Senior Bowl practices are underway in Mobile, Alabama. Each day I'll be going through some of the top players on my board, reviewing how they fared in front of NFL scouts. Let's dig in.
Programming note: You can catch Wednesday's and Thursday's Senior Bowl practices at 1 p.m. ET on ESPNU/WatchESPN.
O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
Howard was the story of the South practice. He had a couple of impressive one-handed catches, and his athletic ability really stood out. He separated easily down the field. There are three or four first-rounders here, and Howard definitely played like one Tuesday. I'd like to see him show some improvement in his blocking and route-running over the next few days, but there's no question he's a top-tier tight end. I'll probably will come down to Howard and Miami's David Njoku for the first TE off the board in April's draft.
Nathan Peterman, QB, Pitt
Peterman wasn't all that well known in draft circles coming into the season, but that's about to change. He had an impressive first day in Mobile, working in a new system and with a new set of receivers. Peterman was the most consistently accurate of all the quarterbacks here. He's decisive, moves through his progressions well and gets the ball out on time. I saw Peterman twice in person over the past two seasons -- against Notre Dame last season and in Pitt's upset victory over Clemson in 2016. He impressed me both times, and I always thought he was the sleeper quarterback in this class. He has emerged over the course of this season more than any other senior quarterback. With a few more good days of practice, he could be a Day 2 pick.
C.J. Beathard, QB, Iowa
Beathard had smaller hands than Peterman (just over nine inches compared to nearly 10 inches), and he wasn't quite as consistently accurate as his fellow North team QB. But Beathard has a strong arm. He had a couple of deep-out throws outside the hashes that had good zip on them. He's a tough evaluation after struggling at times behind an inconsistent offensive line this season. But the Iowa coaching staff raves about Beathard's leadership ability. He showed great physical and mental toughness throughout his career. I'll be watching to see if he can speed up his process a bit throughout the week. Beathard and Peterman are pretty close right now on my board; this will be part of separating them.
Jaleel Johnson, DT, Iowa
There were a bunch of good performances Tuesday from defensive linemen, but Johnson stood out as the most dominant. I didn't see him lose once during one-on-one drills. Johnson has such good quickness and explosive power. He flies off the ball and can really rock offensive linemen with his initial punch. It confirms what he showed on tape against good competition this season (the Michigan and Wisconsin games stand out). The cream always rises to the top here, and Johnson was one of the best players on the field Tuesday. He has a chance to be a top-50 pick and can solidify a spot in the second round with a few more good days of practice.
Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State
Pumphrey, who set the FBS career rushing record in SDSU's bowl game, has been overlooked throughout his entire career. He's a great kid with a great backstory. You saw the explosiveness on the practice field Tuesday that helped him have so much success in college. He has the agility to make guys miss, but he didn't do a great job of separating in the pass game. His measurables are all at the bottom end (5-8, 169), and it showed up during pass-blocking drills. This is a good opportunity for him to learn how to be crafty as a blocker. We have an early Day 3 grade on him now. Pumphrey is an exciting player whom you want to pull for, but he has to show more over the next few days to boost his stock.