Tag: 2021 Senior Bowl

Chargers 7-round mock draft: Senior Bowl-only edition

13 Chargers players of the last four drafts attended the showcase in Mobile, AL.

With the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl just days away, this is an appropriate time for a mock draft of what the Chargers could do if they only had players in the annual all-star game to choose from.

This is just an exercise, but keep in mind general manager Tom Telesco does covet the Senior Bowl as an outlet to find talent. 13 Chargers of the last four drafts attended the showcase in Mobile, AL.

Round 1, No. 13, Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama

The Chargers will need to upgrade the offensive line after finishing near the bottom this past season. The left tackle position will be a spot that Los Angeles looks to address early on because Sam Tevi is slated to be a free agent.

Named the 2020 Outland Trophy winner, which is awarded to the best interior lineman in college football, Leatherwood, the 6-foot-5 and 313 pounder, made 47 starts for the Crimson Tide with 13 of them coming at right guard in 2018.

Leatherwood is an excellent blindside blocker who possesses great size, length and physicality. While he does show some stiffness in his lower body, the 22-year old possesses the heavy hands to stymie pass rushers at the next level, projecting as an NFL starter.

Round 2, No. 45, Aaron Banks, OG, Notre Dame

Forrest Lamp is another starting offensive linemen from this past season that is set to hit the free agency market. Even though Lamp played in every single game, the results were inconsistent, which is why they could decide to let him walk.

Banks, the first-team All-American, allowed just two sacks in 844 snaps as a junior. He is a good-sized smooth-moving mauler as both a run blocker and pass protector who won’t lose many one-on-one battles.

Banks has a mammoth body type with 330 pounds neatly packed on his frame, where he using his mitts like powerful vice grips to latch-and-control, projecting as a plug-and-play guard.

Round 3, No. 77, Quincy Roche, EDGE, Miami

There’s a chance that Melvin Ingram, who is set to be a free agent, won’t be back next season. The Chargers could roll with Uchenna Nwosu as one of the outside linebackers, assuming they run a 3-4 defense. Regardless, the team needs more talent up front.

Roche eclipsed 11 quarterback pressures in three games in 2020 for the Hurricanes. The year before that, he amassed 68 quarterback pressures and 13 sacks for Temple in 2019.

Roche is a slippery rusher with the initial burst, functional strength, and length to threaten the pocket on a regular basis and defend the run, projecting as a promising outside linebacker at the next level.

Round 3, No. 97, Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan

The Chargers need to add more pieces to the cornerback room. Casey Hayward took a step backwards last season and will be entering the final year of his contract and Michael Davis will be a free agent this offseason.

After serving as a depth piece, Thomas found his way in the starting lineup in 2019. In 12 games, Thomas totaled 38 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions, three pass deflections, and two fumble recoveries.

Thomas is a lengthy athlete who can stick with receivers downfield with  good play speed and fluid hips. Thomas uses his athleticism to make plays on the ball and receiver, showing a nice amount of ball skills to finish through contact. He is also physical in the run game.

Round 4, No. 117, Jacoby Stevens, S, LSU

In Staley’s defense, position versatility is key. He covets hybrid defensive backs that are capable of being put in different coverages and those who can play the pass and the run equally effectively. Stevens is a do-it-all player who fits that mold.

Lining up everywhere from single-high safety to an outside linebacker, Stevens logged 63 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks, four passes defensed, a forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries in 2020.

Stevens is a competitor who has the instincts and physicality to play in the box. There, he can roam around the backfield and jam opposing receivers, cover tight ends, rush the edge on blitzing downs and come up in run support, making him an ideal fit for the present day NFL secondary.

Round 5, No. 156, Trevon Grimes, WR, Florida

The Chargers have talent in the wide receiver room, but they could afford to get more explosive at the position.

Grimes joined the Gators as a transfer player from Ohio State. During his time with Florida, Grimes accumulated 97 receptions for 1,444 yards and 14 touchdowns. This past season, the senior receiver hauled in 38 receptions for 589 yards and nine touchdowns.

Grimes is a big, physical receiver who has deep speed and brings strong hands and contested-catch ability. He uses that size and physicality in the run game, where he is stout as a blocker.

Round 6, No. 194, Royce Newman, OG, Ole Miss

General manager Tom Telesco made the point at his end-of-season press conference that addressing the offensive line would be a focal point this offseason. To shore up the unit, Telesco takes the third offensive lineman of this year’s draft.

