Winners, Losers and Takeaways As WRs Steal Show During Day 1 of 2026 Senior Bowl

With most of the nation frozen thanks to a polar vortex, wide receivers were heating up the field at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The Senior Bowl is always loaded with talented targets and eventual impactful rookies.

Jayden Higgins, Jack Bech, Kyle Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, Pat Bryant, Jaylin Noel and Tai Felton were all in Mobile, Ala., for the 2025 Senior Bowl before becoming Day 2 NFL draft picks. Chimere Dike was the top wide receiver drafted on Day 3 before becoming a special teams ace for the Tennessee Titans and Pro Bowl selection as a rookie.

The current crop definitely looks the part after the first day of practice for the 2026 cycle.

Usually, the offense is behind the defense at an all-star event because it takes time for the former to jell. Quarterbacks need to get down their timing and rhythm with all the new weapons, while learning a new system on the fly. These typical concerns weren't as much of an issue on Tuesday, with multiple receivers making plays all over the field.

From there, the Bleacher Report scouts in attendance—Daniel Harms and Matt Holder—highlight the best and worst performances from the National and American squads' initial practices.

Finally, a spotlight needed to be placed on some of the defensive line talent showing up as it always does during this all-star event.

Winners

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Illinois defensive lineman Gabe Jacas during Tuesday's Senior Bowl practice

WR Tyren Montgomery, John Carroll

Montgomery is easily the best story of the Senior Bowl's first day. He was a standout playmaker at a Division III school and originally received an offer to play in the American Bowl. After a great showcase last week, he made it to Mobile and left his initial practice with impressive reps against Tennessee's Colton Hood and North Carolina's Thaddeus Dixon, showing off his speed, deceleration, and ability to adjust with the ball in the air.

The 5'11, 190-pound receiver made a big statement Tuesday. Pay close attention to him as the week progresses to see if he can continue building positive momentum.

WR Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri

Coleman won nearly every route he ran on Tuesday, no matter which defensive back lined up across from him. He was decisive, twitchy, and clean in and out of route-breaks, thus making himself available to his quarterbacks. While he's built for the slot at 5'11" and 174 pounds, the three-time transfer showcased the ability to stack bigger corners vertically, then decelerate on a dime to create separation.

Receivers who consistently get open in this environment often see their draft stocks skyrocket. 

QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State

The first day of practice is usually a feeling-out process, but not for Payton, who was the only quarterback willing to air it out multiple times. The FCS product let his receivers make plays. Not only did he have the longest air yards on the day, but he also made a great read and throw with anticipation on a dig route against zone coverage during team drills. Payton goes into Day 2 of practices with the most confidence of any quarterback in Mobile, and it's well-earned.

Edge Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan

Every year, at least one small-school prospect stands out and gives their draft stock a boost by beating Power Four competition. Tucker is an early favorite to emerge after his initial performance.

The reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year started practice with some physical play against the run, which drew the coaching staff's attention. His performance carried over to the team period, where Tucker did a good job of setting the edge to make a couple of tackles near the line of scrimmage. He also had a few pass-rush wins to round out a complete day.

Edge Gabe Jacas, Illinois

When rushing off the edge, Jacas simply couldn't be blocked. He had several wins throughout the one-on-ones, which carried over to 11-on-11, recording at least one sack and several other pressures. The first-team All-Big Ten performer had significantly more wins than losses as a pass-rusher and showed improved hand usage to give his draft stock a boost.

OL Carver Willis, Washington

The defensive line holds a significant advantage in the one-on-one pass-rush drills, but, apparently, Willis didn't mind. He won fairly consistently and did so while working at both guard and tackle.

In other words, the former Husky showed off some position versatility and ability to hold his own against top competition in pass protection, which is what the Senior Bowl is all about for offensive linemen.

Losers

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Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green

QB Taylen Green, Arkansas

Green is a physical specimen and looks every bit as big and athletic as he is. He was the only quarterback to take off and run during team drills rather than try to throw the football. However, he didn't test many windows and generally was late on throws that require anticipation in a live-game setting. He needs to start reaching outside of his comfort zone to show teams they can bet on him as a developmental quarterback, not as a project for another position.

CB Colton Hood, Tennessee

Entering the Senior Bowl, Hood generated first-round hype from multiple outlets, but the early entrant needed time to adjust. As a defender who thrives when placed on an island, while playing a physical brand of man-coverage, he surrendered a couple of open routes during one-on-one drills, had a difficult time consistently locating the football, and got too grabby during drills, which resulted in a flag being thrown in his direction. He did bounce back with a nice play down the right sideline, where he located the ball late for a pass break-up. Still, he'll hope for a better all-around performance during Wednesday's practice session.

CB Daylen Everette, Georgia

Everette was a big-game hunter at Georgia and played some of his best football when the lights shone brightly. Unfortunately, he was getting turned around by nearly every receiver he aligned against during the first day of practice. He didn't look comfortable, was caught guessing, and couldn't consistently generate contact to slow receivers. He'll need to do a much better job of staying patient and reading the receivers as the week progresses.

