Facebook Pixel

    Dominating Performances by Jackson Powers-Johnson, Quinyon Mitchell Earn Player of the Week Honors at Senior Bowl

    Published on

    Jackson Powers-Johnson and Quinyon Mitchell left the 2024 Senior Bowl as our biggest risers, but which other players impressed in Mobile?

    The 2024 Senior Bowl practice week has concluded. Which 2024 NFL Draft prospects separated themselves as risers throughout the showcase, and who took home our Player of the Week honors? Let’s dive into the 2024 group and discuss.

    2024 Senior Bowl Players of the Week

    Offensive Player of the Week: Jackson Powers-Johnson, OL, Oregon

    In a football media landscape that can so easily gravitate to skill-position players, let’s give the offensive line a little love.

    It’s not a simple gesture of grace, either. Talk to folks on the ground or watching the tape from home, and there’s little disagreement that Jackson Powers-Johnson was the best offensive player in Mobile, Ala.

    The Oregon center only played in two practices, but that was all the 6’3″, 330-pound blocker needed to leave a lasting impression.

    In 1-on-1s, playing at both guard and his natural position of center, Powers-Johnson was dominant — anchoring with violent hands, matching with athleticism, absorbing power with stellar leverage, and finishing with his trademark physicality.

    Defensive Player of the Week: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

    Quinyon Mitchell once nabbed four interceptions in a single game. He’s been rumored to run at a 4.3 pace.

    Every detail about Mitchell makes it seem as though you’re describing an ancient evil to cowering wide receivers by firelight — and at the Senior Bowl, Mitchell backed up the legends.

    MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Reports

    There were good CBs in Mobile, but Mitchell was the best through the first two days, and it wasn’t particularly close. When he played in off-coverage, Mitchell used his patience, recovery speed, and smothering physicality to erase entire reps. And in press, he showed off the quickness and precision necessary to dictate routes.

    The playmaking ability almost goes without saying, but Mitchell added to his highlight reel at the catch point, too. With his ability to play in all coverage looks, eliminate gaps with his speed, and generate turnovers, Mitchell might not make it outside the top 20 in April.

    2024 Senior Bowl Stock Up

    Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina

    No QB at the Senior Bowl looked more comfortable and composed throughout the week than Spencer Rattler. He appeared as a man matured and refined by a college career of ups and downs, directing his offense well. And his throwing reps were exceptional — underpinned by quick processing, decisiveness, precision, and high-end arm talent.

    Past the top QB group of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels, things are unsettled in the 2024 NFL Draft QB class. At the Senior Bowl, Rattler may have thrown his hat into the ring as a prospect somewhat comparable to Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr.

    Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan

    There were quite a few solid WR performances in Mobile, but no one was more consistent at separating and catching the football than Roman Wilson. Wilson used his Chris Olave-esque speed and bend to carve past coverage DBs and obliterate looks, and he used his acrobatic catching instincts to consistently convert at the catch point.

    Once Wilson runs at the NFL Combine — he’s expected to run in the 4.3s — top-50 draft capital could be a legitimate possibility.

    Darius Robinson, DL, Missouri

    Darius Robinson came into the Senior Bowl as a fringe first-round prospect for me. And in the wake of his game-wrecking performance — particularly on Day 2 — his name should be in first-round mocks much more often.

    Robinson was great all week, but he was legitimately indefensible on Wednesday. He won with quick, heavy-handed swims, brutal power rushes in 1-on-1s, and obliterated gaps in run defense during team drills.

    At 6’5″, 286 pounds with near-35″ arms and high-end burst, twitch, and flexibility, Robinson compares favorably to Denico Autry, one of the more under-appreciated alignment-versatile goblins of our time.

    Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma

    Tyler Guyton was already a Round 1 pick heading into Mobile, but he may have climbed up the Round 1 contract scale with his performance — both in 1-on-1s and in team drills. At 6’7″ and 320 pounds, Guyton has an incredible mix of natural athleticism, length, and flexibility, and in Mobile, he used forceful extensions and steady feet to corral rushers.

