The Senior Bowl practices opened on Tuesday and for me that marked my 12th consecutive year down in Mobile.
My first was Jimmie Ward in Mobile in 2014. My third was Eric Murray's Senior Bowl in 2016. My eighth was Pro Bowler Nico Collins' first football action in over a year in 2021. My ninth year was the finale for Jalen Pitre in a magical 2021 season. My tenth was Jarrett Patterson and Tank Dell's year in 2023.
So who will join the Houston Texans after a trip to the Senior Bowl? Of course, it remains to be seen, but this is where the Draft begins, as noted on many T-shirts down in Alabama.
Let's dive into some Harris Hits from Day One's two practices at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the beautiful campus of the University of South Alabama.
1) I spent the day watching mostly offense, focusing on positions not named quarterback for the most part. The first part of the day I spent watching the receivers of the National team because pound-for-pound, I think it's one of the best units in Mobile. That unit and the American defensive line group (All SEC linemen, every single one and Notre Dame's R.J. Oben) are near the top of the list. This WR group was outstanding.
2) There were a few slot options, a number of them actually. Iowa State's Jaylin Noel, Virginia Tech's Jaylin Lane and Miami, FL Xavier Restrepo have the suddenness out of breaks and the explosiveness AWAY from defenders out of their cuts.
3) Watching Restrepo (Miami, FL) getting ready for practice, I couldn't help but think of the Patriots Julian Edelman. The former Pats star just had this walk and it seems like he had a beat in his head that he just bobbed and weaved, turning into more sauntering. Restrepo has the same. He is one of my favorites in this group. He is an efficient route runner who gets into free space better than most in this class.
4) Another slot option with outside ability, Washington State's Kyle Williams was called out for a one-on-one winner period at the end of practice and he absolutely SMOKED Virginia Tech CB Dorian Strong down the field. I mean, ran the you-know-what right past him and had to slow down to make the deep catch for a TD. I love him as a catch-and-run DUDE, but seeing him as a deep threat was great to know that club is in his bag, if you will.
5) Oregon WR Tez Johnson is the B1G's version of Tank Dell. He has such EASY and SMOOTH pull away speed. Now, he's not large, but he is bigger than Tank, who is one of the toughest dudes I've seen at the Senior Bowl. I don't think Johnson is AS sudden, but don't tell that to the DBs that tried to stay within feet of Tez on Tuesday. He ran away from each DB he faced in one-on-ones. Johnson has an easy button for his speed whenever he needs it. He ran a deep over route during a team period and the QB had to throw well before the play could develop due to pressure, essentially throwing to a spot. Johnson got there, somehow, some way, but the front side safety was able to knock the ball away but Johnson gave the dead play life because of his speed into that open area. Regardless, Johnson is in the WR mix on day two for sure.
6) Illinois WR Pat Bryant, a Jacksonville, FL native, has a great shot to be in the Day Two mix as well. He's much bigger in person than on tape. Physical build. Strong hands. Tough and physical at the catch point.
7) The National tight ends have two stars that stand out: Oregon's Terrance Ferguson and Miami, FL's Elijah Arroyo. Ferguson spent most of the 1-on-1 period in the inside run drill, so he had only one 1-on-1 period rep that I remember and he ran away from the safety on an over route and made an easy catch for a big gain. Tight ends come in all shapes, sizes and builds and Ferguson has the size, the strength and agility like a receiver. He's super-athletic and I think more and more teams will start to like him, if they don't already.
8) Arroyo? Oh man. ATH-O-LETE! At the end of practice, he was called out in a 1-on-1 winning period. He lined up against Illinois State S Keondre Jackson and SMOKED the FCS All-American. He ran a stick nod and Jackson bit on the stick, but when Arroyo ran the nod, he FLEW up the field wide open for a touchdown. I loved him during the season at Miami, FL, but he was even more impressive in person. Like Ferguson, he's such a smooth, explosive athlete and could dominate in the interior passing game in due time.
9) Throughout the season, I tracked draft prospects and one thing that stood out was the dearth of true offensive guards. Alabama's Tyler Booker (not here) or Georgia's Tate Ratledge (not here either) showed up in every Texans mock draft from November through the present. I wasn't totally sure what to think about this position, in particular. But in Mobile, the Senior Bowl is a petri dish of experimentation and that could help players and teams. In other words, Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy moved a few tackles into the guard position and I liked the look.
