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Senior Bowl 2022: 10 players who made big impressions this week

Senior Bowl 2022: 10 players who made big impressions this week

Reese’s Senior Bowl 2022 week is in the books, somewhat of a return to normalcy after last year’s game was somewhat limited in scope due to the COVID pandemic.

Saturday’s game at Hancock Whitney Stadium capped a week of practices and meetings with pro scouts, coaches and talent-evaluators for more than 120 of the top prospects for the 2022 NFL draft. As game organizers are fond of saying, “the Draft Starts in Mobile,” and it continues on to next month’s NFL combine and individual schools’ pro days leading up to the April 28-30 draft in Las Vegas. So who made the biggest impressions during Senior Bowl 2022 week? With the caveat that it’s very difficult for a player to hurt his stock at the Senior Bowl, here are a few of the players who shined in Mobile (listed in alphabetical order):

1. Neil Farrell, DT, LSU: The Mobile native came into Senior Bowl week with questions about his conditioning, then weighed it at 338 pounds. But he took home practice player of the week at his position for the American team, then totaled four tackles in Saturday’s game.

2. Jermaine Johnson, EDGE, Florida State: Johnson left Mobile after Wednesday, but he put enough on tape in two practices to be declared the most-impressive player here nearly by acclimation. The Georgia transfer was nearly unblockable in practice, proving that his ACC Defensive Player of the Year award was no fluke.

3. Zion Johnson, C/G, Boston College: Johnson won the overall practice player of the week award regardless of position, showing versatility to play center and handle shotgun snaps despite being exclusively a guard in college stops at Davidson and Boston College.

4. Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota: Mafe was arguably the best player in Saturday’s game, taking home National team MVP honors after totaling three tackles for loss, two sacks, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble. He did so while playing with his hand on the ground, something he rarely did in college.

5. Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State: The tight end position was absolutely loaded in Mobile this week, and McBride was the best of the bunch. He’s probably a Day 2 selection at worst in the draft, and got into the end zone Saturday after doing so only once on 90 catches during the season.

6. Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn: McCreary got dinged on the first day of Senior Bowl week after his arms measured just 29 inches long, which some analysts worry may limit the Mobile native to nickel and slot corner in the pros. But he had an excellent week of practice, taking home top honors at his position on the American team.

7. Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa: The National team offensive line was loaded with potential early-round picks, but Penning might be the best of the bunch. The 6-foot-6, 330-pound FCS star showed a nasty streak in practice, finishing his reps strong and often playing to the echo of the whistle.

8. Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh: Though some of the talk was about the mystery of his hand size (he declined to have them measured in Mobile, saying he was working on “stretching” exercises prior to the combine), Pickett showed it where it counted. He finished a solid week of practice with a perfect 6-for-6 performance in Saturday’s game.

9. Malik Willis, QB, Liberty: It’s possible Willis overtook Pickett as the top quarterback to come out of the Senior Bowl, showing his arm strength and running ability (but also his inconsistent accuracy). He didn’t have much time to throw on Saturday – none of the American team QBs did — but he proved to be a difference-maker running with the ball.

10. Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State: Watson could be the latest Bisons star to become an impact player in the NFL, and was arguably the top receiver in Mobile all week. A two-time FCS All-American, he caught just one pass Saturday, but it was a sliding grab that turned into a 38-yard catch and run.