The second day of Senior Bowl practices wrapped up at Hancock Whitney-Stadium, concluding a stream of exercises that were made difficult by dreary conditions and a persistent drizzle of rain.
Despite those obstacles, however, a number of prospects continued to command attention and impress with what they showcased on the field.
Here are four potential targets for the Chargers at cornerback and wide receiver that boosted their draft stock on Wednesday.
WR – Christian Watson, NDSU
Drops plagued the National team wide receiver group as they endured the heaviest of precipitation through drills, which made the ball slick to catch. Building off a strong first day in the one-on-one period, Christian Watson’s huge 10’ mitts were an advantage and helped him reel in targets that otherwise would have slipped through his grasp. Watson excelled in all areas and performed well outside his arsenal of traits. He shook free from defensive backs using crafty releases, crisp route running, and maintained dominance at the catch point on contested throws. Watson has been borderline unstoppable as a freakish mixture of size and quickness. It was nice to see him prove his earlier success was not a fluke.
Carson Strong with the best throw of the morning to Christian Watson 🎯 pic.twitter.com/qZoi9HxPq0
— Luke Carr (TD4LC) (@LukeCarrNFL) February 2, 2022
WR Velus Jones Jr., Tennessee
The easiest way to raise eyebrows at the Senior Bowl is to leave defenders in the dust. Velus Jones Jr. advertised another gear of speed today, firing his burners off the line and displaying good control of his throttle in the middle of his route as a clever tactic to create separation. Jones also showed an understanding of how to deceive with his entire body, employing head fakes and selling his hips hard on inside cuts before slashing toward his true destination. His strongest rep of the day was on Missouri cornerback Akayleb Evans, a standout from day one, where Jones kept good outside leverage and lost Evans with a slight stutter step as he went vertical.
Underthrow into the wind by Howell, but WR Velus Jones has been doing this to DBs for two days now. pic.twitter.com/UrQiZQAjud
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) February 2, 2022
CB Tariq Castro-Fields, Penn State
Cincinnati’s Coby Bryant dominated the defensive back discourse on Tuesday, but Castro-Fields was undermentioned as a strong performer in one-on-ones. Castro-Fields is one of the lengthiest cornerbacks in Mobile this year with a 31 ⅛” reach. The extra extension has benefited him immensely and he became a regular playmaker at the catch point with several breakups in front of the receiver. Castro-Fields was also a nuisance in press coverage, landing prominent strikes that clearly disrupted the man across from him. His motor remained running all practice long and competed at every opportunity.
Another Day 1 winner from the Senior Bowl – Penn State CB Tariq Castro-Fields. Effort through the catch is phenomenal on this play pic.twitter.com/0Is3uLtexc
— Jack Brentnall (@Jack_Brentnall) February 2, 2022
CB Derion Kendrick, Georgia
Coming off a solid showing in the National Championship and expected to be one of the players at the Senior Bowl, Kendrick struggled on the first day. He missed jams and gave up ground from the jump, most notably when he was burned badly on the first American one-on-one rep of the event against Memphis wide receiver Calvin Austin III. Kendrick was much more refined today, exhibiting a determined steeliness throughout the period. Kendrick’s press skills showed increased precision, while his movements looked smoother and juiced with fluidity.
