Players to Watch at the 2022 Senior Bowl (Fantasy Football)

They say the Draft officially starts in Mobile, and this year will be no exception. This will be the 72nd edition, and they may have the most star power they have ever had playing in the game. The Senior Bowl has seen its participants have a lot of success being drafted the past few seasons. In fact, in 2021, six participants were drafted in the first round, and thirty-five of its players were drafted in the first three rounds. Over forty percent of its participants were drafted in the 2021 draft. The Senior Bowl is where players can make or break their draft stock. Let’s dive into each offensive position and players you should be watching this week.

Practice mock drafts with our FREE Dynasty Draft Simulator

Quarterbacks

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

There is more pressure on Malik Willis this week than any other player at the Senior Bowl. Malik is one of the most frustrating players to scout on film. There are three head-turning mistakes for every fantastic play the young man makes. After transferring to Liberty from Auburn, Willis established himself as a  legitimate quarterback prospect. In 2021 he threw for 2,857 yards and twenty-sen touchdowns. He also added 878 yards rushing and thirteen touchdowns on the ground. That last reason is why Willis is such a fun prospect. We all know that Konami code quarterbacks are cheat codes in fantasy, and if Willis can earn first-round draft capital, he will shoot up draft boards this off-season. The key question will be just how much will the NFL like him? That’s where the Senior Bowl comes in. If he can have a good week of practice and play great in the game, we could be looking at the next great fantasy quarterback. 

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

Carson Strong is a prospect that I’ve been high on since his sophomore season. Last season he threw for 4,186 yards and thirty-six touchdowns. He will also challenge Sam Howell (QB – UNC) for having the strongest arm in this draft class, and NFL teams will fall in love with his arm strength. At 6’4″, 215lbs, he fits your prototypical size for a quarterback, and that frame is what allows him to generate velocity on his throws. He has a great release and can easily fit balls in tight windows with his accuracy. Strong also demonstrates excellent mechanics and has shown the ability to make pre-snap reads. His pre-snap work is one of the most underrated traits about him as a passer and something he improved on each year at Nevada. The most significant question mark about him is whether or not his knee will pass team physicals. There are a lot of rumors about Carson Strong’s long-term outlook with his knee, which will need to be addressed before we can accurately give a projection. If he passes, he should be a first-round selection.

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

Sam Howell accepting an invite to the Senior Bowl was massive for everyone involved. Since 2019, Howell has been touted as one of the best quarterbacks in this draft class. Unfortunately for Howell, some have used his sub-par 2021 season as a reason to knock him as a prospect while omitting the fact that he played with one of the worst offensive lines in college football and lost nearly all his weapons. However, as a prospect, he grew in my eyes this year by showing the competitiveness to finish the year, and he also showed that he does have some mobility in his game. His strengths as a quarterback revolve around his arm strength and ability to throw an accurate ball consistently. Howell also shows good anticipation in the pocket and has the athleticism to extend plays. Howell is just a solid prospect, and he could easily be the consensus QB1 after the Senior Bowl. 

Bailey Zappe (QB – Western Kentucky): 6’0¨, 213lbs  

Bailey Zappe is a prospect that I couldn’t go without mentioning. The Western Kentucky quarterback had one of the best statistical seasons in college football, throwing for 5,967 yards and sixty-two touchdowns. He was an absolute cheat code in college fantasy leagues and should be everyone’s favorite quarterback sleeper as the draft rolls around. What sets him apart as a prospect is his pocket presence and awareness. He has the “it” factor regarding his pocket awareness. Zappe has above-average mechanics that allow him to get the ball out quickly in short and medium-range areas on the field. That’s where his strengths lie. Where he will struggle is consistently throwing the ball deep and accurately. Zappe’s arm strength will be tested this week.

Running Backs

Rachaad White (RB – Arizona State): 6’0¨, 210lbs  

Rachaad White was the best-kept secret among devy and college football analysts until recently. Playing in the Pac-12, White wasn’t seen by everyone, but now that more scouts have dived into his tape, he’s getting deserved credit for his abilities. White came to Arizona State as a junior after playing two seasons of junior college football. In 2021 he rushed for 1,0006 yards and fifteen touchdowns while also adding 456 yards receiving. He is one of the best pass-catching backs in the draft. White is also a physical bruising runner who has exceptional lateral agility. He’ll need to show teams at the Senior Bowl that he can improve his pass blocking ability, and his testing numbers will be crucial. If the numbers check out, we could be looking at a late day two draft pick.  

Abram Smith (RB – Baylor): 5’11¨, 211lbs  

Before playing linebacker at Baylor, Smith was a two-time all-state running back in high school. He switched to linebacker to get playing time, but Baylor moved him back to the offense side of the ball in 2021. Smith rushed for 1,601 yards and twelve touchdowns this season and increased his draft stock more than anyone else in this class. Smith is a bruising runner and excelled in Baylor’s wide-zone rushing schemes. He’s a downhill runner that shows enough speed to turn the corner on defenses. Smith only weighed in at 211 at the Senior Bowl for his official measurements, which is concerning. There are also concerns about his receiving ability, a part of his game that he never showed he had in college. As of now, he should be looked at as a day three project. 

