Day 3 is now in the books and the focus for both the American and National Teams was the red zone. Things tightened up defensively and the offenses had a harder time standing out and so did the QBs. That didn’t stop some players from standing out. Here are my risers and fallers after day 3:
Risers:
Jahiem Bell TE/FB, Florida State
This guy just continues to impress and did so in an area of the field where a TE has to. His route running and ability to make tough catches is rather incredible. Only times I didn’t see him come down with the ball were due to blatant PI on the overage guy. Besides being held, it just doesn’t seem like he is stoppable. I can’t wait to see him in the game on Saturday to see if what I have seen in practice translates to the field.
Theo Johnson TE, Penn State
Might just be the best TE at the Senior Bowl. I know I was just talking up Bell, but Johnson is a pure TE and he has all the tools to be dominate. He stands 6’6” and carries his weight well. Unlike others who may have issues changing direction or having wiggle in their route running at that size, Johnson doesn’t. Many times he shook his coverage guy and got open. A superb red zone threat, Johnson will look to carry over 3 days of showing up at practice to have a great game Saturday
Dylan Laube RB, New Hampshire
Its not often that a pure pass catching back looks this good running routes. Laube is everything you want in a 3rd down change of pace guy. I am not sure how serviceable he will actually be between the tackles but that’s not what you are wanting if Laube gets on your team. He has soft hands and catches the ball with ease. Honestly might be the best pass catching and route running back at the Senior Bowl. Look for him to have a big game as a check down guy, on wheel routes, and over the middle.
Jacob Cowing WR, Arizona
Cowing made my draft steals list earlier this year and he showed why today. His speed and route running is a thing that cornerback nightmares are made of. If he is given the space in the slot he simply can’t be covered. In the red zone Cowing is just as terrifying. He showed that those 13 TDs he had this season at Arizona were no fluke and was consistently getting open. Cowing is going to be a safety blanket for a QB in the NFL for years and will definitely catch his fair share of TDs. Oh and did I mention that before the 2023 season he had back to back years of over 1,000 yards?
Fallers:
Bo Nix QB, Oregon
Nix had a better day, until you realize that the only good throws you saw came in 1-on-1s with no pressure or in 7-on-7s with, you guessed it, no pressure. He had one throw that kind of summed up his week. Nix had an open guy in the end zone and started to fall away, never setting his feet before he threw. The ball sailed high and was uncatchable. What is worse is he had no pressure in his face and could have stepped up. If his game on Saturday doesn’t show more than this, he may have hurt his stock a lot by coming to the Senior Bowl.
Javion Cohen G, Miami
Cohen had an awful day today. Didn’t matter who lined up against him, the Guard just ended up in the backfield. He offered little to no resistance and could never set his anchor. It looked like he was on skates the whole time. I have seen this a bit through out the other practices but he always seemed to win more than he lost. That was not the case today. I am chalking it up to a bad day but it is still a big deal when we are talking about how he matches up against some of the better pass rushers in this draft.
Patrick Paul T, Houston
Another day and another complaint about Paul. He does this weird wind up with his arms before engaging the pass rusher. It allows the rusher to get into his frame and beat him easily. Paul doesn’t look comfortable on the edge and will couple poor technique with bad decisions. At one point in time he attempted to reach out with just one arm and engage the pass rusher that way. Paul has a huge wingspan but it seems he is relying on his physical attributes more so than actual talent for the tackle position. Maybe it can be coached out of him and he can effectively use that frame. Till then he looks to be a massive 6’7” revolving door.
Be sure to tune in on Saturday at 1:00 pm EST for the game to see these prospects in action!