2022 Senior Bowl Practice Report: National Team

Kenny Pickett seemed to be pressing to get speed on throws which resulted in passes being off the mark. He had some nice throws and, for the most part, protected the ball. Really did not wow anyone today.

While all the signal-callers from the West seemed to struggle gripping the ball in today’s wet conditions, Kenny Pickett seemed to struggle the most. He delivered several nice short and intermediate passes, but he also seemed most adversely affected by the weather than any other quarterback this morning.

Pickett struggled early on during 7-on-7 in the red zone. His receivers struggled to separate, and he made a few throws that were dangerous. However, he settled down by the third rep and did a good job making quick decisions and delivering accurate passes. The team period was clean both in the red zone and working between the 20s. He was decisive and accurate taking what the defense gave him.

Desmond Ridder was all over the place with his throws and missed several wide-open targets. The arm strength and physical skills are obvious, but he needs a lot of work on his pass placement.

Desmond Ridder was the best quarterback on the National squad today. He was inconsistent during drills, but he did drop a few nice passes into receivers’ hands. During full scrimmage, he made several outstanding throws and showed a nice degree of accuracy — something that has been missing from his game.

The inconsistencies continued with Ridder, but his physical talent is obvious. When his process wasn’t sped up during the team period, he looked solid as a passer. His velocity was on display during 7-on-7 drills too. However, things broke down under pressure during the team period and passes started to scatter.

Strong made some beautiful throws, and he far and away has the strongest arm on any quarterback. He also needs a lot of work on his game. Often times Strong resorted to flinging the ball downfield and not properly delivering passes.

Carson Strong was inconsistent all day. Early on, he delivered several nice throws in drills. Yet again, he seemed all too happy to fling the ball downfield during scrimmage trying to show off his arm strength, and the results were poor.

Strong looks the most natural of the three quarterbacks at navigating the pocket. However, he’s seemed a bit gunshy at times. His deep ball continues to underwhelm, and a few times there have been passes calling for velocity that lacked it. He was decisive during the team red-zone period.

Tyler Badie showcased great vision during team drills as well as solid hands during passing drills. But it was his patience that really stood out. He chose his shots perfectly and burst through the smallest of creases for big gains. Badie also had a great day in the passing game, which was unsurprising.

Tyler Badie didn’t wow on Wednesday, but on a day where most of the backs and tight ends struggled, there were no obvious lapses from the Missouri back. His patience remained on display, and there were no egregious drops.

As he has done all week, Tyler Badie looked smooth in and out of breaks as a receiver in 1-on-1s. His patience remains a key attribute, as he knows when to attack a hole and accelerate through it, as evidenced by a long catch and run on a screen pass.

While the Cincinnati offense didn’t quite show it, Jerome Ford was on display in the passing game. He was crisp with routes and even better at the catch point when accurate balls were placed. Ford didn’t get to show much on the ground, but his passing game was stellar.

Jerome Ford showed some juice as he bounced a run to the outside of TE Jeremy Ruckert during team drills that went for a nice long touchdown. He got beat on a few pass-protection reps, but he had a strong day overall.

Jerome Ford was slippery in the red-zone 1-on-1 drills, repeatedly juking LBs off his routes. He didn’t get to show much as a ball carrier, but his performance as a receiver can only raise his stock.

The TE class was headlined by their work in the passing game, and we had to wait until 7-on-7s to really see Jeremiah Hall in action. He had a great set of out-breaking routes, understanding his strength at the catch point as well.

Hall looked good during 1-on-1 pass-protection reps, and he brought some pop as a lead blocker during team drills. However, a few drops sullied what could have been a great day for the Oklahoma fullback.

Jeremiah Hall looked good as a receiver in 1-on-1s, even crossing Cincinnati LB Darrian Beavers up for a good deal of separation. As we can expect from a stout fullback, Hall played well as a lead blocker in team drills.

