The Reese’s Senior Bowl is a place where all 32 teams and numerous members of the media congregate to look at the best senior NFL draft prospects. The Minnesota Vikings have a contingent down there and are trying to gather information to help them make more informed draft decisions.
During the week, it’s all about practice and seeing how the players match up against their equals and see how they handle drills. After the first day of practice, here are 10 guys that saw their stock go up and down on Tuesday.
Stock up: Georgia Tech DL Keion White
Earlier on Tuesday, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah dropped his top 50 player big board and shocked everyone by having the Georgia Tech defensive lineman at eighth overall. At practice just a couple hours later, White showed why.
He was dominant across the board, disrupting plays and winning one-on-ones. He took the offensive line to school, especially in the running game. He carries his 280 lbs extremely well and has the capability to add to his frame.
I asked him where he would like to play on the defensive line since he’s played well across the board and he told me he wants to play everywhere.
Keion White blowing up the run with ease pic.twitter.com/Tujoh6nIht
— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) January 31, 2023
Stock down: BYU QB Jaren Hall
The first day is not normally a great one for quarterbacks. There are a lot of unique elements that they need to adjust to and things can easily go wrong. Hall had one of those days.
He struggled to throw the football and was inaccurate, sailing multiple footballs and not looking comfortable in the slightest. With only Jake Haener also throwing on Tuesday, Hall didn’t do much to help himself with an even bigger platform.
Stock up: Texas RB Roschon Johnson
Despite being the backup to Bijan Robinson, Johnson was a top-20 back in the country and showed his diverse skill set throughout the day. In pass catching drills, Johnson looked like a natural as a route runner and used his hands well to catch the football. His vision was also showcased in rushing drills. He is a true do-it-all skillset will immediately translate to the NFL. He was the best running back across both teams today.
Stock up: BYU WR Puka Nacua
Nacua measured in at 6’2″ tall which was big for him, as on film he looks like a smaller player. He was the best receiver by far on the National team. He showed some excellent route running and had a great ability to adjust to the football. He did a lot for his stock on Tuesday.
Puka Nacua BYU #17 has shown real solid hands today pic.twitter.com/kD2JDMIIwe
— Laurie Fitzpatrick (@LaurieFitzptrck) January 31, 2023
Stock down: BYU OT Blake Freeland
Freeland came into Mobile that had all the tools you want to see. He’s a large human with athleticism and length. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Freeland struggled to get his hands on defenders and was blown off the ball consistently. He got absolutely destroyed on multiple reps and it was incredibly disappointing.
Stock up: Ohio State RT Dawand Jones
Built like a refrigerator, Jones stands at 6’8″ and over 360 lbs with a massive wingspan that include his nearly 36″ arms. He was incredible all day for the National team and dominated reps against all comers including Notre Dame edge Isaiah Foskey. What was really impressive is how nimble he is on his feet. Jones moves like someone that weighs nearly 50 lbs less than he does. Of anyone on this list, he likely increased his stock the most on day one.
Stock down: Coastal Carolina NT Jerrod Clark
A mammoth defensive tackle, Clark had a chance to show himself to be a quality nose tackle and he’s not off to a great start. Weighing in at 343 lbs, he looked very slow in his movements and struggled to make any movement in team drills. When trying to bend around the bags in drills, he slipped a couple of times and didn’t look quick at all. There are still a couple of days left, but this was a very disappointing start for him.
Stock up: Louisville EDGE YaYa Diaby
The trenches were incredibly fun to watch during Thursday’s practice and Diaby was a big reason for it. He was very explosive off the ball and made quite a few plays on both the quarterback and in the running game. At 264 lbs, Diaby is going to be a really intriguing option for teams that prioritize a 5-technique.
Stock up: Northwestern RB Evan Hull
The running backs don’t get a lot of chances to shine normally during practice but Hull did a great job standing out. He was capable in pass blocking drills, was really good running routes and showed really nice vision and burst as a runner. Playing at Northwestern didn’t give Hull a lot of opportunities to shine but he acquitted himself well on day one.
Stock down: Notre Dame IOL Jarrett Patterson
A player who was long thought to be a first-round pick, Patterson hasn’t done much to help himself so far. His arms measured in at less than 32″ and he struggled in team drills. An athlete who is technically sound, Patterson doesn’t have the requisite strength to be successful at the next level unless he plays strictly in a wide zone scheme and even then, the issues will still be there.
Stock up: NDSU OL Cody Mauch
The Bison have one of the best rushing attacks in the nation and they do a little bit of everything running power and zone concepts all across the board. Mauch played left tackle for the Bison but will play guard all week and likely play there in the NFL. He showed why he was thought of so highly. His movement skills and brute force are something to marvel and he showed it on day one.
