2020 Senior Bowl practice: Best quarterbacks, NFL draft risers, more

The first two practices leading up to the 2020 Senior Bowl, an invite-only showcase of the top upperclassmen in the country, are in the books.

With a pair of sessions down for both the North and South teams, NFL draft experts Todd McShay and Steve Muench break down how the best prospects fared, which under-the-radar players are rising and more. Ten participants in last year's event ended up being 2019 first-round picks. Who might join them in 2020?

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Quarterbacks | Risers | Notes

McSHAY'S QUARTERBACK REPORT

Let's look at how the signal-callers did on Days 1 and 2 (rankings are from Scouts Inc.).

Justin Herbert, Oregon

Team: South | QB ranking: 3

Day 2: One of the things you look for during Senior Bowl week is how the best of the best take on a leadership role. No matter the locker room, players follow the guys who are playing winning football. And because Herbert obviously is the best quarterback on the field this week, everyone seems to be following him. Not only has he played really well so far, he is taking on a leadership role and continues to come out of his shell.

Day 1: Herbert is clearly the most talented quarterback on the field, and that's going to work in his favor. The Senior Bowl is a great opportunity for him to stand out and firmly entrench himself as a first-rounder. On Tuesday, he looked natural with his footwork, showcased some athleticism and was consistently accurate. Throw in his 6-foot-6, 227-pound size and 10-inch hands, and you can see why scouts like his physical traits.

Jordan Love, Utah State

Team: North | QB ranking: 6

Day 2: Yet again, Love had a good day. He wasn't perfect, and he missed a few throws. But the Senior Bowl allows for apples-to-apples evaluations -- seeing prospects side by side -- and Love is standing out among the North QBs. He hit a good deep ball down the left sideline that really showed his arm strength. I'm not sure I see the consistency of a Round 1 quarterback yet, and he needs some work keeping his feet in balance, but he has upside and needs just a little development. He needs to land in the right place with the right coach.

Day 1: My early impression is that Love stands to benefit from this week as much as anyone else on the field. Some scouts still think he might have Round 1 potential, and he performed well in Day 1 workouts. He moves well, extending plays and effectively throwing on the run. And he certainly has a good arm and isn't afraid to use it. I'd like to see him work on consistency and protecting the football, though. He takes risks. But you can see the talent, and I'm excited to see how he performs the rest of the week.

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Team: South | QB ranking: 9

Day 2: The accuracy problems were in play again, but I did like the way he got the ball out on a few timing throws Wednesday. He flashes that ability. On one deep out route to the left side, he found LSU tight end Stephen Sullivan on a nice ball. The throw was a little high, but he had perfect timing on it. I want to see more of that.

Day 1: Hurts is smart, possesses a good arm and is super athletic. But he just has to be more accurate. His ball placement was very inconsistent Tuesday -- as it was during the season -- and frankly, it's a difficult area to improve. He ended his season with a 15-of-31 performance in the College Football Playoff semifinal, and he picked right up where he left off in his first Senior Bowl workout. I love the way he competes and battles, but that accuracy issue is going to hold him back.

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Hurts honors Bama, Oklahoma with double-sided helmet for Senior Bowl

Jalen Hurts plans to wear a dual-sided helmet, representing both Alabama and Oklahoma, in the 2020 Senior Bowl.

Anthony Gordon, Washington State

Team: North | QB ranking: 8

Day 2: Gordon didn't stand out in a positive or negative way on Wednesday -- he was just solid. He missed a few throws that he normally hits, and he still looked like he was playing fast. But the Day 3 quarterback plays with touch and timing, and he has worked with full-field progressions in Mike Leach's system at Washington State. There's some potential there.

Day 1: I didn't see as many reps from Gordon as I would have liked on Tuesday, but he missed some throws and seemed to be playing a little fast at times. I do like his game, but he really needs to find a rhythm over the next few days. When he settles in, the Day 3 quarterback has some game.

Steven Montez, Colorado

Team: South | QB ranking: 13

Day 2: The slow footwork stood out on Wednesday. Montez struggles to bring his feet around, and he has to work on keeping his feet married to his eyes when staying in the pocket. There is some talent there, and I actually think he looks better on the move when the play breaks down. Montez has some creativity to his game.

Day 1: Montez has a big arm. But while he can drive the ball vertically, he is often late on timing throws. Rather than anticipating, he wants to see his target open or facing him before throwing. That's an issue. He has good 6-foot-4, 240-pound size, but his feet looked slow during drills. And when going through his progressions, his feet aren't always tied to his eyes, leading to some off-balance throws.

Shea Patterson, Michigan

Team: North | QB ranking: 16

Day 2: You can tell Patterson is really fighting and trying to be the guy. He made some good throws on Wednesday but has to get the ball out quicker. Patterson has this unique shot-put delivery that actually helps him get it out on deep shots. He hit a nice one down the left side on Wednesday. But that delivery is a big liability on short-to-intermediate throws, giving defensive linemen an opportunity to bat the pass. UNC's Jason Strowbridge batted two in a row from Patterson.

Day 1: Patterson's 6-foot-1 size was pretty surprising to me (he is listed as 6-2 at Michigan). It's not the end-all, be-all, but it's worth noting. He went through some ups and downs on Tuesday, missing some easy throws. I'd like to see him tighten that up as the week goes on. He is a Day 3 guy at this point.

