Senior Bowl Preview: 2023 NFL Draft Prospects Take On Mobile
Senior Bowl week 2023 is about to get underway. Which 2023 NFL Draft prospects have their stock solidified, who has the most to gain, and more!
By the time you read this, Senior Bowl week is officially rolling. The first practices are on Tuesday, beginning a three-day window to watch up close to how the top senior prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft perform. Whether it be in drills, one-on-ones, or in the meetings/leadership on the field, this week presents an opportunity to make a statement early in the 2023 NFL Draft process.
Some big names have already pulled out of the week. Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson and Illinois corner Devon Witherspoon are two locked-in first-round picks, who don’t need to risk injury. A couple other surprising ones include Zach Harrison (EDGE, Ohio State), Alabama safety Jordan Battle, and Baylor nose tackle Siaki Ika.
Still, it will be a fun week with plenty of prospects looking to prove their stock should go up. Let’s dive in to each position and look at potential risers and winners of the week.
Quarterbacks
The Headliner: Hendon Hooker (Injured)
Most To Gain: Everyone
Watch For: Tyson Bagent
It’s not quite the crop of quarterbacks that we’ve seen in past Senior Bowl weeks. There’s no potential or sure-fire first-round pick down there. Both Will Levis and Stetson Bennett opted to pass on the week. Hendon Hooker will be down there, but he tore his ACL in November, and won’t be able to take the field. Still, Hooker going down to Mobile will look good to NFL teams, and his rumored recovery time bids well for his NFL Draft hopes.
Elsewhere around the position, Houston’s Clayton Tune had a productive 2022 season, throwing for 4,074 yards and 40 touchdowns. He has solid arm strength and the touch throws to boot, but could use a consistent week down in Mobile. Tune did throw 10 interceptions in 2022.
Shepherd’s Tyson Bagent isn’t well-known, but the division three quarterback has set collegiate passing records in many categories. Most teams and analysts will get their first look this week, and it will be very interesting to watch.
Will someone stand out? We will see.
Running Back
The Headliners: Chase Brown, Kenny McIntosh
Most To Gain: Eric Gray, Camerun Peoples
Biggest Winner: Tyjae Spears
The running back position isn’t an easy one to evaluate at the Senior Bowl. During practice, the running backs rarely face full speed, mostly going through walkthroughs picking out their spots. They do get an opportunity in the passing game drills to win versus linebackers and safeties.
It’s hard to say there are true headliners here, but it’s a very good group. Chase Brown had the production at Illinois this season (1,643 yards, 10 TDs, 5.0 YPC) and Kenny McIntosh showed up in both facets of the game for the National Champion Georgia Bulldogs.
Eric Gray has a ton to gain this week. He transferred to Oklahoma from Tennessee for the 2021 season, but missed some time due to injury. He came back in 2022 and was an important part of the Sooners offense. Gray has impressive vision, contact balance, and wicked quick twitch to make defenders miss. If he shows he can separate with ease as a pass-catcher, his stock should go up. Camerun Peoples is a bigger back at 6’0″ and 220 pounds from App State, and will be one of the bigger backs in Mobile.
Tyjae Spears is the one who could soar after this week. He had a dominant season for Tulane, rushing for 1,581 yards and 19 touchdowns and posting 6.9 yards per attempt. Spears is a smaller back, but his big-play explosiveness, combined with an impressive ability to decelerate, drop his weight, and accelerate is a dangerous combination. Spears has shades of Aaron Jones and could be one of the biggest winners all week.
Wide Receivers
The Headliner: Xavier Hutchinson
Most To Gain: Rashee Rice, Dontayvion Wicks
Could Surprise: Ronnie Bell, Trey Palmer
Biggest Winners: Andrei Iosivas, Rashee Rice
Wide receiver is a position that’s heavily looked at during Senior Bowl week. The one-on-ones are some of the best reps you’ll see all week. Yes, they have the entire field to get open, but the best ones rise to the top. Deebo Samuel, Terry McLaurin, Van Jefferson, and more recently, Christian Watson, have grabbed headlines with their play.
Xavier Hutchinson (Iowa State) leads the way with this group. He crossed 1,000 yards this season with the Cyclones, making spectacular catches every week. His impressive hand technique and expansive catch radius will intrigue teams. He also gets open well as a route runner to every level of the field.
