Senior Bowl Recap

The Senior Bowl has come and gone, resulting in a 45-16 win for the South team. However, the score is not what matters in this game. As was discussed last week, what’s important here is how players fared during practice as much (if not more than) the actual game, especially what improvement they were able to make over the course of the week. That being said, here is a snap-shot recap of the eight players from the Mountain West:

QB Josh Allen (Wyoming)

• First-hand accounts:

link

• Synopsis: Allen was both the hardest throwing quarterback as well as the least accurate quarterback. The reports out of his practice sessions seemed to be spotty at best but he shined pretty well in the game, as the state line indicates above. Allen also had quite a few designed and undesigned runs in his first series or two to extend plays and grab a few first downs. Without a doubt he looked like he belonged.
• Bottom line: Stock stayed the same. People saw what they wanted to see from Allen. His supporters saw the huge arm and measurable, some nice passes completed, and numerous runs for positive gains. His haters saw the frustrating lack of accuracy and consistency to be worthy of a top pick.

RB Rashaad Penny (San Diego State)

• First-hand accounts:

• Synopsis: Penny dominated the game, showing off his skills running between the tackles and his break away ability. He even displayed versatility by factoring in the return game. Also, he was able to showcase his pass-catching and pass-protection abilities, which were some question marks coming in. Being the co-MVP of the game shows the Penny made his presence known it will bode well for him come draft time.
• Bottom line: His stock is way up. Penny did exactly what he needed to do, and then some. He checked off every box he needed to this week and should solidify himself as one of the top backs in the draft.

FB Nick Bawden (San Diego State)

• First-hand account:

• Synopsis: Bawden was injured and ending up not playing in the game. Still, he had a productive week. The Lions were said to interview he and Penny together, which speaks to them thinking both were responsible for the production Penny had this year. When Bawden was practicing, he showcased his skills as more than just a blocker, as indicated above.
• Bottom line: Stock dropped a bit. To clarify, this is not a knock on Bawden’s talent, nor should it alter his draft status. But not playing in the game unfortunately is a missed opportunity to showcase how his skills translate to games. Especially when the FB on the other team (former Sooner Flowers) had a great showing and put some distance between them. Still, he showed enough in his limited time to prove he’s a top 2 FB and worthy of a draft pick.

WR Michael Gallup (Colorado State)

• First-hand accounts:

link

Synopsis: Gallup had a nice showing in the actual game, catching three passes for 60 yards. He reportedly was able to display his all-around game as a WR, with his height, speed, and route-running to consistently win matchups against corners.

Bottom line: Stock is up. Gallup needed to show he could produce against top competition after beating up MWC CBs and he did just that. As the tweet above says, he was the highest graded WR and while he probably won’t be the first one drafted, this puts him in a great spot to be one of the first off the board at WR.

WR Cedric Wilson (Boise State)

• First-hand accounts:

same link as above

• Synopsis: Wilson seemed to be one of the most talked about players all week in practices. People were raving about his hands and ability to separate from defenders. Unfortunately, he was a ghost in the game, catching one pass for 4 yards. That came at the end of the first-half on a failed hook-and-ladder play. There was another play on a 3rd down on their first series where the camera view made it seem like he got separation off the line of scrimmage but Mayfield was locked on the other side of the field and took a blind-side sack.
• Bottom line: Stock up. While Wilson didn’t have the showing that he wanted or that was expected in the game, he did everything he could during the week of practices to stand out, which is honestly what matters the most. He was able to distance himself from other similar WRs and will be a good value pick for teams looking to add a WR in the mid-rounds.

OL Austin Corbett (Nevada)

• First-hand accounts:

• Synopsis: Being honest, it’s difficult to hone in on watching the OL during a game. The old adage of “you only notice them when they screw up” applies here. That being said, Corbett didn’t have any glaring mistakes. The move from tackle at Nevada to the interior at the Senior Bowl seemed to go very smoothing for him and looks like a great fit at the next level.
• Bottom line: Stock way up. Corbett made a name for himself this week and like it says above, “made money”. Kiper has him at a 2nd round grade, which is huge for an interior lineman in the draft. That easily makes him one of the top centers/guards coming into the draft. It’s safe to he made the most out of his weekend.

CB Kameron Kelly (San Diego State)

• First-hand accounts:

• Synopsis: Being able to show he can play on the outside as a cornerback is a big win for Kelly. While he may not have stood out as much as some of the other MWC players, that doesn’t mean he didn’t have a successful week. This is only the beginning and he can build off of this.
• Bottom line: Stock slightly up. Kelly did just enough to get and stay on the radar. Size for a CB goes a long way in the NFL and teams will take a chance on a player like Kelly. If he can continue to present well at the combine and his Pro-Day, he will find a good landing spot.

S Trayvon Henderson (Hawaii)

• First-hand accounts:

• Synopsis: Henderson received lots of praise for his coverage abilities, specifically against tight ends, which was a question mark coming into the week as the knock of him was his struggled in coverage. This myth proved to be false as he quickly presented himself as a quick and versatile player-maker in all facets of the defense.
• Bottom line: Stock up. Like Corbett, Henderson may be of the highest risers in this group and all the seniors. As mentioned last week, versatile SAM LB types are all the rage in the NFL and Henderson may be able to play some version of that type of player as DB who can stop the run and cover slot WRs or TEs. He should get selected sooner rather than later.

Your turn: Who did you think had the best showing out of this group? Do you agree or disagree with the stock reports for each player? Join the discussion by commenting below.