There were a few moments of glory for Abram Smith as he hit the hole very well during team drills. He had the luxury of some great blocking in front of him during Day 1, but Smith showcased the vision to hit even the biggest holes.

Abram Smith doesn’t have much wiggle in his game, and on Wednesday, he struggled a few times to secure passes.

Abram Smith didn’t “wow” in any aspect, but he did a solid enough job as a receiver and runner. He hit the holes he needed to and didn’t drop any egregious passes. One thing that is easily visible is his lack of elite athleticism.

It was an unfortunate display in the passing game as Rachaad White found his way open with great routes but suffered a drop on the lone accurate placed football. He did, however, showcase enough burst during team drills and 7-on-7s that he made the drop an afterthought with his performance.

White struggled with the physicality of pass protection, but he battled hard. He moves at a different pace than the rest of the National RB group. He made multiple defenders look silly in the open field.

Rachaad White’s speed is as advertised — it was easily visible in 1-on-1s against linebackers. He was smooth as a route runner and made impressive cutbacks on zone runs in team drills. White is rising up boards with another solid showing.

Romeo Doubs did not show much in the way of quickness or burst. I’m told he is supposedly going to run in the 4.3’s during workouts, but I didn’t see that type of speed. He did catch the ball well.

Romeo Doubs was not impressive at all today. He was dropping throws early in practice, and during scrimmage, dropped a pass he tried to clutch against his frame despite the fact he was wide open.

Though there was a minor hiccup with balance early on, Romeo Doubs continued to impress on the third day of practice. He stumbled during one of his reps but made amends for that with a terrific move to separate from Tariq Castro-Fields at the line of scrimmage and high point the football. Doubs was unable to get his second foot down to make it an NFL touchdown, but it was an impressive catch nonetheless.

Started slowly then picked it up as the practice progressed and looked very good at the end. Made several nice plays in scrimmage. Quick, was able to separate, and showed soft, strong hands.

Bo Melton is quick, has a burst, and showed good speed on the field. Defensive backs could not stay with him, and he consistently separated from opponents. He struggled to catch the ball early in practice, but later on, the quarterbacks struggled getting the ball to him when he was wide open. Overall, it was a plus day for Melton.

Impressive all week long, Bo Melton had a great day indoors on Day 3. His release is immaculate, and his shiftiness is terrific for a man his size. Melton showcased skills previously not seen in Mobile on a rep against Damarri Mathis. In goal-line drills, Melton adjusted his body in the air and flipped his hands, bringing his hands with him to make a terrific catch for what would have been a touchdown.

Had one bad drop but otherwise caught the ball well. I did not see much quickness or speed in his game.

I was unimpressed with Alec Pierce, who showed little in the way of quickness and speed. He also seems a bit stiff. On a number of plays, he dropped passes that he should’ve come away with.

No practice report is available from Day 3.

Best receiver from the first session. Ran quick, crisp routes, separated from opponents, and caught the ball well. Had his man beat badly in full scrimmage and was wide open down the field, but Desmond Ridder missed him.

Braylon Sanders seemed to injure himself on one snap and did not capitalize on a terrific Day 1 practice.

No practice report is available from Day 3.

Ran decent routes and separated from defenders but lacked any semblance of balance and was all over the place. Also struggled a lot in battles.

Khalil Shakir ran solid routes and came free from defenders, yet could not handle the wet ball and dropped a lot of throws.

Shifty and elusive, Khalil Shakir had no trouble losing his defenders at the line of scrimmage during 1-on-1s nor in team drills. Shakir has great head movement and a terrific short-area burst that he uses to his advantage in the red zone. He also was able to showcase even more on Day 3, ripping off an impressive catch in the end zone for a touchdown that allowed scouts and media in attendance to be awed by his body control.

Caught the ball extremely well. Made a terrific contested catch down the field. Consistently extends his hands to make the catch away from his frame. More of a loper with average speed and struggled to separate.