In 2019, Newman started all 12 games at guard, allowing only one sack on 416 pass-blocking snaps. This past season, the 6-foot-6 and 310 pounder kicked back outside to tackle, where he shined again, particularly in the run-blocking department.

Newman needs to continue and get stronger and develop physically, but he has the frame, athleticism, technique and football character than makes him an ideal developmental player who offers versatility to play either tackle or guard.

Round 7, No. 237, Ta’Quon Graham, DL, Texas

The Chargers have some players up front that should benefit from Staley’s defense, but they could afford some additional depth in the trenches.

In four seasons, Graham amassed 70 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, 46 quarterback pressures, seven quarterbacks hits, 41 runs stops and only eight missed tackles.

Playing both on the outside and over the B-gap as a more traditional three-technique tackle, Graham is a balanced athlete for his size with the long arms, movement skills and play strength, projecting as a productive rotational player.

Which defensive backs will Dolphins coach at Senior Bowl?

Which defensive backs will Dolphins coach at Senior Bowl?

The Miami Dolphins are now just a week away from engaging in the most prominent scouting event of the 2021 offseason — the Senior Bowl. With the coronavirus pandemic threatening much of the status quo in the NFL Draft process, the Senior Bowl will continue on as usual. Just with some socially distanced modifications and plenty of COVID-19 protocols for the health and safety of all involved.

The Senior Bowl, courtesy of Director Jim Nagy, has been unveiling which players are partaking in the event for which team; either the Dolphins or the Carolina Panthers.

Yesterday, the defensive backs were revealed. Here’s who Miami will be coaching throughout the week for three days of practice and then the game itself at the end of the week.

Defensive backs

So which prospects are a good fit for what the Miami Dolphins want to do?

One player who will have the eye of the Dolphins staff or sure is Cal cornerback Camryn Bynum, who played for Dolphins’ assistant Gerald Alexander prior to Miami hiring him onto their staff ahead of the 2020 season. Best of all, Bynum isn’t considered a candidate for a high draft selection so there is a fair chance Miami sees him available to them in the later rounds this April.

Former Michigan cornerback Ambry Thomas could be a fit in the earlier rounds. He is a physical cornerback who split time between the outside and the nickel; so he’d give the Dolphins a new candidate to step into their nickel corner spot — a critical piece of their defensive puzzle. Their 2020 nickel, Nik Needham, played 60% of the team’s defensive snaps. This week will be a big one for Thomas, who elected to sit out the 2020 college football season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Small schooler Christian Uphoff profiles as a developmental project that the Dolphins would probably like to tackle, too — the Dolphins are one of the teams in the NFL you’d best feel can take underdeveloped talents and pull new polish from under the direction of Brian Flores and his staff.

Which linebackers will Dolphins coach at Senior Bowl?

Which linebackers will Dolphins coach at Senior Bowl?

The Miami Dolphins are now just a week away from engaging in the most prominent scouting event of the 2021 offseason — the Senior Bowl. With the coronavirus pandemic threatening much of the status quo in the NFL Draft process, the Senior Bowl will continue on as usual. Just with some socially distanced modifications and plenty of COVID-19 protocols for the health and safety of all involved.

And throughout the course of this week, the Senior Bowl, courtesy of Director Jim Nagy, will be unveiling which players are partaking in the event for which team; either the Dolphins or the Carolina Panthers.

Yesterday, the defensive lines were revealed. Here’s who Miami will be coaching throughout the week for three days of practice and then the game itself at the end of the week at perhaps the team’s most pressing need.

Linebackers

So which prospects are a good fit for what the Miami Dolphins want to do? The Dolphins will undoubtedly be excited to get their hands on Ohio State linebacker Baron Browning, who has been used as a versatile weapon defensively as both a space linebacker and a pressure player screaming off the edge. If you drew up what a multi-threat linebacker would look like in the NFL, it would look a lot like Browning. And Miami will get a week to try to feel out why exactly Browning was unable to fully wrestle a starting role for the Buckeyes during his time with the program. If Miami can unlock his potential, he’d be a great fit.

Also an interesting pairing would be North Carolina’s Chazz Surratt, who has plenty of coverage upside and length — something Miami’s linebacker room is currently lacking. Surratt is perhaps the top rated linebacker at the event and checks clear boxes of need for Miami; the question come April will be balancing the value of where they’ll need to select him versus trying to build up their offensive depth chart.

