2022 Senior Bowl Practice Report: National Team

I tabbed Arnold Ebiketie as one of the most likely risers from the Senior Bowl. He didn’t quite meet that level of impact on his first day, but there were some strong moments from the Penn State defender. He’s clearly explosive out of his breaks and showed he can drive back blockers with power applied inside the torso. He was also able to set the edge and disengage in run defense. Ebiketie held up his end, which is all you can ask for.

It was another relatively strong day for Arnold Ebiketie, who flashed on multiple occasions with his well-rounded pallet of traits. He did get beat on a couple of reps but was able to rebound and recover, as well as use his bend, length, and power in succession. He was also able to set the edge in run defense with his length.

True to his stock, Arnold Ebiketie was one of the most consistent edge rushers at the Senior Bowl. He won in multiple ways each day, using his explosiveness, ankle flexion, and proportional length to keep tackles guessing. On Day 3, he was able to convert his speed to power and channel with his length, driving guys back. Meanwhile, he also displayed the flexion to get around the edge and stress blockers laterally.

Haskell Garrett is built like a brick house. 6’2″, around 300 pounds, and he plays like you’d expect. He’s a bowling ball with violent hands, and he showed off an equally violent disposition today. Beyond his violence, Garrett also showed some nice agility in short ranges. He gave up a bit too much surface area at times, but there were some nice moments for Garrett. Now he has to stack that momentum on Day 2.

There’s a dichotomy that commonly shows up in Haskell Garrett’s game. The Ohio State defensive lineman has strong pass-rushing chops. With his burst, energy, and lower center of gravity, he can get under linemen and outlast them. But as a run defender, Garrett doesn’t have the pure strength or density of nose tackles, and he can’t always hold up. His pass-rushing upside remains on display, nonetheless.

Haskell Garrett left practice early after suffering an injury in 1-on-1s. Per his Twitter account, he will be playing in the game on Saturday.

Relative to the expectations he carried into the Senior Bowl, Logan Hall’s first day was a bit of a letdown. It wasn’t a bad day overall, but the Houston defensive lineman struggled to disengage at times and faded if his first moves didn’t land. He was violent, versatile, and flashed explosiveness, but he needs to be more coordinated with those tools in the days to come.

After a relatively uninspiring first day, Logan Hall came back and rebounded in the rain. The Houston defensive lineman took reps at multiple alignments and showed off several quality traits. His straight-line power was tough to match up with at times, but he also sports a violent arm-over move that won quickly on one occasion. When he didn’t win right away, he was resilient, flashing the ability to stack counters.

A strong week for Logan Hall culminated in a solid Day 3 performance. The Houston defender still pops up a little high out of his stance at times, and he also isn’t quite as bendy as Payton Turner was. Still, Hall’s violence and straight-line power make him a lot to deal with for opposing blockers. He’s an amped-up rusher who routinely gave blockers handfuls with forceful swipes and arm-over moves, and he can quickly rechannel and transfer his power forward after generating displacement. He was as advertised in Mobile down the stretch.

Aptly for a nose tackle, Travis Jones displayed plenty of power on the first day of Senior Bowl practices. He wins with attrition simply by driving blockers back, but he also flashed an inside swim and was able to use lateral agility to disengage. On top of that, he can generate ample push in run defense. Jones is quickly putting his name on the map for teams with odd-front schemes.

Travis Jones continues to intrigue. During agility drills, Jones was able to pinch the corner and lower his pads with some of the best defensive linemen. In 1-on-1s and team drills, his power shined bright at times. He wasn’t as consistently disruptive as he was on the first day, but he continued to show off high-level tools on the interior.

Travis Jones’ stock is comfortably rising after a productive week in Mobile. The Connecticut product triumphantly announced himself as perhaps the best nose tackle in the NFL Draft behind Jordan Davis. Some might even prefer Jones’ pass rushing upside — something he showed time and again in Mobile. He was a menace in 1-on-1 drills with his burst and straight-line power. But especially on Day 3, his lateral agility drew eyes. Jones was able to get an angle on blockers, then use his violent hands to send them into the dirt.

