The week of practice at the Senior Bowl culminated on Saturday with the annual clash between the two groups in Mobile, Ala. A number of players earned money for their strong practice weeks to ward off the week with a good final impression.
Most evaluations done on these players come from their training performances, with the game as the icing on the cake. There were, however, players who made lasting impressions or created big questions based on how they played in the game.
Wenners
- Osa Odighizuwa (IDL, UCLA) – Odighizuwa was the most disruptive defensive attack against the run in this match. On several plays, he easily disconnected from lineouts to stop the ball at or near the line. At times, Odighizuwa appeared unblocked by the opposing offensive line. His early impact comes on an almost slip bag that is considered an incomplete pass.
- Michael Carter (RB, North Carolina) – Carter was impossible to tackle during this match. His best play came down to multiple missed tackles as he easily slipped to the second level for a big win. On numerous transports, it took effort to fold him up. Carter also shows his route running and impact from the backfield.
- Elerson Smith (DE, Northern Iowa) – Smith has a fantastic structure to becoming a good fit machine in the NFL, and we were reminded early on that you should not overlook him, even though you are an FCS player. Smith was flagged for a very soft advance from the caller, but in the run-up to the call he read a pass-action pass perfectly to the point that he planted Kellen Mond. Smith was also very fluid as a rusier, and not easily blocked by opposing tackles.
- Benjamin St-Juste (CB, Minnesota) – As one of the few close closing corners on the day, St-Juste made multiple pass-break-ups. St-Juste was a threat the whole time he was on the field for opposing receivers, with a very strict one on one coverage. The long, long angle flash he could do in the cover.
- Baron Browning (LB, Ohio State) – On two occasions, Browning made two strong attacks for loss in the run. One that came early in the game was an effective job that was quickly filled and attacked downhill. The second took place in the second quarter on a third and short play, where he disrupted Larry Roundtree enough to slow down so his teammates could pull together.
- KJ Britt (LB, Auburn) – Britt was all over the field during this match, with an abundance of very good plays. He was a strong tackler on stormy plays and tipped a pass into the red zone that was almost intercepted.
- Amari Rodgers (WR, Clemson) – Rodgers did not do much in the first half, but shone big in the third quarter. Twice, Rodgers caught passes in the red zone, flickering his ability to create separation from the slot.
- Demetric Felton (WR, UCLA) – Felton received an early reception that made use of a large cushion in the cover. Felton also had other great receptions during the game, with his speed and route. While Felton is running back at UCLA, he will likely be used as a moving offensive weapon in the NFL.
Losers
- Bryan Mills (CB, NC Central) – Mills was one of the darlings of the week, but had an up and down day on Saturday. The little school flashed good coverage on some plays, but there were too many mistakes that overshadowed his entire play. In the first quarter, he is nominated for DPI, and then easily beats the next game for a 15-pick. He was later easily hit on a 50/50 ball on which he covered very well.
- Drake Jackson (C, Kentucky) – A bad snap that rounded off a fourth play was the most notable mistake Jackson had in this game. Since there are players who do not naturally play centers in this game, Jackson may not be the man to confuse snaps. He also had a hard time blocking several plays.
- James Hudson (OT, Cincinnati) – Hudson had a number of debilitating passes that blocked plays with very bad techniques. On several occasions, Hudson was easily beaten which led to pressure on the quarterbacks he had to protect.
- Jamie Newman (QB, Wakker Bos/ Georgia) – Newman did little to help his stockpile after being put out all fall. His critical mistake was to force a pass to a receiver with cover that was eventually tilted and picked up. Newman was also wrong under pressure.