Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

More Senior Bowl Talk

Posted February 2nd, 2024 | 1 Comment »

Players from medium and small schools come to Mobile hoping to show they are just as good or even better than stars from the SEC, Big Ten or whatever other conference still exists. This doesn’t guarantee NFL success, but it sure helps their draft status. CB Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo did a great job of taking advantage of the Senior Bowl. He showed he can cover anyone. Take the logos off his helmet and uniform and you’d think he was an All American from Alabama.

Mitchell is showing great coverage ability. He can press and run with the receiver. He’s got the body control to mirror and stay right with them. Mitchell has the speed and size to handle NFL receivers. Mitchell made an impressive INT down the field on Wednesday. He doesn’t just cover well, he has terrific ball skills and can make plays. Mitchell will be a first round pick. Does he crack the Top 20?

If you want to read more about Mitchell, check out this story from EJ Smith of the Inquirer. He sat with Jimmy and I down in Mobile and is a good guy.

CB Willie Drew is another small school prospect who is helping himself. He won’t go early in the draft, but is showing that he’s got legitimate NFL potential. Drew isn’t the biggest guy (6-0, 191), but he is aggressive and phsyical.

https://twitter.com/rff_football/status/1752725141115613195

You wish he made the catch on that play, but he was in good position to break it up.

OT Kingsley Suamataia is impressive, but I felt like he got pushed back or gave up too much ground in pass pro on multiple reps.

You want to engage the rusher and control him. By giving ground, you’re shrinking the pocket and making the QB uncomfortable. This is certainly fixable, but it is an issue.

Devontez Walker has an outstanding combination of size, athleticism and ability. He was 41-699-7 in less than a full season at UNC. Walker, 6-2, 197, had an up and down showing in Mobile. He struggled with physical coverage at times, but had some success.

Walker is at his best down the field, as you can see in this clip.

Baylor DT Gabe Hall flashed all week. He showed the ability to win with quickness off the snap. He showed good agility. He hustled on plays going away from him. Hall is also strong enough to take on blockers and hold his ground. Every time I got to see one of his reps, he was getting the best of someone.

Hall helped himself a lot in Mobile. The NFL covets DL who are versatile and can make plays. Hall is both. He is 6-6, 290 and can add bulk to that frame if needed. Really fun player to watch.

By the way…give Devin Jackson a follow on Twitter. I got to meet him in Mobile and talk some football. I’ve followed his draft coverage for a while and he’s really good.

I was impressed by WR Ricky Pearsall‘s route running ability. I don’t remember watching him during the CFB season so I was curious to see him in action. He showed the ability to create separation and get open on a consistent basis. He is 6-1, 193 so he’s big enough to play in the slot or outside.

Consider me a fan of CB Max Melton. He had the fastest time of a DB on Tuesday. I saw him cover Roman Wilson tightly on Wednesday. On Thursday Melton stood out in red zone coverage. He won’t go early, but Melton is an NFL corner. I love his competitiveness and could see him being someone Nick Sirianni really likes.

LB Payton Wilson had another good practice on Wednesday. He plays so smart and does so many little things well. He has really stood out in coverage. He covered well vs RBs in the 1-on-1 drills. Some of those were short throws and others down the field. Check out this rep from a team drill.

That is impressive. I would love this dude in the middle of the Eagles defense. As I mentioned on Tuesday, the big question is his medical evaluations. His injury history will bother some teams. But man, Wilson is a heckuva player and is the kind of young LB the Eagles could use.

RB Kimani Vidal had a great year for Troy. I personally watched him light up Appalachian State (must have been on steroids, right?). He can block, catch and run. He’s shown good ability in Mobile. We saw him run up the middle and make plays in space. He doesn’t have great size at 5-8, 215, but he is talented and physical. Could be a fun Day 3 pick. Vidal would make an interesting replacement for Boston Scott.

There are some good safeties in Mobile. Evan Williams from Oregon is a quick, athletic player. He closes to the ball quickly. He flashed in man coverage. Williams could potentially play in the slot.

