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2022 Senior Bowl Practice Recap (Fantasy Football)

2022 Senior Bowl Practice Recap (Fantasy Football)

The excitement that the Senior Bowl brings is unparalleled. There are over 100 prospects all going through the most important job interview of their lives. This year, I was credentialed to attend the Senior Bowl, which I am doing virtually and watching practices on their app. We have a pretty good idea of what players are increasing their draft stock and which ones are dropping through those practices and various media outlets. So far, the consensus battle is between the quarterbacks, and in a class with a ton of question marks at that position, it will be the most debated position until draft night. Let’s dive into some quick takeaways from practice this week. 

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Malik Willis (QB – Liberty): 6’0¨, 220lbs  

Depending on who you follow on social media, Willis is either QB1 or entirely falling out of the Day 1 discussion. After reviewing his tape and reading practice reports, one thing is clear: Willis has exciting tools. He has one of the strongest arms in camp and routinely makes plays happen with his legs. He struggled with accuracy on day one, something that will be a consistent theme with Willis, but he bounced back on day two by cleaning up some errant throws. Anyone that has watched Willis this season knows that’s who he is. He can make every throw, but his tape is riddled with inconsistencies. The reports coming out of practice is that Willis has been crushing the team interviews and shows all the intangibles you want from a quarterback. While most quarterbacks were bothered by the weather, Willis thrived in the conditions. The real question will be whether or not an NFL team believes in him enough to draft Willis in the first round. 

Carson Strong (QB – Nevada): 6’3¨, 226lbs  

Strong has shown that he has enough mobility to move around the pocket, which many scouts and analysts have wanted to see. At the same time, he will never be confused with someone that is overly athletic. He needs to show that he has enough functional athleticism in the pocket not to be a liability. In my opinion, he has done that so far in practice. I have always comped Strong to a young Joe Flacco. Strong has also been very accurate on his throws thus far and demonstrated what everyone already knew that he has a strong arm. He hasn’t done anything to hurt his stock and has shown flashes of his potential. The real question mark is his medicals and if he is given a clean bill of healthy by NFL teams. If they are clear, we could be looking at a late-day first-round draft pick. 

Sam Howell (QB – North Carolina): 6’0¨, 221lbs  

Howell has had an up and down week in practice. The first two days, coaches and scouts were raving about his ability to be accurate on deep balls and that he has had the best poise in the pocket among all quarterbacks. Day three was a different story, with him missing on throws high all day. Even with the high throws, the one overlooked factor in Howell’s season in 2021 was how bad his offensive line was and the lack of time he had to throw. The Senior Bowl has allowed Howell to show scouts and coaches what he can do with time in the pocket, and he is not disappointing on the field. His processing has been sound, and he has done well in the interview process. According to many, there were a few errant throws, including a near interception, but he has shown enough flashes to prove why he should be a first-round quarterback in April. How Howell performs in the actual game will go a long way to help his draft stock. In my opinion, the battle for QB1 will come down to Howell, Willis, and Corral. 

Dameon Pierce (RB -Florida): 5’9¨, 220lbs  

Every year at the Senior Bowl, a running back increases their draft stock, and this season it looks to be Pierce. Pierce was always an underutilized back at Florida. In four seasons with the Gators, he rushed for 1,806 yards on 329 carries in four seasons with the Gators and scored twenty-three touchdowns. Pierce also caught 45 receptions for 422 yards in his career, showing that he is a capable receiver. Dan Mullen just refused to use him as a primary back in that backfield. At the Senior Bowl, Pierce has looked athletic and decisive in his running style. Coaches have praised his strength and explosion at the line of scrimmage. He also has shown an ability to pick up blitzes and excel in pass blocking, which could help move him up draft boards in a highly crowded running back class. 

D’Vonte Price (RB – FIU): 6’1¨, 198lbs  

D’Vonte Price has been another standout at the running back position for the American team. Price weighed in under 200 pounds which is not ideal, but he has had a great week at practice. Coaches have been talking about his ability to find holes and his vision between the tackles. He has shown above-average lateral agility and has been shifty in the open field. He hasn’t lost speed in his breaks and has demonstrated enough long speed at his weight, not to concern scouts. Price never demonstrated an ability to catch balls in college, but he has looked good in the limited receiving drills he has participated in thus far. Considering how low his stock was coming into the Senior Bowl, Price has done a great job getting his name out there. 

Tyler Badie (RB – Missouri): 5’7¨, 199lbs  

Badie is a prospect that I have talked about all season, and in our players to watch segment, he was a highlighted prospect. Even though he came in much smaller than people thought, I would be foolish not to highlight his performance this week. Everyone is raving about his performance. He has been called the most competitive prospect at the position, and he’s shown an elite one-cut move at the line of scrimmage. Badie’s vision also stands apart from others on his team. He has also demonstrated a willingness to pass block, which is missing from his profile. Despite his size, Badie is making noise in draft circles. 

Calvin Austin III (WR – Memphis): 5’7¨, 173lbs  

The receivers at the Senior Bowl have been underwhelming, but Calvin Austin III has had a fairly good week. Austin is small, but he has speed. Austin has looked great in his one-on-one reps in practice. He has continuously created separation off the line against defensive backs, and word is he will run in the mid 4.3s in the 40-yard dash. If Austin can show that he can create separation and utilize his speed, his size will be less of a concern. 

Christian Watson (WR – NDSU): 6’4¨, 211lbs 

No one has done more for their draft stock than Christian Watson. Watson has routinely made tough catches on the practice field and showed a quick-twitch off the line of scrimmage. He has caught every ball thrown his way, and he shined in the Redzone. He has proven to be a Redzone threat and mismatch against smaller corners. In Thursday’s practice, scouts were raving about his ability to win in one-on-one reps, and he didn’t lose a single rep all day. Along with his receiving ability, Watson also has demonstrated the ability to play special teams, which should help his draft stock. If he can have a great game on Saturday, his stock will only go up, and he might be able to sneak into day two.

Greg Dulcich (TE – UCLA): 6’3¨, 248lbs  

Dulcich is an underrated player. At UCLA, he had 42 receptions for 725 yards and five touchdowns last season in a run-heavy scheme with the Bruins. Dulcich is a good route runner with a very high football IQ. His IQ has been something that has always stood out to me about him as a prospect. He’s also demonstrated that he’s a big-play threat and should find a role on an NFL roster. At practice this week, his most impressive attribute has been his blocking. Which is an essential trait that he needed to show he could do because of his scheme in college. He’s done an excellent job of showing he can block inline and at the next level. Coaches have also raved about his coachability and ability to learn techniques quickly.

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Kevin Coleman is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kevin, check out his archivepodcast, and follow him on Twitter @Daboys_22.

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