2021 Senior Bowl: Who stood out and struggled at every position
2021 Senior Bowl: Defensive Line
Standouts
While the defensive line may not have had sure-fire first-round picks in the NFL Draft this year at the Senior Bowl, there was still a good group.
He didn’t get to practice after Tuesday, but Washington’s Levi Onwuzurike was very impressive in his only work of the week. He dominated 1v1s, showing off the quickness and strength to consistently win against centers and guards. That quickness to attack gaps will be why he’s one of the top interior linemen in the 2021 NFL Draft.
UCLA’s Osa Odighizuwa was another interior lineman who made headlines throughout the week. Odighizuwa consistently pushed his opponents in 1v1s back all week, showing the leverage and lower body strength to become an interior pass rusher in the NFL.
Tulane’s Cam Sample was extremely impressive this week, winning on the edge and on the interior. His get off out of his stance was excellent, and he used his lateral quickness to win around bigger offensive linemen.
Shifting over to edge, tackles had a real problem dealing with Miami edge Quincy Roche. Roche beat Leatherwood on a number of occasions, with his bend and burst around the edge, an impactful inside move, and good hand usage. His size makes him more of a 3-4 outside linebacker, and defensive coordinators will be excited about him.
Pitt’s Rashad Weaver was another who looked impressive throughout practices, showing good lateral movement skills and counters to win on the edge and get around interior linemen.
Struggled
The hits keep coming for Marvin Wilson, who had a big opportunity at the Senior Bowl to reverse course on his falling stock. He had some reps where he flashed, but it was ultimately an underwhelming week for a prospect who was a near-consensus top 10 player in the summer.
Patrick Jones II was a surprise here, but he never got things going in practice. His counters weren’t working and he never generated pressure in 1v1s.
Shaka Toney was another edge who struggled in 1v1s at the Senior Bowl practices, as his athleticism didn’t win him many reps.