From a pass-catching point of view, Christian Watson was the most consistent this morning, and pretty much caught everything thrown in his direction. He made several nice deep catches and competed for the contested throws. Watson showed little in the way of speed or quickness in his game.

The big man showcased a quick release on Day 3 as Christian Watson beat Jim Thorpe Award winner Coby Bryant on an inside release at the goal line. He fought through hands and had even stronger hands at the catch point. Watson proved he belonged at the Senior Bowl against the best of the best.

Not in attendance

Not in attendance

Fresh off the plane, Boston College’s Trae Barry had a rough go of it on his first day in Mobile. He couldn’t free himself in man coverage and routinely had to rely on his size and length to come down with receptions. Yet, he did haul in a stellar over-the-shoulder pass in the back corner of the end zone.

It started off slow, like the practice in general, but Jake Ferguson eventually picked it up. After some balance issues early (falling on his route breaks), Ferguson had a nice grab during team drills that attempted to atone for a few early mistakes.

On Wednesday, Jake Ferguson showed up as a run blocker. He didn’t flash much as a receiver, but as most of the flashes on Wednesday were of a negative nature, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Myjai Sanders beat him for a nice run stop in team drills, but Jake Ferguson found soft spots in zone as a receiver and came down with the ball. Additionally, he flashed some “toe-drag swag” in red-zone 1-on-1 drills.

Showcasing strength at the top of his route breaks, Charlie Kolar broke defenders spirits with his strength and hands at the catch point all the same. He was solid in the run game as well.

Charlie Kolar was robbed of an easy touchdown catch during team drills. He ran a nice out-and-up in the red zone and found space in zone coverage, but Carson Strong sailed the pass.

Charlie Kolar had an impressive contested catch against Baylor’s Jalen Pitre in 1-on-1s, but he struggled to get open against man coverage. Nevertheless, his strength is apparent both as a blocker and pass catcher.

There was a physicality with Trey McBride’s game during Day 1. He was pushing defenders back in the run game and then bullying them off his routes. He struggled to separate during team drills but performed much better in 7-on-7s.

Like most of the skill-position players on Wednesday, Trey McBride didn’t have a clean day catching passes. However, McBride showed an ability to find creases against zone coverage, and he showed some juice against man coverage as well.

Trey McBride looked stiff running routes, but he used his body well to create just enough separation to secure passes. He also held his own as a run blocker in team drills. A strong Senior Bowl showing continues for the Colorado State TE.

It was a good day for Jeremy Ruckert. He put forth a great display with his route running and soft hands. His size was evident, and his prowess in both facets showed out.

Ruckert impressed in the early practice Wednesday. While most struggled to cleanly haul in passes in the inclement weather, Ruckert made passes disappear in his hands. He also looked good as a blocker and sprung a long TD run on a down block.

Not in attendance

Cole Turner is a big man and a big deal. On the first snap of 1-on-1s, Turner beat Illinois S Kerby Joseph for a big gain. It was a solid day in team drills for Turner as well. But it wasn’t all hits as Turner was slow to break and allowed Joseph to secure a PBU on another target in 1-on-1s.

Cole Turner doesn’t possess a ton of juice, but he is a large target. He made an eye-popping catch during 7-on-7 drills, but the separation he found against the zone coverage came from a push-off. His catch radius will have to be his calling card.

Although Cole Turner isn’t the most nuanced route runner, his massive frame allows for a catch radius QBs love. He had a few nice grabs on the day but took some time to transition on routes in 1-on-1s.

Like the other non-FBS linemen, Ja’Tyre Carter wasn’t very consistent on day one of the Senior Bowl. He’s dense but a little smaller than most of his counterparts, and he was easy to move off-platform at times. He flashed solid grip strength, but the Southern lineman can do more to prove himself in the days to come.

Like many FCS prospects, Ja’Tyre Carter’s most important showing will come on Thursday. There are intriguing traits with Carter, who has some mobility within his frame. But he’s still struggled with keeping his base and staying on-platform, and with his smaller-than-average size, he can be moved fairly easily. He has athleticism and grip strength, so there’s a chance he could bounce back tomorrow.

