The Senior Bowl is without doubt one of the main scouting occasions for the upcoming NFL Draft after the common season. Held in Mobile, Alabama, the Senior Bowl is for the highest senior prospects to have per week of padded practices which culminates in a recreation at Hancock-Whitney Stadium.
Here are 10 gamers I’m excited to look at, on each side of the ball and from each groups.
Andrei Iosivas, WR, Princeton
Every yr, the Senior Bowl has a small faculty man who is available in and steals the present. OLs Ali Marpet and Ben Bartch come to thoughts when pondering of small faculty standouts who take heart stage in Mobile. Iosivas could possibly be the subsequent to make his title on the Mobile stage. The Princeton wideout is huge (6’3, 200 lbs) and in addition ran observe. According to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, Iosivas (pronounced Yoshi-vas) ran the quickest 60 meter sprint in NCAA historical past and completed fourth within the indoor Heptathlon.
You need pace in your receiver room? This is pace.
Last yr, it was Christian Watson who shot up draft boards after the season. This yr, I believe it’s Andrei Iosivas.
The Princeton WR has legit 4.2 pace at 6-3, 200. He’s a moldable ball of clay — nevertheless excessive you’ve got him, it’s not excessive sufficient. pic.twitter.com/js4dLIlBkk
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) January 21, 2023
I’m excited to see Iosivas enjoying in opposition to greater ranges of competitors, and the way he responds to the physicality of the corners in practices. He has a very good week of follow and he’ll go flying up draft boards.
Nathaniel Dell, WR, Houston
Think of the receiver you’d affiliate with the nickname, “Tank”.
Got it?
Now, shrink that by about 45% and you’ve got Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, the dynamic wideout from Houston. The 5’10, 165 pound stick of dynamite completed his senior season within the high 5 of targets and yards, whereas main the NCAA in landing catches. Dell is explosive with the ball in his fingers, and has proven explosiveness out and in of his breaks.
Tank Dell – WR – Houston
Every yr we get hyped about an undersized/explosive WR dominating the 1v1’s on the Senior Bowl
Getting forward of the curve and telling you it is gonna be Dell this yr.
Unlike a few of the different guys prior to now, he can really play. pic.twitter.com/mP4LxlGksJ
— Jacob Morley (@JacobMorley) January 17, 2023
Dell’s measurement will all the time be a query, however he’s proven the flexibility to play each inside and in and out Mobile, he’ll have the prospect to show himself as soon as once more in entrance of NFL coaches.
Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas
Splitting carries with a expertise like Bijan Robinson is rarely straightforward, however Johnson has managed to carve out his personal operating model whereas being the complement to Robinson at Texas. Johnson is a nicely constructed again at 6’2 and 223 kilos and has nice contact steadiness, which makes him troublesome to deal with on first contact.
I’m excited to see him on this setting, the place he can exhibit his cross catching and cross defending talents. Johnson could be a greater professional than a school participant.
Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse
There is a formidable group of linemen headed to Mobile, and Bergeron is true on the high. The 6’5, 322 pounder is a straightforward mover who’s mild on his ft, and has the size to mitigate pace on the skin.
Huge fan of Matthew Bergeron’s recreation. Exceptional foot pace and a few of the greatest grip power.
Might have probably the most spectacular resume of cross rushers he is confronted as nicely with stable exhibiting in opposition to Isaiah Foskey, Myles Murphy, Jared Verse, and extra. pic.twitter.com/BOGBHWpfk5
— Cory (@realcorykinnan) November 27, 2022
Bergeron has an opportunity to make a reputation for himself, particularly in opposition to this crop of cross rushers that will likely be in Mobile. He has an opportunity to enhance his inventory and put his title in entrance of NFL coaches.
Rashee Rice, WR, SMU
SMU’s Rashee Rice has been getting lots of first spherical love, and it’s not onerous to see why. Rice is 6’2, 203 kilos however is a easy mover who caught 96 passes for 1355 yards and ten touchdowns in his last faculty season. Rice was 4th within the nation in Yards After the Catch, and his capability to make the primary man miss is superior for his age.
If Rice can proceed to face out in Mobile, he’ll depart the Senior Bowl as virtually a lock to go within the center to late first spherical.
Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin
Benton is an enormous, thick nostril deal with who’s at his greatest when he can penetrate into the backfield and destroy run performs. He has extraordinarily lengthy arms, and when leveraging his size and power appropriately, he’s a power to be reckoned with.
I need to see Benton within the one-on-one cross rush conditions in Mobile, to see if he can provide the identical cross rush upside that he has in opposition to the run. Benton is a superb athlete nevertheless, and could possibly be one of many early measurement winners.
Isaiah Land, EDGE, Florida A&M
Isaiah Land popped onto the radar final season when he had 19 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss en path to the Buck Buchanan Award for Defensive Player of the Year in FCS soccer. Land’s manufacturing dipped this yr (7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss), however Land nonetheless stays an intriguing prospect. He’s received a lighter body at 225 kilos, however Land is explosive and has proven good method in video games.
Land may gain advantage from this week in Mobile, going up in opposition to stronger competitors. His weight coming in will likely be attention-grabbing to see, in addition to his play in opposition to the run, however he affords a pleasant upside as a cross rusher.
Adetomiwa Adebawore, EDGE, Northwestern
No, I’m not simply together with him as a result of I’m a Northwestern alum. Adebawore is a robust edge defender, who’s extraordinarily highly effective within the run recreation. He lined up in lots of totally different spots for the Wildcats this season, and was dominant. The Ohio State recreation was an ideal instance of what he might be.
Aside from hurricane winds, #Northwestern DL Adetomiwa Adebawore #99 was the second-most disruptive power on the sector vs. OSU. Interesting senior prospect.
3-tech on Third-and-1. Doesn’t let the LG attain his exterior shoulder. pic.twitter.com/h0zfHgfh8n
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 7, 2022
Adebawore nonetheless has a methods to go as a cross rusher (getting him as a crash man on stunts and twists would most likely be the very best thought), however seeing his cross rush capability in Mobile might change issues within the eyes of scouts.
Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Cincinnati
When you lookup the definition of disruptive within the dictionary, Ivan Pace Jr.’s title might be there. The linebacker from Cincinnati was a unanimous All-American and had ten sacks to associate with 21.5 tackles for loss.
Pace is undersized at 6’0 and 235 kilos, however performed all around the defensive entrance for the Bearcats. He’s at his greatest going ahead, and has proven very superior cross rush method.
#Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace Jr. continues his monster yr. Helped affect a fumble earlier and now a sack on this recreation.
Production has not dipped since getting on my radar at Miami (OH) final season.
— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) December 17, 2022
One of the primary causes I’m excited to see Pace in Mobile is to see the place he strains up. He might find yourself having the identical profession path as a man like Haason Reddick, who performed inside linebacker in Mobile and for the Arizona Cardinals earlier than switching to EDGE and taking off.
Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State
NFL groups love traits, and Brents has each trait within the e-book. At 6’4 and with 32 begins spanning throughout enjoying at Iowa and Kansas State, Brents is skilled and difficult. He performs with lots of physicality, so seeing him in Mobile in opposition to the gifted crop of receivers there will likely be enjoyable to look at.
Check out my man Julius Brents (Ok-State CB 23) on the backside of the display with the deal with. Love the aggressiveness and physicality that he performs with on the perimeter. pic.twitter.com/PI4G8HQkVh
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) January 15, 2023