Day 2 of practices on Wednesday at the 2022 Senior Bowl were wet and windy, as a storm brought rain and clouds over Mobile, Alabama. After a few stellar performances at Tuesday's practices, Day 2's weather meant that the quarterbacks stalled a little bit, but there was a clear top signal-caller above a loaded group. Elsewhere, defensive linemen stole the show in the early practices.
The Senior Bowl is an invite-only showcase of the top upperclassman NFL draft prospects in the country, with more than 100 prospects split into two teams. The National team is coached by the New York Jets staff, while the American team is coached by the Detroit Lions. There is one more day of two-hour padded practice sessions on Thursday, with coverage at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU/ESPN App and then 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN App. The game is Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
Which quarterbacks performed well Wednesday, and which were underwhelming? Which under-the-radar prospects impressed NFL teams? And which prospects need to improve the rest of the week? Here are my thoughts from Day 2, including a few quick-hit nuggets from both practices.
Best quarterbacks on Day 2
Malik Willis, Liberty (American)
The biggest factor that NFL evaluators measure when watching quarterbacks is the day-to-day improvement each of them make. As I wrote Tuesday about Willis, he struggled throwing passes that were breaking away from him. During Day 2, he eliminated those issues and had the best day of any signal-caller. He had several impressive tosses on the day, showing off his arm strength. His best came fading away on a 25-yard pass to tight end Greg Dulcich (UCLA).
The 6-foot Willis has the strongest arm of any of the quarterbacks in Mobile. He ran a little bit on Wednesday, too, showing off his legs in the 11-on-11 portion. The next step for Willis is identifying pressure points and throwing hot routes away from blitzes, which was an area in which he had some troubles during the 11-on-11 work.
Carson Strong, Nevada (National)
Strong and Willis were the quarterbacks whose passes cut through the rain the best Wednesday. The ball has plenty of life when coming out of Strong's hands. After struggling with his accuracy on Day 1, he was more precise, but his ball placement still remained a bit scattershot. He seemed as if he was overcompensating for the weather, as many of his passes came out hot and he lost control of his accuracy on some occasions.
Strong's go-to target has been former college teammate Romeo Doubs. His best pass of the day came on a corner route to his No. 1 target at Nevada. With the third day of practice expected to be inside, he has a prime opportunity to continue to build on what was a promising showing on Wednesday despite the weather.
How the other four quarterbacks fared
Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati (National)
Ridder had some struggles with accuracy Wednesday. Considering the elements, his best throw of the day came to Trey McBride (Colorado State), who made a tough catch down the seam, and another came on a dig route off play-action to Doubs over the middle.
Ridder still has lots of questions to answer through two days. Putting together a strong third practice could go a long way in helping to improve his draft stock. He needs to improve with his ball placement on Thursday. Scouts I talk to still see Ridder being selected within the top 50 picks, though.
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh (National)
Pickett ditched one of his gloves Wednesday, just wearing one on his throwing hand, and he had an up-and-down performance. He had some troubles with driving the ball in the deeper portions of the field in the inclement weather.
His hand size will be a recurring narrative, and Wednesday was a great test to see how he fared in difficult circumstances. After a steady first day, Pickett was inconsistent from period to period. He was correct on reads and didn't force the ball to pass-catchers, but he opted to dump the ball to his running backs and not risk testing windows considering the circumstances.
With practice moving indoors Thursday, Pickett will be in a favorable environment, which could lead to similar results that we saw from him during the first practice.
Sam Howell, UNC (American)
It has been tough to get a feel for Howell so far. He played in a quarterback-friendly system at UNC that was heavy on run-pass options, and he has had to adjust to a pro-style system in Mobile. He didn't have much college experience with taking snaps from under center, and he wasn't asked to throw to all areas of the field in college. He has at times looked uncomfortable; he looks much better when operating out of shotgun.
Howell's best passes have come from his comfort zone, and he has the best deep touch of any of the quarterbacks here. He has showed off that deep accuracy a few times through the first two days. His best throw of the day came during the one-on-one session on a deep corner route to wide receiver Calvin Austin III (Memphis), when he dropped it over the head of cornerback Mario Goodrich (Clemson).
Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky (American)
Scouts Inc. ranking: 153
Zappe was the quarterback who had the most challenges with the elements, as his accuracy and decision-making remained inconsistent. He has had some high moments with his efficiency in the underneath and intermediate areas over the middle of the field. He was involved in a record-setting Air Raid attack in college, but many evaluators wanted to see how he would perform outside of that offense.
Zappe is used to a quick-fire attack that wastes little time with exhausting lengthy progressions, and the NFL playbook and extended dropbacks have been an adjustment for him. On top of fighting the weather elements combined with having average arm strength, he continues to battle.