It just hasn’t been a great week for Ja’Tyre Carter. He had his moments over the first couple of days, but more often than not, he wasn’t making noise. His smaller frame was consistently moved back, and that continued on Thursday. Carter struggled to sustain anchors against stronger opponents, and he was relatively easy to displace in 1-on-1s. His hands froze at times and weren’t always precisely placed. There’s still work to be done for Carter this offseason.

Daniel Faalele’s size will enamor onlookers, and for good reason. The Minnesota offensive tackle has neutralizing strength and can erase smaller linemen. But he wasn’t as consistent as desired on Day 1. Faalele showed some stiffness laterally and couldn’t always flip his hips to redirect defenders. He opened his torso a bit too much, exposing himself to power, and got knocked off-balance in 1-on-1s. He’ll need to be more consistent later in the week.

Daniel Faalele feels like a polarizing prospect just by watching him on the field. It’s easy to fall in love with the size, and there are some good perks that come with that. He has awe-inspiring anchor strength, and he also flashed good lateral recovery for his size – something he hasn’t always shown on film. He can also drive players back in run defense, and escorted one edge defender out of the play in 7-on-7s. But Faalele still isn’t the most mobile, and he may be confined to a right tackle role in the NFL.

Daniel Faalele had a chance to quiet the doubters at the Senior Bowl. But in the end, he may have simply given them more ammo. 1-on-1 reps are naturally slanted against offensive linemen, but some limitations showed up in team drills as well, especially in pass protection. Predictably with his frame, Faalele has some lateral stiffness at times, and he can’t always lower his pads effectively. If he mistimes a punch, it’s very difficult for him to recover. He had a very tough time with more agile rushers in Mobile.

Luke Goedeke left practice early with an undisclosed injury.

Not in attendance.

Not in attendance.

Marquis Hayes seems built for the interior. The Oklahoma blocker is a finisher who blocks to the whistle on every play. He also has great power and length, which translates well. That said, Hayes could’ve been better on his first day. He struggles to drop his pads and anchor at times, and his hand placement can be more consistent.

With his proportional length, Marquis Hayes has consistently had his moments on the interior. The most marketable element of his game is his power, and he was able to drive defenders back with that power capacity. He’s a mauler who brings that energy on every rep, and that consistency will certainly be appreciated this year.

Hayes was a bit more streaky on Day 3 after flashing with his power in run blocking drills over the first two days. There are times when he can improve his positioning in pass protection. His punches don’t always align with his base, and that can give rushers an edge and force him to chase. Hayes also wasn’t consistently keeping his hands tight. But to his credit, he improved a lot on successive reps, keeping his base square and locking up opponents. At the end of the day, rebounding says a lot about a player, and Hayes did that.

One could argue that Zion Johnson was the highest-rated offensive lineman coming into the Senior Bowl, and he played up to his reputation on Tuesday. The Boston College blocker had clean pass sets with a good base and was strong, well-leveraged, and authoritative with his hands. He also showed he could open lanes in the running game. Johnson’s Day 1 showing was very on-brand for the Eagles prospect.

Zion Johnson’s strong week continued on Wednesday. The difference between him and the next best lineman wasn’t quite as stark as it was on Tuesday, but Johnson was still one of the best on the National Team. The Boston College blocker showed he could gather opponents and reset his anchor while keeping a strong base. He also was able to redirect momentum and recover mid-play. Johnson got caught lunging at times, but he was strong overall.

Zion Johnson capped off a strong week with another good showing during Thursday’s practice. Johnson showed a little bit of everything on Thursday. He took snaps at center and was able to lower his pads and drive players. He was one of the few who could contain Travis Jones’ raw power, using a wide base, natural strength, and leverage. And Johnson showed off the athleticism to pull off a reach block as well. He was arguably the best lineman in Mobile over the three-day span.