10) The first one that had nearly everyone buzzing was North Dakota State's Grey Zabel. He was outstanding in 1-on-1's at guard after spending his 2024 season at left tackle. On his first rep, he anchored down against a bull rush and didn't move. Didn't freakin' move backwards. Pure power for a guy who played tackle. Later in the same drill, I thought he was initially beaten with an arm over move, but he recovered and squared up on the defensive lineman before he could get to the QB. Two wins. Two different ways TO win.
11) My favorite Zabel win was against Virginia Tech Aeneas Peebles. Talk about a fistfight in a phonebooth, damn. As many different moves that Peebles could throw at Zabel, the North Dakota State star swatted away all of them. Grey Zabel, BIG winner on Tuesday.
12) Then, there's West Virginia Wyatt Milum. I studied him this summer and thought he was as tough and SWARM-y as I'd like for a prospect. Regardless, when he lined up at guard for the first rep in 1-on-1's I was intrigued. So on the first rep, he quick set the defensive lineman like I've seen Quenton Nelson (Colts) do numerous times. Milum didn't even move from the line of scrimmage and won the rep easily. Then, a few plays later, Milum put Iowa DT Yahya Black in a pretzel. Zabel got the publicity for his performance, but Milum and Miami, FL's Jalen Rivers were just as excellent AT GUARD after playing a ton of tackle in college. Milum did get beat on his first rep inside by Oregon DT Jamaree Caldwell, but he was solid at guard.
13) Rivers (Miami, FL) did a great job also with his quick set on Black a little later, which is difficult to master for anyone, much less someone who hasn't played guard much in his career. I left the practice much, MUCH more impressed with Rivers than I was with his season tape.
14) I didn't pay too much attention to defensive players but one that did catch my eye was Utah DT Junior Tafuna. Thick trunk. Powerful off the snap. He just ran through taller offensive linemen like they weren't even there. He just walked interior OL back into the lap of the QB.
15) NC State OT Anthony Belton was magnificent out on the edge in 1-on-1's. On his first rep, he faced Boston College DE Donovan Ezeiruaku, who had a ton of buzz headed into this week. The BC star ran right down Belton's middle and the Wolfpack star just snatched the inside of DE's shoulder pads and just directed him like a puppet master. His next rep he just snatched the V of the neck of Minnesota OLB Cody Lindenberg and put him in the turf. His third rep was also against Ezeiruaku who tried to spin move…my gosh, he got GOT by Belton who just swallowed it up and shut it down on the spot.
16) I liked the move of USC OC Jonah Monheim to center prior to the 2024 season and I liked the power, knee bend and hands he showed in 1-on-1s on Tuesday morning.
17) Purdue OT Marcus Mbow has plenty more than he showed on Tuesday. I thought he struggled with the adjustment to the Senior Bowl. But he's got WAY more left in the tank.
18) Marshall DE Mike Green is the real deal. Body like a Greek god. He could walk into the Texans locker room right now. He's got pop off the snap. He's got to stay on edges to make the tackles work, instead of rushing down their middle, but he's legit.
19) The reason he can't go right down the center of an OL is Minnesota's Aireontae Ersery. Green went straight bull-rush into Ersery and just got absorbed. The potential first round rusher went nowhere as Ersery locked him right up. Ersery can handle that movement for sure. Upfield speed and bend? Not as much, but I like his powerful hands and ability to anchor.
20) Michigan OLB Josiah Stewart isn't quite big enough to play on the edge full-time, but, man, he's got some serious bend and snap around the edge. Quick, name the movie.
21) In the second practice, it was the American team defensive linemen that had EVERYONE's attention. There are as many as six players (all SEC stars) that could be top 64 picks in this year's draft. That group stood out…Texas A&M DE Shemar Stewart, Kentucky DT Deone Walker, nearly the entire Ole Miss defensive line and more.
