MOBILE, Ala. — News, notes and observations from Tuesday's first day of practices at the Senior Bowl:
- The Patriots were well represented. I counted 10 scouts in attendance.
- I’m sure there were others, but I spotted three NFL head coaches. The Steelers' Mike Tomlin, the Giants' Brian Daboll, and the Titans' Mike Vrabel. Worth noting that the Titans have similar needs as the Patriots and Vrabel was locked in on the offensive tackles. They select 3 slots before the Patriots at 14.
- The quarterback play was not good, and the defenses largely dominated. That made it difficult to get a consistent and true assessment on the wide receivers and defensive backs. I feel confident in saying I don’t think there is a top 100 QB. Last year 5 of the first 6 QBs taken were at the Senior Bowl.
- A few corners who got my attention ... Riley Moss (Iowa) had more speed than I expected (covered a deep ball well in man coverage) and does a good job supporting the run. Bill Belichick knows the Iowa program well, but it would be a scheme transition for Moss (they run mostly zone). Julius Brents (Kansas St) is a fit for a man scheme (and zone with his length). Tyrique Stevenson (Miami) was good on the position drills.
- On the safety front, I thought Jammie Robinson (FSU) was very good and Christopher Smith II (Georgia) was solid. One thing the Patriots will notice: he was good on punt coverage.
- Not sure he’s a fit for the Patriots, but DE Derick Hall (Auburn) has some real bend and he’s physical. I bet a number of teams are talking about him tonight.
- I thought Clemson’s K.J. Henry was good on the edge. He’s a name to continue to watch.
- A lot has been written about Army’s Andre Carter II after he was second in the country in pressures last year (behind Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr.). Coming from a military family, I am rooting for him but he’s not ready for a full-time role. He needs an NFL nutrition program to put on weight. He could be a sub rusher, but he’d need to win with his speed and length.
- LB Daiyan Henley (Washington St) looks the part, showed some speed, and was good on a blitz drill. He’ll be a guy that I’ll be watching more closely tomorrow.
- I thought the best tackle all day was Maryland LT Jaelyn Duncan. He came into the year with a high rating (I had him 3rd in the preseason position rankings), but he struggled against top competition this year. He has really good footwork and good size. He won several times against GT’s Keion White.
- Ohio State’s RT Dawand Jones has the longest wingspan ever recorded at the Senior Bowl (89.5). That’s almost 7.5 feet. When he locks in, the defender isn’t going anywhere. In short, he can dominate. He also made a noticeable effort to acknowledge teammates for their performance. A few negatives. You’d like for him to be a little bit more of a mauler/finisher. He plays higher than you’d like, which isn’t always an issue given his size, but it will be at times. Lastly, he struggled with conditioning, needing to take a knee a few times (he weighed in at 375 pounds).
- Cody Mauch (North Dakota State) played primarily guard today. His traditional positional is tackle but there is some belief that he’d be best on the inside (like Cole Strange). He has good footwork which is what you’d expect from a converted TE.
- Wayna Morris (Oklahoma) was a guy I am watching in the event the Patriots wait until late Day 2 or early Day 3 to pick a tackle. He has the size, athleticism but he needs a lot of work on technique. Arms get way too wide on defenders. That will lead to a plethora of holding calls (or worse).
- LT Blake Freeland (BYU) is thin through the legs. He does a good job when he can utilize his length but there were several reps that left me thinking strength and anchor could be an issue. It’s something I’ll be watching more tomorrow.
- RT Darnell Wright (Tennessee) was largely good. The same could be said for LT Matthew Bergeron (Syracuse).
- Along the defensive line there were several strong performances. Karl Brooks (Bowling Green), Zacch Pickens (South Carolina), Cameron Young (Miss St), and Keeanu Benton (Wisconsin)
- On the WR front, I liked the speed from Jayden Reed (Michigan St). I liked the route running from Tank Dell (Houston) and Puka Nacua (BYU), and Jonathan Mingo (Ole Miss) made a great hands catch over the middle.
- The “American” team finished with a competitive session in the middle of the field – best of 5 1v1’s. The last one came down WR Rashee Rice (SMU) vs. CB Darius Rush (South Carolina). Rice ran a great route (outstanding head fake) to get open, but the ball wasn’t close. Looking forward to seeing more of him tomorrow.
THREE UP
LT Jaelyn Duncan (Maryland): I had him as the top-performing LT today and playing well against top competition will be important this week.
DT Karl Brooks (Bowling Green): Might not be a total scheme fit but he could be a 3-4 end for the Patriots. Consistently got my attention.
Edge Derick Hall (Auburn): I came away impressed. I think he could be a first-rounder.
THREE DOWN
OT Wayna Morris (Oklahoma): Needs to clean up his technique.
QB’s: Great opportunity for them (the Patriots have picked 2 from the Senior Bowl the last 2 drafts). I don’t see it being a third.
Edge Andre Carter II (Army): Needs to add some weight to better anchor.