124 prospects at this weekās
#NFLCombine
started their draft process one month ago at
@seniorbowl
. Hereās a unique behind-the-scenes look at a life-changing week in Mobile š„:
#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE
ā¢ļø
Hearing Tua Tagovailoaās hip injury is serious. Hip fracture. Similar to Bo Jacksonās career-ending injury. Surgery tonight or tomorrow morning. Praying for Tua and his family. š
As a young second-year scout with the Pats, I gave Ben Roethlesberger an 8.0. Our scale was 1.0-9.0 but I hadnāt learned yet that nobody really gave 8.0ās or 9.0ās. Our GM made the comment to me, āYouāre putting Roethlesberger in Cantonā. Guess I accidentally nailed that one.
QB position aside, if you want your team to win a Super Bowl then you want them to draft OL or DL in the early rounds in April. Might not be as much fun on draft weekend but it wins championships.
ORā¦What an incredible opportunity for a bunch of young hungry guys that have worked their entire lives for this moment. Someone will launch a successful NFL career tonight!
Have watched lots of
@seniorbowl
1-on-1ās over the years, not sure weāve ever seen this scissor move release. š
If you havenāt figured it out yet, Tank Dell is just different.
#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE
ā¢ļø
With 7-foot-5 reach & light feet like this, how are rushers supposed to get around Ohio Stateās Dawand Jones? Weāve had numerous NFL scouts tell us heās a better version of Chiefs 4x Pro Bowler Orlando Brown Jr. (and we agree). Sounds like 1st rounder.
#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE
ā¢ļø
Preseason is over and itās clear Malik Willisā game is going to translate. Heās doing same things to NFL defenses that he did at Liberty. League probably overthought that one.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is one of the cleanest prospects in past decade. If heās available, this trade should get done today.
ā off-field
ā size
ā strength
ā athleticism
ā high IQ
ā tough
ā competitive
ā durable
ā griitty
ā leadership
ā work ethic
ā versatile
ā productive
ā winner
Someone in Cali please explain what else, besides football, people are doing on Saturday afternoons in the fall. Whatever it is, thatās what Saturdays in the winter, spring, and summer are for.
Kentucky RB Chris Rodriguez Jrās mom unexpectedly passed away on Jan. 11. She had Lupus. Awareness color is purple, which was also her favorite color. In tomorrowās
@seniorbowl
, Chris will be wearing purple facemask loaned from LSU football. Incredible way to honor his mom. šš
D-III vs. SEC. Here is
@SJUFootball
OL Ben Bartchās first 1-on-1 rep of the
@seniorbowl
against
@AlabamaFTBL
EDGE Terrell Lewis, a potential first-round pick. Bartch moved up multiple rounds in Mobile last week. The stage wasnāt too big for Bartch. šŖ
#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE
Would be interesting to see what Twitter wouldāve done to a rookie Troy Aikman that went 0-11 and first-year Peyton Manning that threw an NFL record 28 INT. Some of these young QB are in really bad situations right now. Circumstance matters.
Canāt imagine every OL coach in the nation wouldnāt approve of this reaction by
@OU_Football
RG Dru Samia (
@DruSamia
). Nothing excessive. Just protecting his guy.
John Dorsey is getting tons of love today, and rightfully so, but he stepped into two of the best GM situations. He inherited incredible draft capital and cap space in both KC and Cleveland. Most fans wonāt admit it but Sashi Brown and Scott Pioli set Dorsey up for success.
Advice to all college WRs: If your coaches arenāt playing you on ST go them and demand they put you on a core unit. So far tonight weāve seen Alabamaās Devonta Smith, Clemsonās Cornell Powell, and Ohio Stateās Chris Olave on coverage teams. ST will separate you from the masses.
Eagles currently hold three picks in top 15 next April and NONE will be clear upgrades over how Jalen Hurts is playing now. Hurtsā development in Year 2 isnāt being talked about enough.
This video has been circulated to all 2022 Senior Bowl field level security. Any activities of this nature will result in credentials being revoked and immediate removal from the stadium. š
Was scouting for
@Patriots
the year Troy Polamalu came out of USC. I put a grade on him at top of our scale that was rarely ever used. Remember my boss jokingly saying, āDonāt put the guy in Cantonā.
Never scouted a player as fun to watch on tape as Polamalu. Congrats, Troy!
