Biggest riser in the NFL Draft at every position from the 2023 Senior Bowl
By Rob Paul
Running back- Tyjae Spears, Tulane (5-10, 204)
In a strong running back class, the Senior Bowl put together a talented group for the week full of all kinds of different flavors of backs. Texas’ Roschon Johnson, the top player in the group, broke his hand during the first practice, but Tulane’s Tyjae Spears picked up the slack.
Despite the all-star game setting not being the easiest setup for a running back to stand out, Spears managed to make splashy plays every day and create more Twitter buzz than anyone in Mobile. His change of direction and burst led to numerous big runs during team drills and his fluidity in space generated all kinds of excitement.
Spears also caught the ball well all week and looked dynamic as a route runner against linebackers; his whip route against SirVocea Dennis nearly broke the internet. Even more importantly, he came in over 200 pounds and held up well enough in pass protection.
Coming into the week Spears was a fringe top-10 back in the 2023 NFL Draft, but after this type of performance, and how special he looks on tape, he could end up one of the first backs selected on Day 2.
Honorable mention: Eric Gray, Oklahoma (5-10, 210)