Rashee Rice (SMU) really should’ve been a Biletnikoff finalist. He dominated this year for the Mustangs (96/1355/10), dominating in the air and winning as a vertical threat. Rice did get a lot of room to operate off the line of scrimmage the season, especially in the slot. Can he win versus press and show the route running chops? That will go a long way to help his 2023 NFL Draft stock.
Dontayvion Wicks (Virginia) is another with plenty to gain, slashing 57/1203/9 in 2021 as a junior. The offense declined in 2022, and so did Wicks’ numbers. Still, his size, speed, twitch, and release should give him ample opportunity to show that he can be the productive player he was in 2021.
Two Big Ten receivers could surprise. Ronnie Bell (Michigan) has been in school a while, but he’s as reliable a guy as there is on the field. The route tree is developed, and he’s a sure-handed possession receiver. Trey Palmer (Nebraska) is the deep threat who could win a lot of reps during the week.
Watch out for Princeton WR Andrei Iosivas. He might not have much hype yet, but he has size and speed similar to Watson last year. Him and Rice could be big winners.
Tight Ends
The Headliner: Luke Musgrave
Most To Gain: Luke Musgrave
Wild Card: Brayden Willis
Winner: Luke Musgrave
There are other tight ends heading down to Mobile (Davis Allen, Will Mallory, Cameron Latu, Payne Durham, Josh Whyle), but Luke Musgrave is who everyone will be watching. He’s cleared to go after MCL surgery back in the fall, and caught 11 passes for 169 yards and a score in just two games in 2021. The 6’6″, 250-pound pass catching tight end will show off the speed and catch radius, and could really leap up 2023 NFL Draft boards during the draft process, starting in Mobile.
Offensive Tackle
The Headliner: Darnell Wright
Most To Gain: Matthew Bergeron
Needs This Week: Jaelyn Duncan
Biggest Winner: Dawand Jones
The tackle class in the 2023 NFL Draft doesn’t have a ton of top-end talent this year, but there is some depth with a lot of potential.
Darnell Wright (Tennessee) should be well-known by now in scouting and draft circles. His fleet feet into his sets, impressive anchor, and grip strength make for a tough ask for SEC edge rushers. Just ask Will Anderson, who Wright played extremely well against in Tennessee’s 52-49 win. Can he move well enough laterally to handle counters though?
Matthew Bergeron has some impressive technique, but also has some inconsistencies on film. A week of practice where he puts it all together against some premier edge rushers would go a long way to helping his 2023 NFL Draft stock.
Jaelyn Duncan didn’t have the season many were hoping when he was getting mocked in the first round last summer. His movement skills haven’t diminished, but his hand placement and functional strength are question marks. Mobile could be the launching point or a reminder of what was in the 2022 season.
Dawand Jones already measured in with an 89.5-inch wingspan, the longest in Senior Bowl history. His athleticism and improved technique made him every bit as important as Paris Johnson in 2022. The first-round talk could start this week.
Interior Offensive Line
The Headliners: O’Cyrus Torrence, John Michael Schmitz
Most To Gain: Steve Avila
Biggest Winner: Cody Mauch
No one is truly impervious to Senior Bowl week analysis, but O’Cyrus Torrence might be the closest prospect to it. The Louisiana transfer crushed it at Florida this season, firing off the ball with relentless purpose, an aim to run over the player in front of him and clear the path. His functional strength might be second to none in the 2023 NFL Draft.
John Michael Schmitz is the zone center of the class, but don’t call him a one-trick pony at 6’4″ and 317 pounds. He’s in a different tier from a size perspective that Tyler Linderbaum was. Schmitz has the finisher mentality and the quicks and athleticism to shine as an early contributor.
Steve Avila (TCU) is another big offensive lineman. He played three different positions in 2020 (right tackle, right guard, center) and started 11 games at center in 2021. He only hasn’t played left tackle, so that versatility will be coveted. He could jump onto the radar with a strong week.
Cody Mauch could be listed with the tackles, but so many believe he kicks inside. The North Dakota State standout is impressive on the move, and can play bully ball at the point of attack. Is he big enough to stay inside? Or can he solve things at tackle? It will be interesting to find out.
