With the 2022 Senior Bowl kickoff less than 24 hours away and the NFL Draft upon us before we know it, it’s time to take a look at who scouts thought were the big winners during this week’s practice. These are the opinions gathered from a few teams. I wrote about the quarterbacks last night, so here are the rest of the positions.
2022 Senior Bowl: RBs Dameon Pierce and Tyler Badie impressed
It was pretty unanimous: Florida’s Dameon Pierce and Missouri’s Tyler Badie were mentioned as the best running backs during practice. Pierce was terrific running the ball. Badie was sensational and displayed a complete game. He showed great quickness and outstanding vision running the ball, and he was very effective as a receiver out of the backfield.
Which WRs and TEs impressed?
Hometown favorite Jalen Tolbert of South Alabama, Calvin Austin III of Memphis, and Khalil Shakir from Boise State were listed as the winners.
I mentioned Tolbert’s positive practices each day. He caught everything thrown in his direction and looked much faster than advertised.
Austin stood out on Wednesday in the rain. He ran super quick routes with terrific balance and caught the ball well. For the most part, Austin could not be covered, but he is small — really small.
Shakir was possibly the best route runner on hand and looked like a natural receiver. Keep an eye on his 40-yard time — it will dictate where he ends up in the draft. People at the Senior Bowl do not expect a fast time from Shakir during the Combine or pro days.
As far as the tight end spot is concerned, it’s no surprise Trey McBride of Colorado State and Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert were graded as the best by scouts. McBride was a playmaker all week, and as of last night, some are talking about him as a late first-round prospect.
Trevor Penning dominates during the 2022 Senior Bowl practices
Trevor Penning was very much Ali Marpet-like with his Senior Bowl performance. Indeed, he dominated in a nasty way on just about every snap. Said one team of Penning, “He was head and shoulders the best offensive tackle this week.”
Zion Johnson was considered the top interior offensive lineman at practice from the scouts I spoke with. He was dominant at guard and made a seamless transition to center. Scouts said of Johnson, “He’s an athletic lineman with excellent size who could line up in a variety of blocking schemes.”
Who stood out on the defensive line?
According to scouts, the two top pass rushers were Arnold Ebiketie of Penn State and FSU’s Jermaine Johnson II, with the latter being labeled as one of the best players in attendance. Ebiketie is explosive and fundamentally sound. He’s strong for his size and displayed the ability to push tackles off the ball.
Johnson was absolutely dominant all week and showed tremendous athleticism, explosion, and movement skills. He really stood out in 1-on-1 drills. For teams that prioritize body type, Johnson’s long-legged, high-hipped build could cause a problem.
On the interior, the honors went to Travis Jones of UConn, Oklahoma’s Perrion Winfrey, and John Ridgeway from Arkansas. Jones looked superior all week, winning 1-on-1 drills and clogging the middle during the scrimmage. Jones came into the Senior Bowl as a Day 3 pick and left as a possible Day 2 choice. The question for Jones will be, why was he so good during Senior Bowl week after looking so ordinary during the 2021 season?
Scouts were impressed with Ridgeway’s size and athleticism. He definitely is getting top-100 notice at this point.
Senior Bowl linebackers and defensive backs
Troy Andersen of Montana State did exactly what scouts were hoping to see — he made a lot of plays in reverse and showed ability in coverage. That was key for the small-school linebacker who primarily played upfield at the college level.
Jalen Pitre of Baylor and Illinois’ Kerby Joseph were mentioned as the top players from the safety spot. And it’s with good reason, as far as I’m concerned. Pitre looked sensational in coverage drills and proved he’s more than just a downhill safety. Joseph also played well in coverage and displayed outstanding range in the scrimmage.
How did the corners perform?
The top corners according to scouts I spoke with? Tariq Woolen of UTSA, Auburn’s Roger McCreary, and Akayleb Evans of Missouri.
Woolen is a physical specimen and looks impressive in pads. His game needs a lot of work. However, one team said if he runs in the 4.3s at the NFL Combine, he’s assured to be a Day 2 pick. Woolen is presently timing in the 4.3s during training, and as I previously mentioned, many expect he’ll get into the high 4.2s during the Combine.
McCreary’s short arm length (29 ¼ inches) raised a few red flags, yet he was one of the most polished corners on the field.
For some reason, Evans flew under the radar all week despite having three good practices. He showed terrific mechanics, ball skills, and every time you watched Evans, he was making positive plays and breaking up passes. Evans measured a shade under 6’2″ and 201 pounds, and teams were impressed with his interviews. If he runs in the 4.4s during Combine or pro days, Evans will land on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
2022 Senior Bowl final takeaways
Teams were less than complimentary about the way the Detroit Lions ran their practices. As one general manager said, “These were the worst Senior Bowl practices in 25 years!!”
I would agree to an extent. There was very little tempo during the sessions run by the Lions. Additionally, there seemed to be too much waiting around. I witnessed long pauses between snaps when the receivers and defensive backs were doing drills.
As far as the worst practices in 25 years? All I’ll say is Dave McGinnis and the Arizona Cardinals’ staff ran some awful practices in 2002.