STANDOUTS AND DRAFT RISERS FROM WEDNESDAY

These prospects had a strong day of practice on Wednesday, and their college tape deserves closer inspection.

Van Jefferson, WR, Florida

Team: South

Jefferson doesn't have elite speed or quickness, and his 6-foot-1 frame doesn't stand out. But his route running is extremely impressive. He found his way open a lot on Wednesday. His dad is a wide receivers coach, and you can tell he wants to learn about the position. He sought out former NFL wide receiver Torry Holt after practice just to talk with him. Scouts notice that type of stuff. Jefferson is a midrounder in a deep receiver class, but he's doing the right things this week. -- McShay

Jason Strowbridge, DL, North Carolina

Team: North

Strowbridge had another strong practice on Wednesday. His hands and quickness stand out, as do his instincts in pass-rush drills. On one rep, he wowed by getting a good push and then spinning back inside once he was even with the QB. Strowbridge also batted down two passes in team drills. A fringe Day 2 prospect at the moment, he looks stout for a player with his 6-foot-4, 267-pound size when he plays inside -- but he is versatile and can play inside or outside. -- Muench

Terrell Lewis, OLB, Alabama

Team: South

Lewis is one of the most talented players in Mobile, and he stood out with his speed on Wednesday. No doubt about it. However, he needs to be more consistent using his hands and could get a little stronger. Lewis is a pure speed rusher right now, and offensive linemen aren't too worried about being pushed over by him. But if he gets a bit stronger and gets his hands in on blockers, he's going to be a problem off the edge. He might find his way into Round 1. -- McShay

Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton

Team: North

Trautman crashes with his hands, and I really like the way he gets out of breaks. He is a natural runner after the catch, making guys miss and using his free hand to keep would-be tacklers at bay. Trautman, a likely midrounder, looked especially good during a one-on-one tackling drill. -- Muench

STANDOUTS AND DRAFT RISERS FROM TUESDAY

These prospects had a strong day of practice Tuesday, and their college tape deserves closer inspection.

Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas

Team: South

Duvernay's top-end speed is decent, but it was his quickness in getting off the line and then transitioning upfield after the catch that really stood out all day long. He was consistently open and looked very natural making the catch and then turning and going. Duvernay is undersized at 5-foot-11, but make no mistake: He produces. He hauled in 106 balls for 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns this season. A likely midrounder in April, Duvernay was really fun to watch on Tuesday. -- McShay

Davon Hamilton, DT, Ohio State

Team: North

For a guy who came in at 327 pounds, Hamilton looked quick, carrying his weight well in practice. He got into blockers, driving them back and redefining the line of scrimmage. He particularly stood out in one-on-one drills both against the run and as a pass-rusher. While Hamilton definitely has some room to grow as a hand-fighter, you can see he has violent hands and good snap. He's someone to keep an eye on. -- Muench

Troy Pride Jr., CB, Notre Dame

Team: North

Plain and simple, no one could run past him all day. Pride has tremendous speed, and it was on full display in Mobile on Tuesday. I have him as a Day 2 guy right now, and he's someone to watch. -- McShay

Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

Team: South

Kinlaw was unblockable Tuesday -- the most impressive defensive lineman I saw. He has length and quick hands, and he's really tough to stop coming through the middle. Kinlaw beat Clemson guard John Simpson clean at one point. We have him ranked No. 14 at Scouts Inc. right now, and he looked every bit the part of an early first-rounder. -- Muench

QUICK HITTERS

Here are some additional scouting notes on players who stood out on the practice field.

McSHAY:

Day 2

• Javon Kinlaw is a physical freak. Man, if he ends up on the right team and and is developed properly, he can be a premier interior lineman. Yes, he didn't play particularly well down the stretch, but he has impressed through two days at the Senior Bowl. Physically speaking, he's one of the best here.

• You look at some of these LSU and Clemson guys, and it's worth noting that the College Football Playoff national title game was Jan. 13. It's been barely a week since some experienced the biggest letdown of their college careers and some experienced the incredible high of winning it all. Those players need to store all that away in under 10 days and realize it's time to go back to work. That's impressive, and it's worth pointing out.

Day 1

• I love the talent of Wisconsin outside linebacker Zack Baun. He measured at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, and he is quicker than he is given credit for. Baun is a really instinctive player, and you could see it on Tuesday. I have him as an early Day 2 pick right now.

• James Proche, a wide receiver out of SMU, stood out for me. He looked great catching punts, exuding natural ability and lots of confidence.

• UCLA cornerback Darnay Holmes had a really good Tuesday workout. He is flying under the radar a bit after dealing with some injuries this season, but he has some serious wheels.

• Georgia Southern cornerback Kindle Vildor was sticky in man-to-man coverage on Tuesday and tracks the vertical ball very well. Not many people knew him coming in, but he stands to make a name for himself this week. He had a big interception downfield and then another on a tipped ball.

• Lamical Perine runs behind his shoulder pads. I saw it during the Orange Bowl, and I saw it again Tuesday at practice. He is a bit small, but the Florida running back has good forward lean and always finishes falling forward.

MUENCH:

Day 2