Senior Bowl Recap Day 1
There was a lot of action on the first day of the Senior Bowl in Mobile. The offense for both teams today seemed to struggle. BYU Quarterback Jarren Hall and TCU Quarterback Max Duggan could not seem to find a rhythm on the first day of practice. The defense from both teams limited the offenses to very few big plays. Which really made the defensive and special teams players the ones who stood out on Tuesday.
The National team had a bunch of their prospects show out on Tuesday. The star of the show was clearly Dawand Jones, offensive tackle from Ohio State who weighed in at 6 foot 8 inches and 375 pounds. His size and strength allowed him to dominate the National team's pass rushers all morning long. A tackle with his size and ability to move will make the mouths of these scouts and General Managers water. JL Skinner, safety from Boise State, was another player who stood out on the National Team. Skinner's size at the safety position may give him trouble in man-to-man coverage but he showed today that he can make receivers and tight ends pay when in his direction. Ronnie Bell was clearly the best receiver on the field today. He was able to run effortlessly smooth routes and field punts at an elite level. The last player that really stood out on this National team roster was former Michigan State punter Bryce Baringer who was putting on a punting clinic in the first session of practice.
National Team Player to Watch: Puka Nacua, WR BYU
Personally, I feel like this 2023 WR class overall has a bunch of good WRs and none of them are really great. However, in a league that continues to trend in the direction of airing it out more, now more than ever has there been a greater need for not just having depth at the position, but quality depth is essential. During the first practice for the national team, there wasn’t anyone that stood out more than WR Puka Nacua from BYU. He’s 6’2 and uses every bit of his size and catch radius to make several difficult catches during the first day of practice. The big one was during a 1v1 drill where he made a deep pass to the sideline and adjusted his body to make an excellent diving catch for well over 30+ yards.
He’s not just a 50/50 ball guy (although that’s where his biggest strength is). Watching the tape during his time with BYU he would also get opportunities to use his speed on WR reverses, sweeps, and quick screens as well. During my interview with him, that’s a part of his game that he wants to showcase as well to scouts and other NFL teams. If he can continue to have a strong week as he did in setting the tone on day 1, he could be climbing up on a lot of team’s draft boards.
As for the American team, they did not have the abundance of solid performances that the National team had. Obviously, they are missing Tennessee Quarterback Hendon Hooker from the roster due to injury but the rest of the quarterbacks on the roster did not take advantage of the opportunity of a missing Hooker including Duggan. The offensive and defensive line were the highlights the American team put on display during the 1 on 1 pass rushing drills. Tackles O’Cyrus Torrence from Florida, Darnell Wright from Tennessee, and Matthew Bergeron from Syracuse brought out a size that was hard to keep your eye off of. The battles between those three pass rushers on this American roster, Tennessee’s Byron Young Jr., Auburn's Derick Hall, and Oklahoma’s Wanya Morris. who put up great efforts against this good offensive line group. For the American team to have a shot on Saturday they are going to need to rely on their ability to run the ball with size up front, and rush the passer with elite speed and power on the defensive front.
American Team Player to Watch: Kenny McIntosh, RB Georgia
There were several standouts on the American team that I saw from practice, but I’m going to go with the safe pick with Georgia RB Kenny McIntosh. McIntosh is the perfect mold for today’s change of pace RB. Especially if you already have a physical bruising back. What stood out to me in today’s practice was how comfortable McIntosh was in the passing drills and running routes. However, his day was cut due to a lower-body injury which was later to be reported to be a leg cramp. McIntosh’s 6’1 frame with his exceptional pass-catching ability will make him a must-watch throughout the week.
Additionally, be sure to keep your eyes on DB Tyrique Stevenson from Miami. The American team has a lot of speed on the WR chart and he more than held his own in the 1v1 release drills. He closed his rep with matching TCU WR Derius Davis move for move and even undercutting an over route forcing QB Max Duggan to not even throw the football. Stevenson was heavily regarded as one of the best press corners in the draft and today was the perfect day to showcase it. The national team has a lot of size on the outside, and on Saturday Stevenson can show his coaching staff and scouts that he deserves to climb up the draft boards.
-By: Sam Kirk & Kris Thomas