2023 Senior Bowl Prospect Watch list

Every year, elite prospects from lands across The United States convene in Mobile, Alabama to go toe to toe with their peers and showcase their talents in front of a select few NFL coaches and scouts. The Senior Bowl has long been regarded as the preeminent event on the NFL scouting calendar. Executive Director Jim Nagy’s overarching vision for the game was to position it as the unofficial start of the NFL pre-draft process, which led to the organization’s trademarked mantra “The Draft Starts in Mobile”. It is a platform that has seen some of its alumni like Von Miller, Brett Favre, Phillip Rivers and Dak Prescott turn into Pro- Bowlers and All-Pros at the NFL level. Statement from Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, and Buffalo Bills OLB Von Miller at his Senior Bowl Hall of Fame Induction:

“I remember my Senior Bowl experience like it was yesterday! First, I almost didn’t go. I was projected as a likely first round pick. Then my agent asked me if I wanted to compete to prove that I should be a potential top-10 pick. I had a great week of practice, played the entire Senior Bowl game, and then everybody started talking about me going higher and higher in the Draft. I ended up #2 overall and I owe so much to the Senior Bowl for helping me get there.”

As the Senior Bowl commences, there will be some young talents that will impress and stand out above the rest. Let’s take a deep dive into some of the 2023 NFL Draft prospects that are surely going to see their stock rise at the Senior Bowl.

Malik Cunningham – Quarterback, Louisville

Coming back to his home state of Alabama, Cunningham has a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove. His late call up to the Senior Bowl suggests he was a contingency plan after the likes of Georgia’s Stetson Bennett and Kentucky’s Will Levis declined their invitations. Nevertheless, it’s Cunningham who has stepped up to the challenge and this might be the beginning of a captivating underdog story.

Following in Lamar Jackson’s footsteps, he had big cleats to fill from day one. In a Louisville offense that encourages the QB to run as much as he throws, Cunningham showed a constantly good level of accuracy throughout his collegiate career, culminating in a 13th ranked all time pass completion percentage in the ACC. He never topped 3000 passing yards in a single season, but he often did compensate by covering yardage on the ground. His rushing acumen is impressive and is good enough to qualify him as a Dual Threat QB, one who is just as devastating with his arm as he is with his feet. His athleticism and unique skillset makes him a perfect fit for QB run friendly offenses like the current Ravens or Can Newton’s Panthers. His passing is competent, but doesn’t project to have a very high ceiling at the next level. Watching some of his Louisville film , we got the impression that Malik takes what the scheme gives him and nothing more in the passing game. Think of a Kirk Cousins or Dak Prescott. These are guys who can execute the play that’s called if all goes according to plan. Once there is a breakdown, you can’t expect them to always buy some time by scrambling and then throwing dimes on the run like a Mahomes or Joe Burrow. However, the upside with Malik is that he can resort to his rushing abilities and make something from nothing. Gaining over 5 yards on average with every carry, he moves the ball on the ground with the efficiency of a potent starting calibre Running Back. His career 50 rushing touchdowns are good for 3rd all time on the ACC.

Measuring in at 6’1 200lbs, he falls a bit short of the prototypical height that allows him to operate comfortably in the pocket with unobstructed views of passing lanes. His rushing ability should be able to get him out of any sticky situations he might find himself in. Malik is a Dual Threat archetype who should be able to flourish under tutelage that utilizes all of his unique skills to get the best out of him at the next level. The Senior Bowl should only serve as the next step in his progress.

Jake Haener – Quarterback, Fresno State

The San Francisco 49ers find themselves in yet another NFC Conference Championship, this time around being lead by 7th round rookie signal caller, Mr. Irrelevant himself, Brock Purdy. The consensus amongst self proclaimed scouts is that Purdy is an outlier and competent QB talents like him are hard to find in the later rounds of the draft. We beg to differ, as we had highlighted him as a “Tier 2” QB, that’s a talent level that makes for an overqualified NFL back up, but competent, non-floor raising signal caller. The next natural question asked is, “who is this year’s Brock Purdy?” , we present to you Jake Haener.

Haener was a full-time starter for the Fresno State Bulldogs over the past two-plus seasons after transferring from Washington and was integral to the program winning 10 games in 2021 and 2022. This Fresno State Quarterback is a gritty, deceptively athletic pocket passer who does decent work under duress. Decisive, with a quick release, can extend plays with his legs, consistently make throws out of structure. He can squeeze out of precarious situations more frequently than his athleticism would suggest and understands where coverage dictates he should throw the football. Haener finished his Mountain West Conference career ranked 15th in Pass Attempts,11th in Pass Completions, 2nd in Pass Completion Percentage , 11th in Passing Yards, 3rd in Passing Efficiency and 12th in Passing Touchdowns.