Biggest standouts from Day 2
Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma (National)
Winfrey's explosiveness popped again at Day 2 of practices. His first step is fast, but he has the quick hands to match. Both skills have worked harmoniously together in multiple periods of practice. He was at his best during the 11-on-11 periods, in which he had back-to-back plays that included a fumble recovery while in ball pursuit and a quick arm-over move that would have resulted in a sack.
Winfrey has played with a lot of energy here; he was constantly strolling back and forth along the defensive line during the one-on-one periods, saying, "Let's go!" to his teammates and giving them high-fives at the same time. Winfrey had the most impressive performance of any player on the National team roster Wednesday.
Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida (American)
Scouts Inc. ranking: 173
Pierce had only 206 carries at Florida over the past two seasons, and that underutilization could work in his favor. He has a great frame and some versatility in the passing game, which means he could be the type of prospect who's better in the NFL than he was in college. He had multiple runs on Wednesday that were highlights.
Each of the practices coached by the Lions' coaching staff has ended with some sort of competition. As one of the competitors Wednesday, Pierce was forced to win a one-on-one pass-protection rep against linebacker D'Marco Jackson (Appalachian State). Pierce stopped Jackson in his tracks, sending his offensive teammates into a frenzy. Running back is among the hardest positions for prospects to stand out, but Pierce managed to do that on Day 2.
Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor (National)
Pitre is smooth. He has experience playing around the box, but he needed to show in Mobile that he is dependable in coverage. Besides allowing a tough catch by tight end Trey McBride (Colorado State) down the seam, Pitre was sharp in coverage. He impressed the most in run defense, though.
Pitre played the STAR position in coach Dave Aranda's Baylor defense, and his instincts were evident on tape. That trait has carried over here, as he has been consistent against the run, fitting in his gaps with authority and proving to be a loose mover in coverage. There's minimal wasted motion in Pitre's game when operating as the low safety. He has silenced some questions about his ability in both man and zone coverage.
Logan Hall, DT, Houston (National)
Hall, one of the most physically imposing prospects in Mobile, has impressed on the field. Primarily playing as a 3-technique tackle, his length and repertoire of moves were on display. His competitiveness also showed, as interior offensive lineman Cole Strange (Chattanooga) quickly was fired up after he won a rep against Hall, but the entire unit gathered around the two for a second rep that Hall won with an easy club-and-rip move.
At 6-foot-5, 278 pounds, Hall could be seen as a fit as a defensive end in a 3-4 scheme.
Travis Jones, IDL, UConn (National)
Scouts Inc. ranking: 104
Building off a strong performance from Day 1, Jones showed an extra jolt of energy as a pass-rusher while remaining stout at the point of attack. He overpowered blockers throughout the day with a bull rush, forcing linemen off their spots when burying his head and attacking them right down the middle.
Jones also showed some versatility, spending time as both a 0- and 1-technique tackle. His pass-rush upside has continued to grow, which was evident with his 4.5 sacks last season. In a class that lacks depth at interior defensive line, he has helped himself. He is firmly in the Day 2 discussion.
Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State (National)
McBride, the highest-ranked tight end coming into the Senior Bowl, has done nothing to drop out of the top spot. As a pass catcher, he has been as advertised. His most impressive catch of the day came on a seam pattern from Pickett. With Pitre draped all over him, he made a tough all-hands catch that would have resulted in an explosive play.
McBride will make a strong push to be the first tight end off of the board, which likely could come inside of the top 50 picks.
Quick-hitters from Day 2
UCLA defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia had several moments that caught my eye. He had two consecutive standout reps against Zion Johnson in one-on-one drills. His compact build and power are noteworthy.
Arkansas defensive tackle John Ridgeway had a strong start to practice. He's very strong. A stout player at the point of attack, he has been disruptive as a run defender during the team periods of practice.
As he did Tuesday, Boston College interior offensive lineman Zion Johnson once again stayed after practice to get extra snaps at center. That's a small note that scouts will write down about him because he doesn't have much experience playing center.
Coastal Carolina tight end Isaiah Likely had multiple big plays Wednesday. One NFL comp I heard for him: Seahawks tight end Gerald Everett. Likely is more of a traditional "F" tight end, and he has value as a receiving threat.
Memphis WR Calvin Austin III is the most explosive receiver on either team. He has easy speed and has continued to race past defensive backs. A true vertical threat, his ability to get behind the defense will be coveted by teams in search of perimeter speed at the position.
San Diego State edge defender Cameron Thomas, SMU wide receiver Danny Gray and Central Michigan offensive tackle Luke Goedeke have all been ruled out for the rest of the week.
Sam Houston State wide receiver Jequez Ezzard, Ole Miss edge defender Sam Williams and LSU offensive tackle Chasen Hines have been added to the roster. Oregon safety Verone McKinley was also added and practiced Wednesday.