8 Prospects Flying Up NFL Draft Boards After Senior Bowl Week
NFL prospects can turn Senior Bowl week into their proving grounds.
Prospects from FCS programs and small schools can demonstrate their ability to compete against top FBS competition. Undersized players can answer questions about their potential fits in specific schemes.
Every player has a chance to showcase their versatility.
This week, several prospects boosted their draft stocks. Two of these standouts may have generated first-round buzz.
We gathered observations and footage from Bleacher Report scouts and other spectators to highlight incoming NFL draftees who could make significant moves up the big boards after the activities at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.
QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
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The all-important quarterback position is always the main focus, even in classes with only a couple or a few signal-callers who could be first-round picks—like this year.
In the absence of Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart drew the most positive attention among the quarterbacks. While Jalen Milroe had a rough week up until Thursday, the Ole Miss product quickly rebounded after a shaky first day at practice.
B/R scout Dame Parson noted Dart's improvement after his first day.
"He made multiple good decisions, hitting his first reads in the progression and fitting passes into tighter windows between two defenders," Parson wrote.
"Dart was visibly more confident in what he was asked to do and threw the ball with more certainty. Day-by-day improvement is a massive positive for Ole Miss' all-time passer."
In certain situations, Dart showed touch on his throws over defenders and placed the ball in advantageous spots for his pass-catchers.
While some would argue that Dart didn't have much competition to become the top quarterback on the American Team, he's elevated his stock and stirred up discussion about his draft outlook.
The Ringer's Todd McShay believes the gap between Sanders and Dart is closer than the public thinks it is in team evaluations. He expects the former Rebels quarterback to move up the ranks.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler talked to a scout who thinks Dart has done enough to see a move up draft boards in an underwhelming quarterback class.
"I could see him getting pushed up in the draft, maybe not in the first round but close," the scout said. "He shouldn't be a first-rounder, but it's a weak class and that's how these things go sometimes."
EDGE Mike Green, Marshall
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All you need to know about Mike Green is that one of his reps against Josh Conerly Jr., who earned recognition as the top offensive lineman on the National Team, went viral on X.
Pro Football Focus captured the one-on-one rep that quickly circulated online.
Green flashed and left a strong impression in a short period. He didn't even stay the entire week.
Before this event, B/R's Scouting Department graded him as a second-round prospect, but Holder now considers him a bona fide first-rounder.
"The Marshall product is checking all the boxes he needed to mark off this week: weighing in over 250 pounds, showing a wide pass-rush repertoire and proving himself against top competition," Holder wrote. "Green will be moving up B/R's edge rankings and should end up being a top-20 pick in April."
In his final collegiate campaign, Green recorded 22.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. Still, skeptics usually have questions about small-school prospects when they face peers from Power Five conferences. Green likely squashed those concerns like he did the competition during Senior Bowl week.
WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
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Sometimes, analysts will label smaller wide receivers as just slot guys. At the Senior Bowl, those wideouts can show the ability to make plays on the perimeter and shed the perceived limitations of a slot receiver.
Jaylin Noel may have done that this week, and he may be the biggest winner in a receiver class with depth that lacks elite talent at the top.
Noel's peers recognized him as the best wideout on the National Team.
Bleacher Report scout Dame Parson noted one of Noel's highlight catches at practice.
"…Noel's highlight grab against tight coverage on a deep ball really caught everyone's eye. He made an outstanding adjustment to the ball and reeled it in. Noel is stacking days and proving that he is more than just a slot receiver," Parson wrote.
Draft analyst Joe DeLeone of The Ruffino & Joe Show and Rotounderworld's Jason Allwine recorded and posted some of Noel's best reps in one-and-one drills.
At Iowa State, Noel recorded more catches, receiving yards and touchdown receptions every year over four terms. He carried that momentum into Senior Bowl practices. His draft stock has likely skyrocketed after a highlight-reel week.
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CB Quincy Riley, Louisville
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When evaluating cornerbacks, you must look beyond the pass breakups and interceptions and find out why the prospect is consistently in a position to make plays on the ball.
During the Senior Bowl practices, Quincy Riley showed spectators how he registered 15 interceptions and 40 pass breakups in five collegiate terms.