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

Tyler Badie had his breakout season in 2021. The senior rushed for 1,604 yards and fourteen touchdowns and added 330 yards receiving. Even with his size or lack thereof, Badie was able to carry a heavy load this season in the SEC, getting 268 carries and staying healthy while doing so. Badie excels in zone-based running schemes and is a one-cut runner. He uses his body well in traffic and exhibits fairly good contact balance for his size. The size is the one key drawback with Badie. We don’t see players at that size with a ton of success, but he has a chance to impress coaches at the Senior Bowl. 

Wide Receivers

Jalen Tolbert (WR – South Alabama): 6’1¨, 195lbs  

Jalen Tolbert has been the trendy sleeper pick for many scouts and analysts the past two seasons, and for a good reason. The WR out of South Alabama has produced his entire career, and in 2021 he had eighty-two receptions for 1,474 yards and eight touchdowns. Tolbert lined up all over the field at South Alabama. Coaches lined him up at X, Flanker, and Slot, showing how versatile he can be. His ball skills stand out, and he does an excellent job of tracking the ball downfield. He demonstrates fairly good athleticism and understands how to create separation in his routes.  The big disappointment so far for Tolbert was he measured in two inches shorter than what he was listed as in college. That’s a big blow to his draft stock. He’ll need to have great testing numbers to come back from those measurements. 

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

Coming into measurements, Austin lost two inches and is a recorded 5-foot-7. While that’s not ideal, the former walk-on has been an underdog his whole career. In 2021 he had his best season, recording 74 receptions for 1,149 yards and eight touchdowns. Each season Austin has improved, and he has the one skill you can’t teach: SPEED. He is the prototypical impact weapon that the NFL is looking for in today’s schemes. He can get off the line quickly and is a quick-twitch receiver. Austin’s landing spot will be crucial, and he’ll need to go to a team that has a plan for the young receiver. If Tutu Atwell (WR – LAR) can get drafted in the second round, Austin could also get higher draft capital than many think. 

Khalil Shakir (WR – Boise State): 6’0¨, 193lbs  

Khalil Shakir came out of nowhere his sophomore season to make a name for himself in the college ranks. He had his best statistical season in 2021, recording 77 receptions for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns. He is, by all accounts, going to be a slot receiver in the NFL and played that position almost exclusively in college. Out of the slot, he has a great release. His first few steps allow him to create the separation needed for his routes. He doesn’t have great speed but does possess just enough acceleration to cause problems for slower defensive backs. Shakir doesn’t have an amazing route tree, but he is deadly on slants over the middle and comeback routes on the sideline. His biggest asset comes from his ability to get YAC. Boise got him the ball in many ways last season, especially WR screens to utilize this skill. He’s quick and elusive in the open field, which helps him pick up extra yards.

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

Christian Watson has the prototypical size of a WR1 in the NFL. Watson also already has an official 40 time of 4.44, so that size is accompanied by speed. In 2021, Watson had forty-three receptions for eight hundred yards and seven touchdowns in a run-heavy North Dakota State scheme. He has shown good lateral agility in the open field and possesses good route running ability. Watson also has demonstrated the ability to play special teams, which should help his draft stock. If he can have a great week of practice, his stock will only go up, and he might be able to sneak into day 2.

Tight Ends

Isaiah Likely (TE – Coastal Carolina): 6’4¨, 241lbs  

Isaiah Likely has one of the best stories of the 2021 class. He was recruited out of high school as a two-star wide receiver and, through hard work, left Coast Carolina as one of the best tight ends in college football. He improved each season with the Chanticleers and, in 2021, recorded 59 receptions for 912 yards and twelve touchdowns. Likely is a versatile athlete, and he has shown in college that he could be split out wide and play multiple positions on the field. His size allows coaches to put him in the best spots for mismatches, and his athleticism allows him to exploit weaknesses in the defense. In his career, he recorded twenty-seven touchdowns, and in the right system, he’ll be an immediate Redzone threat. He can stretch the field against linebackers and safeties in coverage. His size also gives him mismatches when being defended by smaller cornerbacks. With a good showing at the Senior Bowl, he could be a dark-horse candidate for TE1. 

Cole Turner (TE – Nevada): 6’6¨, 246lbs  

In the world of devy, every analyst tends to have their guy. We consider a young prospect to be someone that we found and have been high on for years. Cole Turner is that prospect for me. Cole is another former wide receiver who changed his position to tight end and quickly became quarterback Carson Strong’s favorite target. He recorded 111 receptions for 1,282 yards and nineteen touchdowns at the tight end position in two seasons. He was second in the country behind only Brock Bowers (TE – UGA) for touchdowns scored in 2021 and is a Redzone nightmare for defenses. His size and athleticism make him a dangerous weapon on the goal line. Turner may have the highest ceiling out of all the tight ends in this draft class. 

Trey McBride (TE – Colorado State): 6’3¨, 249lbs  

Trey Mcbride was quite literally Colorado State’s entire offense last season. He recorded 90 receptions for 1,121 yards but just one touchdown last year. He also added a sixty-nine-yard rushing touchdown. McBride has a big frame, and he has added weight so far this off-season. He gets off the line of scrimmage well and does a good job of getting into the second level of defenses. His best trait is his ability to find open space in the middle of the field. He is not the most athletic tight end, but he does just enough to find and create opportunities for the offense to move the ball in the gaps of defenses. McBride does an excellent job of getting into seam routes and is a good route runner. He’s fast enough to create opportunities to get YAC. He has some versatility at the position, and CSU lined him up at almost every position on the field last season. If he can perform against NFL-level talent, he could be the first tight end of the board this April.

Get a FREE 6-month upgrade with our special offer

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.