Best of 2020 Senior Bowl week: NFL draft risers, top quarterbacks, standout prospects and more

What a week of practice at the 2020 Senior Bowl. We got a great look at some of the top upperclassmen in the country, many of whom saw their 2020 NFL draft stock climb after strong performances at the Mobile, Alabama, showcase.

Following the three workout sessions, our draft experts Todd McShay and Steve Muench break down how the best prospects fared, which under-the-radar players most helped themselves and more.

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What is your biggest takeaway from the week?

Muench: This group of pass-catchers seems to get deeper and deeper every single day, and there's something for everyone. There are big targets who can make plays on the outside such as Texas' Collin Johnson, Notre Dame's Chase Claypool and Liberty's Antonio Gandy-Golden. Teams looking for playmakers in the slot will have receivers such as SMU's James Proche, Texas' Devin Duvernay and Ohio State's K.J. Hill to choose from. Van Jefferson impressed all week with his route running. Denzel Mims and Michael Pittman Jr. flashed.

And this is just some of the upperclassmen in a wide receiver class that already boasts many first-rounders. NFL combine numbers are going to be even more important than most years as these guys try to separate from the group.

McShay: Yeah, the depth of the wide receiver class is a big takeaway. But since Muench stole that, I'll point out another position that impressed me: defensive line. This group is going to be better than expected. South Carolina's Javon Kinlaw will be a force on the interior in the NFL. Penn State defensive tackle Robert Windsor has a lot of quickness. Jason Strowbridge of UNC showed great instincts and some versatility. The potential difference-makers run deeper in this draft class than perhaps we previously thought.

Which quarterback solidified his draft status this week?

Justin Herbert, Oregon

Team: South

Herbert truly established himself as the best quarterback on the field all three days. And perhaps the defining portion of it all was his performance in the two-minute drill on Thursday. He showed complete control, just as you'd want to see. He made multiple great throws on the push upfield, but his first throw of the drill was perhaps his best of the entire week, releasing a laser to Jefferson.

And beyond the 6-foot-6 size and the big arm that everyone talks about, we saw Hebert make significant strides as a leader this week, specifically in how he interacted with teammates and took control of the offense. He is my No. 3-ranked quarterback overall and is looking like a top-10 pick. -- McShay

Which QB made a big impression this week?

Jordan Love, Utah State

Team: North

If you blindly look at Love's stats from this season -- 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions -- or watch only the tape from Utah State's premier matchups against LSU and Boise State, it might be hard to fathom why so many scouts see Round 1 upside here. But the Senior Bowl allows us to see past external factors, including the Aggies losing most of their offensive weapons this season after Love's breakout 2018 campaign. And this week allowed us to really see his potential.

When his feet are right and when he's in balance, Love can be very accurate and extend plays. Though he was my QB6 entering the week, his performance opened my mind a bit to the possibility of him being the fourth quarterback to be selected in Round 1 this April. -- McShay

play

Where should Jordan Love be drafted?

Mike Tannenbaum and Louis Riddick evaluate the draft stock and pro potential of Utah State QB Jordan Love.

Who were the biggest risers of the week at practice?

Van Jefferson, WR, Florida

Team: South

Let's put it this way: Entering the week, I saw perhaps 17 wide receivers who could go in the first three rounds. Now? After the performances of guys like Jefferson, Mims and a few others, that number might be as high as 20. This could be one of the deepest wide receiver classes I've ever seen. Jefferson's route running is very impressive, and he does the little things well. He has a really good first step off the line, and he's just consistently open. And like Herbert, Jefferson showed up in that two-minute drill, making a few tough catches. The first one was screaming, and he reached up and made a nice catch over his head on it. -- McShay

Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton

Team: North

Trautman is a smooth route runner with above-average ball skills and good athletic ability for his size. His instincts and production after the catch stood out all week. Trautman is looking like he might be in the Day 2 mix after an impressive showing in Mobile. -- Muench

Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

Team: South

Kinlaw didn't practice on Thursday and he didn't need to. He did enough over the first two days for everyone to take notice. Every year, there are seven or eight standouts, and Kinlaw was No. 1 on the list this year. He's a physical freak and can wreak absolute havoc on the interior. I have him at No. 14 on my board, but I'm thinking he has top-10 potential. And it's worth noting that if his performance jumps him from the middle of the first round up to, say, No. 8, that's a few more million dollars. That's what a strong week in Mobile can do for you. -- McShay

