MOBILE, Ala. — News, notes and observations from Tuesday's first day of practices at the Senior Bowl:
- DE Jermaine Johnson II (Florida St) was very good all day. Won with power and agility to defeat blocks against the run. He even showed an impressive spin move rushing the passer. The highlight of the day may have been his end of practice 1v1 versus OT Darian Kinnard (Kentucky). He put him flat on his back and Kinnard is (6’4, 324). Kinnard immediately bounced back and asked for another rep which he won. Great competitiveness. He looks to be in a little better shape than he played this season. I still see him as a heavy-handed guard but he’s lighter than his tape.
- OT Trevor Penning (Northern Iowa) is strong and can be a bully at the point of attack. Might be the best tackle here.
- Good news for the Patriots, the NTs here stood out. I’d rank them in order of effectiveness: Travis Jones (UConn), Neil Farrell Jr. (LSU), and John Ridgeway (Arkansas).
- Shaky hands all day from RB Rachaad White (Arizona St). That said, he has breakaway speed that he showed off on one long run.
- Didn’t focus a ton on the QB’s because the Patriots are in a good situation and the first Senior Bowl practice is always difficult for them (not a real offense, new receivers, not much timing, etc.). That said, as expected, Malik Willis (Liberty) has the best arm (not always accurate). I was impressed by Carson Strong (Nevada). He’s a name to keep an eye on as the draft machine gets cranking. Kenny Pickett (Pitt) was the most accurate. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was watching him closely. QB Bailey Zappe (Western Kentucky) was the least impressive.
- OG Zion Johnson (BC) had a good practice. He has good footwork and really fires out low. He’s small for an NFL guard but plays with good leverage. He was beaten at center (not his natural position) so I give him credit for being willing to try. I kept thinking of current Patriot Shaq Mason. DL Logan Hall (Houston) beat Johnson handily on one rep. He has tremendous size, length, and versatility. He could line up anywhere on the line.
- CB Jaylen Watson (Washington St) looks the part, but he was a mixed bag. Good jam coverage and competitive but dropped an INT and was beat cleanly on another rep.
- OT Daniel Faalele (Minnesota) was slow on snap several times. He got beat in a run block by Myjai Sanders (Cincinnati), something that shouldn’t happen given his size and athleticism.
- DT Perrion Winfrey (Oklahoma) may not be a scheme fit for the Patriots but he has plus quickness off the LOS.
- TE Isaiah Likely (Coastal Carolina/Everett) had a good catch over the middle and gained another 25+ yards after the catch.
- WR Romeo Doubs (Nevada) has very good long speed, but I think he decelerates too much on shorter routes. He catches with his body too much and is not a clean hands catcher. For boundary WR, I liked both Christian Watson (North Dakota) and Jalen Tolbert (South Alabama) a lot more than Doubs. They both won a lot of individual matchups. WR Calvin Austin III is fast. Small player, think Tyreek Hill, but he is going to run a strong 40.
- DE Isaiah Thomas (Oklahoma) is built like former Patriot Chandler Jones. He has good quickness and beat Trevor Penning for a sack on full squad rep.
- The best PRs were WR Khalil Shakir (Boise St) and WR Dontario Drummond (Ole Miss). It was difficult in the wind. Shakir showed pretty good hands, but I want to see him go over the middle with more confidence.
- Both defensive lines beat the offensive lines throughout the day. That’s good for the Patriots given they need to target the defensive front seven.
- The Jets staff ran a tighter practice with more energy than the second practice, run by the Lions staff.
- Some last-minute opt-outs and injuries: LB Devin Lloyd (Utah), WR Jahan Dotson (Penn St), CB Marcus Jones (Houston), hamstring for Cameron Thomas (San Diego St), hamstring for LB Terrel Bernard (Baylor).
THREE UP
NT Travis Jones (UConn): A popular potential Patriot’s target is Georgia NT, Jordan Davis. Well, Jones would be a very good substitute. He was dominant at times; good quickness, significant power and he has the size needed to play the nose. He needs to stay low and find the ball quicker, but he was very impressive. We referenced him earlier in the week but unfortunately, he’s no longer a secret after Tuesday.
DE Jermaine Johnson II (Florida St): Impressive all day. I called him out in the preview as a potential target. He might not be there when the Patriots select at 21.
WR Christian Watson (North Dakota St): Impressive as a “Subdivision” (formerly Div 1-AA). He may have been the best WR of the day and looks the part.
TWO DOWN
RB Rachaad White: Ideally a three-down back (he had 43 catches this year). On Tuesday he dropped punts, dropped catches, and didn't look comfortable. I compared him to former Falcon, Tevin Coleman, earlier in the year. That is still accurate but not a fit as a 3rd down back.
WR Romeo Doubs: Playing with his own QB he made some plays but was not consistent nor clean enough catcher. Early on he would just be a deep threat.