Senior Bowl Day 2 Standouts: First round talent starts to dominate and edge rushers continue to shine
The Senior Bowl doesn’t have the big names, but there are a lot of standouts among the best players.
Day two of Senior Bowl practice is in the books, and it was a big day for multiple reasons.
The first day of practice is a feeling out period for a lot of players. The environment is very unique, and it can take time to adapt and adjust to the tone of practice. Once day two gets started, players should be ready to go.
Practice was in full pads, as Tuesday’s was in shells. We had a lot of better performances on Wednesday afternoon, especially on the defensive line.
Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
Going into the Senior Bowl, Banks was the top player on the A to Z Sports big board at 24th overall. He is an explosive player on the interior at 6-5 and 330 pounds with 35″ arms. On day one, he was inconsistent in pass rush drills, winning and losing almost 50/50. On Wednesday, that changed.
Banks was dominant from start to finish on the day, including multiple dominant wins in one-on-ones. The biggest win came in team drills when Banks got a sack on Garrett Nussmeier, and softly set him down on the ground. He looked like a first-round pick, and that’s exactly what this draft class needs.
Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri
The defensive line groups have been so much fun to watch in Mobile this week. Banks is the first-round pick of the group, but there are a lot of really talented day two prospects. The American team has the better defensive line group, and they showed out.
Young is a bigger bodied edge rusher from Missouri who was a likely pick on late day two. He wins by going right through you, and he did that in a big way. Unlike other edge rushers, Young dropped in a four-point stance and wrecked offensive linemen all day long. Young has done a lot for his stock this week.
Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
The other edge rusher who stood out in a big way is Jacas. He is a bigger edge at 260 pounds, and played much heavier than that at Illinois. That was likely due to how they wanted their edge rushers to play, so a schematic decision.
Jacas dropping that weight seems to have made an impact. The strength profile is still there, but he looks significantly more explosive. He is winning in multiple ways, both going through and around offensive linemen. After the likes of Rueben Bain Jr. and David Bailey, the edge rusher group is not the strongest, and Jacas is making a major statement in Mobile.
Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll
Montgomery is the only player who made it on back-to-back days. He’s the biggest story of the Senior Bowl, and it’s one they like to have each year. They love having players at lower levels in the game, and they have produced in the NFL. Quinn Meinerz and Kyle Dugger have been the biggest success stories, and Montgomery looks like he’s next.
Wherever it is, Montgomery is doing a great job getting open and winning at the catch point. His athletic profile is going to be a major factor in his draft stock, but performing against top competition is doing wonders to prove he can play in the NFL.
NFL Draft
Senior Bowl Day 1 standouts highlighted by small school riser and explosive trench players
Day 1 of Senior Bowl practice was filled with some impressive performances.
