For many veteran prospects in college football, the Senior Bowl is their last-ditch effort to show pro scouts they are worth looking into for the upcoming draft. And for this year’s senior crop, it’s especially significant, given how COVID has made it near impossible for scouts and players to interact with one another. With the Combine canceled, pro days becoming much more limited in participation, and interviews being held more and more virtually, Mobile, Alabama has become the go-to stage for players to gain ground for the upcoming draft, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Some players will shine; the early camp favorites will see a chance to highlight their skills and potential when all eyes from the football world are watching. But not everyone shines under the bright lights of Hancock Whitney Stadium. Some players underperformed, others just simply left their chances, and it’s incredibly difficult to recover. We’ll break it down here, as ITH breaks down who were the offensive standouts and letdowns at the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Offensive Standouts

QB Kellen Mond, Texas A&M

The Texas A&M product was ranked around 4th or 5th on many scouting boards, as his play down in the SEC was often so volatile and inconsistent, it was difficult to determine whether the former Aggie was good or not. Even in practice, Mond had those flashes of inconsistency flash in 7 on 7 drills and 11 on 11’s.

But when full contact started, and the bright lights were shining down on him, Mond put on a show, winning Senior Bowl MVP with a 52% completion percentage for 173 yards and two stellar touchdowns to Clemson’s Amari Rodgers on a short seam route, then to Tennessee’s Josh Palmer off an RPO slant, along with 11 yards on the ground and a 2 point conversion. 

RB Michael Carter, UNC

Michael Carter came into Mobile as the second-best running back there, just behind Alabama’s Najee Harris. The two were expected to share the backfield for the National Team, but an ankle injury kept the national champion from playing Saturday’s game day. Carter made the most of his extra snaps, becoming the only effective rushing attack either team had on the day. 

Carter finished Saturday with eight carries for 60 yards and a RedZone TD that saw him carry nearly every player on the field into the endzone with him. Carter showed his willingness to play in power schemes, being able to shed tackles in iso and dive players. While Javonte Williams was known more as the hardened power back for the Tarheels, Carter showed he’s not afraid of a little contact. 

WR Dez Fitzpatrick, Louisville

What can be said about this 6’2, 210 pounder that hasn’t already been said before? Fitzpatrick is athletic, quick out of his stance, and can outman opposing defensive backs, simply because of his built. 

Even going up against a corner bigger than him in Syracuse Orangeman Ifeatu Melifonwu, Fitzpatrick created space and wrestled on contested balls (which was what all these QB’s could create, let’s be honest here), finishing the day with six catches for 90 yards on 11 targets, averaging 15 yards per catch. 

Offensive letdowns

WR Frank Darby, Arizona State

Darby was wowing scouts and media with his crisp route running and a knack for finding holes in coverage during this week’s practices, seen on a similar-to-higher footing than some of his counterparts, like Louisville’s Fitzpatrick or Florida’s Toney. But that did not translate well into game day for the former Sun Devil.

Darby started the game out with a great pass from Sam Ehlinger, a 22 yard gain in the first quarter. But that’s all Darby had on the day. The next five targets that came his way, he dropped three of them consecutively, while the others sailed over him, courtesy of Ian Book and Felipe Franks on one each. Confidence in Darby fell sharply for Flores, who essentially moved him to the doghouse for the rest of the game.

TE Noah Gray, Duke

Noah Gray’s addition to this list is more about what he didn’t do than what he did, which was nothing. Nothing at all, not even a target for the 6’4 Blue Devil.

Whether it’s that his quarterbacks didn’t even bother to throw his direction (makes sense, given that Mond developed good chemistry with Rodgers & Palmer and Jaime Newman… well, you’ll see) or that Matt Ruhle just didn’t call any route schemes with Gray as the primary target. Whatever the case may be, Gray was left out to dry, and while there is still game film from his time at Duke and practice footage for scouts to work with, it would have helped Gray get that draft stock trending upwards. Guess we’ll have to wait until April to see the full effects.

QB Jamie Newman

After opting out of the 2020 season, many in the football cognoscente wondered if the year-off football would affect Newman, in terms of draft preparation and his body losing touch with the game. In practice, Newman was, by far, the worst QB in camp, having six total turnovers in team drills over the two practice days.

Gameday wasn’t any better for the former Demon Deacon/Bulldog, despite what the stat line shows. His 10/14 completion percentage came off quick throws and screen passes to his receivers, and it looked like Ruhle didn’t trust him to try any pass longer than 10 yards downfield, with one of his downfield passes getting picked off, with Washington State DB Keith Taylor, Jr. forcing a batted ball into the waiting hands of Pittsburgh S Damar Hamlin. Overall, Newman might need to have an absolute stellar pro day to get back into pro football scouts’ good graces, if they even come to see him.

Writer

-By: Juan Guarin-Camargo

Both defenses were on full display on Saturday. Both the National and American teams combined for 6 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, 2 turnovers and featured dominating performances from the front seven on both squads. Although both offenses picked it up in the 2nd half, there were plenty of standouts on the defensive side of the ball, and unfortunately, a few letdowns.

