2021 Reeses Senior Bowl: National Team Day 3 Notes
The 2021 Reeses Senior Bowl is on the final day of practice. The National team took the field for the final time before the actual game on Saturday. As always, I provide notes from what I see from the practices.
I don’t necessarily always care about the results. I’m not trying to put the best grammar out there either. They’re scouting notes to remember moving forward. With that being said, who made a great or bad last impression for the National Team at the 2021 Reeses Senior Bowl?
Quarterbacks:
Sam Ehlinger just flat out SUCKS. Homeless man Tim Tebow. Can’t can’t play a lick. Not sure he can throw either. Look at this duck. That’s a pick in the NFL all day long.
The arm strength stinks. His accuracy blows. All you need to know about Sam Ehlinger is the Texas offense got better when he got hurt in their Bowl Game. There’s literally nothing to like about Ehlinger. Totally undraftable and not good enough to make a roster.
Give Ian Book credit. He’s at least a decent athlete? Annnnnnd I’ve run out of compliments from this group. Book is the only guy capable of at least throwing the ball and making a decision. He made a nice strike for a touchdown in the team drill.
Running Backs:
I’m starting to feel really good about Rhamondre Stevenson. I see poor man Najee Harris. Stevenson is a BIG dude but he can move and wiggle. Jaylen Samuels might be too low of a comp.
Michael Carter continues to show he has that extra burst. He’s going to be a home run hitter. I think he can end up being a better Gio Bernard. No, he’s not ideal running between the tackles but he can do it. Carter also catches the ball well. I think Carter is AWESOME.
I’m not sure why they keep lining Demetic Felton up as a receiver. He’s much better as a running back.
Khalil Herbert showed nice cuts during team drills. It looks like his vision won’t be a problem in the NFL.
Wide Receivers:
Nico Collins got wins in the red area which is what he can do. He uses his body well at 6-foot-4 and can track the ball in the air. Again, neither of which are concerns coming into the week. It’s the fact that in and out of cuts he’s a step slow. You don’t draft Allen Lazard in round 2.
Todd McShay compared Collins to Chase Claypool which I find to be kind of a joke. I can promise you Collins isn’t running a 4.4 like Claypool did.
Frank Darby looked bad again. He won in the red zone but I don’t care. His change of direction stinks. I’m not sure what he is other than someone you send deep 9 out of 10 plays.
Desmond Fitzpatrick looks quick. He’s more of a one step and go kind of dude. He’s climbed up the board.
Tight Ends:
Kenny Yeboah has to be a stock down for me. He couldn’t win basically any red zone drills. Struggled to separate at all. Yeboah had a big game against Alabama this year and was mostly quiet the rest of the season. The Bama game may have been a fluke.
Yeboah not only is getting blanketed but he’s not close to winning any 50-50 balls either. I see a lot of hesitation and clunky movements.
Offensive Line:
On the screen, James Hudson of Cincinnati looks smaller than the other tackles. He is listed at 6-foot-5, 311 so maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me. I thought he did a great job stuffing Shaka Toney. Looks like he has more room to grow but wasn’t intimidated by Toney’s speed off the edge.
Hudson’s feet and athleticism stood out. He had no problems getting to his spot and winning the rep.
North Dakota State tackle Dillon Radunz was dominant again. Elderson Smith gave other tackles some problems and Radunz put him to sleep. He looks powerful. Once he locks in, the rep is over. Really impressive stuff all week.
Defensive Line:
Jonathan Cooper seems to have an extra burst than the rest of the group. His pure speed has jumped off the screen.
Ta’Quon Graham continues to just look like he’s stuck in the mud. It’s not because he’s weak but the initial get off just isn’t there. Hasn’t been impressive at all.
Shaka Toney continued to come up small. If the pure speed didn’t win, he just didn’t win. The Cincinnati tackle beat him up. Shaka Toney has one pitch. Everything is a fastball. If you stop it, he loses. I’m out. He also left a team drill hurt. Mostly because he has shown he can’t hang.
I’ve also been impressed with Rashad Weaver. His hand usage especially has been impressive. Weaver’s pass rushing moves can be described as chain hand fighting. He’s always countering and everything is fluid. We saw a gorgeous spin move yesterday. Today the swim was in full swing. Weaver has outdone his more hyped teammate Patrick Jones.
Osa Odighizuwa had some success against the Wisconsin White-Water guy. He at least pushed the pocket. That’s more then the rest of the group can say.
Tarron Jackson looks straight up bad. Even his motor looks terrible. Sort of looks like a chicken with his head cut off. No plan of attack. If the first move doesn’t work the effort level drops. No high twitch movements either.
Cornerbacks:
Tre Brown looks fast and can clearly cover. My guy was LOST with the ball in the air. Throw fades at him all day. Dude has not shot. The South Dakota State guy has been average at best. Brown lost a terrible rep he should have won. Just couldn’t find the ball.
I thought the Michigan corner Benjamin St. Juste played the ball really well in the air. I’m not sure how athletic he is but the eyes were on the ball and did not panic.
Safeties:
Apparently Damar Hamlin is a safety. You wouldn’t know it by the way he moves. Everything is under control. There’s no panic. He blanked Kenny Yeboah in the end zone without getting grabby. For a safety, this man can really cover.
