows what I could do when it comes to aligning, assigning, making sure everybody’s right on our defense.

The Senior Bowl kicks off at 11:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on NFL Network.

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