Senior Bowl Day 1

I’m down in Mobile at the Senior Bowl looking for future Eagles and interesting rumors. The bad news is that there aren’t a whole lot of rumors floating around right now. The Eagles hired coordinators and are filling out the staff so there isn’t a whole lot of mystery.

I did see where Pats writer Greg Bedard says he heard the Eagles had interest in Bill Belichick. Maybe. That rumor makes sense on some levels, but doesn’t on others. Either way, Belichick isn’t coming to Philly. There is the possibility the Eagles could reach out to him next year if things don’t go well in 2024. I have my doubts though. He’ll be another year older and another year further removed from a successful season.

Enough of that talk. The good news is that the Eagles have plenty of players to be impressed by.

OT Kingsley Suamataia – 6-4, 329 – BYU

Suamataia could be in play if the Eagles want to find the RT of the future. He has an excellent chance to be a first round pick. I was impressed by him on Tuesday.

Kingsley Suamataia forces Laiatu Latu around the arc for a win, but Latu evens the score with an inside move on the next rep pic.twitter.com/4Ju3MC86iB

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) January 30, 2024

Kingsley Suamataia pic.twitter.com/YDpaK2HG7A

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) January 30, 2024

You can see him playing both sides. He also did that at BYU. Suamataia anchors well and showed good strength. He is an athletic OT. The biggest issue with him is that he can be too upright at times. That can be coached out of a player if he’s got good knee bend. I think the upright tendency is just a bad habit at this point and can be fixed.

Lane Johnson started to show his age in 2023. The Eagles can’t count on him beyond this season. We know they prioritize the OT position so they could spend an early pick on Johnson’s successor.

Suamataia went to Oregon for a year and then transferred to BYU, where he started the past two years. He is big, young and athletic. His best football is ahead of him. He’s got a high ceiling and would be an interesting player for Jeff Stoutland to develop.

CB Quinyon Mitchell – 6-0, 195 – Toledo

I think we can all agree the Eagles need CB help. Mitchell doesn’t come from a big school, but he has emerged as a top prospect. Mitchell picked off 5 passes in 2022. Teams quit throwing his way so his production fell (1 INT, 19 PDs), but he still played at a high level in 2023.

Mitchell was fantastic on Day 1.

Legitimately one of the only gripes you could have with CB Quinyon Mitchell is that he did not play a lot of press in college (5.4% of his reps – extremely low number).

But at 6003 with reported 4.3 speed, he has the skillset. This is really, really good stuff from him here. https://t.co/oJ7m0p11Kd

— Fran Duffy (@FDuffyNFL) January 30, 2024

Quinyon Mitchell with excellent coverage vs McCaffrey's slot fade. Dominant practice from the Toledo CB pic.twitter.com/PBDrK04sZu

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 30, 2024

Mitchell is athletic, aggressive and physical. He’s everything Eagles DBs weren’t in 2023. As much as they need a talented DB, the Eagles need someone who plays the right way. Mitchell is a good hitter and tackler. He’s tough.

I had him with a couple of PBUs and probably missed some reps. INTs for the Eagles were way down in 2023 so adding a player with good hands and good ball skills would make a lot of sense. The Eagles should absolutely be interested in him. The only question now is if he’s still on the board at 22.

LB Peyton Wilson – 6-4, 234 – NC State

Wilson is one of the most interesting prospects in the draft. He is a highly productive LB. He has good size and made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List last summer so he is a gifted athlete. High pick, right? Wilson also has 2 ACL tears and missed most of a season due to a shoulder injury. He will turn 24 in April. What do you do with him?

I was chatting with Fran Duffy and he said Wilson had Top 40 potential if things were clean. They aren’t, obviously. But he’s so good that you have to be interested.

I watched Wilson closely on several snaps and came away impressed. He is a smart, instinctive LB. He locates the ball in traffic and gets to it. On plays to the outside, Wilson takes good angles. He is a good run defender and also makes plays in coverage.

Wilson’s medical evaluations will determine his fate. If he gets a clean bill of health, the Eagles could consider him as early as the second round. He could also fall to Day 3. He is a good prospect and LB is a real position of need.

OT Tyler Guyton – 6-7, 328 – Oklahoma

Another candidate to replace Lane Johnson. Guyton has great measurables and tremendous potential. He only started 14 games at OU so he’s a bit raw, but his potential is through the roof.