We feel very strongly that Fresno State's Jake Haener will be the best passer at the Senior Bowl. The only flaw in his profile is his height. Measuring at 6’1, he’s a couple inches shorter than the preferred height threshold. This makes him susceptible to batted passes at the line of scrimmage by taller NFL defensive linemen. He will have to manoeuvre the pocket consistently to find open passing lanes which he has done consistently and successfully at the collegiate level.

Tyjae Spears – Running Back , Tulane

In 2022 Tulane enjoyed a successful campaign, putting up their first double digit win season since 1998 and earning an appearance in the Cotton Bowl where they dismantled USC. One of the biggest reasons they enjoyed such success was due to the consistent high performance by their Running Back Tyjae Spears, who carried the team on his back , stacking one heroic performance on top of another.

The 2022 American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of The Year led the conference in Rush Yards (1581), Rushing Touchdowns (19) and Yards from scrimmage (1837). Most impressively, he led the entire nation with 21 total Touchdowns. Safe to say he’s accumulated a stellar resume. Tyjae also led the conference in Plays from Scrimmage with (251) showing his high work rate and durability.

He’s a good route runner by the position’s standards with soft , natural hands. An elusive runner with good vision, great burst and acceleration which allows him to evade defenders and break tackles. Possesses good long speed which allows him to break away from pursuing defenders.

Spears finished off his season with a bang by running all over USC for 205 Yards and 4 Touchdowns. His “Magnum Opus” per se. All these attributes combine into a goal scoring machine with a nose for the end zone. Tyjae Spears’ combination of skills allows him to finish his runs on pay dirt and putting points on the board, reflected by his 19 TDs in 2022.

Weighing under 200lbs, the only glaring knock on his profile is his lack of size. We prefer our RB prospects to weigh in at least 215lbs . No player is immune to injury but having more muscle on the frame goes some way in protecting the player from the rigours and violence of the position. This might limit his snap share but it can be easily rectified with more time in the weight room.

Charlie Jones – Wide Receiver, Purdue

In a society that finds itself making an effort to progress away from marginalising stereotypes of the past, NFL scouting is still trying to catch up. In the same way that black Quarterback prospects are often viewed as more athletic than intellectual, white Wide Receivers have been unfortunately marginalized as quick but physically limited slot receivers who make a living off running short routes and not much else. A few minutes of watching some Charlie Jones film quickly rebuts that notion. Mr Jones is a sure handed, fast, physical and sharp route runner. Transferring from Iowa to Purdue for his final collegiate season, Charlie Jones quickly asserted his dominance and claimed the WR1 role by forming a formidable partnership with Aidan O’Connell , hauling in a total 110 receptions. Running an expansive route tree, he was able to pass the 1000 yard threshold (1361) and hit pay dirt consistently, accruing a total of 12 receiving Touchdowns. His 110 receptions led the entire NCAA and his 1361 receiving yards led the Big Ten Conference in 2022.

Charlie Jones’ contributions were not only limited to offense as he pulled his weight and then some on Special Teams. This should make him an even more appealing prospect to NFL teams. He has led both the Big Ten and entire NCAA in punt returns and punt return yards in 2020 and 2021 even returning one for a touchdown. He also led the Big Ten in kick-off returns in 2021, also returning one for a Touchdown. Those production numbers only fell as he became a bigger contributor on offense for Purdue in 2022, but he has firmly proved his abilities in that department.

An evaluator could try and poke holes into his profile by pointing out the lack of production in his earlier years at Buffalo and at Iowa. However, even though he didn’t get much opportunity on offense in those years (48 total scrimmage plays in 3 seasons), he still contributed immensely on special teams. This should bode well for his NFL career as teams can afford to slowly integrate him into the offense, whilst he’s still getting plenty snaps on special teams, which can help him to get better acquainted with the NFL playing speed in his rookie year.

