Seahawks Senior Bowl: 5 Defensive Standouts Who Boosted Draft Stock

With money and draft positioning on the line in the Senior Bowl, two undersized linebackers and an unheralded Big 12 pass-rusher shined as potential targets for the Seattle Seahawks to consider in the 2023 NFL Draft.

As the saying goes, draft season officially begins every year when over 100 top college football prospects report to compete against one another in the annual Senior Bowl.

With nearly three months until the 2023 NFL Draft, player weigh-ins and a trio of practices took place from Tuesday through Thursday, allowing scouts, coaches, and media alike the opportunity to evaluate the best of the best duking it out in one-on-one drills. On Saturday, the stakes were raised higher with all of the pads coming out as players participated in the Senior Bowl showcase at Hancock Whitney Stadium, providing another chance to impress in a full-contact game setting.

Reflecting on Saturday's game, which ended with the National squad beating the American squad 27-10, which defensive players stood out as potential future targets for the Seattle Seahawks come April? Here are five players who enjoyed strong weeks in Mobile and should be on general manager John Schneider's radar early in the pre-draft process.

Lonnie Phelps Jr., EDGE, Kansas

Following a rather quiet practice week in Mobile, Phelps flashed throughout Saturday's glorified scrimmage, generating multiple quarterback pressures off the edge with a blend of unexpected power at 251 pounds and fantastic hand usage to disengage from blocks. Active all game long and creating problems for several tackles, he looked the part of a viable NFL edge defender either in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. Turning in one of the game's biggest plays, he punched the ball out of Kentucky running back Chris Rodriquez's hands early in the third quarter for a fumble that was recovered by a teammate for a turnover. He later added another quarterback hit, capping off a strong performance.

Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin

Turning heads throughout the week with elite athleticism at 312 pounds, Benton kept rolling in the Senior Bowl finale, torturing interior blockers with an array of counter moves as well as pure strength to collapse the pocket. In the first half, he overpowered the right guard on a stunt, driving him several yards into the backfield as Bowling Green's Karl Brooks looped behind him with a free run at quarterback Clayton Tune. While Brooks didn't get the sack, he forced a short scramble that set up a punt. Then in the second half, on a play that got negated by a penalty in the secondary, he whipped an opposing blocker with a nasty club/swim combo move, blasting TCU quarterback Max Duggan as he threw on third down. Showing he's not just a run-stuffing nose tackle, Benton likely goes in the top 50 picks in April.

Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Cincinnati

While Pace's smaller frame at 5-foot-10, 231 pounds will scare some teams, the aggressive linebacker played far bigger on the biggest stage in front of scouts and executives, proving he packs more than enough punch to play at the next level. He finished with a game-high 10 sacks, managing to shed blocks from massive linemen O'Cyrus Torrence and Darnell Wright, who each outweigh him by over 100 pounds. On one example, Pace rocketed downhill and knocked Torrence onto his backside, displaying remarkable power for a player of his stature and allowing a teammate to clean up a quick tackle at the line of scrimmage. After dominating as a pass rusher all week long in practice, his stock is surging heading towards the combine.

Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State

A familiar name for fans in the Pacific Northwest after a strong senior season for the Cougars, Henley's unique path from starting at Nevada as a receiver before transitioning to linebacker has now come full circle. An outstanding athlete given his offensive background, he flew all over the field all week long in Mobile and Saturday wasn't an exception as he found his way to the football for several tackles. Along with showing off his fluid athleticism in coverage against running backs, he also pounced on the fumble created by Phelps, putting himself in the right place at the right time for a key turnover. Like Pace, size remains Henley's biggest detriment, but he demonstrated more than enough physicality to play linebacker in the NFL this week.

Anthony Johnson, CB, Virginia

While there weren't many signature plays in the secondary on Saturday, Johnson turned in the highlight play of the contest in a losing effort. Lined up in press coverage at right cornerback, he dropped back into a Cover 2 zone after his receiver ran a slant inside, sitting on a slot comeback route. Under heavy pressure, quarterback Malik Cunningham uncorked a wobbly duck from the pocket, gift-wrapping an easy pick for the 6-foot-2 defender, who snagged the pass and took off for a defensive touchdown that briefly made it a one score game in Mobile. Given his size and athleticism, Johnson could be in the discussion as a day two pick after a solid Senior Bowl week.

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