There were times when Abraham Lucas struggled to lower his pads — an expected issue for a taller blocker. He was also a little early off the snap at times. Nevertheless, he’s a well-put-together athlete who showed he could anchor and drive defenders downfield as a run blocker. If he can keep working on bending his knees and driving his pads into players, he can end the week on a high note in two days.

It was a roller coaster of a day for Abraham Lucas. The Washington State product wasn’t as steady as desired. He kept his torso open a bit too much in 1-on-1s and lost balance against some rushers. Lucas also had heavy feet at times when seeking to recover laterally. He did, however, flash nice mobility getting out into open space on a designed screen. He has the athletic traits and the experience, but applying those qualities in Wednesday’s practice proved to be difficult.

Similar to his first two days at the Senior Bowl, Abraham Lucas was very up-and-down. His pad level remains an issue, and his wide hands show up at times. But Lucas also displayed the athleticism to flip his hips and latch on reach blocks. He carries a lot of power when he channels through his length. Lucas’ stock will remain stagnant, but there’s something to work with.

The upside pops with Trevor Penning, which was to be expected. He’s a big, physical mauler who has imposing strength and a constant edge. He also showed he could reset his anchor and gather power rushers. However, while Penning is nasty, he’s also uncontrolled. He can be stiff laterally at times and didn’t always match positioning with timing. His physical edge should still be enough to win over some evaluators.

The second of two freakish Northern Iowa tackle prospects to come through Mobile, Trevor Penning remains an interesting evaluation. The Panthers tackle has a nasty attitude that shows up as advertised. However, he didn’t always gather power well and wasn’t able to reset his base consistently when edge rushers got inside his torso. He did take a rep at guard and was able to drive back defenders on the interior. But his pad level brings concern there as well. Penning’s mentality is contagious, but he still has room to improve heading into Thursday.

Scouts are either going to love Trevor Penning or hate him. The Northern Iowa tackle was one of the meanest blockers on the field all week, living up to his reputation. But a lot of his mauler moments — throwing players into the turf — came after he’d already given up ground. His pad level was consistently high, and he struggled to tighten his hands and contain power at times. You like to see Penning finish, but when he loses a step, he gets grabby. It’s worth wondering how translatable his game is in its current state.

It was an up-and-down day for Central Michigan’s Bernhard Raimann, but he flashed potential. Raimann’s quick off the snap, and he can flex to absorb power. However, his hands can be a little high at times, and he can also be walked back by more powerful defenders. If Raimann wants to lock in his Day 2 billing, he’ll need to improve his anchor and leverage on Wednesday.

A strong Senior Bowl showing could’ve catapulted Bernhard Raimann into early Day 2 territory. Unfortunately, he hasn’t quite had that yet. Like Day 1, he got worked back quite a bit and bent a lot when stressed by power. He does have good athleticism, and that shows up when he gets into space. But Raimann hasn’t been consistent when dealing with high-level power rushers this week.

Bernhard Raimann struggled to elevate his stock in Mobile. His athleticism is easy to see, but the Central Michigan lineman was lacking in other departments, such as timing and power. He overset a couple of times on Thursday and whiffed on initial punches. Additionally, his grip strength isn’t at a high enough level to redirect opponents on recovery. He also gets too grabby at times to compensate. Raimann’s Senior Bowl showing unearthed questions about his game, but his athleticism remains a definite plus.

Cole Strange is a fiery competitor. That much is certain. The Chattanooga guard had a good mentality on Tuesday, meeting the challenge of FBS linemen. There’s still room for Strange to improve. He got moved back at times; like many FCS blockers, he may need an acclimation period. But he flashed a good anchor, moves well in space, and has the core strength to lock down squirming rushers. There are traits to build on if Strange can take advantage.

Cole Strange has had an iffy week, but there’s a silver lining there. He’s definitely a little smaller and a little less dense than most tackles, and sometimes it shows. But he did flash the ability to reset his anchor, and once again displayed good core strength when players tried to drive him back. He also took some reps at center and looked solid. As long as Strange keeps bringing the energy on Thursday, he should earn some fans as an intriguing interior blocker.

