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Senior Bowl winners by position: Spencer Rattler, Roman Wilson boost NFL Draft stock

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Senior Bowl winners by position: Spencer Rattler, Roman Wilson boost NFL Draft stock

MOBILE, Ala. — Being crowned a top Senior Bowl practice player doesn’t necessarily mean a prospect will be the first off the board at their respective position. But several players certainly helped their draft chances this week.

A year ago, Darnell Wright was the most consistent offensive tackle during Senior Bowl practices, and he ultimately was drafted top 10. Jayden Reed made the most plays of any receiver and went from a borderline top-100 pick to the No. 50 pick by the Green Bay Packers. Keeanu Benton grabbed the attention of head coach Mike Tomlin with his one-on-one wins and became the Pittsburgh Steelers’ second-round pick.

Based on my observations this week, here are my picks for the top performers at each position during Senior Bowl practices:

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I was tempted to leave this spot blank because none of the quarterbacks were particularly impressive. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. had his moments, but was very much up and down. Oregon’s Bo Nix started slow and got progressively better throughout the week. The overall on-field play by Penix and Nix, however, didn’t live up to the hype.

In my Senior Bowl preview, I wrote that Rattler was the quarterback who could “make the greatest jump during the draft process,” and I thought this week’s practices were a nice first step toward that. Rattler showed off his outstanding arm talent and delivered well-timed, tight spirals to all levels of the field. He also displayed the ability to layer throws, giving his receivers a chance to go make a play.

One of the key concerns with Rattler off his college tape was his ability to play with urgency (mentally and physically) to combat the rush. These practices don’t really give evaluators a chance to answer that question, so I don’t think Rattler dramatically improved his draft grade this week, but he made a solid impression. (Update: Rattler was named MVP of Saturday’s game.)

A close second behind Rattler was Tulane’s Michael Pratt, who showed a natural feel for timing and placement. His physical traits are more good than great, but Pratt operates with intelligence, rhythm and a general sense of where to attack the defense.

Running back: Dylan Laube, New Hampshire

Kentucky’s Ray Davis caught the ball really well during the week, as did USC’s MarShawn Lloyd. But Laube was on a different level, which should have been expected by anyone who watched his tape from this past season — specifically, the Central Michigan game.

Laube, well put together at 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, consistently put linebackers in conflict with his quickness on pivot routes and ability to snare the football. He also went through some wide receiver drills and was beating cornerbacks downfield while showing above-average tracking and finishing skills.

The Danny Woodhead comparisons are a little on the nose, but they fit. Laube could be drafted anywhere on Day 3 and I wouldn’t be surprised.

Wide receiver: Roman Wilson, Michigan

Like I noted in my preview, Wilson, Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley and Georgia’s Ladd McConkey entered the week with similar grades as my top three Senior Bowl receivers, and that didn’t change based on the week of practice. Wilson stood out a tad more than the others because of his separating skills to win early and late.

Wilson has short-area quickness and long speed, but more impressive is his ability to create breakpoint leverage by stemming corners off balance. At times, he moves a little too fast and can lose his balance out of breaks. However, Wilson caught the ball well in Mobile and showed off his compete skills, cementing his status as a top-75 prospect in a receiver-rich draft.

Two other receivers who really stood out during the week: Florida’s Ricky Pearsall and Tulane’s Jha’Quan Jackson. I’ll be surprised if both aren’t productive pros as early as their rookie seasons.

With his size, Johnson (6-6, 257) moves well and gives his quarterback a large target. He’s still rough around the edges and needs development time before he is ready for a full-time NFL role, but the tools are enticing and were on display during Senior Bowl drills. Somewhere on Day 2, an NFL team is going to invest in the chance to cultivate that talent.

I also liked what I saw from TCU’s Jared Wiley through two practices before he exited with an injury.

Offensive tackle: Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma

Offensive linemen are at a disadvantage in one-on-ones because they are left on an island without any help. But Guyton was the most consistent holding up in that space.

At 6-7, 328 with 34 1/4-inch arms, Guyton’s frame and movement skills pass the eye test. Though his athleticism wasn’t a surprise, his ability to anchor versus power, re-leverage his hands and then finish was impressive to watch.

Not every rep was perfect, but Guyton entered the week as a strong candidate to be the first Senior Bowl player taken in the draft — and he leaves it the same way. I expect him to be selected somewhere in the top half of Round 1.