Guyton came to Mobile with a lot to prove. With his limited experience, teams wanted to see what he could do in a high-pressure situation against elite competition. Guyton did not disappoint.

Lot of eyes on 6’7, 328lb OT Tyler Guyton here – has been fiery in drills today pic.twitter.com/0CoVAJq4tJ

— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) January 30, 2024

Tyler Guyton is nice pic.twitter.com/LUrK5Kihpx

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 30, 2024

Wow. You see everything in those clips. Guyton has great size, but also is light on his feet and plays under control. He’s patient and doesn’t have to sell out to stay with rushers. He’s strong enough to take on contact and hold his ground. Guyton is tall, but doesn’t play upright.

He is a stud.

The problem with Guyton playing so well is that he might not make it to pick 22 at this point.

*****

DL Gabe Hall had a strong performance. He was disruptive multiple times, using both strength and quickness.

LB Nathaniel Watson was highly productive during the season and that continued in Mobile. He got to the ball a lot. He has good instincts and just gets to the right spot at the right time. He tackled well and showed a good burst to the ball. The Eagles could use a LB who isn’t a project. Watson has his limitations, but he is a tackling machine.

CB Max Melton was the fastest DB in the National practice. He lacks ideal size, but is a tough, physical player. He was in the slot and outside today. He covered well and did a good job of mirroring receivers. I’m a big fan of his. He won’t go early but he’s a good prospect.

WR Roman Wilson is one of the best athletes in Mobile. He is quick and has terrific body control. Wilson showed the ability to get open and hauled in a long pass. If the Eagles want a true slot receiver, he would be an interesting target.

LB Jackson Sirmon is the son of former MLB Peter Sirmon (Titans). Sirmon was a late add to the Senior Bowl, but made his presence felt. He made an impressive hustle INT. Sirmon is 6-2, 235 and has a muscular build. He certainly looks the part of an NFL LB.

C Jackson Powers-Johnson from Oregon had a terrific day. He is 6-3, 334 and is one powerful dude. JPJ holds his ground and doesn’t get moved back. He’s also a solid athlete. JPJ has a real nasty streak and OL coaches around the league will love him. He played both C and G, looking good at both. He might end up going in the first round.

Edge Javon Solomon is 6-1, 247 and an explosive pass rusher. He had some highlight moments in the 1-on-1 drills. If the Eagles want some depth up front, Solomon could be of interest.

OT Jordan Morgan had an impressive day. He is 6-5, 312 and is a good LT prospect. He can pass block, but is also a good run blocker. This is a really deep OT class.

DT DeWayne Carter had a really strong day. He is 6-3, 305 and combines quickness and power. He was highly disruptive throughout the  day. I don’t know if the Eagles will spend a Top 100 pick on a DL. If they do, Carter would be an interesting target. I think he’s got the kind of game that Fangio wants. Someone who can take on blocks or shoot gaps.

Edge rusher Laiatu Latu made some splash plays, but got blocked several times as well. Still, you could see his burst, strength and agility. He will be a high pick.

DT Braden Fiske stood out on several plays. He can explode off the ball and is a very disruptive player. He is 6-4, 295, but has short arms (31 inches). If you run a 1-gap scheme, Fiske is for you.

The American Team had an awkward practice. The DL just dominated the OL. RBs had no room to run. QBs had no time to throw. It wasn’t just one guy. There were times when multiple players were in the backfield. I don’t know if the coaches did it intentionally, but practice ended 15 minutes early.

The Eagles are set at QB, but I have to mention them because of interest. No QB really stood out. They all had some good moments, but no one had a great day.

Michael Penix is the most natural passer. We knew that coming into the Senior Bowl. I thought Bo Nix looked better than Sam Hartman. Nix is more fluid in his motion. Still, he had some poor throws. Hartman struggled when the pocket wasn’t clean.

Spencer Rattler showed a live arm and looks the part, but he didn’t have a great day like I’m sure he was hoping for after an inconsistent season. Michael Pratt had some good moments. He made some impressive throws out by the sideline. Pratt has NFL tools. I was hoping Joe Milton would flash. He’s got the best arm in the draft. He just didn’t catch my eye aside from one throw to a TE down the middle. That was a strike.

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