The Reese’s Senior Bowl is underway in Mobile, Ala. Whose 2024 NFL Draft stock is going up, and whose is going down, after the first day of practices? Here’s our initial list of risers, led by potential first-rounders like Tyler Guyton and Quinyon Mitchell.
Senior Bowl Day 1 Stock Up
Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
It’s hard for Guyton to rise much higher — he entered the Senior Bowl as a likely Round 1 pick already — but if he continues to play like he did on Day 1, he could rise into the top half of Round 1 and challenge Taliese Fuaga and JC Latham to be the top RT.
Guyton tipped the scales with his measurements — 6’7″, 328, 34 1/4″ arms — and he used that frame to lock down his side in 1-on-1s and team drills. He’s uber-athletic, but his flexibility, in particular, is an incredibly strong part of his game, allowing him to recover and maintain leverage through reps.
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
Much like Guyton, Mitchell already entered Senior Bowl week as a likely first-round pick. Then, on day 1, he proceeded to lock down anyone and everyone who entered his reach. For Mitchell, who’s expected to run in the 4.3s, being the first CB selected is a possibility.
Mitchell isn’t quite as complete as a prospect as Terrion Arnold, but he’s a smothering ball-hawk. And during Tuesday’s practice, he did the one thing he didn’t always get to show at Toledo: playing tight press-man coverage with his short-area quickness and physicality.
Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan
Two wide receiver prospects separated themselves as the cream of the crop on Tuesday, one each from the National and American teams. On the National Team, it was Michigan’s Roman Wilson who distinguished himself as an elite separator.
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At 5’10 1/2″ and 186 pounds, Wilson has legitimate 4.3 speed, and he glides effortlessly through zones, throttling up and down to take advantage of leverage mismatches. By the time defenders react, he’s already gone. Wilson was uncoverable on Tuesday, and he has the athletic traits to keep it rolling.
Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
Ladd McConkey was the American Team’s representative on the “All-Routes” team. If you watched McConkey’s Georgia tape, it didn’t exactly come as a surprise — but he dominated 1-on-1s with his silky smooth separation chops. He stood out like a top-50 player should.
McConkey is not only a turbocharged athlete with elite stop-and-start, but he knows how to weaponize that speed and athleticism with efficient footwork, spatial awareness, deceptive tactics, and micro-movements — and he can make high-difficulty catches as well.
Gabe Hall, DT, Baylor
Gabe Hall won before practice by measuring in at 6’6″, 290 pounds, with 34 3/8″ arms. Then he proceeded to win virtually all of his 1-on-1 reps, utilizing a violent swim move, a rip combo, and a brutal push-pull. Hall has all of the tools, and he started to put it together on Tuesday. He’s a Day 3 prospect right now, but that could change if he keeps it up.
Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan
Marshawn Kneeland has a reputation as a high-motor defender coming from Western Michigan, and that motor was on full display in Mobile on Day 1. He constantly brought the heat, and at 6’3″, 268 pounds, with 34″ arms, his power element stood out as well. And when Kneeland got a step on blockers, he also showed he could channel flexibility to finish.
Nelson Ceaser, EDGE, Houston
Guyton won almost all of his 1-on-1 reps during the American practice. The one edge rusher he lost to? Nelson Ceaser. Ceaser hit Guyton with a picture-perfect spin move, baiting Guyton into turning upfield and lurching by threatening vertically. Ceaser has agility and bend at 260 pounds, and he showcased his power from interior alignments, too.
Theo Johnson, TE, Penn State
The Senior Bowl is a place where top-tier athletes can stand out, and Theo Johnson benefitted from that effect on Tuesday. The 6’6″, 257-pound Johnson was routinely using his easy acceleration, speed, and bend to carve through zones and separate at the intermediate level, and he also used his hands to finish at the catch point consistently.
Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State
Right now, Chop Robinson is viewed as a potential Round 1 pick. Adisa Isaac has always been seen as more of a Day 2 value, but he may be closing the gap. The 6’4″, 250-pound Isaac — who measured in with 34″ arms — terrorized linemen with his brisk lateral agility and energy as a mover, and he showcased the necessary bend to finish around the arc.
Dominick Puni, OL, Kansas
Taking reps at guard after playing left tackle full-time for Kansas in 2023, Dominick Puni gave plenty to like during the National Team practice. Especially in team drills, the 6’4″, 323-pound blocker established early chemistry with right tackle Taliese Fuaga. He was explosive and tenacious on run plays and looked very natural pulling across the front.
