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NFL coaches and scouts are taking in the talent for the upcoming NFL draft at the Senior Bowl practices
One week ago, the weather in Mobile, Alabama had 10 inches of snow, a historic event for this part of the country. Today, a brisk breeze would have been a welcome change as it topped 75 degrees by the time both squads finished with practice at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
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Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images
I mentioned that all of Ohio State’s players bailed before the first day and today it was announced that Missouri OG Arman Membou went home with an illness.
Dawgs By Nature’s Barry Shuck is at the Reese’s Senior Bowl taking notes and talking with players as a part of our Cleveland Browns NFL draft coverage.
Standouts for today’s events:
WR Jayden Higgins (6’-4”, 215 pounds) – Iowa State
If you don’t watch much college football you may not have seen many Iowa State games. So, this guy’s name popping up may become a “who?” moment. But at practice sessions, Higgins is showing out. For one, he is 6’-4” so he has the reach and just screams Red Zone target. But he is much more than just height and range. It is a fact that most folks don’t know just how good he is.
Hello Jayden Higgins pic.twitter.com/Nv9Ax6I14D
— 32BeatWriters (@32BeatWriters) January 29, 2025
Higgins has quick feet and his move is usually productive as it moves the defender in another direction almost every time, he either bobs, dips, or weaves. So far all I have seen is crisp routes I asked him about his blocking skills and he gave me the Hollywood talk about everything in his game he does well. But he is a good blocker and knows how to remain engaged instead of pushing with both hands, release, and then figure out which direction their man went. He has a #55 ranking. Did not see much of him on Tuesday, but he shined today.
EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku (6’-2”, 247 pounds) – Boston College
Love this guy. Did an interview with him so that will be coming out soon. Long armed kid that really knows how to lean. Like a shot off the snap. Impressive hand usage in the 1-on-1 drills with the offensive linemen. You could tell when a guard or tackle rotated around to take on Ezeiruaku it was like “not him again” type attitude.
Coming into this week’s practices he was ranked #33 so the Browns could take with the first pick in the second round and everyone would be pleased. Not a tall guy at 6’-2” and is very lean. He told me his best sport was basketball and he looks the part even now. Very cut, wiry, but is a rocket off the jump. Two good days in a row for this dude. Did well against offensive tackles who had 40 pounds on him.
Note: Click “The Game” tab on the upper left, then “2025 Rosters” to see the Senior Bowl rosters
LB Smael Mondon (6’-3”, 235 pounds) – Georgia
With linebacker at the top of the wish list for the Browns, Mondon fits in with DC Jim Schwartz’s system of bigger guys who have great speed, and are hitters. He has versatility in that he can play all three spots so just plug-and-play. He will need to be more consistent and can get sealed off in the run game. His pass coverage is a roller coaster as well. Not known for his pass rush which is okay in Schwartz’s system anyways. Mondon lined up inside mostly but was seen outside.
Shemar Stewart is DOMINATING the Senior Bowl.
He’s 6’5, 281lbs with explosiveness you just can’t teach.
There is NO WAY he doesn’t go in the first round. pic.twitter.com/E1awJejsUb
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) January 29, 2025
EDGE Shemar Stewart (6’-6”, 290 pounds) – Texas A&M
Another lean kid that is just big and looks the part. I did speak to him but basketball didn’t come up and I didn’t ask, but that is what he looks like. So far all I have seen in practices is him taking over every drill and dominating the offensive linemen in 1-on-1’s. He plays recklessly and a man on a mission on every snap.
If the Browns trade down from #2 Stewart should be around the #20 slot, but after this week he will be in the upper teens. That may be perfect for Cleveland and would bookend Myles Garrett nicely. When I mentioned playing with Garrett, Stewart completely stopped, his mouth opened, and you could tell he was that kid on Christmas morning. In his individual drills, it was consistently him gaining ground and driving. If somebody actually blocked him it must have been when I was taking a swig of drink and had looked away for a sec.
Get this: his wingspan is almost seven feet. His bullrush is a sight to see live and was amazing that nobody had a strategy to stop him.