DT Caleb Banks, Florida

While Banks did have a sack during the full-team period, he struggled for most of the day. The massive interior defender got pushed around in the run game and, beyond the previously mentioned rep, was locked up as a pass-rusher. B/R is already lower on Banks than most outlets, and nothing about Tuesday's performance screamed Day 1 draft pick.

DL LT Overton, Alabama

Size-wise, Overton fits into the "tweener" category as a 278-pound defensive lineman. However, he took a few reps at defensive tackle and struggled to hold his ground in the run game. The Alabama product did look better when lined up on the edge, but he lacks the quickness and athleticism to be an every-down player there at the next level.

Edge Romello Height, Texas Tech

The Red Raiders' roster listed Height at 240 pounds, but he weighed in at 234 pounds in Mobile. His lack of bulk showed up against the run since he had a tough time setting the edge. Granted, Height will get drafted based on his pass-rush skills. However, he wasn't particularly impressive in that department, either.

Wide Receivers Making Plays and Drawing Eyes

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Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst

With John Carroll's Tyren Montgomery and Missouri's Kevin Coleman already highlighted, other wide receivers deserve recognition for Tuesday's showing.

Georgia State's Ted Hurst made the play of the day when he stacked Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal, adjusted to a slightly underthrown pass, and came down with a one-handed snag, while falling onto the defensive back, for a touchdown.

Having played at Valdosta State before joining the Panther program, Hurst has a huge opportunity in front of him to shine against top competition. A bigger target with vertical presence is always coveted by NFL teams. As long as the first-team All-Sun Belt performer continues to make plays throughout the week, he could easily define himself as an early Day 2 draft pick.

While Hurst made a spectacular play, Notre Dame's Malachi Fields made plays only he really could because of his size and strength. At 6'4" and 218 pounds, the Virginia transfer is an impressive target. Fields didn't produce to expected levels this past season, but he showed excellent play-strength to work through contact, body control, and the ability to high-point the football at the start of his Senior Bowl experience.

Texas Tech's Reggie Virgil showed he can consistently create separation or find soft spots in zone to be a consistent target for his quarterback. The 21-year-old prospect caught multiple passes by making himself available to his quarterback for easy throws.

LSU's Aaron Anderson is undersized (5'8", 177 lbs) and likely typecast as a slot receiver, but he can do exactly what's needed from the position. Anderson is blazingly quick when running routes in the short-to-immediate areas. His burst out of his stem helps create separation to serve as a security blanket within a passing offense. He needed to show these traits again after battling through injuries in the fall.

Baylor's Josh Cameron also deserves credit for his ball-tracking skills and ability to make a couple of impressive catches along the sideline, though he must become a little craftier when using his off-arm to create separation.

Defensive Linemen Making Money

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Michigan defensive end Derrick Moore

The yearly one-on-one drills between the offensive and defensive linemen serve as the biggest highlight of the entire Senior Bowl evaluation process.

Their importance can't be understated, because it's a rare opportunity to place a blocker on an island against the best pass-rushers college football has to offer. From there, may the best man win.

An argument can be made that these sessions greatly favor defensive linemen, hence why it's critical for offensive linemen to be prepared since every single NFL scout is going to watch these reps closely during the evaluation process.

"Dear NFL agents, as I watch another year of one-on-one pass rush down here at the Senior Bowl in my hometown, I'm still astonished at how unprepared your O-linemen are here for the one drill you can literally make Millions from," longtime Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson tweeted.

"Y'all send these kids off to go lift weight and run 40-yard dash drills that cannot help them in this drill. Y'all really set these kids up for failure cuz y'all think combine prep is more important than actual skill work. This time of year both may be equally important. But I do know working on skill work like pass protection is super important."

Anderson's response came after the first day of Senior Bowl practices, where the defensive line did what it normally does. Multiple rushers took advantage of the opportunity to highlight their specific skill sets.

Michigan's Derrick Moore drew the most attention thanks to the power he displayed throughout the entire practice. His bull-rush, knocking the 6'9", near-350-pound Markell Bell on his backside, garnered as much buzz as any single rep during either Tuesday practice. Later, during an inside-run session, the first-team All-Big Ten selection drove a tight end all the way down the line of scrimmage and blew up an interior run play.

Clemson's T.J. Parker was one of the more disappointing prospects during the 2025 campaign. Parker entered his final season as a projected top-10 pick, but he didn't show growth as a pass-rusher. A more well-rounded repertoire showed up in Mobile, with Parker winning multiple one-on-one pass-rush reps using different moves.

Among the NFL scouting community, Missouri's Zion Young was highly regarded in September. Like Parker, he didn't quite put together the season many expected. However, Young looked the part during multiple pass-rush reps, as a quick, athletic, and fluid edge-rusher with significant upside to develop.

Along the defensive interior, two names popped consistently.

Penn State's Zane Durant may be undersized (6'1", 290 lbs), but his quickness, pad level, and tenacity can't be denied. He gave linemen fits throughout the day because of his unique skill set.

Similarly, Oklahoma's Gracen Halton, who's only slightly bigger, showed explosive traits, movement skills, and even defended the run well throughout the National's entire practice.

These two may not have the size or raw power of a Lee Hunter or Caleb Banks, who are the highest-rated defensive tackles in attendance, but they got the job done consistently.