Defensive Standouts:

Janarius Robinson, DE, FSU

The 6’5 pass rusher from Tallahassee had a great week of practice down in Mobile, and he capped it off with a great showing on game day. Whether it was getting the better of Alex Leatherwood in one on one drills or even finishing the game with 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss, including almost having another sack in the 3rd against Ian Book, Robinson’s stock has risen this week; definitely worth taking a mid-round pick on. His measurements and size are staggering add to his already impressive game day showcase.

Riley Cole, LB, Southern Alabama

The Senior Bowl always takes place in/near the Southern Alabama campus, so it was fitting that Cole was able to showcase himself in front of his home crowd. While his team fought well in what was, ultimately, a losing effort, Cole ended the game with 6 tackles, one for loss, and a key pass breakup in the RedZone against South Dakota State wideout Cade Johnson. Cole showed great ability and in stuffing the run and a solid tackling technique in a game where no RB (with the exception of Michael Carter) had more than 20 rushing yards on the day. Not a bad way for Cole to finish his final game on Hancock Whitney’s turf; when his light shined the brightest.

Defensive Letdowns:

Thomas Graham, DB, Oregon 

Man, this kid had a rough outing. Whether it was the few snaps he had playing outside or playing in the slot against Clemson wide receiver Amari Rodgers, Graham was picked on all game long. He gave up both a TD and a 2-point conversion against Rodgers, and the only good play he had was sniffing out a screen pass and making the tackle. Graham had a solid practice all week, but nothing went his way in actual game time. He also played off coverage and didn’t get to use his hands a lot at the LOS against his matchups. Hopefully, this performance is an outlier for him.

Paddy Fisher, LB, Northwestern

After a good showing this week during the Senior Bowl practices, Fisher didn’t live up to his hype coming in, only recording one tackle on his first snap. The Northwestern product was definitely the least impressive player in the front seven. And that’s saying something; considering nearly all the other box defenders performed well overall on Saturday. Fisher got held up on a block against Michigan FB Ben Mason, which led to the big 27-yard run by UNC halfback Michael Carter. In a game in which several linebackers were able to make plays against the run, Paddy showed very little during the game, which could potentially tank his draft stock.

Writer

-By: Kris Thomas

In the third and final practice of the 2021 Senior Bowl, we saw both the American and National teams put on a competitive display. The day began with the National Team practice, led by the Miami Dolphins coaching staff, followed by the Panthers-coached American team wrapping up the day. There were many notable standouts for both squads, but a few players managed to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

1. Dez Fitzpatrick, Louisville, WR

National had some of the better receiving talent in camp, with names like Eskridge, Collins, and Darby showing up in 1 v 1 drills. Louisville Receiver Dez Fitzpatrick stood out amongst the standouts as an elite red-zone target. At 6-2, 215 lbs, Fitz showed scouts why he was so productive in college. The former Cardinal’s first step became a continuous problem for the National DBs, as he was able to get immediate separation. Although he is a big guy, Fitzpatrick’s freakishly quick, and his ability to get the defenders’ hands off of him shows his attention to detail as a receiver. 

On one notable play against Oregon’s Thomas Graham Jr, Fitzpatrick quickly got out of a press situation on a fade ball and easily climbed the ladder to score over Graham. 

Pro Comparison: Amari Cooper 

NFL Team Fit: New York Giants need a complementary weapon to the production of Darius Slayton and to help give Daniel Jones a secondary target. 

2. Keith Taylor, Washington DB

The National Team DB that matched up against Fitzpatrick most consistently was Keith Taylor. At 6-3, 200 lbs, Taylor is a very big NFL corner. His technique is very unpolished, but his size and speed allows him to make up for any mistakes and make plays on the ball. 

In college, Taylor never had an interception, but much like Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, most of his targets are breakups. His ball skills leave much to be desired, but he is not afraid to look back for the ball. 

On the line of scrimmage, he is very aggressive at the point of contact but doesn’t lunge. He is patient, but his hips can be improved to help him against smaller, quicker guys. Saturday will show exactly how much of a big play corner Keith Taylor can be when he matches up against American team receivers like Shi Smith and Kadarius Toney.

Pro Comparison: AJ Terrell 

NFL Team Fit: Kansas City Chiefs’ defense is trending up with every class. If Taylor gets paired with elite veterans like Tyrann Mathieu and Juan Thornhill, Arrowhead could become the next “No Fly Zone” for years to come.

3. Jacoby Stevens , LSU, DB

Jacoby Stevens stood out from the first few plays of practice and showed flashes of his career at LSU. Jacoby Stevens, much like Jamal Adams, plays very well in the box and in the flats. His instincts are off the charts and he is able to command a defense. He is not excellent in coverage, but his zone instincts make up for his lack of man-to-man ability.

 On a short pass from Julian Newman, Stevens was able to jump up and intercept the ball even though he was within 5 yards of Newman. This type of athleticism is customary of LSU DB’s and Stevens could very well fit as a day 1 starter for any NFL team. 

Pro Comparison: Jamal Adams

NFL Team Fit: Atlanta Falcons need to continue building their team. The inconsistency of their defensive backs leaves room for another versatile box defender that can cover slots and cover flats.

Writer

-By: LeMarkus Bailey