Senior Bowl Prospects Who Need a Rebound Showing Moving Forward

Here are three players who will need to rebound from a disappointing Senior Bowl showing according to Tom Rudawsky.

The Senior Bowl is a huge showcase for upcoming draft prospects every year, with the golden opportunity to impress NFL teams with both the on-field work and the interviews and socializing that takes place. 

There are always players who come out of the week with their draft stack on the rise. On the contrary, some players don’t make the most of the opportunity at hand. 

Here, we highlight three prospects who unfortunately didn’t set themselves apart this week in Mobile.

Nick Zakelj, OL, Fordham

This week was a big opportunity for Zakelj to show teams he could handle a step up in competition. He was highly productive and consistent on film this season for Fordham, but he struggled mightily all three days in Mobile. He had major issues versus power, routinely getting walked back and playing light overall. 

He also struggled to play square, getting attacked on his edges right at the snap then failing to recover and get his body in front of the defender. In Zakelj’ defense, the National team defensive line was loaded, having standouts like Oklahoma’s Perrion Winfrey and UConn’s Travis Jones, but he did nothing to warrant any movement up on teams' draft boards coming out of this week. 

Instead, he left more room for doubt and uncertainty about whether he could handle a step up in class.

Romeo Doubs, WR, Nevada / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Romeo Doubs, WR, Nevada

Doubs’ stock was at its highest point all week on Monday at the weigh-ins, as he measured 6-foot-2, 204 pounds with 32-inch arms. Unfortunately, in the 1-on-1 and team periods, he didn’t do much to back up the excitement. 

He was unable to gain consistent separation and had way too many drops. For a receiver with Doubs’ size, you’d like to see him play to his size and make strong, tough catches in traffic – something he didn’t do much of this week. Instead, cornerbacks were routinely knocking the ball away from his hands. 

Doubs is undoubtedly still an intriguing prospect – in addition to his size, Zebra Technology had him at a 21.25 max speed during the first day of practice, and his speed was a key part of his arsenal at Nevada. Receivers with size and speed always stick out to scouts because those two traits not only are coveted from the line of scrimmage but also make an intriguing profile on special teams. 

Scouts will inevitably come away from Nevada’s pro-day raving about this kid, as he’ll look outstanding running routes versus air and doing combine-like drills. However, to succeed at the next level, any receiver must be able to get open and catch the ball versus tight coverage, and Doubs didn’t do either very well in Mobile.

Spencer Burford, OL, UTSA / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Spencer Burford, OL, UTSA

Burford played Left Tackle this season for one of college football’s best group of five teams, the UTSA Roadrunners, who started 11-0 before ultimately finishing 12-2. At the Senior Bowl, he saw reps at both tackle and guard and struggled a little bit in all three practices. 

While he showed very good quickness and suddenness out of his stance, he played with poor technique and balance. His punch timing and hand placement were a little off all week, and like Zakelj, he was beaten to edges far too often. 

He also showed strength deficiencies as well, showing major concerns about his ability to anchor in pass pro. Due to his size (6037, 297 pounds), he’s likely a guard at the next level. 

While he’s got some athletic qualities to like in a young offensive lineman, he didn’t look like someone ready to step in and contribute right away.

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