Boye Mafe arrived in Mobile as one of the top athletes in attendance, and that was very clear on the first day of practice. Mafe has the traits. He’s explosive, agile, and has a great amount of straight-line power within his frame. He also showed off the ability to disengage and rip down anchors. Mafe did what he needed to do today — show off his upside. He can be more consistent down the line, but this was a good start.

Boye Mafe flashed on Tuesday — he again made onlookers pause on Wednesday with eye-popping plays. He can win with his traits alone, possessing high amounts of burst, speed, power, and flexibility around the edge. However, he also showed he could time swipes and surge inside. He did have one rep where he got buried after sacrificing his leverage, but overall, Mafe helped his stock again today.

Boye Mafe flashed once again on Day 3, displaying high-end pass-rushing ability. With his explosiveness, he gets an edge quickly against tackles. And on one rep, he showed off a perfectly timed club-rip to get around the apex. There were some team reps, particularly against Waletzko, in which Mafe was neutralized. Nevertheless, he did more than enough to sell his potential to NFL teams in Mobile.

Otito Ogbonnia had some impressive moments on Tuesday. The nose tackle measured in with a great combination of natural leverage and proportional length, and he put that to use against American Team offensive linemen. He was able to lower his pads and channel his burst into power. But Ogbonnia also made a concerted effort to get his hands up quickly off the snap — something that he could improve on tape. A great start for the UCLA defender trying to follow in the footsteps of Osa Odighizuwa.

On tape, consistency was one of the biggest knocks on Otito Ogbonnia, and that’s something that’s showed up at the Senior Bowl. His brightest moments are very bright, however. He’s shown glimpses of explosiveness and violent hand moves. And there’s no denying his motor, especially in 1-on-1 drills. He hasn’t edged out Jones as the best nose tackle on his roster, but he’s had some moments.

There is no practice report for Day 3.

Dominique Robinson was one of the biggest risers at Tuesday’s practice and could very well be the biggest riser on the edge. The Miami-Ohio product is an athletic specimen, with great explosiveness off the line and easy flexibility around the edge. He was also able to convert his speed to power and showed he could time swaps precisely at the apex. Robinson was consistently disruptive in several different ways, and it culminated in an excellent first day of football.

Dominique Robinson didn’t quite build on his stellar first day, but he did show glimpses of promise on Wednesday. Robinson can sink his hips and change directions while moving laterally, and he can also stack those direction changes and leave linemen in the lurch. That said, his lean frame got him in trouble at times today. He was locked up by linemen more often, and he doesn’t always have the strength to rip himself free. Still, the upside appears to be worth molding.

First impressions matter and Dominique Robinson set a great first impression on Day 1. He hasn’t been quite as strong in the days following that Tuesday performance, but there were enough flashes on Days 2 and 3 to cement Robinson’s status as a riser. He clearly has room to add more strength to his game, and his hands can also be more precise and forceful. But Robinson’s burst and length amount to stellar upside, and he’s shown he can use his lateral agility to leave blockers in the lurch. He could be a starter a couple of years down the line.

The offensive linemen had some trouble with more athletic edge rushers, and Myjai Sanders was a part of that onslaught. The Cincinnati edge defender consistently had good get-off on snaps, and also toyed with blockers using his lateral agility. Sanders is explosive, bendy, and agile but also showed he could shed blocks. The main concern with him is his size, and he’s quelling questions so far.

Once again, Myjai Sanders gave offensive linemen trouble with his burst and bend. He also showed great change-of-direction ability in agility drills and was able to convert his speed to power in 1-on-1s, actively targeting his opponent’s torso. Sanders fits best as an odd-front outside linebacker, but as a stand-up edge rusher, he’s providing a lot of appeal early in Senior Bowl week.

It was a similarly solid day for Myjai Sanders, who once again managed to convert speed to power with his burst and length. He could stand to be more creative with his hands on some pass-rush reps, but Sanders is a handful with his athleticism and bend. Moreover, he showed that he could improve his technique from rep to rep, responding well to an early loss against Faalele. 3-4 teams have to be salivating about the prospect of Sanders rushing off the edge.

Tyreke Smith’s day was more stagnant than most, but the Ohio State edge rusher did bring good energy and flashed some lateral agility. It was a performance that left us wanting more than most, but Smith did enough to intrigue onlookers for the coming days. He has tools, but he can be more consistent utilizing them on Wednesday and Thursday.