Nathaniel “Tank” Dell – Wide Receiver, Houston

An undersized man with an oversized portfolio and the big hair to match. Tank Dell made a big impact in his 3 year stint at Houston. He is twitchy, fleet footed and fast with reliable hands. Defensive backs have to respect his deep speed or they’ll soon find themselves on YouTube or Twitter in highlight videos. 2 straight years of 90+ Receptions/1300+ Receiving Yards/12+ Touchdowns. An impressive twelve 100+ yard games in that span. Dominant. For those questioning his talents due to him playing in the American Conference, Tank averaged 8 receptions, 108 yards v Power 5 opponents (4 games). In 2022, Tank also contributed on Special Teams as a Punt Returner, which will tick that “toughness” box on some old school scout’s list . What he lacks in physicality, he makes up for in explosion. Catch him if you can. As he moves on to the Senior Bowl, ready to torment DBs in one on one drills, Tank has left behind an impressive list of American Conference All Time Top 10 achievements; 7th in receptions, 6th in receiving yards and 3rd in receiving Touchdowns.

If we’re knit picking here, the only weakness in his profile is his size. Yes indeed size does matter in the NFL, where you're constantly involved in full speed collisions. You need some muscle body armour to keep the engine churning. AJ Brown can break 3 tackles after catching a slant, whilst Diontae Johnson needs some medical attention after every big hit he takes. Tank might make a good living in the slot with a lot of green grass around him to exploit and we expect him to put up some eye opening performances at the Senior Bowl.

Devon Witherspoon - Cornerback, Illinois

A very physical, aggressive and versatile corner . Weighing in at a slight 180lbs, he plays with the reckless abandon of a 300lb wrestler, making him a force to be reckoned with in run support (Watch Illinois v Indiana, 1st Quarter, 12:00 mark...). He can play both in the slot or outside on the perimeter. Witherspoon has the athleticism that allows him to match up against both big possession receivers and small, shifty wide outs.

His coverage skills are so elite that he was targeted 66 times, but only allowed 22 catches for 206 yards and zero (0) Touchdowns the entire season. He also broke up 14 passes, intercepting 3. He has natural hands that allow him to be a ball hawk in coverage. His aggression can sometimes bite back at him in a Trevon Diggs fashion when he fails to jump routes on time, allowing big plays. Witherspoon is projected to be a 1st Round draft pick, but strong performances at the Senior Bowl will go a long way in solidifying him as a Top 10 pick.

Isaiah Foskey - Defensive Lineman, Notre Dame

An intriguing blend of size, strength, athleticism, and production. Foskey had back to back 10 Sack seasons leading The Independent Conference in sacks this season, with 10,5. He led the entire nation in Forced Fumbles with 6 in 2021, showing his consistent ability to get into the opposition’s backfield and cause havoc. His career total 20,5 Sacks are 5th best in The Independent Conference since 2005, coming in behind NFL Pro Bowlers like Kyle Van Not and the recently retired Stefon Tuitt. That’s some good pass rushing company if you ask me.

As productive as he was, there was an issue with failing to produce consistently. Under good coaching, this can surely be improved by acquiring more pass rush moves to help him beat blockers consistently. Foskey should be able to impress in 1-on-1 drills and climb up a few spots on numerous draft boards.

Karl Brooks - Defensive Lineman, Bowling Green

Measuring in at 6-foot-4, 300lbs, Mr Brooks is an impressive unit & intriguing prospect. His size allows him to have positional versatility moving between Defensive Tackle and Edge. He can rush the QB with his hands in the dirt or standing up from the edge.

He’s more fluid and explosive than expected. He has a handful of rush moves in his bag . A productive pass rusher who racked up 12 sacks this season. With a career 27,5 total sacks, he ranks 6th in the Mid-American Conference since 2005, which is only 2 spots behind All-Pro Khalil Mack who had 28,5 total sacks. He’s bound to put some offensive linemen on their backs and catch the eye of some sharp scouts at the Senior Bowl.

Will McDonald IV – Defensive Lineman, Iowa State

A prospect who possesses a great combination of length , flexibility and athleticism to win when he rushes the passer. The All-Time Big 12 career sack leader with 34, one more than future Hall of Famer and fellow Senior Bowl alumni, Von Miller (33).

His length comes in handy when attempting to clog passing lanes and he had great success at that in 2022 with 4 passes defended. 2021 was his best statistical season by far. He was an absolute menace the entire season, racking up 13 tackles for loss, 11,5 sacks and a whopping 5 forced fumbles. The production profile of his collegiate career in its entirety is an impressive body of work as well. He’s 14th in Big 12 Career tackles for loss (41), 6th in NCAA Career sacks (34) and 10 career forced fumbles are good for 2nd in the Big 12 and 15th in the NCAA.

