The 2024 Senior Bowl, one of many week’s two collegiate all-star NFL Draft showcases together with the East-West Shrine Bowl, is underway in Cellular, Alabama, and we now have you coated with each halves of the “With The First Decide” podcast — CBS Sports activities NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former longtime Minnesota Vikings normal supervisor Rick Spielman — with boots on the bottom.
This is a take a look at a few of their greatest takeaways from Day 2 of observing a number of the nation’s finest draft prospects go head-to-head.
An improved QB crop
The 2023 Senior Bowl featured seven quarterbacks: Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, Fresno State’s Jake Haener, Houston’s Clayton Tune, BYU’s Jaren Corridor, TCU’s Max Duggan, Shepherd’s Tyson Bagent and Louisville’s Malik Cunningham.
Spielman a lot prefers the 2024 assortment of passers that features the next quarterbacks: Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Oregon’s Bo Nix, Tulane’s Michael Pratt, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, Tennessee’s Joe Milton, Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman and South Alabama’s Carter Bradley.
“The quarterback group was a lot better than the quarterback group right here final 12 months,” Spielman mentioned on the podcast Wednesday. “There are a whole lot of guys with some pure expertise that I used to be very impressed with. The receiver group and the DB group additionally impressed me, in addition to a few of these offensive linemen. General, in case you take a look at the roster and from what I noticed in the present day, I assumed this was a extra gifted class than we noticed final 12 months.”
Wilson concurred, calling the category “crisp” by way of Day 2.
Penix Jr., the 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up, who led the Huskies to a nationwide runner-up marketing campaign, profitable their first 14 video games and the ultimate Pac-12 title earlier than falling to Michigan within the College Football Playoffs Nationwide Championship recreation, impressed together with his pure arm expertise.
“One of many issues that caught out to me about Michael Penix Jr., although he had some misses, is the pure arm expertise,” Spielman mentioned. “How simple the ball comes off of his, as Ryan places it, E.T. fingers.”
Nevertheless, the quarterback Penix Jr. dueled in opposition to for the Pac 12 crown, Oregon’s Bo Nix, nonetheless has some questions he must reply.
“He is athletic, he has sufficient arm expertise,” Spielman mentioned. “I simply wish to see him must course of from the pocket. I feel he could make performs off schedule and outdoors the pocket. I simply wish to see when he has to take a seat there, learn and get by way of his progressions, how shortly he can do this.”
The passer whose inventory dipped essentially the most Wednesday was Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman due to how he appeared compared to Penix Jr. and Nix. Wilson and Spielman would examine Hartman to Raiders fourth-round rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell by way of having the identical contact and timing passing model plus athletic traits. Hartman might be extra cellular, however there are related arm traits.
“When see the ball come out of Bo Nix’s fingers, while you watch Michael Penix Jr. and the ball come out of his fingers, you do not see the identical zip popping out of Hartman’s fingers. That was verified when watching him. He’s a contact, timing and rhythm thrower, and when you have not labored with this group of receivers and this group of tight ends, generally that timing goes to look somewhat off till you get that rhythm. He isn’t misplaced, however you have got two fairly good quarterbacks on the identical staff.”
“Thought he confirmed some contact on the deep balls throughout 1-on-1s, unsure how a lot inventory you may put into lackluster efficiency primarily based on new WRs/new system/handful of practices,” Wilson added. “Did not strike me that he was misplaced.”
The quarterbacks on the opposite team– Pratt, Milton, Rattler and Bradley — all put collectively robust showings in observe Wednesday.
“[Pratt’s] arm was higher than I anticipated,” Spielman mentioned. “Had some excellent accuracy on a number of the throws he made. I assumed he appeared higher in particular person than what I noticed on tape earlier this 12 months.”
Milton might have essentially the most stay arm of any of the quarterbacks on the Senior Bowl, as he was timed throwing the soccer 76 miles an hour, in keeping with Wilson.
“I feel he was underrated as an athlete, there isn’t any query concerning the dimension (6-foot-5, 235 kilos),” Spielman mentioned. I feel the arm expertise. He most likely has the strongest arm (on the Senior Bowl). I do not learn about his contact and timing at instances, and even after I watched him stay, there’s just a few hesitation on the see-to-do on the coverages he is attempting to learn.”
Bradley’s first impression upon Spielman was robust. Bradley is the son of Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
“I have never seen Coach (Gus) Bradley’s son on tape, however I used to be very impressed with the best way the ball got here off his hand in the present day and a number of the accuracy throughout the 1-on-1 and the 7-on-7 drills,” Spielman mentioned.
Spielman and Wilson are uncertain how excessive Rattler’s inventory can climb, however he has the potential to be a Day 2 choose in rounds two or three. His body, 6-foot and 219 kilos, raises some questions, however each love the best way the soccer comes out of his hand.
“He does have the arm energy to make all of the throws on the NFL degree,” Spielman mentioned. “The turnovers have held him again from creeping up into the top-five quarterbacks. The arm expertise is nice.”
Pops and drops
Pop: Georgia vast receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint
“He did not have any drops in faculty,” Wilson mentioned. “He is easy and greater than he seems on tape. He had a very good day yesterday and in the present day.
Spielman sees shades of Inexperienced Bay Packers fifth-round rookie receiver Dontayvion Wicks in Rosemy-Jacksaint. Wicks totaled 4 touchdowns within the common season for Inexperienced Bay in 2023, and he snagged a 20-yard landing within the Packers’ 48-32 upset win on the Dallas Cowboys within the NFC wild card spherical.
