Senior Bowl | Day 1: Five Key Takeaways
Eyes shifted from Fresno, TX, to Mobile, AL, as the Shrine Bowl is wrapping up and the Senior Bowl is kicking off. While this is a weaker draft class than we have seen in recent years, there is still talent to be found, and the Senior Bowl has landed a lot.
The Denver Broncos made the playoffs, but they still need help to get to the next level, and they love to look at these All-Star draft weeks. So, with Day 1 in the books, let's look at some takeaways for the Senior Bowl.
No One-&-Done Prospect
Usually, a highly rated player comes in, dominates on the first day, and then calls it for the rest of the practices and the game. While multiple players had impressive first days, no one had a “wrap it up" good day.
Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) was close, but his shining moment came in two one-on-one reps, and then he struggled in team drills.
Small School O-Linemen Impress
A group of smaller school offensive linemen had an impressive first day of practice. Carson Vinson (Alabama A&M) shut down some extremely talented edge rushers. Jackson Slater (Sacramento State) also consistently won while seeing reps at center and guard, doing well at both.
Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) is jumping inside and looking natural at guard. Given how talented the defensive line/edge groups are in Mobile, this was a great start to show they can play with the big boys.
QB3 Up for Grabs
Cam Ward (Miami) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) are widely viewed as the top two quarterbacks, and there is a battle for who the third one is. While Ward and Sanders are not at the Senior Bowl, there are four quarterbacks who many have competing for that third spot.
Dillon Gabriel, Bo Nix’s replacement at Oregon, is a timing and rhythm passer, Jalen Milroe (Alabama) and Riley Leonard (Notre Dame) are both great athletes with work to do as a passer, and Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) who has the tools and traits, but needs to find consistency. However, after the first day of practice, none of them separated themselves.
Impressive Talent at DL & Edge
These groups are loaded and are of outstanding size. Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) is a name to watch for the Broncos in the first round. T.J. Sanders (IDL) and Kyle Kennard (Edge) are teammates from South Carolina who have a chance to go round one and had a strong first day.
Cam Jackson (Florida) and Deone Walker (Kentucky) are massive, standing 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-7, respectively, and 340-plus pounds. Both showed how their size and power can be a threat, but also that they need development. R.J. Oben (Notre Dame) and Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M) were consistent throughout the drills. All of these guys are on the American Team.
Not to be outdone, the National Team has Darius Alexander (Toledo) had an impressive first day and is flying under the radar. Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College) uses long arms exceptionally well. Joshua Farmer (Florida Tech) is showing why he has a chance to go in the first round.
Yahya Black (Iowa) was lackluster in one-on-one drills, but he is big (6-foot-5, 340-plus pounds) and is a stout run defender, which was clear. Josiah Stewart (Michigan) was practically unblockable off the edge, and Mike Green (Marshall) handled his added weight exceptionally well, which is so explosive off the snap.
Jamaree Caldwell (Oregon) is another big-nose tackle type who showed much more quickness than expected, and Junior Tafuna (Utah) was a late add but made quick plays. This is a talented group, and they are two of the best positions for this draft.
A Lack of Energy & Intensity
Overall, it was a disappointing day of practice. There wasn’t a lot of energy or intensity, which isn’t an excellent sign for the coming week.
Typically, the first day sets the tone for the week. However, the American Team may have saved things by ending the first day with some best-vs-best reps, which ended with Carson Vinson stonewalling Shemar Stewart to give the day to the offense.
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