Senior Bowl practices are officially in the books, and just like every other installment,
this year’s week of festivities saw a handful of NFL draft prospects send their stock in the right direction with impressive performances.
Here are my picks for the biggest winners at every position from the 2023 Senior Bowl:
QB: Jake Haener, Fresno State The quarterback group produced a mixed bag of results as a whole. But Haener flashed the most. Haener showed plenty of anticipation and poise,
and his throws had zip, and he was very accurate. Among his notable passes was a back-shoulder to tight end Payne Durham on the final day of practice.
Haener projects as a backup at the next level, but his performances this past week definitely helped his stock.
RB: Tyjae Spears, Tulane While undersized, Spears’ performances were big enough to overshadow the measurables. On the ground, Spears ran quick cuts, burst into the hole,
and had the ability to make defenders miss in space. He busted loose for a big carry on Wednesday. Spears also raised eyebrows in the passing game,
running slick routes to put defenders on skates and catching everything thrown in his direction with his 10-inch hands.
WR: Jayden Reed, Michigan State Reed stood out with his ability to create consistent separation with his Ph.D.-level route running and track-like speed to win vertically.
TE: Payne Durham, Purdue This past season, Durham finished second on the Boilermakers with 56 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns.
OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee Wright came into Mobile looking to show evaluators that he could be capable of being a starting right tackle.