Which defensive linemen will Dolphins coach at Senior Bowl?

Which defensive linemen will Dolphins coach at Senior Bowl?

The Miami Dolphins are now just a week away from engaging in the most prominent scouting event of the 2021 offseason — the Senior Bowl. With the coronavirus pandemic threatening much of the status quo in the NFL Draft process, the Senior Bowl will continue on as usual. Just with some socially distanced modifications and plenty of COVID-19 protocols for the health and safety of all involved.

And throughout the course of this week, the Senior Bowl, courtesy of Director Jim Nagy, will be unveiling which players are partaking in the event for which team; either the Dolphins or the Carolina Panthers.

Yesterday, the defensive lines were revealed. Here’s who Miami will be coaching throughout the week for three days of practice and then the game itself at the end of the week at perhaps the team’s most pressing need.

Defensive linemen

So which prospects are a good fit for what the Miami Dolphins want to do? You can start with Pittsburgh’s Patrick Jones II — who fits the size prototype that Miami has gravitated towards with their edge defenders. But Jones would likely command a top-50 pick, which may not be an investment Miami is willing to make at this point in their rebuild and with all the needs on offense.

Don’t sleep on Notre Dame’s duo of Ade Ogundeji and Daelin Hayes. Ogundeji physically resembles another Miami Dolphin — Emmanuel Ogbah. He’s considered a late bloomer but would be a strong addition for a team that likes to gravitate towards traits and “uncoachable” qualities before worrying about the fundamentals after the fact. Hayes, on the other hand, currently projects as a bit more of a hybrid player. He dropped weight into the 250’s this past season and looked as though he’d be physically capable of manning some of Miami’s rush linebacker reps.

Jonathon Cooper of Ohio State is another prospect in the same mold as Hayes, giving Miami plenty of attractive scheme fits to work with and, just as importantly, an array of draftable ranges to keep their plans for adding to their pass rush group flexible in 2021.

Which offensive linemen will Dolphins coach at Senior Bowl?

Which offensive tackles will Dolphins coach at Senior Bowl?

The Miami Dolphins are now just a week away from engaging in the most prominent scouting event of the 2021 offseason — the Senior Bowl. With the coronavirus pandemic threatening much of the status quo in the NFL Draft process, the Senior Bowl will continue on as usual. Just with some socially distanced modifications and plenty of COVID-19 protocols for the health and safety of all involved.

And throughout the course of the next week, the Senior Bowl, courtesy of Director Jim Nagy, will be unveiling which players are partaking in the event for which team; either the Dolphins or the Carolina Panthers.

Yesterday, the offensive lines were revealed. Here’s who Miami will be coaching throughout the week for three days of practice and then the game itself at the end of the week at perhaps the team’s most pressing need.

Offensive linemen

For a team that is seemingly invested in pulling as much talent from the University of Alabama as possible to build up their offensive attack, one can’t help but wonder if the Dolphins aren’t a little bummed to find out that the likes of Alex Leatherwood (T/G) and Deonte Brown (RG) are not under their watch. The Carolina Panthers also hauled OG Trey Smith of Alabama, giving the Panthers three potential interior linemen who could move the needle for Miami.

But the Dolphins’ group has plenty of appeal, starting with center Creed Humphrey from Oklahoma. Once considered a potential top-20 selection, Humphrey’s perception seems to have plateaued — but he’s still a likely 2nd-round selection and a strong fit for Miami if the team opts to move on from Ted Karras. The Dolphins also welcome a trio of Fighting Irish to their roster; Aaron Banks, Liam Eichenberg and Robert Hainsey are 60% of one of the best offensive lines in all of college football. Eichenberg is the best of the bunch at left tackle — but also the least likely to actually become a Miami Dolphin.

What is most interesting about this group is the Dolphins have accumulated plenty of small-school, developmental players. Dillon Radunz (North Dakota State), Robert Jones (Middle Tennessee State), Quinn Meinerz (Wisconsin-Whitewater) and Spencer Brown (Northern Iowa) are all the kinds of prospects that a team dialed into player development — as the Dolphins are — would be especially interested in getting their hands on.

They will next week.

Carolina Panthers: 11 top offensive prospects to watch at the 2021 Senior Bowl

Here are 11 offensive prospects we’ll be keeping an eye on at the end of the month.

