The Reese’s Senior Bowl continued practices on Wednesday, with at least two high-ranking members of the Chargers scouting team in Mobile, AL to watch some of this year’s top draft prospects.
Here’s who stood out on the defensive side of the ball.
CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
A popular selection on mock draft machines for the Chargers’ second-round pick in recent weeks, Mitchell has steadily built more and more support in the draft media. Through two days, the prevailing sentiment is that Mitchell will be long gone by the 37th overall pick, with the Toledo corner now projected to go in the top 20 picks.
Mitchell’s patience has been one of the most standout traits of anyone in Mobile. While other cornerbacks on his squad have been panicky and, as a result, grabby during one-on-ones, Mitchell has relied on a patient approach rooted in confidence in his ability to stay in phase with receivers. He did so at every turn on Wednesday, including an interception while up against USC WR Brenden Rice.
Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell putting his athleticism on full display here at the Senior Bowl. Stays in phase all the way on the vertical and doesn’t let the hesitation disrupt him at all. pic.twitter.com/lM5NtLNMCq
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 31, 2024
CB Max Melton, Rutgers
Melton, Mitchell’s teammate for the week in Mobile, was the only other cornerback to show the same sort of patience in WR/DB one on ones during the morning practice session. The younger brother of Packers wide receiver Bo Melton, the Rutgers cornerback may have flown a bit under the radar on Wednesday because all of his best reps still resulted in catches for receivers.
Despite that lack of ball production, Melton won frequently with a smooth transition out of his initial backpedal. Coupled with patience in his hands as the route developed, Melton was frequently in the hip pocket of his receivers on Wednesday. He’s also shown outside/inside versatility this week, which could make him a more attractive target for a Chargers team that could use an upgrade at either spot.
Michigan WR Roman Wilson with the contested catch against Rutgers CB Max Melton #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/HQso2hYOr7
— Kevin Knight (@FalcoholicKevin) January 31, 2024
EDGE Austin Booker, Kansas
An early declaration with only 505 defensive snaps on his record, Booker has been one of the most mysterious players of this draft class. His film showed a raw player with obvious tools, but it’s the way he’s put those together in Mobile that’s made him into one of the stars of the week so far.
On Wednesday, the former Jayhawk reached deep into his bag, showing a wide variety of pass rush moves and winning with nearly every single one of them, no matter the matchup on the other side. During team passing drills, Booker had two highlight rushes: an inside spin that instantly took an offensive tackle off-balance and a long arm to build distance from the tackle and collapse the pocket:
Kansas edge-rusher Austin Booker with two of the best rushes of the week within a few plays of each other during the ‘3rd down drop back pass’ portion of practice today. Inside spin + long-arm stab. pic.twitter.com/dlhONVXmmX
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) January 31, 2024
DL/EDGE Darius Robinson, Missouri
Robinson primarily played out on the edge or at 5-technique at Missouri, but the coaches in Mobile have moved him as far inside as 3-technique as they continue to evaluate his best position in the pros. A bit of a tweener at 6’5”, 286 lbs with 34 ¾” arms, Robinson has dusted the competition in Mobile no matter where he’s been lined up.
On Wednesday, Robinson continued to build on a strong first practice with another day filled with statement victories. He beat teammate Javon Foster early in the one-on-one period, then followed that up with a swim move both from 3-tech and on the edge to win two more reps. In team period, Robinson also got pressure on Tennessee QB Joe Milton, forcing him to throw the ball away.
DL Darius Robinson from @MizzouFootball with an incredible pass rush to immediately stop the play. #Mizzou #SeniorBowl #Bucs #BucsFootball pic.twitter.com/RdOJ57cdpj
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) January 31, 2024
CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Louisville
The importance of WR/DB one-on-ones is often overrated, because wide receivers have an inherent advantage in the drill thanks to their ability to freelance routes that would take far too long in a live setting. But they still hold value, especially for cornerbacks who fit in man-heavy schemes.
Brownlee certainly qualifies as one of those, and his performance Wednesday backed up that theory. He won three reps in a row, including one where the receiver was so blanketed that the quarterback refused to even throw the ball in the area. Many people tabbed Brownlee as the day’s best overall player, and he could very well work himself into consideration with the Chargers given his stickiness in coverage.
Louisville CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. with the good coverage on Tulane WR Jha'Quan Jackson #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/tfDfOE4sME
— Kevin Knight (@FalcoholicKevin) January 31, 2024
