Jets Country

Taking Stock of Senior Bowl's Top Prospects After Week of Practices

Which players stood out at Senior Bowl practices this week and who could subsequently be on the Jets' radar leading up to the 2022 NFL draft?

Max Schneider

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The 2022 Senior Bowl week of practices is officially behind us, and some of the top NFL Draft prospects will get a day of rest on Friday before putting the pads back on for Saturday’s game. 

The three days of drills put these NFL hopefuls through the ringer, with the predictably loud, in-your-face coaching from the New York Jets’ staff, coupled with the unpredictably heavy downpour that made Wednesday’s practice that much more difficult. Through it all, several prospects raised their stock tremendously, and will look to carry their momentum into Saturday. Here are some guys that raised eyebrows in front of New York’s coaches.

Skill Position Standouts

The Jets staff banged the table to get the top tight ends on their roster this week, and it was easy to see why. Ron Middleton, New York’s tight ends coach, is the head coach for the National Team this week, so this is every bit of an audition opportunity for Trey McBride (Colorado State) and Jeremy Ruckert (Ohio State), both of whom have looked excellent for three days of practices. 

READ: Is Trey McBride the Jets’ Tight End of the Future?

McBride in particular has showcased every bit of his skillset, making a couple contested catches on 50-50 balls and burying pass rushers into the ground in protection. Between his hands, his ability to move in and out of breaks and his ability as an athletic blocker on the edges, it’s hard to imagine the Jets not scribbling his name on the card at pick 35 or 38 if he’s there. But that has become a much bigger “if” after this week of practice. He might push his way into Round One.

The top wide receiver prospects aren’t here this week, so anyone the Jets look at in Mobile is a Day Two or Three guy who could potentially fill Braxton Berrios’s role should he not re-sign. Thus far, Calvin Austin III (Memphis) and Khalil Shakir (Boise State) are the names to watch. Austin is a legitimate trackstar who was a nine-time state champion in high school before running for Memphis for three years. Look for him to run in the 4.2 range at the NFL Combine. The quickness at the top of his routes has especially impressed, which allowed him to catch a touchdown in one-on-ones on Tuesday. 

Shakir lacks the top speed that Austin possesses, but his ability to beat jams at the line of scrimmage far exceeded Austin’s. He beat Coby Bryant—more on him later—badly on a short route for a would-be big gain. Both men are experienced returners, which would allow them to assume Berrios’s spot if need be.

Memphis WR Calvin Austin III at Senior Bowl
Memphis WR Calvin Austin III at Senior Bowl / Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

The last big standout for New York to look at is Dameon Pierce (Florida). Once thought of as a later round guy, the former Gator running back has likely done enough already to move into the Round Three conversation. Pierce profiles as a power back at 5-foot-9 and 220 pounds, but he was able to run away from guys at the second level. 

As a runner, he was the best running back there. As a pass blocker, there was no doubt about it. Pierce thwarted edge rushers better than pretty much all the offensive tackles on a consistent basis. He’s been playing for the American Team, so the Jets staff hasn’t gotten as up-close of a look, but he’s the perfect compliment for a smaller back like Michael Carter.

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Battle in the Trenches

Make no mistake about it, the defensive guys have largely beaten up the offensive linemen this week. Trevor Penning (Northern Iowa), Bernard Raimann (Western Michigan) and Darian Kennard (Kentucky) had their moments, but it’s clear they’re in a different class from the top three tackles in the class, none of whom are seniors. The Jets are set at tackle when healthy, but if they decide to go that route anyway, they’re better off doing so pretty early or pretty late.

Zion Johnson (Boston College) and Dylan Parham (Memphis) are the two guys who have stood out on the offensive side, and while both were relatively highly-touted prospects heading into the week, they’ve both been pleasant surprises. 

Johnson, a natural guard, has taken some reps at center after practice, which will work in his favor for a team that values positional flexibility. Parham, a former tight end and defensive end at Memphis before transitioning to the interior offensive line, weighed in at 313 pounds, shedding concerns about his thin frame (he was listed at 285 on Memphis’s team website). Johnson is the high-floor guy who can start right away, but it’s Parham who might have the higher ceiling long-term with his quickness and frame as he learns the position at the next level.

The cause of all the turmoil from the offensive line has been one guy, though. That’s Jermaine Johnson (Florida State). Johnson balled out for the Seminoles this year as a grad transfer from Georgia by way of Independence Community College, and he backed up his stellar tape with a dominant performance in practices. The strength and speed were evident, but his time around the block has clearly refined his portfolio of pass rush moves off the edge. He looked like a sneaky great pick for New York in Round Two, but after this week, he’s basically locked into Round One. Perrion Winfrey (Oklahoma) and Travis Jones (UConn) are the major standouts at defensive tackle.

Defensive Playmakers

The Senior Bowl practices are particularly difficult for linebackers. They’re often exposed in one-on-ones with wide receivers and tight ends in coverage, and they don’t get to showcase the trademark downhill hits to break up plays because of the less physical environment. Devin Lloyd (Utah) pulled out of the event before it started, so Chad Muma (Wyoming) became the guy to watch. Given the circumstances, Muma held his own, but Saturday will provide his best chance to show scouts what he’s really capable of. 

In the secondary, Jalen Pitre (Baylor) has made the most noise. A swiss army knife of a defensive back, Pitre played the majority of his reps at nickel for the Bears, but he’s lined up predominantly at safety in Mobile. That’s where he’ll probably stick in the pros, and kudos to the Jets coaching staff for finding the niche that would help their team the most. With his man coverage skills, versatility and outstanding instincts, Pitre’s stock is way up this week.

Finally, at corner, Coby Bryant (Cincinnati) has shown every bit of why he was the 2021 Jim Thorpe Award Winner. The word “senior” is evident in his play style. He’s very patient, doesn’t bite on fakes and allows the receiver’s hips to dictate the movement of his own. He might not possess the elite shutdown corner upside in man coverage like his former teammate Ahmad Gardner, but he can walk in the door and be an NFL starter right away.

What About the Quarterbacks?

The Jets clearly aren’t in the market for a quarterback, but they do have a vested interest in how the signal-callers play this week. The hope is that someone stands out enough to give the Jets leverage if they want to trade out of the 4-spot on Draft Day should a quarterback-needy team come calling. 

Unfortunately for New York, that hasn’t happened. Kenny Pickett struggled in Wednesday’s tough weather conditions and while Malik Willis improved dramatically from Tuesday to Wednesday, his accuracy was very spotty early on. The other quarterbacks don’t have the ability to move that high up the board to even affect the Jets, but they haven’t impressed much either. A dynamite performance on Saturday from Pickett or Willis could move the needle a bit, but it’s unlikely either go in the top five solely based on this week of practice.

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Max Schneider
MAX SCHNEIDER

Max Schneider is a native New Yorker and an alumnus of Vanderbilt University, where he was the Sports Editor of The Vanderbilt Hustler. He has previously worked for The Nashville Predators, The Players’ Tribune and Nashville SC. You can follow him on Twitter (@Max_Schneider15).

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