10 players to watch in the 2018 Senior Bowl, including sleeper tight end Dallas Goedert, wide receiver Jaleel Scott, and defensive end Marcus Davenport…
The rosters for the Senior Bowl have yet to be announced, but players around the country are already accepting invitations.
There will be more than 10 players to watch during this whole process, as a great number of these guys will end up getting drafted high and having successful careers, but here are 10 of my personal favorites that I’ll be keeping a close eye on, starting with:
Allen Lazard, WR, Iowa State
Height: 6-5
Weight: 222
Why he’s worth watching:
Allen Lazard, simply put, is one of the baddest dudes in college football that no one really knows about. He caught the game-winning touchdown against Oklahoma this year, which ultimately didn’t knock the Sooners out of the CFB Playoff, but it really helped put Lazard on the map nationally.
Lazard has been a consistent performer for four years at Iowa State, despite their lack of truly great quarterback play. He’s a big receiver, but he actually does quite a few things well at that position that you wouldn’t expect someone of his size to do well, like winning with quickness in short areas.
Because of his length and strong hands, Lazard is one of the best in the country at making contested catches and bringing down one-on-one balls that have no business being caught in the first place.
You’ll see a few examples of that in the video above.
I think Lazard is going to be a better NFL player than he was a collegiate one, simply because the level of talent around him in the NFL will be that much better. If you get this guy with an accurate quarterback, he will be deadly, especially in the red zone.
Key Stat: Lazard has 25 career touchdowns over four seasons, including a career high 9 as a senior.
Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State
Height: 6-5
Weight: 255
Travis Kelce Jr.?
Who the heck is this dude out of South Dakota State?
The Dakotas were put on the map by Carson Wentz a couple of years ago, but tight end Dallas Goedert has proven he’s more than just an FCS sleeper.
This guy is many analysts top tight end prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft, and when you watch him play, you’ll see why.
Goedert has a knack for making incredible catches, but it’s his ability with the ball in his hands after the catch that has helped him draw the comparisons to the former Cincinnati and current Pro Bowl tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The former walk-on from Britton, SD has gotten better year after year for the Jackrabbits, and has proven he is valuable not just as a big play threat, but as a high-volume target and safety valve for the quarterback.
Key Stat: Goedert, as a tight end, has two straight seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards, averaging 15 yards per catch in 2016 and 2017.
Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA
Height: 6-7
Weight: 255
If you haven’t watched much of Marcus Davenport yet, you’d best get right on that.
If your team needs a pass rusher in the 2018 NFL Draft, this kid is a legitimate first round option, and I believe he will prove as much at Senior Bowl practices.
At 6-foot-7, 255-260 pounds, I haven’t seen a player bend around the edge as easily as Davenport does with his size and length. It’s one of the first times I have scouted a defensive end with that listed height that didn’t struggle with one of either power or stiffness around the edge.
This guy isn’t perfect, but speed and power are evident in his game, and he does a great job against the run, too.
Familiarize yourself with this name, because you’re going to be hearing it a ton. This kid is a top 15-20 talent.
Key Stat: Over the past two seasons, Davenport has racked up 27.5 TFL and 15 sacks.
Michael Joseph, DB, Dubuque
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
What’s with all the small school players in this post? Well, you can’t help it when these guys are showing out on tape like they are, and Michael Joseph is going to be a really fun player to watch at the Senior Bowl.
With most of his dominance at Dubuque coming at the cornerback position and out of press coverage, scouts believe Joseph has the ability to play some safety at the next level as well because he’s shown on tape (scrub around these game highlights, and you’ll see number 21 at work) that he can also knock guys off their feet with some big time hits.
Not only does he have a hard-hitting nature about him, Joseph is perhaps one of the best ballhawks in the entire Senior Bowl group. He will be a fun defensive back to watch, whether he’s working with cornerbacks or safeties.
Key Stat: Joseph has eight interceptions this season, most in college football.
Jaleel Scott, WR, New Mexico State
Height: 6-6
Weight: 215
Everyone is excited to see how Jaleel Scott fares in Senior Bowl practices, because he’s shown out this past year for New Mexico State.
He helped the New Mexico State football program to its first bowl game bid in 57 years, no small accomplishment, and he did it by being one of the top deep threats in all of college football.
A former transfer from Ellsworth (IA) Community College, Scott has been impressing NFL scouts all season with his height, length, and big play ability downfield.
Take a look through that Arizona State game footage, and feast your eyes upon his one-handed catch in the end zone. This kid is a playmaker.
If you throw the ball up in his direction, chances are definitely more than 50-50 he’s coming down with it.