Coming from Ohio State, it’s no surprise that Tyreke Smith has the physical traits. He’s flashed power and bend at times in 1-on-1s, and he’s brought fairly constant energy so far this week. There is still an uncoordinated air to his game; he’s not always able to strike cleanly or stack moves. But he does flash at times with his traits and urgency. He can still be more consistent on Day 3.

Tyreke Smith flashed all week with his smooth athleticism and motor. Some of his best reps came on Day 3. In 1-on-1s against Penning, Smith used his burst and bend to attack the edge, then swatted away Penning’s reach with a nice swipe. Penning got the better of Smith on a couple more reps, but overall, Smith did what he needed to do. And when Penning got too aggressive, Smith wasn’t having it. He shot back up and got in Penning’s face. You want to see that edge from players.

Unlike his teammate Winfrey, Isaiah Thomas had a relatively quiet first day at the Senior Bowl. The Oklahoma edge rusher flashed power and violence, but he wasn’t always able to stack moves and got locked up relatively easily. He can channel his traits more effectively in the coming days.

In a strong EDGE group, Isaiah Thomas has struggled to separate himself. He hasn’t been bad, but the bar is set higher by those around him. Thomas has the frame, and he’s no doubt been physical. But he hasn’t been able to break away from blocks as consistently as other players. There’s still room for improvement heading into Thursday, but Thomas has the tools to end on a high note.

Isaiah Thomas had only flashed the first couple of days, failing to attain consistency. He got a little bit more of it on Thursday. Thomas showed intriguing ability, lining up at the edge and on the interior line. In 1-on-1s, he was able to generate ample movement with his straight-line power, but he also produced pressure in team drills with his lateral agility. Thomas ended the week on a high note, which was the best-case scenario for him.

Predictably, Perrion Winfrey was a wrecking ball on Day 1. His elite proportional length and explosiveness can combine to form devastating power, and that showed up multiple times today. Winfrey has an all-out motor and was consistently disruptive. His bull rush is menacing, but he didn’t rely on flashes. He had good pursuit to the edge and was steady throughout. It was an early-round performance for an early-round prospect.

Perrion Winfrey was dominant today. There’s no other way to say it. Almost every rep, it seemed like he was making some kind of play. He won with a brutal spin in 1-on-1s and also used violent hands to deconstruct anchors. His length and explosiveness amounted to dangerous power, and he also ripped out a fumble during team drills. It’s no surprise that Winfrey showed some of the most energy on the sideline as well. He’s arguably had the best week of all the linemen — he’s playing himself into first-round territory.

Winfrey could’ve honestly called it quits after his dominant showing on Wednesday. But the Oklahoma defender craved more conflict, and so he came out on Thursday and brought the same energy. He wasn’t quite as consistent in run defense during 7-on-7 reps, but his ability to win 1-on-1s so decisively continued to amaze. Winfrey’s motor never quits, and his combination of explosiveness, length, twitch, and power is rare.

All Troy Andersen needed to do was prove he belonged among this group. And prove he belonged he did. Andersen was great in coverage, losing no ground in a variety of coverage installments. He was also great in run defense, moving forward and coming downhill, filling run fits very well.

The Senior Bowl can be a wake-up call for small-school players sometimes, but Troy Andersen has woken us up a bit. He was solid in coverage today and showed great physicality against the run.

With a great ability to read and react, Troy Andersen came downhill and patrolled sideline to sideline well in the run game. Like the rest of the linebackers, there was a minor weakness in coverage, but Andersen still had some solid dropbacks on the day.

With very little flash on the day, Brian Asamoah did have a great play in coverage during team drills. He patrolled to his right with ease, erasing a flat throw from the quarterback.

Brian Asamoah looks good athletically, but he struggled to trigger a few times in coverage.

Incredibly solid in run defense, Brian Asamoah showed out in team drills against the run. He was quick to react and move downhill as he stuffed run fits. However, Asamoah struggled in coverage, appearing lost at times during his dropbacks. Asamoah is a great pass rusher (better run defender), but showed a weakness in coverage on Day 3.

