Senior Bowl week officially wraps up this afternoon as the classic all-star game will be airing live on NFL Network. This week I was responsible for covering the WRs and OL and this article here will focus on the takeaways from the WR group down in Mobile. Over the 3 days in Mobile, the WR group was faced with every potential obstacle that you could make an excuse for; unfamiliar QBs on Day 1, a monsoon on Day 2, and being moved to an indoor facility on Day 3. Let’s see who left their mark this week.
Biggest Winners
Christian Watson, North Dakota State
There was no better wideout in Mobile this week than Christian Watson of North Dakota State. It started at weigh-ins when he passed the eye test, coming in at 6’4 and over 200 pounds. It carried over to the practice field all three days. He ran smooth routes, got in and out of his breaks efficiently and caught most of the passes thrown his way- even in the monsoon.
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Watson was a player I didn’t know too much about when the week started, but now I’m incredibly excited to dive into his tape. He’s a height/weight/speed guy and those are the wideouts that are loved by Draft Twitter and NFL teams alike.
Christian Watson has the kind of flexibility you need as a taller WR to get off press
Not a lot of 6-foot-4 guys are pulling off this move at the LOS pic.twitter.com/gVH01R3lYw
— Mike Renner (@PFF_Mike) February 4, 2022
Calvin Austin III, Memphis
You can talk about how he’s 5’7 and 183 pounds until you’re red in the face. I don’t care. Calvin Austin III dominated the competition in Mobile and I truly felt bad for the defensive backs that had to match up with him. You can’t teach speed and Austin might be the fastest wide receiver I’ve ever evaluated. You can tell he’s got a track background every time he gets out of his stance, but unlike most speedy wideouts, he has the route running savvy to boot. Coming into the week, I’d heard good things about Austin heading into the week and I left the week with the thought that if Tutu Atwell can go in the second round, then Calvin Austin in theory should be able to as well. I watched some film of Austin on Friday Morning and came away with a grade higher than I had on Atwell in 2021. Will he go as high? No. Is he a cleaner prospect? Absolutely.
Bo Melton, Rutgers
I learned two things this week. First, Bo Melton has been studying Stefon Diggs to model his route-running skills and it shows. Second, Rutgers Twitter LOVES the guy. Melton had some of the cleanest releases of the week and showcased good hands. He’s a solid day 3 option in a receiving class that’s got great depth. If he was a 5th round player heading into the week, I could see him being a 4th round guy now.
Honourable Mentions: Alec Pierce (Cincinnati) & Khalil Shakir (Boise State)
Other Takeaways
– Dontario Drummond of Ole Miss had a fantastic Day 3 after having an average first two days. He and his Ole Miss teammate Braylon Sanders were both competing in Mobile and while Sanders had marginally better days when the practices were outdoors, Drummond seemed at his absolute best during the indoor practice. He’d be a great fit for a dome team it seems.
– The Story of the week at weigh-ins was South Alabama’s Jalen Tolbert being measured at 6’1. The team had him listed at 6’4. This is another example of why verified measurables are so important when talking about a player
– Sticking with Jalen Tolbert, the hometown kid had a good week of practice. He had the occasional drop here and there, as was to be expected for those who watched his film, but he didn’t shrink under pressure. His best rep might have been the first one of the week, where he beat former Georgia and Clemson corner Derion Kendrick on a deep route before Kendrick could even react.
– Tennessee’s Velus Jones Jr. had his best day during the torrential downpour of Day 2. After not doing much to stand out on day 1, he surprised me with his level of play on Wednesday and had me excited for Thursday. He wasn’t necessarily bad on Thursday, but I was expecting more from him in much dryer conditions.
