Senior Bowl 2015: TV Schedule and Live Stream for Prospect Showcase
For some 2015 NFL hopefuls, the Senior Bowl is an exercise in life on the edge.
The practices and eventual event in Mobile, Alabama, are the first time many future pro-level players will show what they bring to the table in front of scouts from around the NFL—not to mention while competing against the best of the best.
While it is mostly just seniors, the talent pool in Mobile offers plenty of first-round talent and beyond, making it an opportune time for fans to dip their toes into early NFL draft talk.
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Before things begin, let's take a look at the game's info and a few of those prospects who need major performances to kick-start their paths to the draft.
2015 Senior Bowl Information
When: Saturday, January 24 at 4 p.m. ET
Where: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
TV: NFL Network
Live Stream: NFL Network
Prospects With the Most at Stake
Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State
Devin Smith is as fringe as it gets at wide receiver.
The first-round talent in the 2015 class is obvious. Amari Cooper. Kevin White. DeVante Parker. Dorial Green-Beckham. Possibly Sammie Coates.
That seems crowded enough that first-round talents may be pushed to the second round, although this does not prohibit someone such as Smith from putting on a show at the Senior Bowl and boosting his stock.
Smith is one of the best big-play threats in the class, as noted by his 33 catches for 931 yards and 12 scores in 2014 with a per-catch average north of 20 yards in three of his four seasons at Ohio State.
As CBS Sports' Dane Brugler points out, though, Smith needs development in other areas to shed his one-dimensional label:
These things can take time, but Smith has an upside that is difficult to ignore.
If he shows an increased improvement in the game itself, expect to hear his name in first- and second-round conversations.
La'el Collins, OT, LSU
For a while now, La'el Collins has sat behind Brandon Scherff, Andrus Peat and T.J. Clemmings in terms of draft stock.
Not anymore.
Mike Loyko of NEPatriotsDraft.com puts it best:
No longer viewed as a one-trick prospect who excels in run blocking, Loyko also notes that there is a versatility to Collins' game that NFL teams will covet:
Collins is an example of what can happen for a player who decides to hit on all of the offseason opportunities available to him.
When pro teams hit the film in an effort to formulate a concrete draft board, the additional strong performances and chartable improvement against top-tier competition, should it continue, will help him stand out amongst his peers.
Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
Before the Senior Bowl, Coates was a bit of an afterthought.
He caught 34 passes for 741 yards and four scores in 2014, and his per-catch average never dipped below 19 yards in three seasons at Auburn. Good numbers, but like Smith, most considered him as just another deep threat in a deep class.
Highlights such as this, via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, help to turn around that perception:
The hype started long before that, as Coates measured in at 6'1" and 213 pounds with 33.5" arms, much better numbers than most figured.
Coates is a first-round prospect based on those numbers, as well as his ability to stretch the defense and high-point passes.
What will push him over the top and assure he comes off the board as one of the first 32 picks is an improvement in other areas of route running and fighting for contested balls.
Nick Marshall, CB, Auburn
Few players have more at stake this weekend than Auburn corner Nick Marshall.
That's right, corner. Marshall is the former Tigers quarterback who completed 60.8 percent of his passes last season with 20 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He added another 798 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
Marshall decided, though, that corner is what he wishes to play at the next level.
"That's the position I believe I have the best chance at," via Chase Goodbread and Bryan Fischer of NFL.com.
Such a dramatic change is not as daunting as it seems for an elite athlete such as Marshall. As Bleacher Report's Matt Miller notes, pro scouts and teams must play the waiting game:
It seems Marshall has been universally applauded for his decision and effort. Quarterbacks make the money, receive the credit and are the faces of pro franchises.
If Marshall can show well against top-tier wideout prospects in Mobile, his ascension up draft boards will be swift, leaving others behind despite years and years of experience.
Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. Rosters and info courtesy of SeniorBowl.com unless otherwise specified.
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