Several guards had their moments this week, including Illinois’ Isaiah Adams and Miami’s Javion Cohen. But the most consistent player at the position, from start to finish, was Haynes.

Though not a top-tier athlete, Haynes positions himself well with his lower body, then uses his long arms and strong hands to clamp down on defenders. He has enough balance in his core to ride the bull and then finish with authority. Haynes entered the week as a borderline top-100 prospect, but he boosted his chances of being drafted on Day 2.

Picking the top practice player at some positions was tough. It was pretty easy at others, like center. Just as with his 2023 tape, it was hard to find the bad reps for Powers-Johnson this week. You only need one hand to count his missteps during the entire week of practice.

Is Powers-Johnson the most technically refined player? No, which reflects a 21-year-old with only one year as a college starter. But his physical traits and reaction skills were outstanding in Mobile. He played balanced through contact with the play strength and quickness to smoothly answer whatever is thrown at him.

It didn’t matter if he lined up at guard or center, Powers-Johnson played at a high level for two practices before a nagging hamstring issue forced a premature exit Wednesday. He entered the week as a projected top-25 pick and leaves the same way.

Several of the pass rushers flashed throughout the week. Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland looked like a player who wants to be a second-round pick. Penn State’s Adisa Isaac was as explosive, as expected, and confirmed the top-100 grades several scouts gave him in the fall.

But, like center, this position was easy to pick. At 6-5, 286 with long arms (34 3/4 inches) and big hands (10 1/2 inches), there has never been a question about Robinson looking the part. He played at a high level through much of the 2023 season, then continued that momentum in Mobile.

Robinson can win with power and quickness, but also showed an array of different setup and finishing moves. He won from various alignments, both inside and outside the tackle. In my mid-January mock draft, Robinson came off the board in the second round to the Ravens. Now, it feels more likely that Baltimore would need to use a first-round pick if it wants to get him.

Ohio State’s Michael Hall Jr. had numerous flashes, as did Baylor’s Gabe Hall and Florida State’s Braden Fiske. But Sweat (unsurprisingly) was the most dominant defensive tackle throughout the week.

Sweat — who’s likely around the 360-pound mark — opted not to step on the scale in Mobile, but he showed up during one-on-ones and team drills. He uses his natural power to bully the man in front of him, but he also has enough quickness to attack multiple gaps and blow up runs.

These practices are structured for a player of his talent to impress. Can he sustain that level of play against an up-tempo NFL offense? That will be the key to determining how early Sweat will be drafted, a conversation similar to the one had about Georgia’s Jordan Davis two years ago.

It might not be the flashiest draft class for linebackers, but there were several solid prospects at the position in Mobile. I’m giving the edge to Bertrand as much for the way he played as for the leadership he showed.

Bertrand sees things well and has the ability to diagnose and drive, which he showed on multiple occasions during practice. But what also stood out was his communication with his teammates — providing coaching, encouragement or praise between drills. A two-time captain for the Irish, Bertrand’s intangibles will set him apart from other similarly graded linebackers in this draft.

Already in the first-round mix (No. 22 to the Philadelphia Eagles in my mid-January mock), Mitchell could have skipped this week. But he elected to compete and was outstanding on all three days of practice.

Practice one-on-ones heavily favor the wide receivers because they can work the entire field and cornerbacks are left guessing with zero leverage help from the rest of the defense. Nonetheless, Mitchell consistently locked down receivers with patience in press, balance in his transition and the ability to locate to disrupt to finish. He didn’t go undefeated during drills, especially against Wilson, but he easily had the highest win percentage among the cornerbacks here.

Mitchell started the season as a projected second-round pick (No. 35 in my October top 50), but he continued to rise over the final half of the season and kept that momentum during Senior Bowl week. Alabama’s Terrion Arnold is entrenched as my CB1, but Mitchell has made a strong case for CB2.

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I didn’t think there was a clear-cut “winner” among the safeties, as all of them seemed to have up-and-down moments. But Smith caught my eye on a few occasions, particularly with his compete skills at the catch point.

After playing the “star” nickel position at Georgia, Smith appeared comfortable negotiating space in coverage during drills, which highlighted the instincts and finishing skills that made him an All-SEC player in 2023. He looks like a rookie special teamer who has the versatility to compete for immediate snaps in an NFL secondary.

(Photo of Roman Wilson: Butch Dill / Associated Press; photos of Spencer Rattler and Darius Robinson: Michael Wade / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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