Key Stat: Scott exploded against Arizona State and Arkansas in 2017, catching a combined 17 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns.
Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa
Height: 5-11
Weight: 191
If you don’t know about Akrum Wadley already, you’re missing out.
Arguably the MVP for the Iowa Hawkeyes over the past three seasons, Wadley has improved each and every year in his game as a complete running back, showing he can not only make big plays outside the tackles, but run hard between them and make plays in the passing game.
Wadley showed up with some of his biggest games on the biggest stages for the Hawkeyes, including some of the team’s most heart-breaking losses, like this season against Penn State when he exploded in the second half, finishing with 155 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.
Wadley has the explosiveness, toughness, vision, and quickness NFL teams covet in a running back, and he doesn’t need to come off the field on any down, despite being a bit light for a lead back.
If he can continue to slowly add bulk while not compromising his speed or quickness, Wadley could have a big time impact as a rookie.
Key Stat: Iowa has only lost one game (out of 14) when Wadley rushed for over 100 yards throughout his career.
Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State
Height: 6-5
Weight: 307
For my money, there is perhaps no better value at the tackle position in this year’s draft class than Martinas Rankin of Mississippi State.
He plays with a mean streak, but has great feet and can hold up incredibly well in pass protection as a left tackle, which I think he will excel at in the NFL for a long time.
When I watch Rankin, what I see is one of the most consistently good tackles in the country. He is a former community college transfer that came to Mississippi State and immediately had success. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Senior Bowl coaching staffs give him a look at guard as well, as NFL teams will have the ability to use him almost anywhere along the line.
That said, I think this guy is going to really excel as a left tackle at the next level, and he’s going to be one of the big risers from this year’s Senior Bowl.
Key Stat: Since coming to Mississippi State as a community college transfer, Rankin has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll twice.
Harold Landry, EDGE, Boston College
Height: 6-3
Weight: 250
Physically, Harold Landry is not far off of — dare I even say it — Von Miller of the Denver Broncos. Athletically, he might not be quite where Miller is and was coming out of Texas A&M, but he might be darn close.
After a stellar breakout season in 2016, Landry’s numbers have taken a dip in 2017, and he’s missed some games due to injury. For those reasons, he was recently named among our top NFL Draft ‘fallers’ of the 2017 season.
That being said, the player we’ve seen over the course of the past three seasons is a very good one, and Landry still has a very good chance of being a first round pick because of his elite ability to bend around the edge.
He is going to be very hard for offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl to handle, and could prove to be one of the quickest to adjust in the NFL in terms of making an impact as a rusher. He’s going to continue to improve and get stronger as a player, and I think the Senior Bowl will be an excellent showcase of his skills.
Key Stat: 48 career tackles for loss, 25 career sacks, 10 career forced fumbles. Enough said.
Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon
Height: 6-5
Weight: 320 pounds
If you’re looking for a darkhorse first round pick among this year’s Senior Bowl class, Tyrell Crosby is it.
How does a player hide out this well at a school like Oregon? Better question — how does a player wearing this loud of a uniform every week stay so quiet?
All kidding aside, Crosby might be the most well-rounded tackle in this year’s class. He showed phenomenal footwork as a pass protector, and excellent leverage. He is a mauler in the running game, getting his hands on defenders quickly and oftentimes planting them into the ground.
Why is he not getting as much first round talk? I have no clue.
That said, the Senior Bowl will be his chance to prove to scouts exactly what they’ve seen on tape for the past couple of seasons, that he is one of the best all-around tackles in college football.
Key Stat: Crosby has graded out as one of the top pass blocking and run blocking tackles by Pro Football Focus each of the past two seasons.
Kurt Benkert, QB, Virginia
It wouldn’t be a complete list without a quarterback to watch, though I think perhaps the most intriguing quarterback(s) have yet to accept invitations to the Senior Bowl (cough–Josh Allen–cough).
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Benkert has been inconsistent this season, to say the least, but he played perhaps the best game of his life against Miami, which I have posted above.
Benkert was dropping dimes in the Miami game, and despite throwing a bad interception at one point, the majority of the passes he made were excellent: On time, on target, and with the proper velocity.
I’m intrigued to see how he fares in an environment like the Senior Bowl, though this game is never typically a great barometer for quarterback prospects. There’s no chemistry with the receivers, and defensive players are able to time the snap counts pretty easily, which is why pass rushers often shine at Senior Bowl practices.
Benkert is the type of player, though, that could show off to scouts why he was considered one of the most underrated players throughout the season. And whether or not that game against Miami was more than just a mirage.
Key Stat: Benkert has thrown three or more touchdown passes in 6 of Virginia’s 12 games in 2017.