Senior Bowl week has arrived, with top prospects from the 2024 NFL draft class competing head-to-head over three days of practice sessions. The annual invite-only showcase event -- which includes a game Saturday (1 p.m. ET on NFL Network) -- provides scouts, coaches and front office executives from all 32 NFL teams an up-close look at more than 100 players. In the past, the event was reserved for seniors and juniors with undergraduate degrees, but a rule change has now opened it up to juniors who have declared for the draft.
There are two-hour practice sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. You can check out coverage of practice Wednesday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPNU/ESPN App, and then 1 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN App.
NFL draft analysts Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates are on hand to break down the top names to watch and what those prospects need to show this week, including some of the quarterbacks in attendance. Our crew also picks potential risers and makes predictions for what will happen over the next week. (And be sure to check back all week on ESPN.com for top risers and standouts.) Let's dive in.
Jump to:
Top prospects | Most intriguing QBs
Potential standouts | Predictions
Which prospect are you most excited to see at practices in Mobile?
Reid: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State. This is a hot name in league circles right now, and I'm interested to see if he can live up to the hype. At 6-foot-6 and 334 pounds, Fuaga is a nasty blocker at the point of attack and looks to physically impose his will on defenders every chance that he gets. That physical edge can't be coached, and we could see some highlight-worthy blocks throughout the week. He allowed one sack in his 25-start career at right tackle. Fuaga is considered to be anywhere from OT3 to OT5 on draft boards, but with an impressive Senior Bowl performance, I wouldn't be surprised if he started getting mentioned as a top-two offensive tackle in the class.
Yates: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma. Let's keep the offensive tackle theme going, albeit with a much different type of prospect. Guyton is a former tight end with uncommon physical traits; he's an incredibly agile 6-foot-7 326-pounder who is just scratching the surface of what he can become at the NFL level. Offensive line coaches are going to be glued to Guyton during the week because he has serious upside. Guyton, who ranks 15th on my board, has a chance to really boost his stock this week.
Miller: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA. In a year dominated by offensive prospects in the top 10, I want to see Latu work against the top offensive tackles in the group. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound edge rusher medically retired while at Washington due to a neck injury (2019) but was healthy the past two seasons at UCLA to rack up 23.5 sacks. He's an expert-level pass-rusher in terms of technique and has a plan for every snap. The medical evaluation at the combine is paramount for Latu's stock -- he's 12th on my board -- but he can build a ton of momentum with a strong Senior Bowl week.
Which current Day 3 prospect has the best chance to rise with a great week?
Yates: Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan. He put on a few of the more impressive individual defensive performances that I studied this season, finishing with 4.5 sacks and 36 pressures. Western Michigan used Kneeland (6-foot-3, 275 pounds) in some really unique ways -- including as an almost roving stand-up blitzer -- but he's plenty talented enough to just line up on the edge, rush the passer and dominate. He has outstanding power, and I'll be watching out for that this week. He's in the fourth- or fifth-round range right now, but he has third-round upside.
Miller: Dominick Puni, G, Kansas. It feels like an offensive lineman emerges in Mobile and charts a course to Day 2 or even Round 1 with strong play in one-on-one drills every year. This year, that'll be Puni. A 6-foot-5, 320-pound left tackle for the Jayhawks, Puni projects inside to guard at the next level and should probably be in the top three conversation at that position. He's great in the run game, and scouts will be in love with his physicality in the trenches.
Reid: Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida. The one-on-one battles between the wide receivers and defensive backs are the highlight of every Senior Bowl practice for me. Remember last January when Tank Dell was the star of practices and completely transformed his draft stock? Pearsall (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) is a consistent and mature route runner with strong hands to match. There isn't a route that Pearsall can't run, and he has the versatility to play from the outside or in the slot. He posted 965 receiving yards in 2023, and if he shows off that route-running ability this week, he's a candidate to jump from Rounds 4-5 into the latter parts of Day 2.
Florida WR Ricky Pearsall needs just one hand to make a spectacular catch for a first down.
What's the over/under on first-round picks at the Senior Bowl?
Miller: I was going to say 12.5, but defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (Texas), offensive lineman Troy Fautanu (Washington) and cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (Missouri) won't be playing, so I'll go with 9.5. This is still one of the better all-around Senior Bowl rosters I've seen in my time covering the draft, with three players ranked in my top 15 overall and 11 in my top 40. Executive director Jim Nagy did a good job luring quarterbacks Bo Nix (Oregon) and Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) to Mobile, but the depth of offensive tackle, pass-rusher and cornerback talent is remarkable, too. There's something for every NFL team in this year's crop.
The average was 6.4 first-round Senior Bowl prospects from 2018-22, but there were only two in 2023 (Darnell Wright and Will McDonald IV).
Which prospect in attendance can answer the most questions about his game this week?
Yates: Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell is already a name to know for the first round after six picks and 32 pass breakups in the past two seasons, but this nonetheless represents a massive opportunity to dispel any doubts about his ability to consistently hold up against top-tier competition after playing in the MAC. Mitchell's ability to trigger out of his backpedal at 6-foot, 196 pounds and drive on the football make him an interception machine. He can shine in one-on-ones.
What does Penix need to show to improve his stock -- and could he get into the Round 1 mix?
