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Some of the most competitive athletes thrive in suboptimal conditions. On Wednesday, Senior Bowl participants faced a test in the rainy weather, and one prospect rose to the occasion.
The 2022 quarterback class doesn’t have a clear-cut lead passer. Several players will jockey for slots within the early rounds. Liberty’s Malik Willis arguably has the most upside within the group, and he showed why on Day 2 of practices in Mobile, Alabama.
Though more edge-rushers flashed than offensive linemen, a potential first-round tackle stood his ground and went on the attack, generating a ton of buzz.
What’s everyone talking about after Wednesday’s session? Let’s dig into the details, the footage and general assessments.
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Jeffrey McWhorter/Associated Press
On Wednesday, prospects practiced in inclement weather, which adds a variable to the evaluation process. In a game played outdoors, quarterbacks and their pass-catchers must adjust to the conditions.
For the National Team, Desmond Ridder launched a pass 62.5 yards through the air to Rutgers wide receiver Bo Melton, which also had an initial spin rate of 673.9 RPM (revolutions per minute), per Zebra Technologies. By the end of practice, he had the deepest throw by distance with the highest initial spin rate.
With that said, Ridder didn’t look sharp on some routine throws.
On a play-action pass, Ridder led his receiver too far across the middle. The pass-catcher had to lay out for the ball, but it bounced off his fingertips for an incompletion (h/t Tyler Forness of NBC Sports).
Ridder also missed his target on a short throw to the flat. He threw low and out in front, which gave the pass-catcher no chance to reel it in for a reception (h/t Forness).
Ridder’s lowlights in the rain won’t torpedo his draft stock, but talent evaluators will certainly go back to his film and look for anticipation throws. In the NFL, defenders close passing windows quickly, so if he’s unable hit receivers in stride, the former Bearcat will have a rough transition to the pros.
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Butch Dill/Associated Press
Some analysts left the first practice with mixed reviews of Malik Willis’ performance, but the Liberty quarterback put on a show on Wednesday.
Willis probably made some spectators change their quarterback rankings—some of them may see him as the QB1 in the 2022 class—which tells you how impressive he looked on Day 2 at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Most importantly, Willis seemed to show some improvement in his ball placement despite the rainy conditions.
“Liberty QB Malik Willis was impressive today,” ESPN’s Jordan Reid tweeted. “He was able to clean up his accuracy from Day 1. Looked much more confident today and even showed his mobility. The ball explodes off of his hand and he had lots of nice tosses on Day 2. He has the strongest arm of any QB in Mobile.”
Emory Hunt of CBS Sports noted that Willis handled the weather conditions better than any other quarterback.
“@LibertyFootball QB Malik Willis seemed like the only QB playing unbothered by the elements today. He was excellent throwing the ball in this driving rain,” Hunt tweeted.
During team drills, Willis threw with touch and fit the ball through tight passing windows as well. He also took off for a big run with a couple of jukes, showing off his athleticism.
While other passers had some bright spots, Willis owned the day.
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The top edge-rushers in the NFL typically have great lower-body flexion, change of direction and quickness around the corner of the pocket. With those traits, an edge-rusher can beat an offensive lineman to a spot and contort his body to squeeze through holes while in pursuit of the quarterback.
Cincinnati’s Myjai Sanders showed smooth flexibility with some physicality to turn heads on the second day of practices.
“Myjai Sanders is super lean but packs a punch,” Matt Miller of The Draft Scout and ESPN tweeted. “Saw it in pass rush reps and now against the run. I’m a fan.”
Former NFL defensive lineman Leger Douzable posted a clip of Sanders in an agility drill, which illustrates the Cincinnati product’s ability to dip low and move as he would around the pocket. The 6’5″, 255-pounder looked fluid in his movement without wasted steps.
Sanders recorded 13.5 sacks over the past three seasons, but when you watch the Bearcats defense on film, he had a bigger impact than his box score numbers suggest because of his quarterback pressures. With his physical tools, Sanders should become a popular target on Day 2 of the draft.
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Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press
Trevor Penning had first-round buzz going into Senior Bowl week. He’ll likely go higher than fellow Northern Iowa product Spencer Brown, whom the Buffalo Bills selected in the third round of last year’s draft.
Penning kept his name in Day 1 discussions with several highlight moments Wednesday. He showed relentless motor, practiced with unmatched intensity and drove multiple defenders into the ground.
Penning routinely locked horns with defenders and didn’t stop until he won the down. Per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes, the 6’7″, 321-pounder took reps at tackle and guard.
In a one-on-one drill, Penning put Penn State’s Jesse Luketa on his backside and made sure to end the rep with a little extra contact.
“Trevor Penning (Northern Iowa) showed off a bit of a mean streak as he pancaked, and laid on top of Penn State edge rusher Jesse Luketa,” Kyle Youmans of Talkin’ Cowboys tweeted.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini noted Penning’s hard-nosed style of play during team drills.
“Northern Iowa LT Trevor Penning (70) plays to the whistle, that’s for sure. Projected as a first-round pick. FWIW: #Jets GM Joe Douglas spent some time chatting him up,” Cimini tweeted.
With that type of drive, Penning can potentially move into the top 20 in April. He has the attitude and technical skill (using his hands and swift feet) to match up against some of the toughest defensive linemen in the trenches.
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Sean Rayford/Associated Press
Within a deep class of edge-rushers, Kingsley Enagbare made some money in Mobile, Alabama. He came into the week as a potential Round 2-3 pick, but the South Carolina product may have moved into the top 50 after a strong showing in the pass-rushing session between offensive and defensive linemen.
Most notably, Enagbare’s power and strength stood out immediately. As Kyle Youmans of Talkin’ Cowboys noted, the 6’4″, 265-pounder overpowered a tight end who used good technique.
“Kingsley Enagbare (South Carolina) started the competition period with two straight strong reps against TE Daniel Bellinger (SDSU),” Youmans tweeted. “The form and fight from Bellinger was there, but Enagbare just had too much strength for him.”
Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner took note of Enagbare’s physical traits while he had one of his most impressive reps.
“South Carolina Edge Kingsley Enagbare may not have the most diverse move set, but the dude has 35″ arms and can play LOW,” Renner tweeted.
In addition to Enagbare’s length and bend, his lower-body strength and explosiveness allowed him to drive offensive linemen into the backfield. He showcases more power than speed, but the former Gamecock can win one-on-one battles with a strong vice grip and toss in the trenches.
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This year’s running back class doesn’t have a surefire first-rounder. Teams will target prospects with certain skill sets for a complementary role though.
Dameon Pierce has flashed in the first two days of practice, though he broke out for big runs on Wednesday. Bryan Perez of The Draft Network believes the Florida product will move up big boards after this week.
“Dameon Pierce (RB, Florida) is a name to watch as an #NFLDraft riser. Really impressive runner; light feet for a guy with his body type,” Perez tweeted.
NBC Sports’ Tyler Forness also listed Pierce as one of his top-five Day 2 performers from the American Team.
In addition to multiple solid carries right up the middle, Pierce picked up a block in pass protection during team drills and also hauled in a contested catch.
Though Pierce didn’t carry the majority load in any of his four seasons at Florida, he has a three-down capability. The versatile tailback can complete a one-two punch out of the backfield.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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