2020 Senior Bowl

Practice Report – Day One (Tuesday)

South Practice

The South team practiced first at Ladd-Pebbles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The South team is loaded with talent this year and is well run by the Bengals staff.

Quarterbacks

Justin Herbert (Oregon): had a poor showing today. He is expected to be the best quarterback in Mobile and he did not show it today. His ball placement was poor. I also think he could have been crisper throwing on the run. Not a good start for Herbert in Mobile.

Jalen Hurts (Alabama): Jalen Hurts was in the middle of the pack for quarterbacks today. He was completing passes, but they were on check downs. There was a pass that was nicely thrown to the sidelines, but it was dropped. I think he needs to get more aggressive and complete more intermediate passes. We know that he is a great runner, but can he stretch the field?

Steven Montez (Colorado): Montez is a smooth, California kid who started three years in Boulder. He is a great athlete and is long, but my worry is his accuracy. He had the best ball placement and accuracy in the intermediate game of the three quarterbacks. This was a surprise for me.

One thing, and I know I am knit-picking, I hate it when Montez tries to sidearm the ball. He has little accuracy on these passes and he doesn’t look like Patrick Mahomes or Brett Favre.

Running Backs

Lamical Perine (Florida): He looks like he has good burst. Today was in shells; so, it is hard to judge the running, but he still flashed today.

Wide Receivers

Austin Mack (Ohio State): had a great day today and it came as a surprise. His hands looked great, and his route running was good too. I thought he got in and out of his breaks well. Austin Mack wore number five, but he will wear 88 the rest of the week. Maybe this is this year’s Terry McLaurin.

Van Jefferson (Florida): had a good day today as well. I like the way he moved and went and got the ball. He looks like a smooth receiver. Alex Khvatov warned me about him, but I didn’t believe him until now. I like what I see from the Florida guys.

Collin Johnson (Texas): What I saw from him was better route running. I wonder if this is something he has been working on. When I interviewed him, he said it was.  I think he has made himself some money today with his route running. Johnson stands in at 6’5 3/4. Good route running and this height make for a dangerous combination.

Jauan Jennings (Tennessee): I like what I saw from him today. He came up with a nice 50-50 ball. He didn’t flash after that, but he is a guy I will keep tabs on here in Mobile.

Kalija Lipscomb (Vanderbilt): This is a small detail, but I think it’s important to note. He needs to have better balance when sinking his hips. Sinking his hips is half the battle in route running, but now he just needs to maintain that balance. I look forward to monitoring his technique.

Edge Rushers

Jonathan Greenard (Florida): It’s too early to tell, but I like what I see from Jonathan Greenard. He is getting pressure when the lack of pads plays against him. This is a player that I am excited about and I think the secret is out.

Cornerbacks

Dane Jackson (Pitt): is a player I like. He shows good coverage on film and did well today in coverage. What I liked were his ball skills to go along with the ability to stay in phase which I saw on tape. I like him more than Avonte Maddox and he has been successful in the NFL.

Darnay Holmes (UCLA): Was physical in coverage today. This is player from UCLA and is part of a good corner group at this year’s senior bowl.

Kindle Vildor (Georgia Southern): showed good coverage and the ability to play with the big dogs. He is from Georgia Southern and is showing that his film against SEC schools is not a fluke.

AJ Green (Oklahoma State): He was physical. He forced a fumble and was physical in coverage that included good bumping at the line of scrimmage. This is an old school player that’s got a place in today’s NFL.

Biggest Winner: I have to say Dane Jackson from Pitt. He is showing that he is a complete corner and worthy of a Day Two selection. We will also have an interview with him from Alex Khvatov.

Biggest Loser: Justin Herbert. It’s too early to judge as it’s only the first day of practice. His ball placement was terrible, but I’m looking for him to shake today off. He is still my #2 QB in this draft.