Interior Defensive Line
The Headliners: Byron Young, Keeanu Benton
Pass Rush Specialist: Zacch Pickens
Don’t Forget About: Jalen Redmond
It isn’t quite the star-studded group, but the interior defensive line has some players to watch at the Senior Bowl. Byron Young is a great three-down defender with the quicks to change direction and get into his gap, a plethora of pass rush moves, and enough power to sit and leverage. Keeanu Benton plays with a ridiculously hot motor and has impressive twitch and a wide tackling radius. Zacch Pickens could win a lot of one-on-ones with his explosiveness and pass rushing chops. Jalen Redmond could potentially jump out this week.
Edge Rushers
The Headliners: Will McDonald IV, Isaiah Foskey
Biggest Riser: Andre Carter
Needs This Week: Isaiah Foskey
Most To Gain: Keion White, Derick Hall
Sleeper Winner: Isaiah McGuire
The pass rush group rivals the tackles, setting up a phenomenal week of one-on-ones. Will McDonald IV (Iowa State) appeared in Daniel Jeremiah’s first-round mock. While that might feel out of left field, McDonald has the twitch, flexibility, and arsenal of moves to dominate as a pass rusher. The question is playing weight.
Isaiah Foskey had a ton of hype coming into the season. He was such a good athlete that he played off the ball in 2021. Foskey’s explosiveness, ability to set a strong edge, and hot motor are impressive. He’s even got the long arm and rip moves down. Foskey does need to expand his repertoire, as he often gets stuck at the contact phase trying to convert speed to power. He needs this week to climb back near the top of the edge rankings.
Andre Carter has athleticism in spades, and an impressive array of moves as well. He looks comfortable dropping into coverage and is capable of doing so. He could leap back into first-round conversation with a strong Senior Bowl week.
Keion White has impressive versatility rushing the passer and could have a big week. Derick Hall is a powerful rusher with great length to become a starter. Isaiah McGuire (Missouri) is the deeper sleeper who could win the week.
Linebacker
A True Proving Grounds
The linebacker class isn’t heralded in the 2023 NFL Draft. Just a few first-round talents are supplanted by some depth. At the Senior Bowl, a few can prove they’ll have a big week. Pitt’s SirVocea Dennis is probably the headliner. Cincinnati’s Ivan Pace packs a punch downhill. Tulane’s Dorian Williams has both rangy speed and the power to be a thumper. Indiana’s Cam Jones could end up the big winner this week.
Corner
The Headliner: Julius Brents
Most To Gain: Tyrique Stevenson
Don’t Forget About: Riley Moss
Sleeper Stud: Jay Ward
Big Winner: Kyu Blu Kelly
Devon Witherspoon opting out might have made the corner group more interesting at the Senior Bowl. Kansas State’s Julius Brents has the size and physicality to play press man, and his technique to stay in phase vertically and squeeze receivers to the sideline is impressive. Tyrique Stevenson transferred to Miami from Georgia, and he has a lot of fans in the draft community. Putting on a show this week would be a great start to the draft process for him.
Riley Moss has the ball production (11 INTs, 26 passes defensed in his career). Iowa defensive backs are well-coached and Moss is no different. Jay Ward played safety for LSU, but also got some run as a slot defender in 2022. He’s got the quicks to hang in man coverage, and hopefully will get a chance to hang with the receivers this week.
Kyu Blu Kelly didn’t have the best outing against Jordan Addison, but his game will translate well to the league. His ability to transition fluidly helps in both press and off-coverage. He has the speed to hang vertically, and his ball skills are impressive.
Safety
The Headliners: Chris Smith, J.L. Skinner
Most To Gain: Sydney Brown
Big Winner: Jammie Robinson
Like other groups at the Senior Bowl, the safety room took a hit with Jordan Battle and Ji’Ayir Brown opting out. Still, there are a couple headliners. Chris Smith is one of this writer’s favorite prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. He can do it all, from disrupting the catch point, to reading the quarterback’s eyes when dropping into short/intermediate windows, and coming up to tackle against the run and in space. J.L. Skinner is a big safety in the same ballpark as Kyle Hamilton (height-weight wise), and he comes down with authority as a filler. Can he show off some coverage chops against tight ends to be a matchup-eraser?
Sydney Brown was all over the field for Illinois in 2022. Since he was in the box a lot, he didn’t get to show off his range too much. But, he’s great at maneuvering around blocks to make plays in the box, and is as reliable a tackler as any.
Jammie Robinson can do it all. He’s explosive in the short area and packs a punch as a hitter. Like Skinner, if he shows off some ability in coverage he could see his 2023 NFL Draft stock shoot up.