Senior Bowl Results: Defense
Senior Bowl Results: Defense
Defense wins championships. Does defense also win Senior Bowls? In this year’s game, the answer was yes. The North’s defense dominated the South’s offense for a majority of the game after giving up 9 points on the South’s first two drives. The North came away with a fumble and an interception, both leading to touchdowns for the offense.; while the South’s one interception led to a field goal. Here are a few defensive players that stood out in this game.
L.J. Collier
TCU’s defensive end L.J. Collier had a monster stat line in the senior bowl, recording 2 sacks for a total loss of 18 yards; as well as one forced fumble. He had a strong showing in all the drills leading up to the game, so Saturday’s result shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Outings like this one are indicative of why he was awarded first team All Big-12 honors. Look for Collier to continue to improve his draft stock at the NFL draft combine.
Charles Omenihu
Similar to Collier, Charles Omenihu of Texas also had himself a game on Saturday. He recorded 3 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. Both of these guys seemed to have Jarrett Stidham’s number, each recording a sack on him. Omenihu’s fumble was recovered by the defense and led to a scoring drive. He was also named to the All Big-12 first team.
Nasir Adderley
Nasir Adderley from Delaware also found himself with a takeaway, intercepting a Tyree Jackson pass in the fourth quarter. He also displayed good awareness on the runback, bringing it 16 yards the other way. Aside from picking off that pass, he recorded the most tackles on the North defense with 5. The Senior Bowl was a great opportunity for Adderley to showcase his skills, especially coming from a smaller school; I believe that he made the most of it and should be on the radar of a few teams.
Khalen Saunders
Khalen Saunders from Western Illinois also found himself in the backfield in this game, recording a sack and a quarterback hurry. He was a big plug in the middle of the line, which filled the holes the opposing running backs tried to get through; two of his three tackles were on rushes for no gain. Using all of his 310-pound frame helps him to swallow inside rushers. His skill combined with his physical traits led him to be named an Associated Press All American this season.
Terrill Hanks
New Mexico State linebacker and Tom Hanks’ son Terrill Hanks was all over the field on Saturday, recording 8 tackles. What was impressive about Hanks’ performance was that his tackles came at different ranges on the field. He came up to stop short runs under 5 yards, and he also chased down larger gains of over 10 yards. His speed and tackling ability are key to his success in the future as a potential NFL linebacker. Hanks could possibly end up anywhere in the first three rounds in the draft.
Deshaun Davis
Deshaun Davis from Auburn also turned in a solid performance, totaling 8 tackles. 3 of these tackles were solo tackles, demonstrating his ability to wrap up ball carriers and bring them down. Another key part of his Senior Bowl performance is that he played against some high profile offensive players and played well. He is considered to be a late round pick but certainly did well to ensure that he’ll hear his name called at some point in the draft.
Conclusion
This was a fun one to watch, on both sides of the ball. While a lot of emphasis has been put on offense in this draft, there are many good potential players on the defensive side of the ball. The North and the South both turned in solid performances, however, the North was able to capitalize on their takeaways. I don’t know what the future has in store for these prospects, but hopefully, we will be seeing the future of tough defense. Remember, defense wins championships.
-By: Nick Selko