Edge Javon Solomon caught my eye multiple times. I watched him run over an OT on a couple of plays. Then he used his speed to run by one. Then Solomon decided to mix in pass rush moves.

https://twitter.com/bgrisakTST/status/1752894126406656336

Wow. That is one impressive player. He’s only 6-1, 247 and that makes him a tough evaluation for some teams. The Eagles might consider him a Haason Reddick type of player.

Penn State Edge Adisa Isaac had a good week. He beat multiple blockers. He showed the ability to play the run. His speed was tough for OTs to handle.

Isaac is 6-5, 250, the kind of size all NFL teams want. He has definitely helped himself in Mobile.

*****

WR Xavier Legette struggled on Tuesday. He bounced back on Wednesday with a strong showing. He had several catches that made my notes. He impressed me with his ability to make contested catches and go up for the ball. Legette ran better routes and just looked more comfortable. He has a thick build at 6-1, 223. Might remind you a bit of AJ Brown.

https://twitter.com/scoutdnfl/status/1753275594136002632

Andru Phillips is a safety, but has nickelback size at 5-11, 191. Luckily for  him, he has good man cover skills. Jimmy and I couldn’t remember his name while watching practice so we just kept talking about the Kentucky DB. And Phillips kept making plays. The NFL loves versatile DBs and Phillips coverage ability will help overcome his size limitations.

Jha’Quan Jackson is a small receiver at 5-9, 190, but he came up big on Wednesday. I had notes on him catching multiple long TDs. He’s got the speed to run by DBs. Jackson tracks the ball well and is comfortable catching it at full speed down the field. Impressive vertical threat.

Another Kentucky player who impressed Jimmy and I…RB Ray Davis. I thought he was good on Tuesday. He took things up a notch on Wednesday. He had some notable runs up the middle. You expect that from a RB who is 5-9, 220. What you don’t expect are catches like this.

Wow. That is one heck of a play. Davis has certainly helped himself in Mobile.

One player who clearly didn’t help himself is Georgia safety Javon Bullard. He got beaten in the coverage drills over and over. One rep might be a shifty receiver. The next one a big TE. He struggled with all of them. That doesn’t erase the good season that Bullard had, but teams will go back and study his tape more closely to try and understand the difference between the guy at Georgia and the one in Mobile.

One of the players who gave Bullard fits was his teammate Ladd McConkey. To be fair, McConkey gave a lot of DBs fits. He ran great routes and showed the ability to create separation. He’s 6-0, 187, which isn’t ideal size for a WR, but I think he’s big enough and fast enough to play outside. McConkey could be a 2nd round pick.

The Eagles will need to take a WR in this draft. They can’t keep counting on finding one-year vets in free agency. McConkey will probably go too early for them, but he would be a fun addition if he fell to them in the 3rd round.

Edge Chris Braswell caught my eye a few times. He has solid size at 6-3, 257. He’s not just a speed rusher, as you can see from this rep.

Sometimes the best plan of attack vs a big guy is to go right at him. Braswell did and walked the blocker right back to the QB spot.

One player I didn’t know a lot about, but who stood out is Darius Robinson from Missouri. He is 6-5, 286. He’s talented and versatile. Watch this rep where he beats future first rounder Tyler Guyton.

Go watch a run block drill and you see Robinson just knocking the OL backward. He lined up at edge, 1T and 3T. He can shoot gaps or beat blocks. Robinson put on a show in Mobile and really helped himself.

The Eagles love DL and I’m sure they love Robinson’s talent and versatility. Fun player to watch.

Charles Turner is an OL who caught my eye. He’s 6-4, 300 and projects as a G/C. The Eagles need depth on the OL and someone with Turner’s ability and versatility would make good sense.

The most impressive throws by a QB came from Carter Bradley, the son of Gus Bradley.

He had several quality throws and shows a live arm. I liked the fact he was aggressive. Jimmy and I were watching 7-on-7’s and I was pleading with another QB not to check it down. Snap…check down to the flat. Ugh. Jimmy would burst out laughing. Bradley said the heck with that and threw the ball into tight windows. He was there to show something and did just that. Good for him.

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Senior Bowl Day 1

Posted January 30th, 2024 | 4 Comments »

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.

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.

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.

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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