Not in attendance.

Not in attendance.

Not in attendance.

1-on-1s were a treat to watch Darrian Beavers in action. His coverage skills were terrific against a ton of smaller, quicker running backs as he stuck in their hip pocket. He couldn’t make any plays on the ball, but he was in great coverage the whole time.

Darrian Beavers played incredibly well on Wednesday. He showed power and flashed a few different pass-rush moves during individual drills. He also flowed well during 7-on-7 and team drills, getting to the sideline in a hurry.

There were ups and downs for Darrian Beavers on Day 3. He was great at weaving through the traffic on runs inside the tackles. But Beavers was not immune to the linebacker group’s struggle in coverage today. He was lost at times and got crossed on another rep. Beavers will have to rely on his speed to catch up to shiftier pass catchers in coverage.

Kyron Johnson appeared to fit right in but was maybe a bit undersized in linebacker drills.

No practice report is available from Day 2.

Playing off the edge for the majority of the day, Kyron Johnson had a day of highs and lows. He was great at times, rushing the passer on pure dropbacks well. But he struggled to get off his blocks on running plays during team drills. Johnson is certainly in between positions but has an immediate role in the NFL as a situational pass rusher.

It was a quiet day for Jesse Luketa. Rotating between the defensive line drills and some coverage drills, he appeared to be a bit undersized for the defensive line. He’ll look to make more of an appearance in the coming days.

Jesse Luketa had one of the strongest days of anybody. He consistently won off the edge, showing multiple pass-rush moves to beat offensive tackles. He blew up Daniel Faalele once and also beat him on an inside counter. Luketa also showed off a beautiful spin move on the opposite side.

No practice report is available from Day 3.

It was a great day for Chad Muma. Any issue with overpursuing was corrected the very next play. His read-and-react ability was top-notch as he was the first to hit the hole and stuff the run. But Muma’s ability in coverage was special. He moves incredibly well laterally and stuck with his receivers of all different sizes from tight end to running back.

Chad Muma got suckered in a few times in coverage on Wednesday. Once, he got caught in the mud peaking at an under route that opened up a dig route behind him. On the next play, he drove back to his zone but then crept up as the back released, opening up a seam for the tight end. He looked good in the run game during 9-on-7 and team drills.

Showing off his ability in coverage, Chad Muma was terrific against underneath throws during 7-on-7s. Muma dropped effortlessly and moved incredibly well laterally. The name of his game is versatility, and him showing off in coverage was extra impressive for today’s NFL.

Playing down at linebacker, Sterling Weatherford lacked the true LB size but did showcase great instincts. It wasn’t the prettiest of days, but it was a solid day at the position for the first time.

Really liked seeing how instinctive Sterling Weatherford was in coverage. That makes sense given his experience in college as a defensive back. It might take time for him to get used to the physicality that comes with the position.

It was a great day for safety-turned-linebacker Sterling Weatherford. He was great in coverage, sticking with tight ends from the line of scrimmage through their route breaks. Weatherford has great instincts, and though he missed an assignment or two, his ability to take to the position change while at the Senior Bowl is incredibly impressive.

Slightly disappointed as he looked a bit sluggish. Lost his man off the line and struggled and could not recover.

Once again, I was disappointed with Coby Bryant. He lost a half-step to receivers off the line as he was slow in his transition and constantly trailing the man he was supposed to cover.

Coby Bryant was terrific across the board on Day 3. He was sticky in 1-on-1 drills and had great instincts during the 7-on-7 period. Bryant routinely flocked to the football and showed an ability to stick with his receivers at both the line of scrimmage and at the top of their route.

Both good and bad today from Tariq Castro-Fields. I liked what I saw in drills, particularly in 1-on-1s, as he made several nice plays and came away with a terrific interception. He did have lapses, which resulted in receptions for his opponent. That’s par for the course for Castro-Fields.

Another inconsistent performance for Tariq Castro-Fields. He’s feisty, works hard, and flashed ball skills. But he also does a lot of clutching and holding onto receivers, which resulted in penalties.

Making waves all week long, Tariq Castro-Fields had multiple plays on Day 3 that turned heads. He fought hard at the line of scrimmage and even harder along the route break, sticking with his receivers at every turn during 1-on-1s.

