Senior Bowl Standouts the Dolphins Could or Should Consider

The Miami Dolphins could use any of the top performers during Senior Bowl practices

National team offensive lineman Grey Zabel of North Dakota State (77) and National team defensive lineman Darius Alexander of Toledo (9) battle through drills during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Also pictured is National team offensive lineman Marcus Mbow of Purdue (63). / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

MOBILE, Alabama — The 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl this week marked the official start of the pre-draft process for NFL evaluators and 2025 NFL draft prospects alike.

The event is an excellent opportunity for teams to get an up-close look at some of the draft’s best players, and given how many needs the Miami Dolphins have this offseason, there are plenty of players the team should consider drafting who attended the event.

We were in Mobile, Alabama, to watch all three days of practice. While many players boosted their draft stock this week, five specific prospects who fit the Dolphins stood out.

Senior Bowl Standouts

Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon

Conerly Jr. came into the week as a consensus first-round prospect, and that won’t change after a strong week in Mobile. Conerly’s athleticism popped in 1-on-1 pass-rush drills all week as he stone-walled all types of rushers.

Toledo’s Darius Alexander vs. Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr. pic.twitter.com/X4HATvaO6b

— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) January 30, 2025

Marshall edge Mike Green got the better of Conerly in a viral clip, but most people haven’t pointed out that Conerly Jr. asked for another rep against Green immediately after and won. It should also be noted that Conerly was playing right tackle, a position he hadn’t played before arriving to practice that morning. 

Dolphins fans should pay special attention to Conerly because he spent the entire week working with Dolphins assistant offensive line coach Lemuel Jeanpierre and working in the Dolphins’ heavy outside-zone rushing concepts.

“He’s a really cool guy,” Conerly told Miami Dolphins On SI about working with Jeanpierre. “I feel like he’s always the same person. He’s taught me some things this week that I had never really thought of, and I feel like I’ve learned a lot.”

Conerly added that he feels like his best fit is playing in an outside-zone scheme because of his athleticism. It’s easy to see that on tape, as Conerly has zero issue sealing outside rush lanes and getting into space as a run blocker.

The Oregon product isn’t perfect, though. He lacks the overwhelming strength to be a true mauler in the running game, and he’s ever-so-slightly small. Still, there’s a fair argument he’s the most athletic pass protector in the 2025 NFL draft.

Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State

Sticking with the offensive linemen who worked with Jeanpierre, Zabel might have had the best week of any player in attendance. As a small-school player, Zabel needed to prove he could handle better competition in Mobile.

He did more than handle the competition —  he spent the entire week dominating 1-on-1 reps. He showed impressive strength to maintain the pocket, great footwork to mirror pass-rush moves, and the tenacity to finish plays through the echo of the whistle.

Dolphins assistant OL coach Lemuel Jeanpierre spending some extra time with NDSU OL Grey Zabel before today’s practice. Zabel was awesome yesterday. pic.twitter.com/KV90mv39q3

— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) January 29, 2025

Zabel also proved he’s a viable option at multiple positions. He played left tackle for the Bison this past season but spent all week in Mobile working at guard or center. He had his best reps at guard, but it wouldn’t be surprising if some teams saw him as a center.

For the Dolphins, Zabel would help fill one of the team’s biggest needs (guard) and add a little bit more physicality upfront.

Zable came into the week as a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, but he likely won't slip past the second round after how well his performance was received by scouts in attendance.

Mason Taylor, TE, LSU

Yes, this is Dolphins legend Jason Taylor’s son. Setting that aside, Mason was one of the best pass catchers in Mobile this past week. He answered several important questions about his profile and was consistent for all three days of practice.

On his LSU tape, Taylor wasn’t tasked with running many types of routes. He was mostly used on simple middle-of-the-field stick and slide routes (running to the flat). However, in Mobile, Taylor showed he could win downfield.

These events are skewed to favor the receivers, but Taylor’s technique and quickness at the top of his routes was a welcomed surprise. He was winning his 1-on-1 battles with relative ease against linebackers and safeties alike.

The big question with Taylor will be just how much he can do as a blocker. The Dolphins already have a strong receiving tight end, Jonnu Smith, but are struggling in the blocking department. Taylor wasn’t a great blocker on tape, but he showed some promise in Mobile.

He had a few reps in team drills where he sealed an outside rush lane with good technique and push. Taylor’s blocking will be a work in progress, no matter what, but it seems like he’s already started getting better.

Taylor currently projects to be a Day 2 pick. However, this is a crowded tight end class, so getting a good feel for which prospects will come off the board after the consensus top option, Penn State’s Tyler Warren, is difficult.

Darius Alexander, DL, Toledo

If Zabel wasn’t the biggest winner from Senior Bowl week, then Alexander was. The Toledo defensive tackle came into the week as a consensus Day 3 selection but had some of the most impressive reps of anyone at practice.

Alexander’s week got off to a great start when he measured in at 6-3, 304 pounds with 34-inch arms. One of the biggest questions about Alexander’s game was whether he was big and strong enough to play as a defensive tackle.

He’s built like a tweener — someone who could play edge or interior defensive line. His 34-inch arms were the fifth-longest among interior defenders at the event, and 304 pounds is good enough to survive inside. In person, it was easy to see just how well Alexander’s frame was stacked.

Alexander started to really pop once the live reps began. He dominated 1-on-1 reps, using all types of pass rush moves, including a bull rush, swim, and push-pull move. One of his most impressive reps came against Conerly Jr.

During red zone team drills, Alexander was lined up in a two-point stance and beat Conerly Jr. with a quick swim move. A player winning with speed off the edge at 304 pounds is incredibly rare, but it looked natural to Alexander.

For the Dolphins, Alexander could help fill Calais Campbell’s spot on the defensive line if the veteran decides to play elsewhere or retire this season.

However, Alexander is still a bit raw on tape. He can struggle with pad level and pass-rush consistency, so while it’s great he performed well this week, it likely means the Dolphins would have to take him with their second-round pick, which is projected to be 48th overall.

Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville

Performing well at the Senior Bowl as a cornerback is tough. Many practice periods are walk-throughs where receivers are allowed to catch the football without contest, and 1-on-1s are wildly skewed toward the offensive player.

That said, it does make it easy to see which cornerbacks have the right mentality to survive at the NFL level. Riley stood out in this area all week. He was constantly competing through the whistle and making receivers earn every catch.

He also made a few impressive plays on the ball. In 1-on-1s, he consistently turned and found the ball in the air, allowing him to make impressive pass breakups in the end zone. Riley isn’t the biggest cornerback in the world (5-10, 192), but his physicality and experience in man coverage make it challenging for receivers to bully him downfield.

Riley also made some nice run stops in team drills. There’s no tackling during Senior Bowl practices, but Riley did a good job getting off blocks and filling his rush lane responsibility throughout the week.

The Dolphins’ cornerback room could use a player like Riley for a few reasons. For starters, the team doesn’t have any long-term, above-average starters on the roster.

Riley is a slot cornerback at the next level, meaning he could allow the Dolphins to have a lot of flexibility with who they play on the outside. Plus, the team just needs defenders who play with more of an edge, and that’s Riley’s best trait.