OT Emery Jones (6’-6”, 315 pounds) – LSU
Great footwork and should be available in Round 4 as quality depth. Has gotten beat rarely in the 1-on-1’s and will square off. Has great balance and knee bend. His long arms have saved him more than once with a faster outside pass rusher and so far, has been able to push most guys wide and deep past the pocket. Not every defender, but most. Would like to see him not get so high in his sets and will provide some soft corners to the faster EDGE guys but has looked solid.
CB Mac McWilliams (5’-10”, 185 pounds) – UCF
I had to look up to see who this guy was as he kept batting down balls or getting in the position to knock down passes repeatedly. He should be a Day 3 pick and GM Andrew Berry always drafts a defensive back at some point. McWilliams will definitely raise his stock from this week. He has been all over each receiver at the break point. It’s been a bit uncanny like he knows where the ball is being thrown almost every passing play. He has good deep-ball anticipation and so far has not been out of position. Looks like a slot guy to me. Great anticipation.
Azareye’h Thomas rep pic.twitter.com/Xe2oUUcZk0
— Cardiac Cats (@cardiacatsbrand) January 29, 2025
CB Azareye’h Thomas (6’-2”, 198 pounds) – Florida State
In the defensive back versus receiver drills, he only let two balls be completed. For the remainder he either got a finger on the ball or played tight. He did take a juke but recovered well before the pass was there. He kept being physical in a setting that required minimal contact, so he is aggressive and wants to hit. He looks like he could slide to safety if needed. Nice transition with back pedals and will close quickly.
EDGE Mike Green (6’-4”, 248 pounds) – Marshall
For the second day in a row, Green has balled out. He is the real deal. A quick look at him without his pads and uniform and you swear he is a tight end. Nobody here has an answer for him especially in the three-rep pass-rush drills. This game has three offensive linemen who are projected to go either in the first round or by Top-40, and they can’t keep him from sliding past them. Green came into this game ranked #11 and should elevate some. The Browns could trade down and grab him somewhere near the #8 slot and become a dominating pass rushing defense with this one grab.
Jaxson Dart has impressed @LRiddickESPN at the @seniorbowl this week: pic.twitter.com/ZK6fx8L7bU
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) January 29, 2025
QB Jaxson Dart (6’-2” -225 pounds) – Ole Miss
Has been impressive so far. If anyone needs a great week to elevate his draft stock, it is this guy and he is letting it fly. Has a fourth to fifth-round grade on him, but if he continues could see him being taken in Round 3. He doesn’t seem to be exceptional at any part of his game, but it works for him. He has the experience tossing for over 10,000 yards in college. But he did have some issues. For one, he was placed under center and spent most of his college snaps in the shotgun. This led to his passing accuracy and decision-making inconsistent. But after he got into a groove, he began to click in the 7-on-7’s and found a rhythm. One thing is apparent: Dart would not come to Cleveland and be the Day 1 starter. He could start one day, just not next year.
Other notes:
Iowa safety Sebastian Castro (5’-11”, 205) will get his body into a tackle. Another safety, Billy Bowman (5’-10”, 200 pounds) of Oklahoma showed a lot of anticipation especially the deep balls. Instead of shadowing a receiver he began to drift to a spot which he was usually correct. Good closing speed.
.@CycloneFB OT Jalen Travis keeping everything in front of him#SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/VIGQewieb9
— PewterReport
(@PewterReport) January 29, 2025
OT Jalen Travis (6’-7”, 315 pounds) – Iowa State and OT Jalen Rivers (6’-5”, 325 pounds) – of Miami have been steady. Both look like really good pass protectors. Haven’t much on either as far as run blocking but hold their own. Rivers told me he has played all five positions from high school to college so the versatility is a huge plus for him. Travis appears lean but is definitely a tackle prospect. His lateral range is prevalent and what I have seen is he used his length effectively to run defenders past the pocket.
CB Quincy Riley (5’-10”, 193 pounds) looked really good for his second day. He uses his body to stay close to receivers and is not a handsy defender. Very aware of the ball. Had 15 interceptions in his college career. He did let a pick go right through his hands today. Ballhawk? Yeah, I would call him one.