    Dominick Puni, OL, Kansas

    Only one 2024 NFL Draft prospect was listed in our “Stock Up” section for all three practices: Kansas’ Dominick Puni. At 6’4″ and 323 pounds, Puni is not puny by any means. And at the Senior Bowl, he took reps at tackle, guard, and center, dominating from the interior by staying square, shocking opponents with precise punches, and anchoring with strength.

    Then, in team drills, Puni showed off the necessary athleticism to climb to the second level. Puni looks like the complete package and a position-diverse prospect. He could be a massive under-the-radar riser, akin to Cole Strange a couple of cycles ago.

    Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State

    The Senior Bowl’s EDGE group was strong this year. Chris Braswell and Marshawn Kneeland are a couple of other players who deserve a mention as strong performers. But aside from known quantity Laiatu Latu and Robinson, few EDGEs were more consistently disruptive through the week than Adisa Isaac. He looked like a top-50 pick.

    MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Big Board

    At around 6’4″, 250 pounds, with 34″ arms, Isaac has almost every tool possible at his disposal — burst, bend, agility, heavy hands, and pursuit speed — and in Mobile, he channeled his traits through double-swipe rips, swims, and other swift combos.

    Christian Haynes, OL, UConn

    Past Powers-Johnson, the most consistent interior lineman in Mobile might have been Christian Haynes. The 6’2 1/2″, 318-pound blocker was already known for his ability to explode to the second level and drive through defenders in space. But at the Senior Bowl, he was rock-solid in 1-on-1s and pass protection reps in team sessions, using his steady base, tenacity, and suffocating core strength to nullify rushers with totality.

    Theo Johnson, TE, Penn State

    The Senior Bowl always serves as a stage for superlative athletes to separate themselves. Theo Johnson did that with his traits alone, showing off blistering speed and flexibility at 6’6″ and 257 pounds. But he was also able to use those traits to separate as a route runner consistently, and he used his smooth body control and contortion ability to convert at the catch point.

    Austin Booker, EDGE, Kansas

    EDGE prospects of all denominations showed out at the 2024 Senior Bowl. Robinson won with power, Isaac won with athleticism and finesse, and Austin Booker awed evaluators with his all-encompassing upside. Particularly on Wednesday, Booker won in various ways, showing an equal propensity to blast through blocks with power or dip underneath with bend and burst.

    At 6’4 1/2″, 240 pounds, Booker is a bit leaner and can improve his play strength, and that showed up in 1-on-1s when he was anchored. But his short-area energy, combined with his 34″ arms, allows him to drive power, and his finesse makes him very hard to corral.

    Carlton Johnson, CB, Fresno State

    A late addition to the Senior Bowl roster, Carlton Johnson ended up being one of the best CBs in Mobile. On the first day, he scored an interception off Rattler by reading the QB’s eyes and driving on a seam pass. Then on Thursday, Johnson was a lockdown CB in 1-on-1s, using his gnat-like quickness and feistiness at 5’11” and 170 pounds to smother WRs into submission.

    Dylan Laube, RB, New Hampshire

    The 2024 Senior Bowl RB group was extremely well-rounded. But if we’re talking about “Stock Up” players, no one helped themselves more than New Hampshire’s Dylan Laube.

    Laube brought his widely-known receiving chops to the fold, running immaculate routes in the red zone with his nuance, spatial awareness, and throttle control — and he proved to be a capable runner between the tackles with his dense 210-pound frame.

    DeWayne Carter, DT, Duke

    Interestingly, DeWayne Carter wasn’t on any of our more dramatic “Stock Up” pieces. But after three days of quality reps, both as a pass rusher and a run defender, Carter’s stock is on the way up for his infallible consistency.

    MORE: NFL Draft Order

    At around 6’2 1/2″ and 308 pounds, Carter was able to plow through several 1-on-1 blockers with his power, and he proved to be a formidable presence against ground threats, routinely preventing displacement.

