2018 Senior Bowl Day 3 North Practice Report

Quarterbacks:

Baker Mayfield–  Mayfield continued his impressive showing at the Senior Bowl as he excelled in every area. His accuracy and ball placement were strong throughout practice, but he really looked good in full team drills, where he did it despite feeling pressure at times. He hit multiple deep and intermediate throws in tighter windows, and he showed just an overall high level of efficiency to his game.

Josh Allen– Allen started out practice really poorly missing on some simple red zone throws without any defenders on the field. It wasn’t just that he missed the throws, but he was so off target that it wasn’t just missing a receiver by a step due to unfamiliarity. Allen though rebounded from a rough early session and had some of his best moments of the week later in practice. Allen not only showcased his big arm later in practice, but he displayed more consistency and read the defense better in 7-on-7 and team drills, something he had struggled with all week. It was probably his best all-around practice of the week and you can make the case that Allen improved each day which is a major positive.

Running backs:

Jaylen Samuels- Samuels seems a bit miscast as a true running back, but he’s an intriguing option as a FB/H-Back hybrid. Samuels is an average runner, who displays nice patience in following his blocks, but where he wins is as a receiver out of the back-field. Even as a bigger back he can be a tough assignment to cover for linebackers, and he displays good hands.

Wide Receivers:

Allen Lazard– Lazard has been up and down all week, but this was his best practice of the week. He made a couple diving catches in the end zone in red zone passing drills and generally caught every catchable target that I saw today. He’s not the fastest receiver and he doesn’t get as much separation as you always want, but he could be a big possession receiver at the next level.

Cedrick Wilson- Wilson continued his strong week, showing off his skills as a route runner getting open at a decent rate. He’s very smooth in transition and he got open on a variety of routes. Wilson made a number of tough catches in practice, which was a nice end to his practice week.

DaeShon Hamilton- Hamilton continued to be the best receiver on the North squad, though it probably was slightly down from the day before. Hamilton is the best route runner on the team and is creating so much separation. Hamilton didn’t catch the ball as cleanly in today’s practice, but it overall wasn’t too bad.

Braxton Berrios- Berrios has had a nice week working in the short and intermediate routes. He’s got a classic slot receiver build and can be a nice later round option for some team looking to bolster this role.

Michael Gallup– Gallup has gotten better every day of practice and he really had a good day winning on a variety of routes. While not possessing elite deep speed, Gallup still found a way to make a couple really nice deep catches.

Tight Ends:

Michael Gesicki- Gesicki continued being the most impressive TE this week down at the Senior Bowl. He really does a nice job creating separation with his route running, and has had linebackers and safeties slow to react all week giving him an opening to get open. Gesicki also does a really nice job using his big frame to shield the ball from the defender so they can’t get in position to make a play on the ball. Gesicki also does a nice job catching it with his hands away from his body so defenders can’t knock it away. It was an all-around good week for the Penn State corner that could have propelled him into the top 100-125 range.

Offensive Line:

Tyrell Crosby- Crosby had a good day, though he was more inconsistent than what you would have wanted to see. He lost to some speed rushes at times, but for the most part he did a nice job protecting the edge and displaying nice power versus inside pass rushers and in the run game.

Will Hernandez- Hernandez had another really nice day. He plays with such power and at times looks just dominant out there. He shows nice recovery when facing a quicker rusher inside, but where he really wins is by just stymying defensive linemen who try any sort of power move on him. You just won’t win that way and in many cases you will lose pretty badly versus Hernandez if you try.  

Brett Toth- Toth really continues to impress, he was probably the most consistent offensive lineman on the North squad, losing very few reps in 1-on-1s or team drills. He shows good technique and if not for the question of his Army commitment he could be considered a top 75 pick.

Defensive Line:

B.J. Hill- Hill really impressed me today with his raw power which allowed him to blow up the play a few times. He’s not ever going to be a big time pass rusher, but he showed today that in addition to his strength as a run defender he can use his power to win inside and force the QB to abandon the pocket.

Justin Jones- Jones was another player who had his best day of practice on Day 3. He showed a nice combination of power and speed that allowed him to win inside versus most of the interior offensive linemen. He was very disruptive all throughout practice and really ended the week on a good note.

Ogbonnia Okoronko- Okoronko I think not only made a strong case for being the best pass rusher on the North squad, but just all-around defender. His run defense improved throughout the week and he looked pretty decent in coverage drills despite not being utilized as much in coverage at Oklahoma.

Kemoko Turay- Continues to battle Okoronko as the best pass rusher on the squad. He’s quick off the snap and can win with speed and a little bend around the edge. He needs a better counter and a better plan of attack if the OL over commits outside. Overall though, he generates consistent pressure, which is his calling card.

Defensive Backs:

Duke Dawson- Dawson continued to make up for lost time with his 2nd strong practice after missing day one due to an illness. He did a great job mirroring receivers in man coverage and allowed very small windows for passing attempts. He is on the smaller side and did lose a couple battles versus bigger receivers so he may fit best inside at the next level.

Trayvon Henderson- Henderson had a nice practice session as he’s one of the most athletic safeties on either roster. He ran well with most tight ends as the only one who gave him any real trouble was Gesicki, and he was even able to win a couple of those battles. Henderson’s  athleticism which helped him come away with a big interception after initially getting beat on a route, is definitely his calling card. In addition Henderson shows good instincts and ball skills in coverage.