To my friends, family and Lions faithful back home in Michigan, I’m sorry that you got hit with some snow.
It was an absolutely beautiful first day of practice in Mobile, Alabama. I’m sunburnt, watched football all day and it was magnificent to be back at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
With that, let’s dive into both practices and review five players that stood out for both the National and American Team at the Senior Bowl today.
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
When we talk about prospects that are as good as advertised, Quinyon Mitchell is that dude. He checked into the Senior Bowl at 6’0” and 195 pounds with 31 1/8” arms.
During the 1-on-1 sessions of practice and team portion, he put together great reps multiple times. Mitchell closes the gap on receivers so quickly, and he’s about as instinctive as they come.
Entering this week, there was already a lot of buzz surrounding his draft stock. Many people had projected that he could be a first-round pick, but at this rate, he could enter the conversation as the first cornerback off the board.
Jackson Powers-Johnson, IOL, Oregon
There was already a lot of hype surrounding Powers-Johnson as a potential first round pick prior to the Senior Bowl. After all, it’s not every day that a center walks onto the field weighing 334 pounds with center and guard versatility.
JPJ did just that today.
There were multiple reps where he stonewalled defenders with his quickness and power. He plays consistently with a square base and always seems to be under control. Add in his ability to move in space from what he shows on tape and it shouldn’t be a surprise to see him as the draft’s top center. Look for him to have one of the best performances each day, and at this rate, he’s very much in play to be a potential first-round pick come April.
Cam Hart, CB, Notre Dame
Notre Dame cornerback Cam Hart locked down Brenden Rice and Devontez Walker multiple times during practice. Much of that was due to his ability to stay square, patient and he used the sideline to his advantage consistently.
Hart checked into the Senior Bowl at 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds with 32 5/8” arms. Using that length to jam receivers and redirect them off their routes, he was in good position to play the football all day. It even led to an interception that would have been a pick-six in an actual game. Teams looking for a number two cornerback with plenty of upside may have something here.
Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan
To be honest, I’m not sure if Roman Wilson lost a single rep in practice today. He showed fluidity and burst plenty of run-after-the-catch ability.
Wilson checked into the Senior Bowl at 5-foot-10 and 186 pounds and probably had the biggest day for any receiver on the day. On one of his routes, he outran the secondary on a deep post and scored a touchdown after catching a pass from Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman.
He may not be the biggest player in the draft, and he may not be the best player in the draft, but it sure felt like he had one of the best days of any player today.
Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
Even though BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia may be a little rough around the edges, you can see the potential with him.
His massive frame and length immediately stands out when he steps onto the field. He checked into Mobile at 6-foot-4 and 329 pounds with 34 1/4” arms.
During practice today, he found himself against one of the best pass-rushers in the draft with UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu. There were reps that he lost but there were other times that he won. For example, one once he forced Latu to run the arc and essentially timed him out on his pass-rush.
Kingsley plays with good patience, but there are times that he oversets or misplaces his hands. Overall, there’s plenty of potential to his game. As teams look for day two or potentially first-round tackles that don’t need to start right away, this may be their guy. We’ll see if he strings together a strong week of practice for the National Team.
Jamari Thrash, WR, Louisville
When you look at the American Team, the wide receiver group was expected to be led by Ladd McConkey from Georgia and Xavier Legette from South Carolina. While both receivers had fine days, McConkey always seemed to try to put those extra sprinkles on top of his routes and Legette really struggled to separate from defenders.
One player that could separate or come down with a catch despite tight coverage was Jamari Thrash. During the 1-on-1 portion of practice, there was a play where Thrash was tightly covered by Carlton Johnson of Fresno State but he still found a way to haul the ball in over his shoulder.
Thrash weighed in at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, but he’s got a well-built frame and looks capable of winning at all three levels of the field. After a strong first day, I’d keep tabs on him to see if he can build on that and carry it over to a strong week of practice.
Carlton Johnson, CB, Fresno State
Speaking of Carlton Johnson, I thought he really stood out for only being a 5-foot-10 and 169 pound cornerback. During the 1-on-1’s of the American Team’s practice, there were a handful of reps where Johnson looked fluid and broke on the ball well.
Coming out of Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley, California, Johnson went to Southern Utah. After 16 games, he transferred to Riverside City College and played there for a season before transferring to Fresno State.
Over the last two seasons, he’s recored 13 pass deflections and five interceptions for the Bulldogs. During his first practice today, he added to that by recording an interception. While his frame will come into question for a lot of teams, he showed plenty of promise after one practice. Keep tabs on him throughout the week.
Nathaniel Watson, LB, Mississippi State
While I wasn’t planning on watching linebackers today, I couldn’t help but notice Nathaniel Watson from Mississippi State. He checked into Mobile at 6-foot-2 and 244 pounds with 32 1/4” arms.
There were multiple times during practice today when Watson stood out and made plays against the run. He fit well into the middle, and had it been a “full-go” during practice, he may have annihilated some running backs today.
Looking more into his profile, Watson did just about everything at Maplesville High School in Alabama. Meanwhile, his uncle, Harold Morrow played fullback at Auburn and spent 10 years in the NFL (Vikings, Ravens and Cardinals). I’ll need to watch more film on Watson but he left a good impression on the first day of practice with his size, movement skills and how he attacks downhill.
Braden Fiske, IDL, Florida State
Coming into this week, I was already expecting good things from Braden Fiske. He didn’t disappoint during the first day of practice, especially during the team portions. It felt like during this portion of practice, it was tough for the American Team’s offense to get going. Much of that was due to the strong performances from the defense.
Playing a part in that was Fiske out of Florida State. He checked in at 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds but he only has 31″ arms, so that’s a bit concerning. However, his explosive first step helped him multiple times. There was one play where he beat the guard off the ball and immediately met the running back. Additionally, he had one play where he showed great effort in trying to punch the ball out of the hands of a running back.
When watching Fiske, it’s all effort from him. With limited arm length, I’d have to think we’ll see him play more over guards and centers than tackles. Regardless, there’s much to be desired with his skill-set. We’ll see if he can build off a good first day.
Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
t’ll be hard to determine who had the better first day for offensive lineman. But it has to be between Tyler Guyton and Jackson Powers-Johnson. Both players had strong performances today. When watching Guyton today, he showed a lot of power and drove defenders clear multiple times.
He’ll need to improve the timing of his punch and his hand placement is far from clean. However, Guyton is an experienced offensive tackle with over 1,000 snaps over the last two seasons (per PFF). Checking into Mobile at 6-foot-7 and 328 pounds with 34 1/4″ arms did wonders for him.
