One of the most important events on the National Football League calendar is the Senior Bowl. Held the week after the conference championship games, it is the true beginning of the NFL draft cycle.
Not only do scouts and analysts like us get to see over 100 draft prospects in one place competing against each other, but it’s also an opportunity for analysts and personnel alike to get together and have discussions about a number of topics.
As we look forward to this year’s Senior Bowl, both managing editor Tyler Forness and columnist Matt Anderson will be there in person to break everything down.
We will be breaking down each position group and what to look for throughout the week. We start with the quarterback position.
BYU's Jaren Hall
The BYU Cougar is one of the oldest quarterbacks in the draft at age 25, but the talent is there. Hall is a former baseball player that uses the abilities from the sport to help him play quarterback. He can throw from multiple arm angles and platforms and has an uncanny ability to drop it in the bucket down the field. The biggest issues with Hall have been with consistency and reading the field. If he can show some of that in Mobile, it can make an impact on his draft stock. Hall is likely a day two or three pick and provides an interesting developmental option.
Jaren Hall is an NFL quarterback pic.twitter.com/DTpqsC4o4X
— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) September 11, 2022
Fresno State's Jake Haener
Haener arguably has the most to gain over the course of a week in Mobile. A fifth-year senior. Haener missed multiple weeks with an ankle injury but led the Bulldogs to a 10-win season anyway.
Haener isn’t going to wow you with athleticism or arm talent. Both of them are capable, but where Haener is going to be impressive is the toughness he has. He is willing to stand in the pocket and take any and all punishment for his team. At times, he looks to be held together by duct tape with how much he gets hit. Haener is likely to be a backup for 15 years in the NFL, but I think there is some potential to be a starter.
Houston's Clayton Tune
Going into the season, there was some talk that Tune could take a step and be a top quarterback prospect. He has the prototypical size and arm strength that you want from a starting quarterback in the NFL. Unfortunately, Tune was not able to make that leap this season. The accuracy and decision-making haven’t been anywhere close to where you need them to be. Even so, there are attractive tools to be developed with Tune. A good week or practice leading into a good predraft process could help Tune become a fringe top-100 pick.
TCU's Max Duggan
The magical run of TCU can be attributed to a lot of different people, but the main catalyst was the play of Duggan. The runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, Duggan was the engine behind the Horned Frogs offense both through the air and on the ground. He willed them to major comeback victories on multiple occasions with his leadership and calm demeanor. Now, he doesn’t have an excellent set of traits, but he knows how to use what he has well. Duggan is likely a mid-round pick with a shot to go top-50 with a great process.
Sheperd's Tyson Bagent
This is going to be the quarterback everyone wants to watch. Playing in the Division II ranks, Bagent ran an offense that used a lot of RPOs and Air Raid principles and didn’t play great competition. On the other hand, Bagent didn’t play with it either. Bagent has a good arm, anticipation and accuracy which could translate to the NFL, but he will need to have a big week in Mobile. Nobody is going to give him any credit until he earns it.