“He is easy like (Wicks) with somewhat higher velocity, and he has that higher physique flexibility and his capacity to torque and alter to off-schedule throws,” Spielman mentioned. “Once I watched him on tape, he is acquired some shake and wiggle to him after the catch. When he opens stride, he will be quicker than I feel most individuals are going to provide him credit score for.”
Pop: Florida vast receiver Ricky Pearsall
“Once I watched him in particular person, he is lean, however he is lengthy,” Spielman mentioned. “Some folks might knock his velocity, however he performs what he’s going to time. What caught out to me is how artful and savvy he’s as a route-runner. If he’s attempting to get deep, he might not run 4.3 (40-yard sprint), however the little shake and talent to get a defensive again on his heels or to get him off stability only for a second and speed up out of a reduce is nice. He has nice fingers. He’s going to be a very, actually good participant within the NFL.”
Pop: Kansas State tight finish Ben Sinnott
“He’s only a good soccer participant,” Spielman mentioned. “Ben did an outstanding job catching the soccer. He was excellent at route-running. What impressed me, although he’s somewhat undersized for a good finish, is he was giving nice effort as a blocker in the present day. Throughout the staff interval, I noticed him latch on to some linebackers on the second degree and attempt to end. He was the most effective tight finish I noticed popping out of this observe.”
“My comp for him is Dallas Clark,” Wilson mentioned. “I’ve a Day 2 grade on Sinnott, possibly third-roundish, mid-to-late.”
“He isn’t within the LaPorta class with the velocity, however an identical kind of soccer participant,” Spielman mentioned. “Simply not the identical sort of athlete. He could make performs within the passing recreation and he can block within the operating recreation. He is simply not as massive or as athletic as LaPorta was.”
Drop: North Carolina vast receiver Tez Walker
“He had drops within the one-on-one drills, the staff drills and seven-on-sevens,” Wilson mentioned. “It appeared to plague him all day.”
Spielman mentioned he appeared athletic and may catch on tape, however he was “shocked at observe” with how “poor his fingers have been and what number of drops he had.”
“You’ll be able to see the route-running and athleticism for his dimension, however he hasn’t been in a position to catch the ball constantly in any of the drills I watched in the present day. That may be a concern. Yesterday wasn’t unhealthy, however he had the dropsies in the present day. You wish to see him bounce again.”
Drop: Penn State cornerback Kalen King
“The blokes I used to be disenchanted in essentially the most on Day 2 was Kalen King. He did not look as athletic as I assumed he was on the tape. I actually questioned his velocity a pair instances he acquired prolonged downfield. I did not see that second gear the place he may catch up after getting out of the flip when he was prolonged. It additionally seems like he was going by way of the motions, which I did not see on his junior 12 months tape… I simply was anticipating much more. He had a tough day in the present day.”
“It feels just like the predraft arc of Eli Ricks and Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo, who each went to Philadelphia,” Wilson mentioned. “Hopefully Kalen King can bounce again as a result of I actually appreciated his tape coming into the 12 months.”
Standouts
Ryan Wilson’s QB of the Day: Tulane’s Michael Pratt
“I feel he continues to impress,” Wilson mentioned. “I feel Michael Pratt has impressed together with his mobility. The toughness is unquestioned. He’ll proceed to be taught as a call maker. Second spherical could be somewhat wealthy.”
Rick Spielman’s Defensive Standout: Georgia security Javon Bullard
“Once I watched him within the 1-on-1s, I did not suppose he was athletic as he was on tape,” Spielman mentioned. “He was getting run by. Then all the sudden, you set him in a staff setting, he popped. He was fast to learn and react. Some good tackles and hits. Do not make your analysis off 1-on-1s or what he runs on the mix. Individuals knocked down Brian Department for his velocity and like Department, he is only a good soccer participant.”
Ryan Wilson’s Offensive Standout: Oregon iOL Jackson Powers-Johnson
“He’s a no brainer” Wilson mentioned. “He has performed heart and guard right here. He seems like a man you draft after which begin for 10 years.”
“He is simply 20-years-old,” Spielman added. “He was the most effective mixture of a man who has dimension and athleticism and may transfer folks on the level as a middle by himself within the run recreation. Highly effective ft. He performed heart at Oregon, however I noticed him additionally line up at guard right here and never miss a beat. He was essentially the most spectacular offensive lineman I’ve seen right here at that place.”
Ryan Wilson’s Offensive Standout: Oklahoma offensive deal with Tyler Guyton
“I did not know what to anticipate as a result of I assumed his tape at proper deal with was inconsistent, however this child, at his dimension, I did not notice he was this massive and may transfer this fluidly. He confirmed me in 1-on-1s in the present day, and within the run-blocking drills. He is highly effective.”
Ryan Wilson’s Defensive Standout: Alabama edge Chris Braswell
“He might need had one of many highest motors in faculty soccer final 12 months,” Wilson mentioned.
“He may not have the best body for a typical defensive finish, however he performs with actually heavy fingers. He has a speed-to-power transfer that may collapse most offensive linemen. The one destructive I’ve on him is he wasn’t as constant getting off blocks within the run recreation. As a pass-rusher, I noticed him have affect move rushes in opposition to Tennessee that turned the sport round within the second half.”
