NFL Draft: Risers from Day 1 of the 2024 Senior Bowl
It's the most exciting time of draft season as the 2024 Senior Bowl is underway
The first day of Senior Bowl practices is in the books. I’m sleep deprived, dehydrated, sunburnt, and covered in sweat because I once again underestimated the Alabama heat. But enough about me. Let’s talk about the 2024 NFL Draft prospect who earned some cash today. Below are the top standouts I observed at practice.
Please keep in mind that multiple 1-on-1 drills are often running at the same time, and I can only focus my energy and declining eyesight on so many places. I might have missed a few players deserving of mentions.
The Elite Route Runners
I’m bucketing Georgia’s Ladd McConkey, Florida’s Ricky Pearsall, and Michigan’s Roman Wilson into the same group because holy cow did those dudes separate from the competition (literally). McConkey was performing at the level of a mid-to-late first round pick. Assuming his medicals check out, he should AT LEAST be a top 40 pick this spring.
One common trait these three wide receivers share are their quick, quiet feet that allow for sudden shifts in momentum and twitchy cuts. It doesn’t appear that any defensive back in Mobile will match up well against this trio.
Wilson might have the best speed of these three. He was the go-to option in the team drills for National Team quarterbacks and had the biggest catch of the day. Pearsall has the quietest feet of the group.
The Undersized Defensive Tackles
Nothing could be done to save the National Team’s interior offensive linemen. With a few notable exceptions that we’ll talk about shortly, the morning group’s interior players were mercilessly fed to Duke’s DeWayne Carter, Baylor’s Gabe Hall, and Ohio State’s Michael Hall Jr. The three athletic interior linemen had field days in the 1-on-1s.
Gabe Hall, who has the best build and athletic traits of the trio, failed to really take the next step over his final two seasons of college football, but teams love his potential. He was unstoppable in practice, routinely getting past offensive linemen with limited resistance. Hall’s performance was one of the three or four best on the day.
Carter had perhaps my favorite rep of the day. He simply took Wisconsin center Tanor Bortolini and dropped the lineman flat on his butt. Hall Jr. wasn’t quite as flashy, but he put his pass rush plan on full display. The Ohio State product didn’t quite ascend the way I hoped during the 2023 season, but he is still in line for a top 60 selection.
The Nittany Lions
Penn State’s Adisa Isaac didn’t post many (any?) wins in the 1-on-1s, but he recovered with some excellent plays in the team session, including a “sack” on Bo Nix. He also stood up and shed Taliese Fuaga to get a run stop.
Isaac is one of the more explosive pass rushers in Mobile for the Senior Bowl. His college teammate Chop Robinson is the more well-known Penn State pass rusher, but Isaac looked fantastic in 2023 after taking about two years to fully recover from a torn Achilles. Isaac is competing for a top 50 pick.
Penn State’s Theo Johnson was by far the most impressive tight end on Tuesday. He was one of the few go-to options for National Team quarterbacks. This was Johnson’s best play from the 1-on-1s. He created nice separation at the top of the route and showcased impressive ball tracking to finish the play.
Johnson won’t come close to generating the separation or speed that Luke Musgrave did last year, but he is poised to dominate the Senior Bowl tight end conversation.
The Wall of Steel
The National Team interior offensive line had several standout performers, including Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson. He and the quarterbacks had a few exchange issues, but that’s not unheard of on the first day of Senior Bowl practice. Powers-Johnson showcased his power, athletic ability, and anchor well across a variety of wins in the 1-on-1s and team drills.
Illinois guard/tackle Isaiah Adams is one of the players I have a significantly higher grade on compared to other members of the media. I think he’s worth a mid-to-late second round pick, and he didn’t disappoint. Adams posted multiple dominant reps that showcased his powerful hands and well-developed build. He has 33 2/8-inch arms, but an 82 2/8-inch wingspan, which is almost on par with Javon Foster (82 3/8) even though the Missouri tackle has 35-inch arms.
Don’t let the cute small school helmet fool you, Christian Haynes will force feed you turf as he drives you into the ground. Haynes’ power and mean demeanor fit right in among his Power Five opponents on the American Team. He checked in with 33 7/8-inch arms, which are better than I expected.
The Dawand Jones Candidate
Before Dawand Jones plummeted outside of the top 100 in the 2023 NFL Draft, he walked away from the Senior Bowl after one day. Why? Because he solidified himself as by far the most dominant player in the event and believed his draft stock was secure. His play as a rookie for Cleveland suggests he actually was worth that top 100 (some would say top 32) selection.
Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton isn’t Dawand Jones from a size and power perspective, but he was the closest player out there to matching the Ohio State behemoth’s performance last year. At a healthy 6'7 1/8", 328 lbs. with 34 2/8-inch arms and an 82 3/8-inch wingspan, Guyton is a rare level prospect with meat on the bone from a developmental standpoint. Expect him to be a top 16 pick.
Tuesday allowed Guyton to show off the mean streak and power he rarely had the opportunity to put on film while at Oklahoma.
Running Backs Go ZOOOOOOM
We’ll cover more running backs who stood out for their explosive plays in the honorable mention sections, but MY GUY Rasheen Ali out of Marshall had himself a day. Ali’s rare burst and open field speed make him one of the true home run hitters in the 2024 NFL Draft. Once he puts that foot in the ground, he is gone.
Ali faded in and out of Marshall’s passing attack in college, but he has more than enough speed and athleticism to make linebackers or safeties look foolish trying to cover him in space. He basically jogged for this 25-yard reception in the 1-on-1s.
Also, Ali’s biceps are freaking massive. Videos don’t do them justice. You just have to see them in person.
I owe a personal apology to New Hampshire running back Dylan Laube for not caring more about him entering the week. He has rockets attached to both his feet. My goodness the speed pops. That explosiveness was good enough to clock in at 20.44 miles per hour on the GPS.
Additionally, Laube has immense upside as a pass catcher. His speed and ball skills make him an ideal mismatch candidate when facing linebackers or safeties in space. Players just can’t stick with him.
Toledo to Top 32
Quinyon Mitchell didn’t face many NFL-caliber wide receivers at Toledo. Even when he did get a shot against Ohio State in 2022, the Rockets ran a very conservative defensive game plan. I can’t say I blame them, but we didn’t really get to see Mitchell’s full potential. The Senior Bowl was his ultimate test, and boy did he pass with flying colors.
Mitchell showed his closing speed and ability to contest throws around receivers, his speed to stay attached with vertical routes, and his stickiness to allow no separation. Mitchell had some of the best ball production throughout the day and likely locked in his spot as a first round pick.
Honorable Mentions
I have to head out to be social soon (I want to sleep so badly instead), so I’ll keep this section short. Arizona’s Jacob Cowing is extremely undersized, but he possesses route running skills and twitch similar to the receivers previously discussed.
Houston’s Nelson Ceaser was the only player to make Tyler Guyton look mortal on Tuesday. Troy’s Javon Solomon had several similar quick and dominant wins in the morning group.
McKinnley Jackson didn’t quite ascend to the level of the National Team defensive tackles, but he was the most consistent penetrator at his position on the American Team.
MarShawn Lloyd had fewer explosive plays than the running backs listed higher in this article, but he still made a handful of highlight reel plays. Daijun Edwards was the only American Team running back seemingly capable of breaking off big runs in team drills.
There were plenty of concerns about Christian Jones and his slide in the second half of the season. He was one of the four best tackles on Tuesday, sliding in ahead of Arizona’s Jordan Morgan. Morgan wasn’t dominant, but he was consistently in control of the reps he took. That might not sound sexy, but a lot of NFL teams would kill for that type of player. Also, did I mention just how big Jones is?
Kris Abrams-Draine and Cam Hart have very different builds, but they are equally physical. Hart carried himself well in post-practice interviews and is clearly ready to improve on his impressive showing today. Hart had an interception while covering Devontez Walker. The Auburn cornerbacks, D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett also made some nice plays.
Jaheim Bell had a nice day going against the American Team’s safeties. I believe he got the best of Maryland’s Beau Brade in the 1-on-1s for a deep “touchdown.” He also made a few plays in the team drills.
I’d be lying if I told you I went into the Senior Bowl with Fresno State cornerback Carlton Johnson at the front of my mind, but he has held up well, even intercepting Spencer Rattler near the end of the American Team’s practice.
Auburn defensive back Jaylin Simpson lacks ideal size (178 lbs.), but his arm length (32 2/8 inches) and coverage versatility make him a matchup problem against tight ends. Jaheim Bell and Ben Sinnott both fell victim to Simpson during the American Team’s practice. The Auburn defensive back almost hauled in an interception while covering Bell.