The final practice of the 2020 Reeses Senior Bowl wraps up today. With 3 days of practice in the books, it’s getting easier to fill out the draft board. Some guys are clear winners and some guys are clear losers. The practices is such a valuable tool for NFL teams to use. It’s been such a determining factor in the past. I’ll use the Deebo Samuel example again. The man showed he was a superstar during the week. Let’s check out who stood out for the South team at the third day of the 2020 Reeses Senior Bowl practice.
*Yes, I’m back to recording my TV with my phone for clips. It’s not ideal, but it will have to do. The good news is at least NFL Network has the recap show so I can gather a few clips from that which are much better quality. Next year I’ll be at the event.
Quarterbacks:
I’m totally out on Steven Montez. Really slow footwork and slow twitch in the drills. Doesn’t really drive the ball. More of an arm thrower. Leads to inconsistent throws. Better outside the pocket which should be considered a bad sign. Looks lost inside the pocket. I had some hope for him but now I’m way out.
Jalen Hurts actually has really good feet. They spent a lot of times doing footwork drills. I can’t even believe this is happening, but he’s growing on me. I love his attitude as well and seems like a grown up with a chip on his shoulder. He’s never going to be accurate with the football, but maybe he actually has a chance to make it (as a backup). He really did his best to hang in the pocket too which was a plus. He did hold on to the ball too long but he’s improving.
Justin Herbert showed up today. He did throw a beautiful fade to the LSU tight end. In 2 minute drill, Herbert threw some lasers. No questioning his arm strength. He can really rip it. He was on a tear today, give him credit. He throws a beautiful ball. I already know he’s capable of doing this. It’s a matter of repeating days like this. If you’re a Justin Herbert fan, today was your day. He wasn’t perfect, but overall, I thought Herbert was fantastic.
Running Backs:
Lamical Perine has been the best back here. In terms of just being a complete back, Perine is the guy here. Can catch and run between the tackles. I think he should run well and just has extra giddy up the others do not. Running inside looks natural to him and he showed an ability to catch.
Eno Benjamin has third down back written all over it. He fumbled really bad in the team drill. Now he’s shifty, but he’s not a guy you rely on to be an in between runner on a consistent basis.
Wide Receivers:
Tyrie Cleveland didn’t look great. Slow and didn’t bring much to the table. It looks worse when Van Jefferson keeps killing it in the same helmet and it’s easy to tell the two apart.
Collin Johnson dropped a bad ball. It’s one thing to be slow. It’s another thing to not be able to catch on top of that.
What more can you say about Van Jefferson? You can make the case he’s the best player on the field. He’s always open. His hands are fantastic. Van Jefferson is a route running machine. Nobody has sky rocked up my list more than him.
Tight Ends:
Stephen Sullivan continues to flash. Big body target who’s a big of a project but he moves well.
I wanted to see Jared Pickney but he was a disappearing act. I saw more from Kalija Lipscomb than I did from the talented tight end. Not a good sign.
Offensive Line:
Both LSU offensive lineman continue to impress. Coach O can recruit, man. Big fan of both.
Calvin Throckmorton beat up Jabari Zuniga. Looks at lot better at tackle than guard. By throttled by Robert Windsor in team drills.
The South Carolina State tackle, Alex Taylor is insane. I can’t remember a 6-foot-8 tackle who moves like that. Needs a better anchor, looks skinny but you’re forced to take a chance on him. The wingspan is crazy and he moves really well.
Don’t sleep on the St. John’s guard, Ben Bartch either. D3 guy that totally looks comfortable and never overwhelmed.
Defensive Line:
Scratch Jabari Zuniga off the board. He’s not it. Worse version of Jachai Polite.
DJ Wonnum looks really slow twitch. I saw him go through the bag drills like a snail with his head down.
Robert Windsor works his ass off. High motor and refuses to quit. He flashes and has some power in his hands. Even in the team drills, Windsor caused havoc. He was overshadowed at Penn State, but it’s clear he shouldn’t have been.
I haven’t talked much about Jonathan Greenard but his speed off the edge is impressive. I’m curious to see his 10 yard split time. I bet it’s a good number.
Linebackers:
Terrell Lewis can do a bit of everything. Rush the passer, drop in coverage, etc. He’s a good player. He played edge in the team drills winning reps. He dropped in coverage without any problems.
Cornerbacks:
Dane Jackson showed out today. In the red zone area, he was all over the place. Playing the ball and batting down balls. Receivers struggled to separate from him.
Reggie Robinson of Tulsa really struggles with the ball in the air. He got flagged during team drills.
Safeties:
Antonie Brooks Jr did a nice job covering the LSU tight end in the red zone.