Christian Jones, OT, Texas
Many offensive linemen stood out for the American Team. Javon Foster, Beaux Limmer, and Christian Haynes were others who impressed. But the biggest riser of that group might be Christian Jones — a long-armed powerhouse who used his take-on strength, sturdy center of gravity, and square technique to fend off a host of power rushers in 1-on-1s.
Brandon Coleman, OL, TCU
Another American Team offensive lineman who deserves a mention is Brandon Coleman. As expected, Coleman took reps at tackle and guard on Tuesday, and he was very hard to beat at both spots. He almost fared better at tackle, where he was able to use his lateral mobility, natural leverage, proportional length, and active hands to gather opponents.
Ryan Flournoy, WR, SE Missouri State
There weren’t any big plays to go around on Day 1 of install, but SEMO’s Ryan Flournoy was rock-solid with the reps he got. The 6’1″, 200-pound WR separated well in 1-on-1s with efficient routes, showing off an ideal size-speed profile.
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His most impressive work came at the catch point, where he used strong and coordinated hands to withstand hits.
Carlton Johnson, CB, Fresno State
At 5’11”, 169 pounds, Carlton Johnson is a major weight outlier, and he’ll need to work against that. But as a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster, he made a splash on Tuesday, scoring an impressive high-flying pick against Spencer Rattler.
Johnson read the seam pass perfectly and jumped the route, using his vertical athleticism to high-point the ball.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, WR, Georgia
For a likely Day 3 wideout, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint did everything you could hope on Day 1. He’s not an overly dynamic athlete, but Rosemy-Jacksaint ran good routes and caught all of the almost half-dozen targets that came his way.
Evaluators already know he has size and can block. There’s little preventing him from being a quality rotational presence.
Senior Bowl Day 1 Stock Down
It’s important to remember that none of these players are doomed to stay in this category. The Senior Bowl is a week-long affair, and prospects who show they can rebound from early losses are always held in high regard.
Tanor Bortolini, OL, Wisconsin
Tanor Bortolini is relatively new to center, having played the position full-time in 2023 after switching over from guard. Managing leverage is still an issue for him at times, and a rep against DeWayne Carter where he was driven into the turf exemplified that.
Bortolini needs to make a point to establish a stronger base at the start of reps, but he has talent. And on the fist day, he was able to rebound in team drills. He’s at his best when he can use his athleticism and angle IQ as a run blocker in space. The next step is shoring up his pass protection.
LaDarius Henderson, OL, Michigan
One question evaluators will likely ask about LaDarius Henderson this week is whether he’ll fare better at tackle or guard at the next level. He has experience and quality tape at both spots, but at tackle, he was picked on Tuesday. Michigan teammate Braiden McGregor exploited his high pad level with power in 1-on-1s, and Isaac beat him with bend in teams.
Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
Kingsley Suamataia’s stock can only fall so far. He has the elite explosiveness and power to almost ensure a top 50 selection.
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That said, his first day at the Senior Bowl was up and down. Suamataia planted his feet too early on one ill-fated rep against Isaac in 1-on-1s, and he did the same against an inside counter from Laiatu Latu at the end of the session.
Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
Measuring in at 6’1″ instead of 6’3″ isn’t a problem for Xavier Legette. He’s still over 220 pounds, and he’ll still break the GPS with his speed. But his catch technique in 1-on-1s did incite some concern on Tuesday. Occasional clap-catches can be a source of drops, and he doesn’t always use his frame proactively to assert authority coming back toward the ball.
Myles Cole, EDGE, Texas Tech
Myles Cole, purely physically, brings shades of Tyree Wilson from the 2023 NFL Draft cycle, with his 6’6″, 272-pound frame and his 36 3/8″ arms. But Cole is still very raw technically, and that lack of refinement was exposed in 1-on-1s. When he needed to stack counters past initial power, he lost reps quickly. Refining his hand usage will be key for him to grow.
Jha’Quan Jackson, WR, Tulane
Jha’Quan Jackson isn’t going to be an overly imposing catch-point threat at 5’9″, 190 pounds, so he needs to prove he can separate consistently. He has the requisite athleticism, but on Tuesday, wasted movement and a lack of spatial awareness plagued him in 1-on-1s. He’ll need to sharpen his steps and seek more efficiency in the coming days.
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