National Team Names Broncos Fans Need to Know at the Senior Bowl

Denver Broncos fans would be wise to get acquainted with a few of these National Team names at the Senior Bowl.

The Senior Bowl is typically considered the real kickoff to the NFL draft process. This year's Senior Bowl rosters are stacked, and the Denver Broncos have a guy coaching the tight ends for both teams. 

That gives Denver extra insight into these prospects, especially the tight ends. More than one high-profile quarterback is participating this year, and the Broncos could be looking at taking one of them early in the draft.

The Broncos had four rookies on their roster last season who were at the Senior Bowl; three were drafted. Two of Denver's 2022 draft picks were at the Senior Bowl. 

A lot of weight is put into the Senior Bowl because teams get to see these prospects in a true football setting and how they take to coaching. This week in Mobile will provide the Broncos with insights they can't get elsewhere throughout the draft process. 

Could the Broncos next franchise quarterback be on the National Team? Or could Denver find its next star defender? 

It's hard to say, but there are so many prospects in Mobile this year who could help the Broncos be a better team next season. 

Let's dive into the intriguing prospects of the National Team this week.   

Quarterbacks

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Michael Penix Jr. | Washington 

Bo Nix | Oregon

Sam Hartman | Notre Dame

Both Penix and Nix have been talked about a lot when it comes to the Broncos. The question is, where are these QBs valued in the draft? 

Most draft analysts view Penix and Nix as second-round picks but have a chance to move up into the first-round conversation throughout the pre-draft process. This week will be significant for both if they want to work into that first-round conversation. 

As for Hartman, he doesn't have the prototypical athleticism or arm talent for the NFL. However, he is an intelligent quarterback who can work with timing and rhythm passes, especially over the middle. He's one to watch, as he can do what Sean Payton wants from his quarterbacks. 

Running Backs

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Marshawn Lloyd | USC

Ali Rasheen | Marshall

Isaiah Davis | San Diego State

Dylan Laube | New Hampshire

Kimani Vidal | Troy

The only running back of this group I'm familiar with is Lloyd. He has a good build on his frame, but he has dealt with some injuries throughout his career. 

Ball security is also an issue, with eight fumbles over the last three seasons. Lloyd has good agility and speed and is a willing participant in pass protection, where he does hold his own. 

Wide Receivers

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Ricky Pearsall | Florida

Javon Barker | UCF

Malachi Corley | Western Kentucky

Jacob Cowing | Arizona

Luke McCaffrey | Rice

Brenden Rice | USC

Devontez Walker | UNC

Roman Wilson | Michigan

This wide receiver group has an excellent mix of archetypes who could help the Broncos as they potentially look to rebuild their room. 

Pearsall is a smaller receiver with a huge catch radius and can work inside out. While he doesn't have elite speed, he brings enough speed and quickness to get separation and physicality to make contested catches. 

Barker has good size and physicality and is tough over the middle and through his routes. He's a good route runner, with NFL-ready nuance to his routes to stack defenders and create a window. 

Corley has great ability after the catch and can line up all over the formation. He can attack every level of the field with speed and quickness, and with the ball in his hands, he's a bigger threat to defenses. 

Cowing fits that bill if you want an explosive and electric slot receiver. He doesn't have a large catch radius, but he can work every level of the field and is a constant threat for an explosive play. 

Rice has explosive speed, but he is a linear player. He can struggle with his change of direction, which hurts his route-running nuance. However, the son of Hall-of-Famer Jerry Rice still has decent versatility for an offense. 

Walker can eat up space quickly and attack every level of the field. He has issues with his route running that need to be developed, and at times, his routes are one speed, making him a little easier to defend. 

Then there's Wilson, who is a tough and physical receiver. There isn't much after the catch with Wilson, but he can work the middle of the field and be reliable with his hands. 

Tight Ends

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Theo Johnson | Penn State

A.J. Barner | Michigan

Brevyn Spann-Ford | Minnesota

Johnson will be a rising tight end throughout the process. He's a solid blocker but a good athlete who's still putting everything together. 

Barner is your prototypical tight end for the NFL. He's a capable blocker who brings enough as a receiver to be a threat. However, he needs to find consistency in every phase. 

Spann-Ford is a big tight end who is a good athlete for his size. However, he has to improve as a blocker to be more than a seam-stretching tight end. 

You can read more about these tight ends in my recent tight-end preview here. 

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Offensive Tackles

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Taliese Fuaga | Oregon State

Ethan Driskell | Marshall

Roger Rosengarten | Washington

Kingsley Suamataia | BYU

Jordan Morgan | Arizona

Dominick Puni | Kansas

Most of these offensive tackles will likely be moved inside for the NFL. Morgan and Suamataia are good tackles for the college game but may struggle there in the NFL with a potentially promising career on the interior. 

Fuaga is one of the top five tackles in the draft, and he has a chance to move up even more and cement himself in that group. Rosengarten has enough to work as a tackle, but he's another who might find a life on the inside. However, he must improve his pad level to be more effective inside, where leverage is used even more. 

Puni is an intriguing offensive lineman. He has all the traits, with great power and better agility than you would think for his size. 

Over the past two seasons, Puni has played 783 snaps as a pass blocker, allowing no sacks and 16 total pressures. However, he has played tackle for his collegiate career and will likely be moved inside to guard in the NFL. 