The Carolina Panthers and the Miami Dolphins will be coaching the two teams competing in this year’s Senior Bowl (Saturday, Jan. 31 on NFL Network). That will give coach Matt Rhule and his staff an up-close look at some of the top prospects in the 2021 NFL draft.

Here are 11 offensive prospects we’ll be keeping an eye on at the end of the month.

2021 Senior Bowl: Bears should take long look at these quarterback prospects

A look at three quarterbacks the Bears should scout closely at the 2021 Senior Bowl

The 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl is scheduled to kick off on Jan. 30, but the real focus will be on the all-important week of practices in the days leading up to the game.

The Bears won’t have the benefit of coaching either roster this year, but they should have a contingent of scouts and front-office personnel on hand to evaluate the nation’s top senior prospects.

Of critical importance for Chicago this offseason is quarterback, where the failed Mitch Trubisky pick and the disaster trade for Nick Foles has left the franchise searching for QB-next once again.

The Senior Bowl will feature a few intriguing names Bears fans should keep a close eye on during the televised practices and, of course, the game.

Here are the three most appealing options for GM Ryan Pace to consider.

Kyle Trask, Florida

-At one point during the college football season, Trask was considered a Heisman Trophy favorite and a potential first-round pick. The shine has dulled on Trask’s assessment and it looks more like he’ll be a quality second-round target who could be on the board when the Bears pick on Day 2.

Trask has the size and baseline passer’s skill set to provide the Bears with a potential rookie starter. He isn’t the best athlete, but he’s capable of beating defenses with his strong football IQ. And we know how much Pace loves players with a good football IQ.

Ian Book, Notre Dame

-Book won’t check every box when it comes to the traditional quarterback scouting report — he isn’t the biggest guy playing the position — but he has a certain moxie about him that will serve him well on the next level.

Book can win outside of structure and is an above-average athlete who can make plays with his legs. His pocket presence needs some work, but as a Day-3 pick? The Bears could use a guy with Book’s developmental skill set.

Kellen Mond, Texas A&M

-Mond has a live arm and an NFL quarterback’s frame to go along with better athletic ability than he’s given credit for. His processing speed needs an uptick, but he has the physical traits to develop into a legitimate passing threat on the next level.

Which prospects should Dolphins hope to coach at 2021 Senior Bowl?

Which prospects should Dolphins hope to coach at 2021 Senior Bowl?

The news came through earlier this week that the Miami Dolphins would not only be in attendance at the 2021 Senior Bowl, but that their coaching staff will be on hand in full force to coach one of the two teams of NFL hopefuls. It’s a massive win for the Dolphins, who will reap the rewards of being so skewed towards building their franchise through the NFL Draft under general manager Chris Grier and head coach Brian Flores.

Who are the prospects to note for Flores and the Dolphins ahead of the event, which will be held at the end of the month in Mobile, Alabama?

Here are a number of possible “scheme fits” or players at positions of need of note. The more of these players Miami can get their hands on, the better.

Nov 28, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies defensive back Elijah Molden (3) and defensive back Alex Cook (5) react following a third down stop against the Utah Utes during the fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

CB Elijah Molden, Washington

Molden is a gifted cornerback who, despite the feel of redundancy in Miami’s depth chart, could provide a boost. Miami has been deliberate with their handling of 1st-round pick Noah Igbinoghene to keep him on the perimeter, where as Molden has spent a lot of time in the nickel. The 2021 offseason will be a great chance to explore upgrading that position for Miami, which has been manned by 2019 UDFA Nik Needham.

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Panthers, Dolphins coaching staffs chosen for 2021 Senior Bowl

The Carolina Panthers and the Miami Dolphins coaching staffs have been selected to coach the teams competing in this year’s Senior Bowl.

The Carolina Panthers and the Miami Dolphins coaching staffs have been selected to coach the teams competing in this year’s Senior Bowl.

Here’s what coach Matt Rhule had to say, per the team website.

“We’re thrilled to coach at the Senior Bowl. . . Every year, Jim Nagy and his staff put together the best showcase of college talent in the nation, and we’re really excited to lead and get to know a team of this year’s top draft prospects.”

This is great news for the organization. As Rhule said, this gives his staff an opportunity to get to know some high-profile prospects in this year’s draft class.

The game will take place in Mobile, AL on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

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