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The secondary prospects balled out on day two of the NFL Scouting Combine with multiple players jumping out of the building
The NFL Scouting Combine kicked off with a bang on Thursday afternoon by starting with the defensive lineman and linebackers. There was a lot of intrigue with this group, especially at the top.
On Friday, we got the secondary players with the cornerbacks and safeties. This is one of, if not the, deepest class in recent memory.
Early on, we saw some insane jumps and they matched it with their 40-times. Here are six players that really stood out on Friday afternoon.
The Vikings go for a modern version of three deep in the latest seven-round mock draft
The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.
I have now done four mock drafts for the Vikings this offseason and they all have taken a slightly different turn each time. This one has the Vikings prioritizing a field-stretching receiver.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day with Alex’s 2023 NFL draft crushes the Los Angeles Chargers might love.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
While for many, today is about celebrating a cherished partner, this year it also marks the official transition between the NFL season and draft season.
With the Super Bowl a couple of days into the rearview mirror, it’s time to focus on the upcoming NFL Combine, slated to occur from February 28 to March 6.
In the spirit of the day, here are a few of my draft crushes heading into the cycle.
The 2023 NFL Draft is fast approaching and the cornerback class is loaded. @TheRealForno has his top 12 cornerbacks in this class
The 2023 NFL draft is approaching and there is one thing that’s clear.
This cornerback class is insanely deep.
In my initial study, I have written up full scouting reports on 12 cornerbacks and they all received grades of at least 79.0. That is a high third-round grade and 10 of those 12 got second-round grades.
Here is how I have the class currently graded before the NFL combine and athletic testing.
The Vikings have been mocked South Carolina’s Cam Smith. How is his teammate Darius Rush?
Welcome to SKOL Search!
This series will be your guide to the 2023 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.
The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major needs at wide receiver, running back, cornerback and both interior and edge pass rusher.
The Vikings are slated to have four picks before compensatory selections are awarded and they need to make the most out of them.
Recapping the final day of practice at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Over 100 of the top senior prospects and at least three Chargers personnel staffers are in Mobile, Alabama this week for the Senior Bowl. Thursday marked the third and final day of practice for both rosters leading up to the game on Saturday.
Here are my notes from both practices Thursday.
My biggest standout was Northwestern defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore. After two days of solid play, Adebawore blew up Thursday’s session on every single rep. He won two straight one-on-one reps before the groups took a water break. When the players returned, Notre Dame offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson went to line up at center before Adebawore called him out and told him to move to guard so they could go against one another. He then beat Patterson both times and earned a celebration with his fellow defenders. Once team period began, Adebawore beat North Dakota State OL Cody Mauch with an inside swim to force a run stop.
Adebawore is a bit undersized for a defensive lineman, coming in at 6’1 ½”, 284 lbs. But with 34” arms and the power profile to match, the Northwestern defender is an intriguing potential 4 or 5 tech at the next level. If the Chargers feel like they need to beef up their pass rush presence from the interior, Adebawore could be someone they take a long look at early on Day 3.
I thought Fresno State QB Jake Haener was the best passer of the day and probably the best of the week, considering how poorly the quarterbacks have played in Mobile. In one on ones, Haener was by far the most consistent as far as ball placement went, especially on end-zone corner routes to the back pylon. When they moved to flatter routes to the front of the end zone, Haener struggled with his ball placement a bit, but still less than the other two QBs on his squad.
When team period began, Haener again delivered a nice ball to the back pylon that was equaled by a nice catch by Purdue tight end Payne Durham while being hit by two defenders. Durham took a huge shot, losing his helmet in the process, but held onto the ball for the touchdown.
Michigan center Olusegun Oluwatimi had his best day of the week in my opinion. After struggling with more powerful rushers all week, Oluwatimi held his own against some of the best performers at the Senior Bowl. Bowling Green defensive tackle Karl Brooks had nothing for him on their reps. Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton initially pushed Oluwatimi back, but he recovered nicely and was able to reset his anchor to win the rep.