Interior Offensive Line

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Jackson Powers-Johnson | Oregon

Isaiah Adams | Illinois

Cooper Beebe | Kansas State

Tanor Bartolini | Wisconsin

Kingsley Eguakun | Florida

Troy Fautanu | Washington

LaDarius Henderson | Michigan

Satoau Laumea | Utah

Powers-Johnson is viewed as a top center prospect, and teams will get a chance to find out if he is only a center at the NFL level. Adams played tackle for most of 2023 and struggled mightily there, meaning a move inside, where he was solid in 2022, is coming. This will give him a chance to help himself by playing a more natural position. 

Beebe has shorter arms than you want, even for an interior guy, so the question is whether he can keep that from being such a negative, and he has a chance to show that this week. Fautanu was the tackle for Washington, but his NFL position will be inside. This will be an excellent week to see what he can do playing guard. 

Bartolini is a solid late-round center option who can work up the boards with a strong week. He's smart and has good power for the NFL. 

Henderson is another tackle in 2023 who struggled but will move back inside, where he had a great 2021 and 2022 season. 

Interior Defensive Line

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Brandon Dorlus | Oregon

DeWayne Carter | Duke

Tyler Davis | Clemson

Gabe Hall | Baylor

Michael Hall Jr | Ohio State

Keith Randolph Jr | Illinois

Dorlus is a versatile defender who can work as an edge or inside. He brings a rounded pass rush skill-set but has to find consistency as a run defender. 

Carter has the chance to be a solid starter in the NFL who can generate some push and do well defensive the run. Davis is of the same mold but offers a little more as a pass rusher. 

Gabe Hall is a tall and long defender with issues with his pad level, especially as a run defender. He has some tools as a pass rusher that must be developed to improve consistency. 

Hall is one of a few undersized interior defenders, but he can generate interior pressure. He is of the mold teams are looking for to add more interior pass rush ability. 

Edge Rushers

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Laiatu Latu | UCLA

Javon Solomon | Troy

Marshawn Kneeland | Western Michigan

Adisa Isaac | Penn State

Braiden McGregor | Michigan

Brennan Jackson | Washington State

Jaylen Harrell | Michigan

Austin Booker | Kansas

Latu is one of the top-edge rushers in the class and is expected to be a top-20 pick. He can move up and cement himself with a good week. 

Solomon has to show his ability to be more than a situational pass rusher because his run defense on tape is highly concerning. Kneeland is a versatile defender who can line up in multiple places depending on the down and distance. There is enough to bring pressure, and he's one of the better-run defenders in this group.

Isaac has to be developed almost entirely for the NFL, but he has all the tools you want to work with for the NFL. Booker could have been a first-round pick in 2025 if he returned to school and developed more. He has a high ceiling with so much to work with.  

Off-Ball Linebackers

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Edefuan Olofoshio | Washington

Payton Wilson | North Carolina State

Cedric Gray | UNC

Jontrey Hunter | Georgia State

J.D. Bertrand | Notre Dame

Michael Barrett |  Michigan

Marist Liufau | Notre Dame

Olofoshio is a capable cover linebacker with good range and awareness. However, he is very undersized, which creates many issues when working between the tackles against the run. 

Wilson is the modern mold of a linebacker with great size and tremendous length to tighten those over-route windows. His long-term health is a concern, and he can be over-aggressive, allowing big plays as a result. 

Barrett has a great build and size, but it doesn't hinder his range, athleticism, or play in coverage. The length is a concern, but the more significant issue is how frequently he gets out of position, raising questions about his football IQ. 

Cornerbacks

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Quinyon Mitchell | Toledo 

Johnny Dixon | Penn State

Willie Drew | Virginia State University

Cam Hart | Notre Dame

Khyree Jackson | Oregon

Kaelen King | Penn State

Max Melton | Rutgers

Chau Smith-Wade | Washington State

Mitchell is one of the top corners and has good experience working off-coverage in both off-man and zone. He has good awareness and instincts, but the timing of his transitions can be off. 

Hart has good size and length and mirrors extremely well in man coverage. His awareness is a bit off to work in zone coverage. There is a good length that he uses well when working press coverage.

Jackson has outstanding length and size and is one of the better pure-man cover corners in the draft. However, the fact that he is a pure man corner will hurt his draft stock as he doesn't have the coverage versatility that NFL teams want.  

King was once viewed as a top-corner prospect but has fallen somewhat as the long speed and transitions were consistently exploited this past season. He has good instincts and fluidity to work in both man and zone coverages, so schematic versatility exists. 

Melton is a physical corner, needing coaching to help reign in that aggressiveness. He must also find consistency with his technique, which was still extremely sloppy, even at its best. However, he is competitive, isn't afraid to hit or fill in as a run defender, and has the scheme versatility teams like to have. 

Safeties

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Cole Bishop | Utah

Jaden Hicks | Washington State

Kitan Oladapo | Oregon State

Josh Proctor | Ohio State

Sione Vaki | Utah

Evan Williams | Oregon

The Utah teammates are very different players. Bishop is a physical downhill defender who doesn't have the best speed and struggles to change direction. He's highly effective working closer to the line of scrimmage, but the farther back he goes, the more issues show up.

As for Vaki, his versatility is unique, as he played in all three phases for Utah last season. He rushed the ball for over seven yards per carry, played almost 700 snaps on defense, and was a constant on special teams. This will allow him to show what he can do as a full-time safety.

Proctor is a versatile safety that can line up in multiple spots in the secondary. He's a great run defender with a quick trigger downhill. While he has more issues in coverage, he has good instincts, athleticism, and range to be effective in coverage. 

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