Davon Hamilton, DT, Ohio State

Team: North

Hamilton's power is his greatest asset as a pass-rusher, but he also flashed the ability this week to work a second move when he doesn't overpower. He looked very quick in practice, and I liked the way he reestablished the line of scrimmage by driving blockers backward. After a strong week, I think he could be a Day 2 prospect. -- Muench

Which prospect intrigued you and requires some more film study?

Stephen Sullivan, TE, LSU

Team: South

Sullivan quietly put together a strong week. He made just 12 catches this season as the backup to Thaddeus Moss, but he does have three seasons of at least 11 receptions. After the way Sullivan played in the Senior Bowl practice sessions, I'll be digging through that tape. He was great all afternoon on Wednesday and then did a nice job of tracking the ball for a touchdown on Thursday. -- Muench

Malik Harrison, ILB, Ohio State

Team: North

I love when a player stands out when I'm actually focusing on another position group. Multiple times this week, Harrison made plays while I even wasn't studying the linebackers and forced my attention. He was good in coverage, and man, was he around the ball a lot. He is really intriguing, and I'll be opening up his tape a bit more after this week. A bonus: Darnay Holmes was derailed by injuries a bit at UCLA, but the cornerback has speed and showed it off this week. His tape also warrants further inspection. -- McShay

Which prospect raised more questions with his performance than he answered?

Anthony Gordon, QB, Washington State

Team: North

Listen, I like Gordon, and he was by no means bad this week. I was just hoping to see more from him, but instead, the big split between Herbert/Love and the other four quarterbacks became very apparent. Gordon is a rhythm passer and can be accurate at times -- but he seems to have to be in a rhythm. He didn't wow anyone this week, and scouts have to figure out just how much of his success this season was due to Mike Leach's system and how much of it was truly his talent. His physical traits don't stand out, and the arm is only average. Gordon really needs to find the right system to have any sort of success at the next level. -- McShay

Jared Pinkney, TE, Vanderbilt

Team: South

It would be unfair to characterize Pinkney's showing in Mobile as bad. He made some plays on Thursday, especially underneath. But his production dipped in 2019 after a pretty good 2018 season, and I was hoping to see more out of him at the Senior Bowl. And he simply was not a standout and certainly not the best tight end on the field. There is still some work to do with his evaluation. -- Muench

Any lingering thoughts from the week?

McShay:

• Muench already covered him, but Trautman is really something. The Dayton tight end has some jump after the catch. Keep an eye on him over the next few months.

• Strowbridge, the North Carolina defensive tackle, was one of the big winners of the week. He was very good in all three sessions, and I like his quickness.

• How about some special-teams talk? South Carolina punter Joseph Charlton looked impressive on Thursday. And Georgia Southern kicker Tyler Bass has some serious leg. He also asked the coaching staff for one more kick from way downtown at the end of practice, and although he missed it, it showed something that he wanted it.

• I mentioned Proche on Tuesday, but the SMU wide receiver is worth bringing up again. He is starting to look like a midrounder. Mims stood out, too. The Baylor receiver is really terrific off the line and catches everything thrown his way.

Muench:

• NC State defensive tackle Larrell Murchison capped off a strong week with another good practice on Thursday. He's quick off the ball and slips blocks with active hands. He flashed an effective spin move to the inside at one point on Thursday.

• Ohio State had a good showing. Harrison, the linebacker, is better as a run stopper than he is in coverage but did a nice job of dropping and reading the quarterback on a pick during team drills on Thursday. And on the other side of the ball, offensive lineman Jonah Jackson looked strong at the point of attack. He brings some versatility, too, as he can play center or guard.

• Oregon offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton, a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster, looked good in practice. He is versatile enough to play anywhere along the line, gets good hand placement and plays with strong balance as a run blocker. Throckmorton is effective when he lands his hands in pass protection but is a better fit on the inside than outside, where he has been lining up in Mobile. Athletic speed rushers give him some problems.