Kerby Joseph made several outstanding plays during scrimmage, including one terrific pass breakup. He’s a tough, physical safety that displayed decent range and the ability to quickly get to the sidelines.

Kerby Joseph got beat on a few snaps, but for the most part, I thought he did well. He showed ability in coverage and did not embarrass himself manned up against receivers. Definitely a plus day for Joseph.

Having the biggest impact during 7-on-7s, Kerby Joseph was a ball hawk from his free safety spot. Joseph was quick to react in coverage and closed the gap on throws with relative ease. It was a good week for a player who more than proved why he was on the Senior Bowl invite list.

Struggled most of the day. Couldn’t stay with opponents out of his transition and was constantly trailing opponents all day. Did a lot of grabbing and clutching.

Another difficult day for Gregory Junior, who was getting beat off the snap by opponents and constantly trailed opponents downfield.

It was hot and cold for Gregory Junior on Day 3. He was beat on an outside release during 1-on-1s but found his way back into the action with a great pass breakup against Bo Melton at the goal line. Junior has some more to work on, but he more than proved he can hang with Power Five receivers and some of the 2022 NFL Draft’s best.

Had a strong day. Feisty, quick, and possesses solid ball skills. Stayed on the receiver’s hip out of breaks and had several nice pass defenses. Really liked his performance today.

While Damarri Mathis got overmatched on occasion, I thought it was another solid practice for him. He gets the most from his ability and shows solid ball skills. He’s quick in reverse, loses nothing transitioning to run with opponents, and stays on the receiver’s hip out of breaks.

Providing highlights nearly every day this week, Damarri Mathis had a similar showing on Day 3 of practices. He was sticky in coverage, pressing his man and riding through the 5-yard boundary. Mathis utilized strong hands and better route awareness to force multiple incompletions during 1-on-1s.

Not in attendance

Not in attendance

In what was a very limited capacity, Verone McKinley III was a star. He fought through the ball in a 1-on-1 rep while proving that he can hang with a variety of pass catchers in 7-on-7s. McKinley routinely took on bigger tight ends and blanketed his receivers all day.

Feisty, fast, and very effective. Battled opponents and did a terrific job against tight ends in coverage. Proved he could make plays moving in reverse rather than just up the field.

Jalen Pitre continues to impress with his ball skills. He flips his hips in transition, stays with receivers throughout routes, and displays solid ball skills. Pitre has really come through the past two days.

The week got a lot better for Jalen Pitre on Day 3. It was already an impressive week for the Baylor safety, but his reps during 1-on-1s against some of the draft class’ best receivers were something extra. Pitre hung with bigger receivers and utilized an impressive aggressive nature of play at the line of scrimmage to make up for any size discrepancies. He’s proven he can cover like a cornerback, stuff the run like a linebacker, and rush the passer like an edge defender.

Jaylen Watson looked terrific in drills, consistently shutting down his man and being physical throughout the route. He struggled a bit in scrimmage, but it was still a plus day for Watson.

It was an inconsistent performance from Jaylen Watson and a step back from yesterday. He had some good reps but also did a lot of holding opponents when he got beat off the line.

No practice report is available from Day 3.

When he played press coverage, opponents could not get off the line, and he would win the play. When he played off the line or had to transition and run downfield with opponents, he was beaten.

Joshua Williams struggled once again today. He’s getting beat off the line and trails opponents down the field.

There’s a lot to like about Joshua Williams’ game. But when he was matched up against bigger receivers in 1-on-1 drills, he struggled to stay with them on quick releases. He does have great strength and a decent ability to backpedal but will need to work on his ability to stick with his receivers on their release at the line of scrimmage.

Beaten continuously and beaten badly during coverage drills and scrimmage. Showed a lot of toughness against the run, firing up the field and sacrificing his body to make the tackle.

JT Woods has yet to prove he’s anything other than a run-defending, downhill safety.

There was a lot left to be desired with JT Woods’ performance in 1-on-1s. He stayed close in coverage but still stayed a step behind on inside releases. Woods did show he can pass off receivers in zone coverage during 7-on-7 drills, leading the way to a couple of incompletions.