Reid: Penix played one of the worst games of his career in the CFP National Championship against Michigan. A lot of his flaws were exposed and he never appeared to get comfortable in the pocket, resulting in shaky accuracy (52.9% completion rate) and struggles when moved off his spots. There's zero doubt Penix will display his impressive arm strength during the receiver vs. defensive back one-on-ones and 7-on-7 portions of practice, but he'll need to prove himself in 11-on-11 periods -- which are more gamelike -- in Mobile. Specifically, I'm looking for the 6-foot-3 lefty to showcase some mobility.
That said, his durability and accuracy on the move will be big questions, and getting into the first-round mix will be difficult. I see Penix more as a second-rounder.
What about Nix? Could he get into the Round 1 discussion?
Miller: The NFL consensus on Nix is that he's a fringe Round 1 player, but there are questions about his accuracy outside of the Oregon scheme. Nix (6-foot-2, 217 pounds) has more than enough arm strength and mobility to impress scouts on hand for practices, but it will be his ball placement and timing on deep routes that must wow them to make a considerable jump in draft stock. And unfortunately, those are the hardest areas to execute well when throwing to new receivers in the first days of practice.
But I think Nix leaves the Senior Bowl with a ton of praise and momentum -- and a Round 1 grade. He's No. 25 in my pre-Senior Bowl rankings.
Bo Nix throws five touchdowns, including four in the second quarter, as Oregon wins big over Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl.
Outside of Penix and Nix, who is the most intriguing quarterback prospect in Mobile?
Yates: South Carolina's Spencer Rattler is the clear answer. He has a chance to show how far he has come since his Oklahoma days, and while an uneven offensive line had him pressing at times in the defensively dominant SEC, Rattler certainly has the attention of the NFL. He's a battle-tested leader, has good enough arm strength and is mobile. The 6-foot-1 signal-caller is a Day 2 player in my book, especially if he stands out at the Senior Bowl after completing 68.9% of his passes in 2023.
Who is going to dominate the offensive/defensive line one-on-one drills?
Reid: Latu could make blockers look silly this week. He has a full pro-ready arsenal of moves that he routinely uses and has fantastic bend off the edge. Latu was second in the FBS this past season in pressure rate at 20.4% and he tied for third in tackles for loss with 20.
But I'm also looking at this center group. Three of my top-four graded centers will be in action, as Duke's Graham Barton, Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson and Georgia's Sedrick Van Pran could all make a move this week.
Which receivers will evaluators be buzzing about after a week of practices?
Miller: South Carolina's Xavier Legette has a chance to pop here. The 6-foot-3 220-pounder has excellent run-after-catch speed and field vision to really stun defensive backs. He's No. 38 on my board but could leap some receivers who chose not to attend -- as long as he has a strong week. Legette had 1,255 yards and seven TDs this season.
I also expect Georgia's Ladd McConkey to soar up boards now that he's healthy, thanks to his elite footwork and underneath route running ability. He could get inside my top 32 if he's at 100% in Mobile. And finally, don't sleep on North Carolina's Devontez Walker, who scored seven times in eight games in 2023. He's an elite deep threat with great hands and concentration. Walker, ranked just outside my top 40, could make a push for late Round 1.
How do you stack the top three edge rushers in Mobile?
Yates: Latu might be the best defensive player at any position in Mobile, and he's a possible top-12 pick. But the next two spots behind him are up for grabs, with a good battle between Alabama's Chris Braswell -- who broke out in 2023 with 8.0 sacks -- and Missouri's Darius Robinson, a former defensive tackle who brings incredible strength to his pass-rush arsenal. For me, Braswell gets the slight edge over Robinson behind Latu.
What about the top three defensive backs?
Reid: Mitchell is my highest-graded defensive back in Mobile (late Round 1), but Penn State's Kalen King and Michigan's Mike Sainristil are two more corners to keep an eye on. King had plenty of buzz coming into the season, but an inconsistent campaign has resulted in a second-round grade. Sainristil had an excellent final year with the Wolverines and is the top nickel corner in the class; I've heard early third round on him from scouts, but it shouldn't surprise if he's picked higher.
Miami safety Kamren Kinchens is also worth mentioning. He's taking advantage of the new rule that allows underclassmen to participate in all-star games, and I have him as a top-50 pick heading into the Senior Bowl.
Give us one prediction for Senior Bowl week.
Miller: Nix will move up the board. He has made evaluators forget his early-career struggles at Auburn with two fantastic seasons at Oregon. Now, with an opportunity to show off his top-level arm talent, great mobility and solid field vision, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Nix leave Mobile with a cemented Day 1 grade and in the conversation to go in the middle of the round.
Reid: Mitchell will silence the small-school doubts and catapult himself into top-20 pick status. In a cornerback class with several debates at the top, Mitchell has a prime opportunity to show he's one of the best. His fluidity, ball skills and coverage ability will all stand out, and Mitchell will leave Mobile with scouts raving about his potential.
Yates: We will leave the week talking very seriously about McConkey as a Round 1 prospect. The former Georgia standout is so sudden and a route running fiend, and he bounced back impressively from a back injury early in the 2023 season. The wide receiver class is loaded, but don't overlook McConkey as a top-32 player in the class.