Tag: Senior Bowl

Rams land Senior Bowl standout CB Quinyon Mitchell in ESPN mock draft

Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell was one of the best players at the Senior Bowl and would be a great pick by the Rams at No. 19

The Los Angeles Rams still have two-plus months to evaluate the incoming draft class as they prepare to make their first pick in Round 1 since 2016 and there are a lot of different prospects to consider at No. 19 overall. With so many holes to fill across the roster, the Rams could look at a few positions with their first pick.

One is certainly cornerback, which was a weakness last season and with Ahkello Witherspoon set to hit free agency, it’s possible they’ll need two new starters at the position. In Field Yates’ mock draft for ESPN, he has the Rams selecting Senior Bowl standout Quinyon Mitchell, a cornerback from Toledo, in the first round.

Mitchell was one of the best players at the Senior Bowl this year and has just about locked himself in as a first-round prospect, putting him in the range of the Rams’ pick at No. 19.

Mitchell was a dominant player at Toledo, and he confirmed at the Senior Bowl what most in the scouting world had suspected: He can flat-out fly, has outstanding ball skills and is extremely disciplined in man-to-man coverage. The Rams are thin in the secondary, and veteran Ahkello Witherspoon — who played a pivotal role this past season — is scheduled to become a free agent. Mitchell could come to L.A. and immediately start breaking up passes, which he did 32 times over the past two seasons at Toledo.

As Yates notes, Mitchell could be a Day 1 starter for the Rams by either replacing Ahkello Witherspoon or pushing Derion Kendrick to the bench. The transition from college to the pros can be tough for a cornerback so expecting a rookie to play at a high level right away can be risky, but Mitchell has excellent ball skills and instincts, which should make him an early contributor.

In this mock, the Rams pass on Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu, who were the next two picks. Iowa corner Cooper DeJean went a few picks later at No. 25 and would also be a great selection for the Rams, especially given his return skills – something Los Angeles has been lacking in recent years.

Mel Kiper names Georgia Bulldogs WR as NFL draft sleeper

ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper identifies a Georgia football wide receiver as a 2024 NFL draft sleeper

ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper has named former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint as one of his 2024 NFL draft sleepers. Kiper really likes Rosemy-Jacksaint’s size, hands, and catch radius. Kiper thinks that Rosemy-Jacksaint showed excellent consistency throughout his college career and showed improvement each and every season. Kiper considers the 6-foot-1, 195-pound receiver to be a third- or fourth-round draft prospect.

The former Georgia standout aided his NFL draft stock thanks to an impressive week at the Senior Bowl. Rosemy-Jacksaint scored a 29-yard touchdown in the Senior Bowl on a contested catch.

During his final season in Athens, Rosemy-Jacksaint caught 34 passes for 535 yards and four touchdowns. The senior receiver has proved to be a reliable target for Georgia football and rarely dropped passes. Rosemy-Jacksaint is also an excellent run blocker. He finished his four-year Georgia  career with 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns. The St. Thomas Aquinas High School product improved his statistics during every year of his career at Georgia.

At the Senior Bowl, Rosemy-Jacksaint showed to NFL scouts that he is capable of getting separation against opposing defensive backs. Rosemy-Jacksaint may not put up monster numbers in the NFL, but he is someone that can be trusted in any situation and does not have many weaknesses.

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint is expected to receive an invitation to the 2024 NFL combine, which will be held Feb. 27-March 3.

 

2024 NFL Draft – Top 50 players post Senior Bowl

Here is Natalie Miller’s newest Top 50.

With the Senior Bowl all wrapped up, we can start putting together the first big board on where these players stand. With more and more tape study and players making a name for themselves during the start of the pre-draft process, things become more and more clear.

Here is Natalie Miller’s first Big Board of the year through the top 50 players:

 

8 OTs could be 1st-round picks in 2024?

There was a lot of buzz about the tackle class at the Senior Bowl.

Apparently, it is a good year to need an offensive tackle in the draft. The Arizona Cardinals could be a team that takes advantage of that.

Despite drafting Paris Johnson sixth overall last year, left tackle D.J. Humphries tore his ACL at the end of the season, opening up tackle as an official need in 2024.

They could potentially get a tackle with either one of their first-round picks.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, this might be the best tackle class in years.

The buzz around this year’s offensive tackle class is immense. Veteran agents and scouts are predicting the first round could feature the most tackles in years, surpassing the 2020 class that featured six. From 2021-23, no more than five tackles were selected in any given year. But at least eight names will be in consideration this year, including several who were in Mobile: Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga, Arizona’s Jordan Morgan and Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton.

Several others will be prominent Day 2 picks or could sneak into Day 1. Texas’ Christian Jones and Houston’s Patrick Paul had impressive moments this week at the Senior Bowl. Great offensive line play is scarce in the NFL, but will the supply meet the demand? It looks that way early. 

Whether it is with the fourth pick, with a pick they get after trading down, with the 27th pick or their second-round pick, the Cardinals could land themselves a quality tackle to pair with Johnson for years.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Senior Bowl Q&A with Penn State TE Theo Johnson

Texans Wire’s John Crumpler chatted with Penn State TE Theo Johnson about his experience at the Senior Bowl and his path to the draft.

The Senior Bowl has officially come and gone, with the three days of practice concluded and the National Team defeating the American Team, 16-7, during Saturday’s game.