22) Stewart is as physically gifted as any other defensive player in this draft. He's 280+ lb. and moves like he's 235 lb. On one of his final pass rush 1-on-1 reps, he ran right smack over one of the American OTs. I happened to have my eyes on the WR/DBs in 7-on-7 and turned over to 1-on-1's just in the nick of time. Just took a 325 lb man and put him on his wallet like it was easy. But he's a conundrum because he never really came near his ceiling at A&M. Either way, he's going to have teams in spots 20-32 in the first round VERY intrigued.
23) Walker (Kentucky) is a physical freak, my gosh. He's 6-7, 340 lb. and MY GOD ARE THOSE THE CORRECT MEASUREMENTS?!? Yes, he's that big. He does have trouble at times with his leverage and when he faced North Carolina OC Willie Lampkin, all of 5-11, it was an odd look. But Walker has crazy size and length that teams with interior defensive needs will drool over. Then, during a team period, Walker walked a 300-lb center right back into Alabama QB Jalen Milroe's lap on an outside zone play. I mean, took the man and just took him five yards into the backfield like it was easy. Walker's power and strength are off the charts.
24) Then, there's Jacksonville State OL Clay Webb. The former Georgia product walks out with no OL flair. No tape. No arm pads. Nothing. He also looks two inches or more shorter than any other OL/DL in the group. But when he was called out late in practice to go 1-on-1 with Walker, Webb sent the OL into hysterics when he got up under Walker's pads and shut down his pass rush. Webb won't be a first rounder like Cole Strange was but he gives off the same vibe. I love his toughness and the DESIRE to take down, that one time ,the hulking Walker was super-impressive.
25) Webb did struggle when he didn't have proper pad level, but it was also against Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen. The Ole Miss trio (Nolen, Jared Ivey and Princely Umanmielen) is so physically gifted but Nolen is on a different level WHEN HE WANTS. It's been that way throughout his career. There are games that he takes right over, but there are also games that you forget he's playing. Today? He knew the lights, proverbially speaking, of course, were on him. He ran Webb FIVE yards backwards right into the QB (fast moving assistant OL coach trying to get out of the way). His power, get off and ability to play with great pad level make him a monster
26) The WRs in the morning period are a better overall group, but I love me some TCU WR Jack Bech. He had a great catch in the afternoon team period. He ran the over route and the ball was delivered high and Bech climbed the ladder to make the catch. A little later in that team period, Bech was the pin down blocker on a toss crack play. Bech got all in Notre Dame DE R.J. Oben's stuff and didn't back down. He's relentless in all that he can do and the indomitable spirit that he has (he lost his brother in the tragedy in New Orleans on New Year's morning) shows up in all that Bech does. SWARM-y? Damn right.
27) I think the RB Draft class is one of the best I've seen and that's evident in Mobile.
28) Morning squad - Ollie Gordon (Oklahoma State), Woody Marks (USC/Mississippi State), Donovan Edwards (Michigan), Damien Martinez (The U), Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech), LeQuint Allen (Syracuse)
29) Afternoon squad - Devin Neal (Kansas), R.J. Harvey (UCF). Jarquez Hunter (Auburn), Brashard Smith (SMU/Miami, FL)
30) Would I love any of those backs in Houston? Yes sir! I could see a role in the future for those backs, and, AND that list doesn't even include Ashton Jeanty (Boise State), Kaleb Johnson (Iowa), TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State), Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State), Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) and Cam Skattebo (Arizona State). DAYUM, what a group!
31) Harvey (UCF) ended practice cooking Florida LB Shemar James on a flat route out of the backfield. Froze him and then broke the route to the outside. Wide open. Beautiful route and one aspect in which Harvey can make an impact ala Bucky Irving in Tampa.
32) I'll end with one of the best plays at the end of practice. Alabama A&M OT Carson Vinson went 1-on-1 with Texas A&M star DE Shemar Stewart. The Aggie threw a spin move and GOT GOT. Vinson caught him in the spin and shut it down. As it was the final 1-on-1 of the 3-man offense-defense competition, Vinson knew he had won the drill for the offense and went nuts. It was awesome to see. The defense dropped for a punishment of 25 push ups and Vinson was still celebrating. I seem to remember an FCS OT who had some success a few years ago like Vinson did today. Tytus Howard solidified his name in Mobile a few years ago and Vinson made one for himself today.
Alright, that's enough for today. Got plenty more coming tomorrow from Mobile and notes on who could become a future Texan. Let's GO!!