For those judging Daniel Jones on the road against the No. 1 defense in the NFL, hereās who he lined up with at skill positions tonight:
RB Elijhaa Penny
RB Jonathan Hillman
RB Austin Walter
TE Garrett Dickerson
TE Rhett Ellison
WR Golden Tate
WR Darius Slayton
WR Cody Latimer
All
@seniorbowl
players will be wearing these š¦ helmet stickers in today's game to honor Mobile legend Jimmy Buffett, who passed away this past year.
2020
@seniorbowl
South Squad Offensive Practice Players of the Week (voted on by the position group they competed against in practice)
QB: Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
RB: LaāMical Perine, Florida
WR: Van Jefferson, Florida
TE: Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt
OL: Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU
Eagles just landed a 25-year old QB that has completed 62.9% with 37 TD, only 11 INT, and 93.1% rating in his first two seasons for a stinking 6th round pick. Gardner Minshew is a winning NFL quarterback. Absolute no-brainer deal for Howie Roseman.
As impressive as the tape and the record-breaking stats are, how teammates respond to
@Joe_Burrow10
, particularly his OL, is what separates him most from other college QBs. Cannot overstate how much this matters to NFL decision-makers.
Best advice to HS kids in college recruiting process is simple: go somewhere you can play as early as possible. If the end goal is āmaking it to the leagueā, it doesnāt matter where you playāthe NFL will find you. You have to be on the field to be found.
#TheDraftStartsInMobile
Had a great talk with
@LSUfootball
QB Joe Burrow last night and he decided to forgo the
@seniorbowl
to spend time with family. Our staff completely respects his decision and wish Joe nothing but the best. Some NFL team and city are getting a special player, person, and leader.
This is how you play CB with your back to the ball.
Read route - donāt panic - get head around & find ball - toe tap finish.
Veteran play by Bears rookie Tyrique Stevenson.
Josh Jacobs was a backup in college and is a stud in the NFL.
Trey Sermon has been a backup in college and he WILL be a stud in the NFL.
Evaluate the player, not the depth chart.
Huge part of scouting is evaluating the circumstance of each player.
They donāt give Rookie of the Year awards to offensive linemen but the best first-year player in the league right now might be
@packers
LG Elgton Jenkins. Green Bayās offense has looked different since he became a starter.
Excited to add Heisman winner Devonta Smith to this yearās Reeseās Senior Bowl. He will not be cleared to participate in any on-field activities due to thumb injury but he will go thru team meetings with Coach Floāsš¬ staff and interview with decision-makers from all 32 clubs.
An NFL scout at the Clemson/Georgia game last night texted me this: āJust send a Senior Bowl bus to Athens and have them all get onā. Not a bad idea.
@GeorgiaFootball
is absolutely loaded.
In attempt to un-clutter everyoneās TL this week, all 125 players will be meeting with all 32 NFL teams at
@seniorbowl
. Absolutely zero need for āPlayer X met with Team Zā posts. Have a great Monday!
Some context on
@Raiders
decision to take Alex Leatherwood with No. 17 pick. Media crushed them but Leatherwood was going in first round. Spoke to multiple teams picking in 20-32 range that had Leatherwood in Round 1. Most donāt agree with the pick but it wasnāt a reach.
Whatever grade you have on
@UMichFootball
OC Olu Oluwatimi itās probably too low.
Seeing very little on here about Outland & Rimington winner and not sure why.
Tested well (9-2 BJ, 29.0 VJ, 29 reps) and blew teams away in Combine interviews.
Heāll start for somebody as rookie.
Respectfully disagree with anyone floating the idea of making FCS football a permanent spring sport. Completely nonsensical. There were 157 FCS players on opening day NFL rosters last year. Thatās not a small number.
Oklahomaās Tre Brown was named top DB on the American team in a vote from the WR group at practice player-of-the-week awards ceremony tonight at 2021 Reeseās Senior Bowl.
#TheDraftStartsInMobile
Anyone else having trouble watching N.C State big man D.J. Burns and not thinking about him kick-sliding in pass pro or getting out on pulls? Can't just be me.
Nobody spends more time around players than equipment guys. The locker room is a private sanctuary where players can get away from everyone else in the building, including coaches. Equipment guys are the only ones trusted in that space. This isnāt a minor move.
