Senior Bowl Day 3 Standouts: First-round prospect dominates, while fast rising offensive lineman shines

The final day of Senior Bowl practice saw another dominant performance in the trenches.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Jan 29, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; American defensive tackle Caleb Banks (88) of Florida works in a drill during American Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The final day of Senior Bowl practices has come and gone. It was a beautiful three days in Mobile, Alabama where the weather outside of the state tried to keep many from attending. Even with a decreased media presence due to said weather, the players were performing like nothing had happened.

The final day of practice is dedicated to situational team drills and one-on-ones, and there were some fascinating standouts, including one that everyone saw coming.

Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh

Going into the week, the linebacker position could have used another player or two to step up. Jacob Rodriguez was a big winner on the first couple of days, which was huge for his draft stock. The likes of Sonny Styles and C.J. Allen are at the top of the class, but it could use a little bit more depth.

Louis is a smaller player who is likely more of an overhang at the next level at 5-11 3/4 and 224 pounds, but he was all over the place on day two. During day three’s practice, he elevated his game to the next level. He got an interception and a pass breakup during team drills on Thursday, and was explosive with his movements. Louis made a major impression that could vault him up the draft board.

Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

It’s becoming a common thing in NFL Draft media to praise Caleb Banks, and it’s easy to see why. After an up-and-down day on the first day of practice, Banks showed up in a big way on both Wednesday and Thursday with dominant performances.

I spoke to him after practice on Tuesday afternoon asking him about dealing with his longer arms on the interior, and his answer emphasized his struggles.

“I mean, it’s just, it’s honestly just technique, being able to shoot, saying peek, and it helps me a lot when I get to peek,” Banks told me after Day 1 of Senior Bowl practice. “Sometimes alignment trying to sit there, but they get stood straight up. So it’s very, really big advantage.”

You could see that being a big factor on Tuesday, where he wasn’t trying to win with a secondary move, but rather just peek. He likely got a coaching point after practice, and he became a dominant force akin to the Javon Kinlaw’s of the past. His stock is through the roof right now.

Thaddeus Dixon, CB, North Carolina

It was not a great first two days of practice for Dixon. He was getting torched on multiple different route concepts, including getting mossed a couple of times. It wasn’t good in the slightest, and he was struggling to stay in coverage. That changed on Thursday. He had a couple of really nice PBUs and had an interception. It was a great way to finish off the week.

Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State

Coming into the NFL Draft process, Iheanachor is one of the more interesting prospects in the class. Offensive tackle is one of the weaker positions in this class, meaning teams will likely try to reach on a player or two. Iheanachor is going to be a big riser due to his athleticism, and the fact that he was late to playing the game of football.

He struggled during the first practice, but he turned it up the last two days. He kept defenders at bay with his length, quick hands, and patient feet. He is still raw and inconsistent, but having two consecutive days where he had a lot of success.

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