Senior Bowl Practice Review: Day 1 National Trenches

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

Scouts always have their eyes on one-on-one drills, as well as team drills to see how the trench players are holding up. On Tuesday it was no different and some players laid the foundation to make themselves some money this week, while others will look to bounce back.

The winner of the day was Levi Onwuzurike from Washington, who looked dominant on every rep except one. His quickness off the ball gave guards trouble as they had a tough time landing their punch against him. His strength was on full display as he looked dominant against Quinn Meinerz from Wisconsin-Whitewater, who had a difficult day getting acclimated to the level of competition.

Onwuzurike’s hands looked on point as his moves were well times and he was able to counter successfully when his initial plan did not work. This violence and array of pass-rush moves led to plenty of wins for the senior who opted out of the season.

Another big winner on the defensive side was Osa Odighizuwa from UCLA who lined up as a three-technique and was able to bull rush almost anyone. His long arms, which measured in at 3418 allowed him to get into the chest of blockers consistently with great leverage. From that point, Odighizuwa put his leg drive on display, rushing blockers backward consistently.

On the offensive side of the ball, Creed Humphrey from Oklahoma had a very solid day, especially in pass protection. The leader up front for the Sooners showed excellent lateral movement ability to mirror rushers. He played balanced all day and locked up defenders with his width and anchor. The center was also the only player to win a rep against Onwuzurike.

Northern Iowa offensive tackle Spencer Brown won the weigh-ins at 6084 with 34-inch arms but had a rough first day of practice. He got beat to both shoulders, looking a step slow to recover and was unable to land his hands to take advantage of his length. His rustiness was apparent when trying to anchor as he got bull-rushed badly. Brown will look to bounce back on Wednesday, as he possesses all the talent in the world to do so.

Other storylines to watch this week are the ascension of Notre Dame’s Ade Ogudeji who measured in with 3528 arms and proceeded to dominate one-on-one. He took advantage of his length, getting into the chest of blockers and using a push-pull move to disengage. Ogendeji showed excellent counters with his quick and decisive hands and will be one to watch for the rest of the week.

Pittsburgh’s Rashad Weaver was deployed as a three-technique, despite measuring in at just 265 pounds. Inside, he showed violent hands to win a couple of reps. Weaver played on the outside more and how he continues to show inside can be a tell for which position NFL teams like him at.

Add Brenden Jaimes from Nebraska to the list of offensive linemen who struggled. Starting off the day at tackle, coaches moved him inside after a couple of reps but it did not get much better, getting beat consistently as he was unable to anchor and started lunging, trying to recover.

Overall, the defensive side had a better day which is to be expected. Scouts will have their eyes on players such as Patrick Jones II, defensive end from Pitt and Aaron Banks. Notre Dame’s guard had an underwhelming first day for his standards, struggling with speed and unable to land his hands. 

*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!