The second day of Senior Bowl practice is complete and there are a lot of things to talk about.
After the quarterbacks struggled on the first day as a whole, there were some significant areas of improvement. The two quarterbacks that threw on the first day of practice played much better and we had a standout at wide receiver as well.
After day two of practice, here are the players who saw their stock rise and fall.
Stock up: Georgia Tech DL Keion White
After having a superb first day, White continued that momentum with on Wednesday. He was dominant in the running game along with having some great pass rush reps. He won one on the inside with a secondary spin move that was tremendous. His stock continues to soar down here in Mobile.
Stock up: Stanford CB Kyu Blu Kelly
Kelly was the best player on the field for the National team. He made a multitude of plays, including four pass breakups and a pick-six where he ripped the ball from his teammate Elijah Higgins. All four reps came when he was as playing a simple cover-2 drop zone and he read the quarterback perfectly each time. In a loaded cornerback class, Kelly has made a real impact this week.
Stock down: Malik Cunningham
After not participating in practice on Tuesday afternoon due to a stomach virus, Cunningham struggled on his first day of practice. He wasn’t throwing an accurate football and he sailed multiple passes to the outside, including two interceptions to Cal safety Daniel Scott. This was not the best showing for him but Cunningham has one more day to improve.
Stock up: Fresno State QB Jake Haener
The quarterback group is relatively underwhelming compared to past years, but Haener has stood out in a positive way the last two days. On Wednesday, Haener did a great job working through progressions and and created outside of structure to make plays when there was nothing there in both 7-on-7 and full team drills. Haener has made himself some money so far this week.
Stock down: BYU OT Blake Freeland
We identified Freeland as a player that didn’t play well on Tuesday and he struggled for the second-consecutive day. The biggest issues for Freeland are both quickness and he can’t bend. He can’t get low to attack speed rushers and it shows. This isn’t a good showing for Freeland, especially since he has a lot of attractive traits.
Stock up: Stanford WR Michael Wilson
After we didn’t see a ton of standouts at the wide receiver position on Tuesday, Wilson changed that with an excellent day. He displayed a combination of quickness and route running that help him separate with ease. He also is really good at tracking the football, finding it and snagging it. With the Stanford offense being as porous as it has been, Wilson could fly under the radar and be a steal for a team on day three.
Stock down: Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace Jr.
Pace Jr. displayed a really appealing package of quickness and physicality on day one of practice, but regressed on Wednesday. His biggest issues came in pass coverage. Running backs were able to manipulate him with ease and Pace Jr. didn’t have the reaction time to keep up. recognition could be a real issue for him and it crushed him on Wednesday.
Stock up: Washington State LB Daiyan Henley
It can be hard for linebackers to stand out due to what they are asked to do in Mobile. With the pass rush drills, Henley showed why he is one of the better linebackers in this class. Henley showed great recognition skills and was sticky with the running backs throughout the route. What really stood out was how well he attacked the football in the air. His ball skills were evident and all over his reps in coverage.
Stock up: BYU QB Jaren Hall
It was evident that Hall wasn’t comfortable during the first practice on Tuesday and he all but confirmed that when I spoke with him after practice. He told me that it was an adjustment to get used to the new surroundings, players and playbook but it was easier to settle in.
His best throws came on corner routes during drills where he could just drop it in a bucket. Hall also said that these throws are easier for him due to having to throw to a spot and not having to deal with elements of timing. There is still a lot that Hall needs to show to be a high draft pick, but he showed the improvement today that was necessary for his draft stock.
Stock up: NDSU OL Cody Mauch
After playing left tackle for the Bison in college, Mauch has played exclusively in the interior this week, including getting his first reps at center. He looked like a natural at the position and played a elk on blocking drills as a whole. Mauch is a really good mover and has the power to hold up on the interior. He also loves Grand Junction subs out of Fargo on a Sunday, something that just hits differently than a normal sub.
