DONT PANIC, BUT THIS IS THE LAST OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL UNTIL SUMMER. (Okay, I guess there’s Spring Ball but who really cares about glorified two-hand touch with pads?)
The 2018 Senior Bowl has come, but not before satisfying all of our story line, highlight, and most importantly, *all sacred* quarterback hand measurement needs. The Senior Bowl: Where Baker Mayfield and Rashaad Penny are compared to Dak Prescott and Kareem Hunt, yet that’s just the beginning of player comparisons for the next three months leading up to the NFL Draft.
Day 1: Measurements
On the first day, Baker Mayfield’s early absence from activities stole the headlines and it quickly turned into a mini-smear campaign. It was rather quickly established that Mayfield’s mother was in the hospital, but not before Damon Kecman (Cleveland Sports) took the opportunity to call Mayfield out for skipping Day 1. After realizing the severity of the situation, Kecman quickly to took to Twitter to send the quarterback an apology.
The festivities continued, but without the attendance of the Heisman winner. First and foremost, measurements for both squads were taken. One of the most eye-popping measurements came from Marcus Davenport standing at 6’6, 260, which NFL Network’s Mike Mayock believes propels Davenport “…into the first round in my eyes”.
By the time the day’s practice was set to get underway, Baker Mayfield already looked like a man amongst boys in the drill in which he had participated. Although he arrived just a few hours before the practice, he didn’t let the media circus distract him from balling on the field. He looked flawless throwing in the 1 on 1 drill for receivers and defensive backs, including one throw on a post route in which he perfectly anticipated his receivers cut and led his man to the ball with ease.
Will Hernandez, a right guard standing 6’2 and 340 lbs out of UTEP, impressed scouts heavily in the run game, but more importantly showed some much needed improvement in pass protection. It was a much needed success for Hernandez on Day 1 that could potentially shoot him into the late first round.
Day 2: The Interviews
Day 2 included one of the more bizarre and quirky activities of the week: team interviews. Behind closed doors, anything goes and executives tend to get creative with their question asking…
“Would you rather be a Cat or a Dog?”
“You find a suitcase with $1000 in it, what do you do?”
“What color is Snow? What color is melted Snow?”
Anyways, moving on to the second practice…
Luke Falk, one of the most proficient passers in Pac-12 history out of Washington State, had a massive day at practice, throwing the most passes throughout the day, including the furthest of the day, a 67 yard rocket through the air. After the sudden passing of teammate and fellow quarterback Tyler Hilinski, Falk wore the #3 in Hilinski honor during the week.
DaeSean Hamilton, a wide receiver from Penn State, improved his draft stock, as well, showing off his route running. He wasn’t the fastest or most athletic on the field, but his route running ability gave him an advantage on defensive backs. Hamilton leaves Penn State holding the team record for receptions, but really gained a certain national notoriety for himself in Mobile.
Rashaad Penny, the San Diego State running back who rushed for over 2,000 yards and had over 200 yards in his last 4 games as an Aztec, has been stirring up the pot of backs in this draft. A glorified runner who can make a difference when he gets past the line running north and south, he showed some flashes in the passing game throughout the day’s practice, too.
Day 3: The Final Practice
With one day remaining before the big game, coaches preached the importance of having some fun and playing their game on the field, but also reminded the players that this wasn’t some Thanksgiving Day flag football in the backyard, this was a real football game with enough scouts in the stands to field a few more teams.
Marcus Davenport was shredding up the South’s offensive line, breaking through the offensive line like an All-Pro at practice. He isn’t a fully finished product and still needs improvement in stopping the run, but he can develop into a very special pass rusher.
Braxton Berrios, a phenomenally talented receiver and return specialist from the University of Miami, showcased his explosive speed and acceleration, as well as his foot work in 1 on 1 and 7 on 7 drills. He has been compared to a more explosive Cole Beasley and could pose a heavy threat to defenses at the next level in the slot.
Kyle Lauletta, the quarterback from Richmond, looked better than some of the high profiled QBs at the last day of practices. Throughout the day he was carving up the defenses during 7 on 7 drills and was being praised for his decision-making and ability to place and lead his throws. His skill set isn’t crazy, but he was completing some fantastic throws and driving down the field in practice.
Luke Falk withdrew from the competition to attend Tyler Hilinski’s funeral in California.
The Final Day: Game Day
60 minutes of play later, the South prevailed with a 45-16 victory over the North. Kyle Lauletta took over the game after a slow-paced first half, throwing for 3 TD’s and 200 yards. Oh yeah, and he did so only throwing 12 passes with 8 completions, helping him take home Senior Bowl MVP. This healthy performance absolutely put him on a few radars around the league.
(GIF of Lauletta’s 75 Yards TD Pass in the Second Half of the game)
While Josh Allen, the Wyoming quarterback projected to land a top spot in the draft, had a slow few drives to open up the game, he finally got into a grove, leading the north on an 81-yard drive that ended in a touchdown. He followed up that up with two BEAUTIFUL throws, one to Colorado State’s Michael Gallup and a touchdown pass to Notre Dame’s TE Durham Smythe. He finished with 158 passing yards, 19 rushing yards, and 2 TD’s through the air.
(GIF of Josh Allen’s TD pass to Durham Smythe)
Meanwhile, another North quarterback named Baker Mayfield had a somewhat quiet day, going 3 for 7, and only throwing for 9 yards. While his draft stock shouldn’t take a major hit here, he sure didn’t help it with his game play.
Rashaad Penny had a stellar day, racking up 63 rushing yards and a 73 yard receiving TD from Western Kentucky’s Mike White. Penny certainly helped out his draft stock this weekend, and he could be someone to keep your eye on at the NFL Combine in a month.
(GIF of Penny’s 73 Yard TD Run)
While Mayfield and Allen stole the majority of the headlines, a lot of other great talents shot up a few draft boards. With the clock ticking down until the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns have an important decision to make, but this Senior Bowl didn’t make the decisions any easier.
