Senior Bowl Practice Review: Day 2 American WRs, TEs, DBs

Get the information you need from the receivers and defensive backs at the Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl is in full swing! The American Team led by Matt Rhule has conducted an intense week of practices and Wednesday proved to be much of the same. The wide receivers, defensive backs and tight ends gave scouts great drills to work with. Here are some of the players that should be highlighted from Wednesday’s practice:

Catch up on what happened during the first day of practice.

• Kadarius Toney | Florida | WR | 5111 | 189 | 7448 | 3048 | 948

Toney will not have any problems separating at the next level. He has not only shown that at the Senior Bowl but also on film. He really impressed with his physicality in the wide receiver blocking drills. He was able to overpower bigger defensive backs easily. What is also known from Toney is, he brings electricity when the ball is in his hand. The question that has to be asked is, how good are his hands? He dropped a bunch of balls on Wednesday. His production in the league could be out of this world if he can be a consistent catcher. Toney’s catch problems seem to be more concentration based, which will hopefully get better in the league. Either way, Toney will be selected very high in the NFL Draft.

• Cornell Powell | Clemson | WR | 6001 | 205 | 7900 | 3218 | 1000

Powell had little hype compared to some of his teammates at the Senior Bowl. This largely could be due to how excellent his quarterback was at Clemson. Powell was productive this season and has now shown at the Senior Bowl that it wasn’t just Trevor Lawrence who made him look good. Powell showed tremendous route running and separation in the drills. He is physical and consistent at the catch point. Pairing that together, you make a pretty good receiver in the league. Powell is steadily increasing his stock and should find himself off the board earlier than originally expected.

• Trevon Grimes | Florida | WR | 6037 | 217 | 7700 | 3138 | 958

Grimes has been another Florida receiver on the rise. He measured in at close to 6-foot-4 on Tuesday. Considering that he was a physical catch point receiver at Florida, that helps his stock in the draft, as teams can trust he will be able to match up size-wise. Grimes showed a little bit of movement skills on Wednesday however. He was able to gain separation fairly easily against some oily defensive backs. If Grimes can finish out the week strong with his route running, teams are going to fall in love with his size and draft him sooner than later in the draft.

• Amari Rodgers | Clemson | WR | 5094 | 211 | 7400 | 3000 | 948

Rodgers has been the most consistent separator at the Senior Bowl. There has not been a defensive back yet that can stay with Rodgers consistently. He has also shown fairly consistent hands, which is good to see from a guy that translates to a lot of quick throws his way in the league. Rodgers best fits a Deebo Samuel type role at the next level and has shown plenty this week to prove to teams he will translate perfectly to the league.

• Noah Gray | Duke | TE | 6035 | 240 | 7818 | 3148 | 938

Gray improved mightily on Wednesday. He showed exactly why you would draft him, due to his tremendous route running for the position. He also showed excellent hands on a couple of poorly thrown balls. He was the best receiver from the tight end position on Wednesday. What really flashed was his blocking. A major question mark will be can he become a consistent blocker in the league? In a few reps, he showed technique and strength as a blocker. Both of which translate to the next level.

• Tre McKitty | Georgia | TE | 6041 | 247 | 8100 | 3228 | 1100

McKitty was plagued with poor quarterback play in college. Due to this, he was never a productive tight end there. McKitty has been able to show traits that translate to production at the next level during the Senior Bowl practices. McKitty showed off excellent hands on a few catches. He also showed contested catch ability that was phenomenal. He concentrated through the catch and was aggressive to the ball. What he lacked was high-end separation skills. He will have to be able to separate against safeties and linebackers at the next level. If he can show that for the rest of the week, he may be able to leapfrog some guys in the tight end class.

• Bryan Mills | North Carolina Central | CB | 6006 | 180 | 7718 | 3200 | 900

Mills was outstanding on Wednesday in all aspects of the position. First, his length is undeniable and he uses it tremendously. Second, he had very fluid movements for the position. His hips were extremely oily and he drove off his feet well. He even showed solid foot speed on a deep route and excellent change of direction. Mills is a prospect who will rise up boards extensively with these traits. Any defensive back coach would love to work with that mold of a player.

• Hamsah Nasirildeen | Florida State | S | 6031 | 213 | 8268 | 3428 | 1000

Nasirildeen did not have the best day of practice on Tuesday but rebounded well on Wednesday. He possesses excellent size and solid tape when healthy. The Senior Bowl was more confirmation for him. He showed an outstanding ability to stick with tight ends and running backs. He still struggled a bit in wide receiver drills but he showed much better on day two. Nasirildeen is a versatile safety and with the traits he has and has shown, he will be drafted towards the top of the safety class.

• Aaron Robinson | UCF | CB | 5114 | 190 | 7418 | 3000 | 868

Robinson has been super impressive so far. His physicality in press drills is no joke and he has been able to mirror receivers well. He has been beaten on a few routes but the one-on-ones are built for the receiver to win. Robinson doesn’t have tremendous length, he’s more compact. That could be a negative but he plays really well through contact and doesn’t seem to have an athletic disadvantage. Robinson may be able to play nickel and outside corner at the next level, which would tremendously help his stock, along with the Senior Bowl practices.

• Mark Webb | Georgia | DB | 6013 | 210 | 7918 | 3218 | 1018

Coming into the week, more people were excited to see DJ Daniel, the other Georgia defensive back. Though Daniel has played really well, Webb has been no joke either. Specifically, Webb showed a really solid ability to move with receivers on Wednesday. He didn’t look out of place with the corners, which some thought he might. He is still developing but someone could take a shot on him and turn him into a really solid pro. 

*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!