Some Twitter scouts are of the opinion however that at this stage of his development, he’s perhaps relies more on athleticism than technique. There is some credibility to that notion because he has a variety of pass rushing moves in his arsenal , yet the understanding of tactically deploying those moves together in a coherent game plan is not visible yet. McDonald IV took a step back in 2022 and some of that may have been due to Iowa State's 3-3-5 defence, often playing end head up on the Offensive Tackle when he should be playing in a wider alignment.

After soaking in his pros and cons, it becomes much more impressive that he was able to be so productive whilst being far from the finished article. There is so much room for improvement and the potential is immense. Defensive line coaches should be salivating at the thought of moulding this great talent.

Carlton Martial – Linebacker, Troy

An undersized walk-on who bet on himself and became the all time NCAA leader in tackles. Sounds like a storyline out of a cheesy 90’s movie doesn’t it? This is however, Carlton Martial’s reality, a true underdog story. It’s very fitting that he has the opportunity to impress potential future employers in his own backyard of Mobile, Alabama. The 2022 Sun-belt Defensive Player of The Year is a heat seeking missile, the ultimate tackling machine and he’s on a mission to prove all doubters wrong.

His production was evident for all to see in the infancy of his collegiate career as he was named The All-American Rookie of the Year in 2018, a year after walking on without a scholarship. Carlton only went on to cause more havoc after that. His production profile is an impressive body of work, and is accompanied by a laundry list of accolades. He’s the NCAA All-Time leader in total tackles with 578, some 46 ahead of previous leader, retired NFL All-Pro Luke Kuechly (532). A consistent producer who accrued over 110 total tackles in 3 consecutive seasons from 2019 – 2022, which was good enough to make him the tackles leader in the Sun-belt for those 3 seasons, including being the NCAA leader in 2021. Impressed yet?

Carlton Martial has racked up 10 or more tackles for loss in every season since 2019, landing in the Top 10 each season culminating in a 1st place finish with a whopping 19 tackles for loss in 2019. A career total 51 tackles for loss lands him at 2nd in the Sun-belt Conference all-time ranks. A career 8 total forced fumbles lands him in 4th place on the Sun-belt all time ranks, yet again indicating his ability to get to the ball and make plays for his team. It’s hard not to acknowledge the immense production profile that Carlton Martial has built. He is a high end playmaker, an elite prospect who has All-Pro potential. It’s not a matter of “will he produce in the NFL?” but “when will he produce?”. My money is on him producing as soon as he’s given a run of snaps on the field. Once NFL scouts get to watch Mr Martial work up close and in person at the Senior Bowl, his stock is surely going straight to the moon.

SirVocea Dennis – Linebacker, Pitt

This off-ball linebacker is a productive leader with a reputation for being smart, instinctive, athletic and versatile. At 6-foot-1, 230lbs , he has a compact, powerful build which is undersized compared to classic linebacker archetypes, but should be acceptable by most teams’ standards for a modern off-ball linebacker. Dennis was the captain of the Pittsburgh defence as well as being an emotional tone-setter for a very aggressive unit. His instincts, anticipation, and athleticism allow him to maintain a high play speed. With an aggressive mentality, he’s quick off the mark, and was a constant presence in the backfield reflected by his double digit tackles for loss in every season between 2020 and 2022 and a total of 15 sacks from the Middle Linebacker position in the same time frame. Equipped with tools that make for an effective blitz weapon, Dennis frequently disrupted plays before they had a chance to develop, even if it didn’t result in sacks or tackles for loss at times. His combination of skills and tools culminated in a productive 2022 where he was Top 10 in the ACC for Assisted Tackles (6th with 52), Total Tackles (10th with 94), Sacks (8th with 7), Fumbles Forced (8th with 2) and Interception Return Yards (6th with 67 yards.)

Dennis’ frame can work against him when he is forced to take on bigger blockers directly as he struggles to shed them consistently. His aggression and athleticism can also work against him when facing an offense that is good at executing run fakes, making him susceptible to overcommit and leave open zones in the middle of the field. SirVocea has the potential to thrive and be an impact player for a team with a blitz-heavy defensive scheme and his high flying style will surely catch the attention of a few keen eyed scouts at the Senior Bowl.

Honourable Mentions:

Hendon Hooker – Quarterback, Tennessee

DeMarvion Overshown – Linebacker, Texas

Dontayvion Wicks – Wide Receiver, Virginia Tech

Ivan Pace Jr. – Linebacker , Cincinnati

Nick Hampton – Linebacker , App State