Jalen Milroe struggled with accuracy on Day 1 of Senior Bowl practice
pic.twitter.com/uProim6ZYD— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) January 29, 2025
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (6’-2”, 225 pounds) did not begin his week on solid ground. He is another guy who has played quite a bit in shotgun and now suddenly is under center. This has slowed him down quite a bit with more attention spent on who is getting in his face instead of deciding where to throw the ball quicker. He did not push the ball downfield and either wanted to run or throw to his first receiver most of the day. He is the fourth-ranked quarterback in this year’s draft. I for one am not a Milroe fan. I realize he is slotted for the second round and the Browns will probably see his name on the board when they select with the first pick in Round 2, but I believe he is a poor passer who is a great runner. Yes, Milroe and OC Tommy Rees would have a reunion. I got that. You take away his ability to scramble and use his legs, and you take away his game.
Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard (6’-4”, 216 pounds) had a good practice yesterday and was vanilla today. He looks the part and stands in the pocket with confidence. Maybe it is the new surroundings throwing to guys he just met three days ago, but he stares down his targets too often. If this were live games, he would be sacked quite a bit. He is very accurate when he has the time and will leave the pocket for good gains.
The Canadian QB, Taylor Elgersma (6’-4”, 216 pounds) of Laurier, is looking better each day. He was named First Team All-Canadian and won the Hec Crighton Award which is essentially Canada’s version of the Heisman Trophy. He seems to have found a settle point and has a live arm. One thing he has to make adjustments with is in Canada they play with 12 players on the field for each team, three downs instead of four, and a 110-yard field. He has handled pressure well but needs to improve on his foot speed.
Utah State WR Jalen Royals (#17) working footwork drills at the #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/PvZN1ibXph
— Thomas Christopher (@ThomasCP_NFL) January 28, 2025
Wide receiver Jalen Royals (6’-0” 205 pounds) of Utah State Louisville gave full extension on several plays on bad balls. He doesn’t look like the fastest guy coming off the line, but his catch radius is pretty wide. He was the best receiver on Day 1 and has a third-round grade. Another receiver who should be available in Round 3 that has impressed is Oregon’s Tez Johnson (5’-10”, 165 pounds) for his second day in a row. Johnsons will fight through contact on most plays and at least finish a route instead of jogging down. Has shown good footwork in the 1-on-1 drills against the DB’s. Pat Bryant (6’-3”, 200 pounds) of Washington State is just an exciting player. Will be very hard for the Browns to move past him if he is sitting there in Round 4. Big kid with long arms.
The tight end group is strong here at the Senior Bowl and is a group the Browns desperately need to look hard at. Elijah Arroyo (6’-4”, 245 pounds) of Miami is showing out amongst this group. Defenders were fooled over and over with his receiver jukes that left him open quite a bit. He ran various routes and made a few defenders look foolish in coverage. The Browns could have a University of Miami tandem going at this position with David Njoku.
I really like Harold Fannin (6’-4”- 230 pounds) of Bowling Green. He has great hands and snags the ball out of the air. I asked him since he grew up in Canton and went to Bowling Green would he rather spend some time outside the State of Ohio, and he told me he loved the Browns. Nice kid. He had a rough first day but settled in nicely on Day 2 and started catching balls.
Terrance Ferguson (6’-5”, 255 pounds) from Oregon is a big kid who is very physical after he catches the ball. He ran good routes and caught the ball confidently. Find him in Round 4. Clemson’s Jake Bringinstool (6’-6”, 240 pounds) did whatever was asked of him and has a fluid running style. Huge kid with and equally huge wingspan. Needless to say he is a mismatch for linebackers and safeties. Good burst off the snap.
NFL Prospect Caden Davis (@OleMissFB) was locked in last week in prep for the @seniorbowl. #KohlsTraining pic.twitter.com/tdOCTKzZ2e
— Kohl’s Kicking Camps (@KohlsKicking) January 30, 2025
Got to see the specialists today and Ole Miss kicker Caden Davis (6’-2”, 210 pounds) has a huge leg and was making just about everything. One thing you notice right off is that he is not the prototypical size for kickers. It is uncertain what the Browns will do with Dustin Hopkins. This kid would stabilize any kicking issues. He made several kicks from 50 yards that went into the end zone stands with plenty of leg. Cleveland has a lot of picks in the final two rounds so maybe find a place for Davis.