One thing I love about Cole Strange’s performance this week: Whenever he has a bad rep, he almost always bounces back. Early on in 1-on-1s, Travis Jones got the best of Strange with his strength. But on the second rep, Strange kept his base lower, was quicker resetting his hands, and showed great grip strength, ultimately neutralizing Jones. Strange can still get stronger, but he has the athleticism and the want-to, and he showed he can take reps at center. It was an encouraging week for him in Mobile.

It was a rough day overall for the National Team offensive linemen, but Andrew Stueber was a bright spot. The Michigan offensive lineman wasn’t perfect, but he was fairly strong through team drills and locked down guys during 1-on-1s. He used his grip strength to absorb power, worked to the second level, and was composed and reactive with his hands. He also took snaps on the interior, showing versatility. Stueber checked all the boxes on Day 1.

Andrew Stueber wasn’t quite able to match the performance he had on Day 1 today. He’s largely been a middle-of-the-pack performer so far, but Wednesday wasn’t as strong as Tuesday. Stueber got beat a couple of times in 1-on-1s when he couldn’t lower his pads enough, and his hands weren’t as consistent when he sought to respond to opposing moves. Day 3 will be crucial in determining his direction.

One of the most productive offensive line showings at the Senior Bowl belonged to Andrew Stueber. The Michigan blocker showed up big time in Mobile, especially on Days 1 and 3. On Day 3, he won a few reps decisively on the interior. On one rep, he anchored Haskell Garrett and drove him into the ground with powerful hands and upper-body torque. On another, he quickly swatted an intruding arm from Travis Jones, then buried him in the dirt with force.

Matt Waletzko is relatively light, and it shows. He can’t always control more powerful linemen, but he has the grip strength to stay latched and showed he can redirect momentum with his natural leverage. Waletzko is a great athlete with an imposing frame, but the raw strength is lacking somewhat against FBS linemen. We’ll see if he can compensate for that later in the week.

Matt Waletzko is quickly distinguishing himself as one of the better FCS offensive linemen in Mobile. His light frame sticks out, but he doesn’t play light. He was able to consistently gather players, reset his anchor, and keep his base stable against power rushers. He moved well laterally, and actively finished opponents who sacrificed their balance to sink underneath him. Waletzko’s stock is on the rise after today.

Measuring in at 310 pounds was the first big win for Matt Waletzko this week. But the North Dakota tackle compounded his gains with a steady week of play, and his best reps came on Days 2 and 3. For as big as he is, Waletzko does a great job bending his knees and lowering his pads. He’s also long and can drape the edge, preventing rushers from penetrating the outside. And with his length, he can generate power, finishing players on occasion. Waletzko looked better than Penning.

Unfortunately, Nick Zakelj looked outmatched for much of the first practice. He showed some recovery but was too easily moved back, and his feet retreated too often. He also struggled to absorb power at times. For an FCS prospect on his first day against FBS competition, it was about what you’d expect. The key for Zakelj is to improve over the course of Wednesday and Thursday. Perhaps he’ll see time on the interior.

It still wasn’t a perfect day for Nick Zakelj, who got beat a couple of times in 1-on-1s. The Senior Bowl stage still looks a little big for him, but he might slowly be growing into it. He took a few reps on the interior and looked better there. One of his best reps came toward the end of practice, when he kept synergy between his upper and lower body, reset his hands, and negated his opponent in pass protection. Thursday will be big for Zakelj.

Nick Zakelj likely wanted more out of his Senior Bowl week. The Fordham product came in with an opportunity to prove himself. And while he did have some nice reps on the final two days, showing off his easy athleticism in space, he’ll leave Mobile with questions surrounding his play strength, frame, and power-absorption ability. Zakelj’s best work came inside, so teams may be keen to move him there in the future.