The
#Texans
recently dismissed equipment manager Mike Parson ā who had a close relationship with Deshaun Watson ā and the move is not sitting well with players, per
@AdamSchefter
.
Seahawks cutting Shaquem Griffin is a bummer but itās still very cool that he and Shaquill were able to be teammates at every level from Pop Warner to the NFL. One of our favorite plays from last season. š
NFL scouts tell us few guys boosted their draft stock more at
@seniorbowl
than K-State CB Julius Brents. 6030v w/ record-setting 82 7/8 wing. DB teach tape stuff here. Textbook tight-man focus.
Rarely see 1-on-1 rep where QB doesnāt even throw it. š
#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE
ā¢ļø
If Jacksonville ends up with the No. 1 pick and take Trevor Lawrence they will be using ābest player availableā over āneedā. QB is not the Jagsā issue. Gardner Minshew is a real player, not just a fun story.
No NFL head coach takes advantage of
@seniorbowl
more than
#Steelers
HC Mike Tomlin.
Hereās Tomlin in middle of OL Indy period. š
We asked one HC: Why donāt all head coaches clear 3 days off their schedule to see over 40% of all drafted players?
HCās response: āTheyāre lazyā
No GM had better first two days of the draft than
@Giants
Dave Gettleman. His first three picks should make an immediate impact and he picked up first and third-round picks in what will be a loaded 2022 class. UCF DB Aaron Robinson is one of most underrated players in this draft.
NFL totally over-thought it with Creed Humphrey.
Hope teams donāt make same mistake with John Michael Schmitz.
If you need a center, take JMS and get a two-contract high-level starter.
One of the surest things in this yearās draft.
#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE
ā¢ļø
First player to hit me up this morning asking which coaching staff heāll be working with?
@TexasFootball
QB Sam Ehlinger, of course. Wanted to get an early start on tape study. Already a pro.
Checkout the guy running down the sideline on this long catch-and-run by Van Jefferson. Itās fellow senior WR Tyree Cleveland (
@Tyrie_1
). Thatās a great teammate. Totally unselfish. NFL scouts notice this kind of stuff. ā
And so is the RB draft class of 2021. Travis Etienne, Najee Harris, Chuba Hubbard, Trey Sirmon, Brian Robinson, Rakeem Boyd, B.J. Emmons, Elijah Mitchell, Larry Rountree, Chris Evans, Trey Ragas...
The free agent RB class of 2021 is currently loaded: Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones, Joe Mixon, Kenyan Drake, Todd Gurley, Leonard Fournette, James Conner, Matt Breida, Philip Lindsay, Kareem Hunt, James White, Tarik Cohen, Marlon Mack and more.
ATTENTION ALL CFB PLAYERS: If you want to get noticed by NFL scouts, play with type of relentless effort shown here by NC Stateās Payton Wilson.
All strain. No give up.
This is an ILB hawking down a WR. š
Alabamaās Mac Jones was named top QB on the American team in a vote from the secondary group at practice player-of-the-week awards ceremony tonight at 2021 Reeseās Senior Bowl.
#TheDraftStartsInMobile
.
@Browns
just traded for an incredibly smart player. Due to his position flex, most assumed Minkah Fitzpatrick was the brains of Alabama secondary in ā17 but Harrison was the main communicator and teammates said Nick Saban spoke to Harrison on different level than anyone else.
.
@Vol_Football
QB Hendon Hooker deserves all praise he gets but RT Darnell Wright is one of most improved prospects weāve seen on tape this year. Moved from LT in offseason and looks more natural on right side. Wright made money controlling Alabamaās Will Anderson on Saturday.
Kadarius Toney (
@0fficialC2N
) from
@GatorsFB
named top WR on the American team in a vote from the secondary group at practice player-of-the-week awards ceremony tonight at 2021 Reeseās Senior Bowl.
#TheDraftStartsInMobile
Booth ref: āHeās clearly got him grabbed...significantly hindering the receiver. This should be a booth review. Iām surprised they havenāt stopped the game.ā š¤¦āāļø
Best story so far in free agency has to be former Bills CB Levi Wallace signing 2-year/$8M deal with
#Steelers
. Not only was he an undrafted free agent in Buffalo, he also played intramural flag football his first year in college before walking on at Alabama.