    Jackson Sirmon, LB, California

    He came into the Senior Bowl as a relative unknown, but Jackson Sirmon got his name on the radar with his play in Mobile. Sirmon missed half of the 2023 season with a torn bicep but worked his way back in time to give evaluators a timely reminder at the 2024 NFL Draft showcase.

    At 6’2″ and 235 pounds, Sirmon was an active defender all week, particularly in pass defense. He flowed to passing lanes quickly, using his eyes to key in on QB intent. On Day 3, he scored a high-flying interception against Joe Milton III.

    Gabe Hall, DT, Baylor

    Gabe Hall quieted down a bit after an unstoppable performance on Day 1, but his first impression in Mobile will stick with evaluators.

    At 6’6″, 290 pounds, with near-35″ arms, Hall has a Build-a-Defensive-Lineman physical profile, and he won with a violent barrage of rush moves in Tuesday’s 1-on-1s. His quick swim is lethal, and teams may rush at the chance to build on his foundation.

    Brenden Rice, WR, USC

    Brenden Rice still has things to work on, mainly as a route runner. Channeling flexibility consistently remains an issue. But Rice built throughout the week in Mobile and ended with a phenomenal Day 3 showing — in which he separated with quickness on slants and whips and won at the catch point with his length, body control, and vice-grip hands.

    Rice, the son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, already has the size-speed combo, and at the Senior Bowl, he showed teams there’s something more to invest in.

    2024 Senior Bowl Stock Down

    Tez Walker, WR, North Carolina

    Tez Walker came into the Senior Bowl carrying some light Round 1 hype. He’s been a late Day 2 prospect on my board, and his time in Mobile showcased a little bit of why. While Walker had good reps peppered throughout, he struggled to sink and separate consistently at stems, and his Day 2 outing was riddled with focus drops and sporadic hand technique.

    As a vertical threat, Walker still brings plenty of appeal, and the top-end flashes of body control at the catch point and long-strider speed in Mobile helped accentuate that. But as a three-level threat at WR, his route-running limitations may cap his upside.

    Kalen King, CB, Penn State

    There were a few reps spread throughout the week where Kalen King’s understanding of leverage, spatial IQ, and eye discipline helped him swoop in front of passes. But ultimately, King isn’t the biggest CB, and he had trouble regaining ground against more explosive WR threats. King was once a first-round candidate but could slip down the board a bit.

    LaDarius Henderson, OL, Michigan

    LaDarius Henderson is still a quality prospect, and he gave evaluators some positive plays to work with during team drills, driving through defenders at guard. That said, his Senior Bowl showing brought questions about his translatability at tackle. In 1-on-1s, his tall pad level was exploited more than once by power, and he lacked the hip flexibility to stop EDGEs from turning the corner.

    Myles Cole, EDGE, Texas Tech

    Myles Cole passed the eye test heading into Mobile, measuring in at 6’6″ and 272 pounds with massive 36 3/8″ levers for arms. That eye test affirmation will earn him a chance with an NFL team. But in 1-on-1s and team drills, a lack of operational refinement caused Cole to stall out quickly past initial power. There’s a lot to work with, but there’s a lot of work to do.

    Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE, Minnesota

    There was some hope that Brevyn Spann-Ford would conjure up some of the receiving prowess that helped him produce for Minnesota in 2022 before poor QB play hampered him in 2023. But in Mobile, Spann-Ford struggled to separate independently. And when he had defenders in his frame, he struggled to find the ball and play positioning properly.

    Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame

    Sam Hartman had good command of the offense all week, and his veteran savvy is sure to win over some evaluators.

    MORE: Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator With Trades

    But Hartman’s arm was by far the weakest of the Senior Bowl QBs, and seeing the comparison side-by-side made it that much more glaring. Hartman’s inability to drive even intermediate throws could be an issue in his NFL projection.

    All the 2024 NFL Draft resources you need — the draft order, the top QBs, the Top 100 prospects, and the full 2024 Big Board — right at your fingertips at Pro Football Network!

    Related Stories