NFL Draft: Senior Bowl Standouts Day 1

2019 NFL Draft: Senior Bowl Standouts Day 1

The NFL Draft season is upon us as collegiate prospects met in Mobile, Alabama for the first day of Senior Bowl Practice. Who stood out and who disappointed? A look at the action from the first day of practice.

Winners

Charles Omenihu, IDL/EDGE, Texas

Charles Omenihu is a prospect to watch throughout the draft prospect. Omenihu finished the season as a projected day 2 pick but has been gaining buzz around the league. The Longhorn defensive end earned the title of Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year to cap off his collegiate career. Omenihu made a splash at the senior bowl weigh ins, measuring in at 6’5 274 with a massive wingspan of 84.6 inches, and arms that were 36 4/8 inches long. There will be questions about exactly where to play Omenihu, but his size and athletic profile have made an impression. If Charles Omenihu can show versatility and avoid the dreaded “tweener” label he could propel himself into the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State

Montez Sweat had a little more hype around him than Charles Omenihu, and was projected to be a mid to late first round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. There are concerns about Sweat’s athleticism and ability to bend around the corner. Despite those concerns, Sweat managed 22.5 sacks over the last two seasons playing in the SEC. Sweat made a similar impression at weigh-ins, coming in at 6’6 and 252 pounds with 35 5/8 inch arms.

Sweat measured in a bit stouter than expected and showed off excellent strength in drills. Check out Sweat (Number 9) in this drill:

Terry McLaurin, WR, Ohio State

A relative unknown in a deep 2019 NFL Draft, McLaurin’s name has been popping up more and more as a player to look for on day 2. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlien listed McLaurin as a player that popped out on day 1.

McLaurin was a 3-star recruit for Ohio State who came to Columbus as an extremely athletic player, running a 4.3 40 yard dash and registering a high SPARQ rating. McLaurin had a modest career at Ohio State, but his size and athleticism have some NFL teams intrigued.

Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo

There is a really good chance that an NFL front office is going to fall in love with Jackson based purely on his size and arm strength. The league is hoping to find their own version of Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, and Jackson has the arm strength and size to convince someone he is the guy.

Jackson started 32 games in college and tossed 49 touchdowns, but also threw 24 interceptions in that time. Jackson has some mobility and was able to provide 16 touchdowns on the ground during his Buffalo career.

Tyree Jackson measured in at a monstrous 6’7 and 249 pounds, with 10-inch hands. 

While there are a lot of questions about Jackson’s game, he has the size and ability for a team to develop. It doesn’t hurt that Jackson has this throw on his resume:

Some team is bound to fall in love with Jackson, and it would not be surprising to see him end up going early on Day 2. Keep an eye on the Buffalo signal caller during the pre draft process.