Many players took the opportunity this week to elevate their NFL draft stock and one of those was National Team tight end Theo Johnson. He showed off strong blocking, consistent hands, and good separation en route to being voted the Best Tight End on his team by his defensive peers.

Johnson confirmed with Texans Wire that he spoke with the Houston Texans while in Mobile and had some time to talk with lead analyst John Crumpler about his experience at the Senior Bowl and his path to the draft.

South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler launches himself up draft boards with big Senior Bowl performance

South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler launches himself up draft boards with big Senior Bowl performance

It’s a big time for NFL draft prospects in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft to put their names in the minds of general managers and scouts and one of the big reasons why is one of the biggest kick offs to the start of draft season is the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where the nations best college players come out to compete and impress. Perhaps no other prospect this last week did that more than South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler.

Rattler was notably one of the better quarterbacks during the practice portion of the week and capped that off with an impressive performance in the all-star game, where he eventually came home with the MVP. While he only saw two drives, Rattler was perfect on both, ultimately ending the day by completing 4-4 passes for 65 yards, including a beautiful 29-yard touchdown dime to Georgia wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint on the first drive of the game.

While Rattler is unlikely to go in the first round, this whole Senior Bowl process has been a big boost to him, displaying he can lead a team and make NFL-level throws. In a stacked quarterback class with a bunch of mid-range talent sticking together in the process, standing out will only serve Rattler well moving forward.

Dolphins select Oregon OL in 1st round of NFL.com mock draft

Miami projected to grab Senior Bowl standout.

With the Pro Bowl now in the rearview there’s only the Super Bowl left on the calendar of the 2023 season before everyone moves on to 2024.

The 30 teams who aren’t going to be competing for a Lombardi Trophy have already flipped the page and have begun their preparations for the upcoming season, which starts with free agency and the draft.

This time of year, NFL mock drafts are coming out every day, and NFL.com’s Eric Edholm recently released his first of the year, which had the Miami Dolphins selecting Oregon offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson with pick No. 21.

Here’s what Edholm had to say about the potential selection:

“Mike McDaniel’s offense could use an upgrade on the interior offensive line, and I believe Powers-Johnson has the movement skills and acumen to be effective inside at either guard or center. There’s not a ton of worry about the hamstring strain that caused JPJ to drop out of the Senior Bowl being a long-term issue.”

All three of Miami’s starters on the interior (Isaiah Wynn, Connor Williams and Robert Hunt) are set to hit free agency, and with their current cap situation, the Dolphins would be best suited to find some young, affordable talent in the draft to help bridge the gap for years to come.

Powers-Johnson was a standout at Senior Bowl practices before suffering that injury that Edholm mentioned, and he had a strong final season at Oregon last year.

According to Pro Football Focus, Powers-Johnson was the top center in college football last year, posting an 84.3 grade. In his three seasons with the Ducks, playing four different positions (left guard, center, right guard and right tackle), he allowed just four pressures and zero sacks in 758 pass-blocking opportunities.

That sounds like a guy who would fit well in Miami.

Photos: Ladd McConkey, Georgia Bulldogs show out at Senior Bowl

Best photos as Georgia Bulldogs dominated the 2024 Senior Bowl ahead of the NFL draft

Six Georgia Bulldogs participated in the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl, which is one of the most important predraft events. The Senior Bowl provides an unprecedented level of access to top NFL draft prospects.

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey, safety Tykee Smith, and safety Javon Bullard all earned honors for their efforts throughout the week. McConkey was named as the wide receiver of the week for the American team. Tykee Smith was honored as the defensive MVP of the Senior Bowl. Players voted Javon Bullard as the top defensive back on the American team. Lastly, wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint hauled in an impressive touchdown reception in the Senior Bowl.

Additionally, long snapper William Mote and running back Daijun Edwards also participated in the Senior Bowl. What are the top photos of Georgia Bulldogs at the Senior Bowl?

4 Senior Bowl prospects who elevated themselves on my Lions radar

Not every player fits what the Lions are looking for, but these 4 showed the grit and the game in Mobile to interest Detroit

One of the best parts of going to the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl is learning a lot more about the more than 100 NFL draft prospects down in Mobile. Between interviewing many of them and seeing how they interact with teammates and coaches, we get to see a deeper picture of a player.

Oh yeah, they also play a lot of football during the week. The three days of practices help spotlight individual talents and specific skillsets for the prospects.

Not every player fits what this Lions regime is looking for. Coach Dan Campbell made it clear that potential Lions must clear some character, attitude and cultural fit standards if they are going to be considered.

Here are four players from the Senior Bowl week who improved their Detroit potential in my eyes with their skills on the practice fields, and they also seem to fit the Lions’ lofty personal standards.

Note–I’m leaving out Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell because he played his way out of being available anywhere close to the No. 29 pick. Dream another dream; that dream is over…

Notre Dame Football: Senior Bowl Recap for Irish

How Notre Dame players performed in this weekend’s Senior Bowl

The annual Senior Bowl was held this weekend in Mobile, Alabama and Notre Dame had a fairly large presence as five former Golden Domers participated.

JD Bertrand, Cam Hart, Sam Hartman, Javontate Jean-Baptiste, and Marist Liufau all earned invitations to the Senior Bowl this year.  The game is pretty much just the tip of the iceberg for the week that is the Senior Bowl, as much more is generally learned in the practices that lead up to the game.

So how did the former Notre Dame players who participated in the Senior Bowl perform?

Below is a recap of all five participants.