This wraps up the Senior Bowl Practice coverage. First off, an incredible job by the Senior Bowl staff and Jim Nagy in particular. They allowed this group of college seniors to show their stuff. Some will benefit and others will need to improve before the draft if they want to hear their name called.
Here are some outstanding players I have observed. I follow that with players other scribes have been impressed with this week and the ones I liked. Finally, I have the long list of players that are injured. I have to mention Quinn Meinerz OG from Wisconsin – Whitewater. He broke his hand sometime in practice on Thursday, but never came out and finished practice. He said he wants to play on Saturday. That is desire and toughness. He also switched to playing OC which he had never done before and played remarkably.
Mac Jones QB Alabama – He was far and away the most impressive player in Mobile. Many questioned whether his success was due to the outstanding cast of players around him. Wide Receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle will be 1st round picks. Running back Najee Harris is a Day 2 pick along with three outstanding Offensive lineman in Rimington Award winner Center, Landon Dickerson, Outland Trophy winner, Tackle, Alex Leatherwood and the mountain, Guard, Deonte Brown. Jones had a completely new crew of receivers that he was not familiar with. It didn’t matter … Jones was fantastic all week. Consistent in his decision making, delivery and feel for the game. This is exactly what the scouts wanted to see. He may have vaulted himself as high as the #8 selection in the draft. His American team was coached by Matt Ruhle and the Carolina coaching staff. They got an up close and personal look at Jones and couldn’t help but come away impressed.
Larry Roundtree RB Missouri – He outperformed all expectations this week. His pass catching, route running and blocking were at an elite level, something scouts weren’t expecting. He was quicker than advertised. His 40 time will be very important and determine how high he will be drafted. He really helped himself his week.
Cameron Sample DE Tulane – Sample is rather small for DE but he is very dense and explosive. He is hard to move off the spot despite being just 6’3” 280 lbs. His hand work is exquisite with his aggressive style. He just kept showing up on the tape play after play. So much so that scouts are now going back and re-evaluating his game tape. Here is another case of coming in unheralded, and leaving making some money by getting picked higher than he would have if he didn’t have this showcase.
Cade Johnson WR South Dakota St – SD St is a FCS school in the Missouri Valley Conference that chose not to play this fall. Therefore a good showing for Johnson here in the Senior Bowl was very important. He didn’t disappoint. At 5’10” 186 lbs, Johnson is not a physically imposing player. He plays the slot which most of the WR here this week did. In 2018 and 2019 seasons he put up back to back 1000 yd seasons. He made a spectacular one handed catch on a long sideline throw for a TD with the defender draped all over him. On another route he completely destroyed the DB with a shoulder and head fake, leaving the DB in his dust. He beat him by 20 yards on an over route. He will be a day three pick now rather than a UDFA.
Amari Rodgers WR Clemson – Rodgers came in as one of the more heralded WR’s and he didn’t disappoint. He solidified himself as a Day 2 selection with a chance of getting a first round pick. He was slick off the line in press coverage gaining the early advantage and stacking the DB’s and making them pay. I was most impressed with his short area quickness, especially near the goal line. He made several receptions of balls thrown into a tight window.
Trevon Gaines WR Florida – He was a 5 star recruit coming out of High School and committed to Ohio St. He later transferred to Florida to become one of Kyle Trasks favorite targets this past season. He stands 6’4” and 217 lbs. Hard to miss. He is not a burner but just uses good technique and gets open. When he is thrown the ball he catches it! He reminds me of Jakobi Myers.
Matt Miller Players he liked this week at the Senior Bowl practices.
DT Levi Onwuzurike (Injured and will not play in the game)
OT James Hudson
WR Kadarius Toney
WR D’Wayne Eskridge
OT Dillon Radunz
OC Quinn Meinerz (Broken hand and wants to play in the game)
LB Jabril Cox
CB Richie Grant
CB Aaron Robinson
QB Mac Jones (Ankle injury may not play)
Evan Lazar 20 players to watch on Saturday’s game
QB Mac Jones, Alabama
QB Jamie Newman, Wake Forest
WR Kadarius Toney, Florida
RB/WR Demetric Felton, UCLA
WR Amari Rodgers, Clemson
WR Nico Collins, Michigan
WR Tylan Wallace
WR Shi Smith, South Carolina
WR Josh Palmer, Tennessee
WR Cade Johnson, South Dakota State
TE Hunter Long, Boston College
OL Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
OL Deonte Brown, Alabama
OL Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater
DL Jonathon Cooper, Ohio State
DL Marvin Wilson, Florida State
DL Marlon Tuipulotu, USC
LB Riley Cole, South Alabama
CB Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse
CB Aaron Robinson, UCF
DB Richie Grant, UCF
Morse’s Top Performers
WR D’Wayne Eskridge, Western Michigan
CB Aaron Robinson, UCF
RB/WR Demetric Felton, UCLA
QB Mac Jones, Alabama
OL Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater
WR Josh Palmer, Tennessee
OL David Moore, Grambling
RB Kylin Hill, Mississippi St
TE Tre McKitty, Georgia
FB Ben Mason, Michigan
Edge Patrick Jones, Pittsburgh
DB Thomas Graham, Oregon
DT Cam Sample, Tulane
Edge Quincy Roche, U Miami
Injured Players that most likely will not play in Saturday’s game
Luckily the Senior Bowl Committee anticipated injuries/COVID related issue and added 16 more players than usual. The National Team is so short on WR’s that TE Kenny Yeboah has been taking reps at WR.
OC Ben Cleveland Georgia
OC Landon Dickerson, Alabama
WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
QB Mac Jones, Alabama
OC Quinn Menerz, Wisconsin – Whitewater
LB Charles Snowden, Virginia
LB Monty Rice, Georgia
DB Robert Rochell, Central Arkansas
WR Ben Skowronek, Notre Dame
WR Sage Surratt, Wake Forest
DT Levi Onwuzurike, Washington
LB Chazz Surratt, North Carolina
LB Garrett Wallow, TCU (COVID)
DB Rodarious Williams, Oklahoma St
DB Tre Brown, Oklahoma
DL Marvin Wilson, Florida St
DL Malik Herring, Georgia
WR D’Wayne Eskeridge, Western Michigan
WR Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma St.
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Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.