Riley blanketed receivers in stride all week. The Athletic's Dane Brugler recorded the Louisville product breaking up a well-placed back-shoulder throw near the sideline.
Bleacher Report scout Brent Sobleski highlighted one of Riley's inconspicuous coverage traits.
"What made Riley stand out among others is a trait that's often overlooked. A cornerback who doesn't panic when he's beaten, out-of-phase, or the ball is in the air is invaluable. Riley has shown over the last two days that he's cool as the other side of the pillow when those instances occur. He will continue working to get in-phase and still try to make the play on the ball if possible."
NFL draft analyst Jake Schyvinck captured a perfect example of what Sobleski described in his assessment.
B/R's Scouting Department projects Riley as a third-round pick, though his playmaking ability and demeanor displayed in those practices may push him further up draft boards.
EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
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Shemar Stewart isn't a polished prospect, which explains why his collegiate statistics in the pass rush and against the run look underwhelming compared to some of the top edge-rushers in the class.
In three terms at Texas A&M, Stewart logged 4.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, but after a string of eye-opening performances, he has generated first-round buzz from spectators.
B/R scout Matt Holder witnessed the former Aggie impose his will in the trenches.
"He's been dominant in Mobile, as his tools are showing up more consistently on the field," Holder wrote. "The former Aggie stood out during team periods as a pass-rusher and run-defender, logging a strip-sack and tackle for loss.
"Stewart will also be climbing up B/R's next big board, and it's becoming clearer that he has the makings of a first-round pick."
Stewart is a prime example of a prospect whose pro production may be far greater than his collegiate numbers. Teams must grade him with potential as a crucial factor in evaluations.
Don't be surprised if draft analysts project Stewart as a first-rounder in their next wave of mocks.
TE Mason Taylor, LSU
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Among the tight ends in this class, Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland will garner the most attention. However, the second tier of prospects at the position may have starter potential or at least add another layer to passing attacks.
Mason Taylor definitely improved his status within the position group, showing off his pass-catching ability.
The 33rd Team's James Foster put together a compilation clip of Taylor routinely beating defenders and, in most cases, using his strong hands to pluck the ball out of the air.
B/R scout Dame Parson believes Taylor has done enough to earn consideration as a top-five tight end in the class.
"Taylor posted a good day overall. He showcased his blocking ability but kept up his route-running clinic against man coverage. He's making a case to leapfrog a few bigger names and enter the top-five tight-end discussion by the end of this week."
OL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
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As usual, offensive linemen fly under the radar, even at their best, though draft analysts certainly noticed Grey Zabel.
Zabel garnered praise across the board and quelled concerns about his ability to match up against top competition, coming out of an FCS program.
Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema thinks Zabel, who mostly played tackle as a collegian, could be the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the class.
The 33rd Team's Marcus Mosher posted a mashup of Zabel getting his hands dirty in one-on-one reps.
B/R scout Brandon Thorn did see Zabel lose some reps with a mixed-bag outing on Thursday, but he thinks the North Dakota State product stood out more than anyone else among the offensive linemen.
"Zabel had his worst practice of the week Thursday with a handful of losses spread across one-on-ones and the team portions of practice. The effort was by no means a bad day since he had several nice reps as well," Thorn wrote.
"Overall, Zabel put together an excellent, very good and solid three days of practice across the interior and a rep at right tackle. He helped his stock more than any other lineman in Mobile this year."
EDGE David Walker, Central Arkansas
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Coming from an FCS program, David Walker needed to make a name for himself, and he did that with impressive wins in one-on-one drills.
The 33rd Team's James Foster compiled Walker's reps and compared him to undersized edge-rushers Melvin Ingram and Brandon Graham.
B/R scout Matt Holder acknowledged that Walker's measurements will impact his draft outlook, but he may have checked off some boxes for teams that wanted to see his ability to win on the edge show up at these practices.
"While the FCS product has a sawed-off frame (under 6'1" and 267 lbs) that skews his NFL projection, he has the potential to be a disruptive player, which his 30 sacks over the last three seasons highlight," Holder wrote.
Perhaps Walker makes the cut for B/R's next draft big board.
College football statistics are provided by cfbstats.com.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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