Oluwatimi is an athletically limited center who will always have his issues against more powerful NFL players. For that reason, he’ll likely be available well into Day 3. If the Chargers want an intelligent developmental center behind Corey Linsley, Oluwatimi could be in play.
People have been speaking highly of Illinois RB Chase Brown, but I have some real questions about what his utility on passing downs is going to be. I thought he consistently struggled to find his hands in pass protection drills and looked incredibly uncomfortable catching the ball out of the backfield. Brown was named the National team RB of the Week by the linebackers he went up against, but I have a feeling that had more to do with his powerful running style than his overall game.
On the flip side for Illinois, safety Sydney Brown has looked like a missile closing on the ball all week. The twin brother of Chase, Sydney’s closing speed has stuck out on nearly every rep in Mobile. Without live tackling, Sydney has been forced to pull up, but in live-action, there have been a number of times where you can tell that he’s seconds away from detonating on a ball carrier. For a Chargers team that needs to add tackling ability on the back end, Brown could be an option late on Day 2 or early on Day 3 to add to the mix alongside Alohi Gilman and JT Woods opposite Derwin James.
South Carolina cornerback Darius Rush finished out a great week on Thursday with a dominant performance against the American team wide receivers. In one on ones, Rush undercut an out route intended for Princeton’s Andrei Iosivas, then won a battle with SMU’s Rashee Rice, who came into the week billed as the top receiver in Mobile. The South Carolina corner showed a ton of patience and ample route recognition abilities before showcasing his 21.65 mph speed to close on a throw for an interception during team period.
Rush has made himself a lot of money this week, but his fit with the Chargers remains unlikely because of his position and play style. LA is mostly set at cornerback with JC Jackson, Asante Samuel Jr., and Michael Davis, and Jackson and Davis have the same physical style as Rush off the line.
Quick hits:
Which defenders stood out in Day 3 of Senior Bowl week? Laurie Fitzpatrick checks in from Mobile.
MOBILE, Alabama — On the last day of Senior Bowl practices, it was a lot about who could step up and finish strong. There were more individual drills that took place inside the redzone, and at the goal line, so we could see these players work with limited space.
Who could win and who could score.
Over the last few days, these players have been getting used to their competition, so there was more chatter between reps. Which made the competitiveness rise. We got a chance to see who would come out on top when the pressure was on.
On the defensive side of the ball, there were a few players that showed a lot of improvement, and others who continued to show why their stocks continue to rise. Let’s dive into who’s stock went up on Day 3 of Senior Bowl week.
The final practice of Senior Bowl week had some great wide receiver/cornerback matchups. @MattAnderson_8 breaks it all down
The Senior Bowl practices have wrapped up here in Mobile, Alabama, and for the American Team, it’s been a fun week of practice. Many players have improved their draft stock and confirmed many experts’ prior assumptions about them.
Let’s take a look and see who hurt and helped their draft stock following the final day of practice.
The second day of practice was an intense one for the American team. @MattAnderson_8 breaks it all down
Day two of the Senior Bowl is complete, and Wednesday’s practice for the American team had a different feel than day one. while the wide receivers and cornerbacks still had a competitive day. The story of the day was with the other position groups.
The trenches were a battle throughout practice and gave us some of the best reps of the day with some intense matchups.
Let’s dive into some prospects who helped or hurt their draft stock from Wednesday’s practice.
Browns trade back for more assets and target a fix for a defensive tackle.
It is rare for Cleveland Browns fans to all agree on something but most agree something needs to be done about the defensive tackle. Michigan’s Mazi Smith may just fit the bill as the team could likely attack the position both through free agency and the draft to revamp the entire position room. In this 2023 NFL Mock Draft for the first time I have included trades to add more picks later to offset the massive contract extensions, the team has signed.
The Trade: Browns trade pick 42 to the Seattle Seahawks for pick 52 and a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. After making this trade it was clear it was time to address the defensive tackle position. This mock draft was done using the simulator from NFL mock draft database.
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