Senior Bowl Practice Review: Day 1 National Quarterbacks

Catch up from what happened day one of practice at the senior bowl.

Coming into this week the national group has two types of quarterbacks in Sam Ehlinger from Texas and Ian Book from Notre Dame who were productive college players and will want to show scouts they belong in the NFL, in addition to Feleipe Franks, who transferred from Florida to Arkansas and has all of the tools required but lacks consistency. On the first day of practice, the Dolphins coaching staff ran seven-on-seven drills and full team drills to let the passers show off their talent. The senior signal-callers were also monitored when they threw the ball in one-on-one drills between receivers and defensive backs.

Ian Book, QB, Notre Dame

In seven-on-seven and team drills, Book was conservative, finding openings underneath and distributing the football accurately. Until the last play of full-team drills, he did much of the same but on that play, Book connected with Wake Forest wideout Sage Surratt on a pretty back-shoulder pass that he placed high and away to his right. At Notre Dame, Book was known for his scrambling ability and he showed some of that in team drills, stepping up in the pocket and picking up yards on the ground. Outside of two fumbled snaps, one from under center and one from the shotgun, Book looked like the most consistent of the group.

Sam Ehlinger, QB, Texas

Similar to Book, Ehlinger started off seven on sevens very conservatively, dumping the ball underneath until he made a bad decision, throwing a play-action pass into double coverage in eleven on eleven’s. Ehlinger’s accuracy was hit or miss all day, missing some easy passes underneath but redeeming himself with a vertical pass on a fade route in one-on-one’s that was perfect. Two fumbled snaps did not help his day which was up and down overall. Ehlinger will look to bounce back on Wednesday.

Feleipe Franks, QB, Arkansas

The elongated Franks measured in at over 6-foot-6 with 10” hands, getting scouts and evaluators excited for what he could do on the field. He was more aggressive right away than Book and Ehlinger, pushing the ball to intermediate areas of the field and even into tight windows up the seam. In one-on-one’s, he did a good job of using the receiver's leverage to his advantage, placing passes away from defensive backs where only his teammates could get them. His overall accuracy was spotty in team drills, as he missed moving targets low and behind. His worst play of the day came in eleven on eleven’s when he was pressured and threw a late jump pass that subsequently intercepted. Franks did not come close to showing his full potential and will hope to so in the coming days.

*Be sure to check back throughout the week for our exclusive coverage of the Reese’s 2021 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. For more in-depth scouting reports, be sure to reserve your copy of the 2021 NFL Draft Bible Publication!