MORSE: Senior Bowl Top Practice Players and Potential Patriots Prospects

The Senior Bowl is this afternoon at 2:30 on NFL Network. I suspect many of the players will opt out of the actual game itself. Most of the scouts and team execs have left Mobile and they will get a copy of the all-22 game film to evaluate the players that played. Their work is basically done after witnessing the three days of practice.

Here are Dane Brugler’s (NFL.com) Top Players of the Week

Quarterback: Tyler Shough, Louisville

Running back: Devin Neal, Kansas

Wide receiver: Jaylin Noel, Iowa State

Tight end: Elijah Arroyo, Miami

Offensive tackle: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon

Interior offensive line: Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

Edge rusher: Mike Green, Marshall

Defensive tackle: Darius Alexander, Toledo

Linebacker: Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon

Cornerback: Quincy Riley, Louisville

Safety: Dante Trader Jr., Maryland

This is the Practice Players of the week as selected by the players they played against all week.

POS	AMERICAN	NATIONAL
QB		Taylor Slough Louisville
RB		Ollie Gordon Oklahoma State
WR	Jack Bech YCU	Jaylin Noel Iowa State
TE
OL	Miles Frazier LSU	Josh Conerly Oregon

DL	Barryn Sorrell Texas	Darius Alexander Toledo
LB	Jack Kiser Notre Dame	Jeff Bassa Oregon
S	Dan Jackson Georgia	Keondre Jackson Illinois State
CB

Overall Player of the Week – Grey Zabel OL North Dakota State. This award was voted on by the 32 NFL execs in attendance. Zabel was dominant all week at all three, line positions. He is now a late 1^st Round / early 2^nd round pick.

Unfortunately, I don’t have all the award winner and can’t wait for the official posting before I need to publish this article.

My Favorite players of the week for the Patriots.

Jaylin Royals WR Utah State – He is 5’11^3/8210-pounds and runs a 4.38 40 yard dash. Royals missed half the year this past season with a foot injury and he used the Senior Bowl to re-establish himself as a top 100 player. Royals can play inside or out wide.

Jack Bech WR TCU – Nasty is the word to describe him. The 6’2” 214-pound receiver won every 50/50 ball and showed surprisingly clean releases off press coverage. No DB wanted to go against him. What sealed the deal for me is Bech blocking ability. Whether a crackback or a downfield block to spring a receiver, he was very willing and impressive.

Jalin Noel WR Iowa State – 5’9^3/4” 196-pounds sub 4.5 speed. He was uncoverable all week. Many refer him to a Josh McDaniels type of slot receiver. One drawback is that he has small hands, but that didn’t stop him from catching everything thrown to him in Mobile.

Anthony Belton OT North Carolina State– The massive 6’ 5 ^3/8” 345-pound Right Tackle didn’t look great on film from this past season. Who was this guy that showed up in Mobile? Belton played left Tackle against a great collection of edge rushers and looked terrific. He made a lot of money this week with his good showing. He went from a probable 4-6^th round pick to as high as a 2^nd round pick. Depending on how the Patriots approach Free Agency and filling the OT needs on this team, Belton just may here his named called by the Patriots.

Grey Zabel OL North Dakota State – I don’t expect the Patriots to go for an Interior Olineman, but if they did, Zabel is the top player. I could see Zabel starting at C as a rookie. David Andrews is at the end of the line and may or may not make the team this year.

Jalen Rivers OT Miami – Rivers had a solid week, but the intriguing things about him is his extremely long arms. The 6’5” 325=pound lineman has 35” long arms. He is able to keep pass rushers away from his body and easily ride then away from the QB. New patriots O-line coach Doug Marrone is said to be enamored with lineman with long arms.

Willie Lampkins OL North Carolina – Lampkins stood out to me because of the two reps he had against massive 6’7” 345-pound DT Deone Walker. Lampkins stonewalled him at the Line of Scrimmage. Lampkin stands just 5’10 ¾” and between 270 and 288 pounds. Extremely undersized for a D1 Olineman, nevermind the NFL. However he has a lot of junk yard dog in him, and I could see him playing multiple position on game day from extra blocker on the line, a Fullback, Special Teams player. Josh McDaniels has always had a Fullback in his offense. A player that can play multiple positions would be very valuable.

Darius Alexander DL Toledo – Another player that was projected as a 3^rd day pick and he has now boosted himself up into a Day 2 pick. The 6’4” 310=pound lineman can play outside and move inside as a pass rusher. If the Patriots are going to a 4-3 based defense a player like Alexander would be ideal. He has 4.8 speed which is very good for a 310-pound lineman.

Mike Green EDGE Marshall – He was the best pass rusher at the Senior Bowl. Most observers will highlight he bull rush of Josh Conerly, one of the Practice Players of the Week (voted by his peers). Conerly was played at Right Tackle, not his natural position and he was surprised by Green’s bull rush. Green, known for his finesse moves, surprised Conerly with the bull rush and he knocked him on his butt. Green has solidified his position as a 1^st round selection. His 17 sacks this season were not a fluke nor was it playing against inferior competition. If Abdul Carter is gone by the time it’s the Patriots turn to select, I would be in favor of trading back and taking Green. Green showed up 10 pounds heavier at 6’3” 251 pounds.

Shemar Stewart DL Texas A&M – he put on a show here in Mobile and after two days he left after securing his 1^st Round grade. The Patriots have no chance of getting him unless they are willing to trade back into the 1^st round.

Like this article?
Support Mark and buy him a coffee.

About Mark Morse

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.

View all posts by Mark Morse