Now that we’re a week removed from attending the Reese’s Senior Bowl, let’s take a look at a few different things that I observed while covering the event. First and foremost, it was a great event that showcased some fantastic talent at crucial positions the Colts will need to look at as they get further into the draft process. I can’t thank Jim Nagy, Molly Middleton, and all the staff for the access, practice sessions, and ultimately a great game that allowed these prospects to show what they can bring to the table for NFL Franchises.
- If you want to draft a QB, you need to grab one early: You have the Big 4 QB prospects in this draft and can order them in any way you see fit, but past that it is a very thin class. Players such as TCU’s Max Duggan, BYU’s Jaren Hall, Fresno State’s Jake Haener, and others, were in attendance without the shadow of a slam dunk first round QB over them. They each had a chance to cement their places in this class and possibly jump into the 2nd-3rd round conversations. Each one struggled significantly throughout the week and it told us what we all were fearing: if you don’t grab a QB early in this class you’re better off waiting for 2024.
- This is a deep and impressive DB class: What stood out the most to me is not just how fluid these guys looked in drills and practice, but the size of them. It was rare to see someone shadowing a WR that was shorter than six feet tall. Some players even measured in at 6’4″. Each were put in 1-on-1 drills designed to showcase the pass catching talent, but outside of a couple of guys (MSU’s Jayden Reed, UVA’s Dontayvion Wicks), the DB group did a fantastic job in coverage throughout the week.
- This could be a sneaky good TE group: Players like Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave and Purdue’s Payne Durham had multiple practice-stealing moments. This further solidified a draft class that already features Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer, Georgia’s Darnell Washington, and Utah’s Dalton Kincaid. This could end up being one of the better producing Tight End classes we’ve seen declare in quite some time.
- The offensive line group is talented but thin: The week had its standout players in Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz, Ohio State OT Dawand Jones, and NDSU OT/OG Cody Mauch. But outside of those and a few others, it looks to be a top-loaded class without much depth as we get into the mid-late rounds of the draft.
- This pass rushing class has a chance to be special: So many of these Edge and Interior DL players at the Senior Bowl impressed me. And that isn’t counting heavy hitters already in the draft class like Alabama’s Will Anderson, Georgia’s Jalen Carter, and Clemson’s Myles Murphy. The attending players really shined in 1-0n-1 trench drills and multiple guys flashed different facets of their game. This is a great year to need help along your defensive line and I think there will be some steals to be had even as late as the 5th round.
It was a truly special week of practice, and outside of the QB position a lot of these players really helped their draft stock and possibly even jumped up a round or more. The combine will now be the next step in the draft process for what is shaping up to be a really good class of prospects. I’m excited to see more of what these players can offer after a memorable week at the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
