Senior Bowl 2017: Rosters, Top Prospects for College All-Star Game

Dak Prescott went from an afterthought quarterback trying to impress teams at the Senior Bowl to an NFL MVP candidate. Prospects at the 2017 Senior Bowl will look to follow a similar trajectory Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.

Former college stars from all over the country, especially from the SEC, will converge in the Heart of Dixie for a major chance to improve their draft stocks with a week of practice and then a live exhibition game. There will be several potential first-rounders on the rosters, and there will also be players who could earn an invite to the NFL combine with standout efforts.

With these in mind, let us take a look at the schedule for the contest, as well as a list of notable players on each roster. Continue for a breakdown of three players to watch on Saturday. Rosters for each team can be found at SeniorBowl.com.

Date	Location	Start Time (ET)	Television
Saturday, Jan. 28	Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama	2:30 p.m.	NFL Network

North Team
South Team
Player	Position	School
Zach Banner	OL	USC
Corey Clement	RB	Wisconsin
Amara Darboh	WR	Michigan
Dan Feeney	OL	Indiana
Zay Jones	WR	East Carolina
Desmond King	CB	Iowa
Cooper Kupp	WR	Eastern Washington
Jourdan Lewis	CB	Michigan
Sefo Liufau	QB	Colorado
Player	Position	School
Montravius Adams	DL	Auburn
Ryan Anderson	DL/OLB	Alabama
Ben Boulware	LB	Clemson
Joshua Dobbs	QB	Tennessee
Evan Engram	TE	Mississippi
O.J. Howard	TE	Alabama
Ethan Pocic	OL	LSU
Donnel Pumphrey	RB	San Diego State
Duke Riley	LB	LSU
Ryan Switzer	WR	North Carolina
Taywan Taylor	WR	Western Kentucky
Eddie Vanderdoes	DL	UCLA
Carlos Watkins	DL	Clemson
Davis Webb	QB	California
Tre'Davious White	CB	LSU

Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington

One player with possibly the most to gain at the Senior Bowl is wide receiver Cooper Kupp, a record-setter at Eastern Washington who possesses numerous NFL qualities.

Standing at 6'2" and roughly 200 pounds, Kupp has the size needed to translate his game from a smaller school to the professional level. He has the speed and hands to win battles from the slot if he draws a linebacker or safety. He is also quick enough to create space against nickel backs.

Kupp is already drawing rave reviews during practices this week. He impressed NFL Network's Mike Mayock, who believes Kupp could be an early contributor next season.

"I like this kid," Mayock wrote. "He had 22 catches, including six touchdowns, against two Pac-12 teams in his college career at EWU. He can play at any level; don't let the small school fool you. What I saw on tape is what I saw Tuesday. He's fast. He won deep, he won shallow, he beat press coverage. He can win at all three levels. And he gets it. I think he's going to play and play well very early in his NFL career."

Kupp's football IQ also sets him apart. NFL.com's Mike Garafolo also noted Kupp is opening eyes with his route running:

He has an innate ability to find pockets in coverage with subtle cuts to get open. He also comes back to the ball extremely well. You do not catch 428 career passes by accident, and these traits should help him become a security blanket at the next level.

Carson Wentz used a strong Senior Bowl to help elevate him from a promising small-school player into a coveted NFL prospect. Kupp could do the same, and it looks like he should receive plenty of playing time, judging by his practice performance. Expect him to make plays on Saturday by leading all players in the game in receptions.

Davis Webb, California

Davis Webb enters the Senior Bowl as the best quarterback prospect on either roster, but he still has plenty of work to do prove himself as a Day 1 or 2 pick.

After inconsistent play and the arrival of Patrick Mahomes pushed him out at Texas Tech, Webb moved on to lead another aerial offense at California for his senior season. Under former head coach Sonny Dykes, Webb thrived. He lit up the Pac-12 for 4,295 yards and 37 touchdowns while completing nearly 62 percent of his throws last year. 

His arm talent is not up for debate, as Webb can push the ball downfield in a hurry while making NFL-type throws in tight windows. Here is a look at his game, courtesy of California athletics:

He continues to showcase his talent in Mobile, standing out to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller:

There are some concerns with Webb stemming from last season. His 12 interceptions are not ideal, even though he did have to throw 620 times on a team that could not stop anyone defensively. Also, it is not clear how well he can transition from his college-style offense to the NFL.

Jared Goff also impressed with gaudy numbers and elite throwing ability while under Dykes at California, but his growing pains were certainly evident with the Los Angeles Rams this past year. That could scare some teams looking for a quarterback, so Webb has to perform well in team interviews and show he can process information in a professional offense.

There should not be much running involved when Webb enters the game on Saturday, which should make for some exciting action. If he airs it out well, he could see his stock skyrocket ahead of the combine and his Pro Day.

Tre'Davious White, LSU

In this type of scrimmage setting, playing time can be scarce, along with the opportunities to impress NFL teams.

When standing out becomes a challenge, it is important for players to be versatile enough to make an impact in multiple facets of the game. This is why cornerback Tre'Davious White has the best chance to shine on Saturday.

White will undoubtedly play plenty of man coverage with the basic defensive schemes used at showcases. He has the speed and the quick hips to run with any receiver on the field. He also possesses the closing ability to break up passes and make tackles in space. 

As a result, he received high marks from Pro Football Focus for his play last season:

White, who easily could have left and been a possible first-rounder after his junior year, finished with six picks in his career while acting as the leader of the secondary. Opposing teams did not throw his way often, but he still found a way to make plays with 34 pass breakups and 11 tackles for loss at LSU. 

With the ball in his hands, White can be electric. He returned a pick for a score last season, and his return skills make him a player to watch in this game.

White returned a punt for a score in each of his last three seasons in Baton Rouge while averaging 10 yards per return for his career. He will get some chances to showcase this ability during practice and in the game, which adds to what he can provide an NFL team.

If a big special teams play happens to decide this game or become a central highlight, expect it to come from White. With his ball-hawking abilities in the secondary, do not be surprised if White is also involved in some turnovers on Saturday.

FCS stats courtesy of FCS.Football. Other statistics are courtesy of Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.