MOBILE, Ala. — Despite a pretty steady rain all day, both Senior Bowl practices took place on Wednesday at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
And without any cover in the bleachers, I got soggy. Which also means most of my notes turned to soup in my pocket. But I’ll try my best.
Here are 10 takeaways from Day 2 of Senior Bowl practices:
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
1. For me, the player of the day came from the National team and the early practice. Oklahoma DT Perrion Winfrey was unstoppable on Wednesday to the point where I really began to feel bad for the opposing offensive linemen. Winfrey (6-3, 303) spent most of his day in the backfield and giving the OL fits. After the first couple days in Mobile, Winfrey will be sliding up draft boards. He crushed it in 1-on-1 drills but also just ruined team drills he was so disruptive.
2. But the thing was that it wasn’t just Winfrey. There are a ton of really talented DTs in Mobile this year and these guys consistently won on Wednesday. Special shoutout to UConn’s Travis Jones, who is an absolute load at 6-4, 326.
Just don’t forget about LSU’s Neil Farrell, Ohio State’s Haskell Garrett, Houston Logan Hall and Georgia’s Devonte Wyatt. They all helped themselves on Wednesday.
NFL
Interior DL might not be the Eagles' most pressing need but it's a position they value a lot. And, remember, Fletcher Cox is getting older and Javon Hargrave has just one year left on his contract. While the Eagles really like Milton Williams, it wouldn't be wild for the Eagles to use another pick on an interior defensive lineman.
3. The conditions weren’t great for quarterbacks on Wednesday but Malik Willis shined more than the others. Day 1 was a weird start for Willis, who had some incredible passes and some awful ones. I didn’t know what to make of it. But on a soaked field on Day 2, he found some more consistency and showed off the traits that will likely make him a first-round pick. He was more decisive on Wednesday and got to show off his mobility.
After Day 1, Kenny Pickett was the clear frontrunner from this group of quarterbacks but it’s hard to deny what Willis was able to do on Day 2. Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder also had a bounce-back day.
4. One of my favorite moments from Wednesday’s practice was watching 261-pound Penn State linebacker Jesse Luketa take down 6-foot-8, 387-pound tackle Daniel Faalele. Sure, Faalele looked to be off balance, but this was a really strong rep from Luketa.
I was looking forward to watching Faalele because he’s an absolute mountain but these rushers in Mobile have given him fits. And we’ve seen him get beat with some inside moves on occasion too. There’s a lot to like about Faalele but enough to be scared of too. He might not be ready to be a dominant player in the NFL right now but there are enough natural tools.
5. A few receivers who caught my eye today:
Velus Jones Jr.: The Tennessee product had a tremendous stutter step on a double move to leave his defender in the dust but Sam Howell just missed the throw. A little later Jones caught a touchdown on a deep ball. Jones had his ups and downs but he has some good qualities.
Calvin Austin III: At just 5-7 and 173 pounds, the Memphis receiver is small but his sudden movements have been fun to watch this week. If a DB can’t get his hands on him, it’s trouble.
Christian Watson: I didn’t really know much about Watson from North Dakota State but he’s stood out for two days straight. At 6-4, 211 pounds, he moves surprisingly well and has been one of the better receivers down here this week.
6. I was disappointed that Devin Lloyd backed out of the Senior Bowl but it has given me a chance to watch a few other linebackers. Channing Tindall from Georgia and Chad Muma from Wyoming have caught my eye.
7. Trey McBride from Colorado State is the top tight end in Mobile but don’t sleep on Jeremy Ruckert from Ohio State. He caught just 26 balls in his senior season and was primarily a blocking tight end, but he has good hands. And he made some really impressive grabs on Wednesday, including one over linebacker Darrian Beavers, who is really good in coverage. This could be a classic case of drafting for potential not production. There are reasons to think Ruckert can develop into a legitimate dual threat tight end at the next level.
8. Duce Staley has been having these little competitive periods during the American team practices and he did it again today. You just know it had to get Duce all juiced up to see a running back stick a linebacker in a pass pro drill.
By the way, I have been impressed with Pierce so far. On Wednesday, he had some trouble catching the football but it was awfully wet. As a runner, Pierce has an undeniable burst.
9. Wide receiver Bo Melton (from Rutgers and Cedar Creek) turned some heads. At 5-11, 191 pounds, Melton isn’t the biggest guy but he has some coachable traits. He made some plays with his quickness and his speed and we saw some ways NFL teams might want to use him. He took an end around on one play and caught a ball in the flat on another. Melton has big YAC potential.
10. Kingsley Enagbare is a beast. The edge rusher from South Carolina just demolished TE Daniel Bellinger in a 1-on-1 drill early in practice. That’s an unfair fight and makes you wonder why Staley hates Bellinger so much. The tackles in Mobile aren’t slowing Enagbare down much so asking a tight end to do it was tough.
Stupid Observation of the Day: I brought an umbrella in my suitcase all the way to Mobile and then forgot it in my hotel room.