Practice sessions have concluded, and in the three days of drills and reps helmed by the Dallas Cowboys (North) and Jacksonville Jaguars (South) revealed a lot about the players in attendance.

Here are seven things I learned about the prospects in Mobile:

1. The Carson Wentz hype is real.

When I tweeted out from Shrine Game week that a well-connected NFL source told me the North Dakota State QB would be a top 5 overall pick with a strong Senior Bowl week, the reaction was more derisive and (frankly) ugly than I expected.

Few are doubting it now, not after seeing three days of Wentz light it up here. He showed the complete package of everything scouts want in a potential franchise QB. He’s got the arm with real zip, the mobility, the size, the presence to move around and quickly reset. In watching him with the other three North QBs his superior, well, everything was patently obvious.

My biggest concern with Wentz on film was that he was often flat-footed in the pocket. I didn’t see one instance of that here, though it is a little apparent he does think about his feet. The only real knock on his performance this week was he wasn’t great in red zone drills with the wideout and corner isolated 1-on-1. His placement on deeper outside throws got away from him at times too, but some of that stems from working with unfamiliar receivers in an unfamiliar offense.

Cleveland at 2, San Diego at 3, Dallas at 4. That’s where you need to have Wentz in your next mock draft. Any lower than that and you’ll be wrong. 

2. Teams needing guards are in luck

It’s not a sexy position, but if your NFL team needs a guard they found this week pretty darn attractive.

From Josh Garnett, Joe Dahl and Nick Martin on the North squad to Christian Westerman, Cody Whitehair and Sebastian Tretola on the South, the guard play was strong all week. Given the level of defensive line talent here, it’s even more impressive how well these guys fared. Even Graham Glasgow from Michigan had some solid reps where he showed potential to be an NFL starter.

If I had to rank them in order of how I like them after this week and where I would draft them (not where they will be drafted)…

  1. Cody Whitehair, Kansas State--second round
  2. Nick Martin, Notre Dame--second round
  3. Christian Westerman, Arizona State--second round
  4. Sebastian Tretola, Arkansas--third round
  5. Joe Dahl, Washington State--fifth round
  6. Josh Garnett, Stanford--fifth round
  7. Graham Glasgow, Michigan--fifth round

Note that I consider Martin a better prospect at center than guard. Jack Allen from Michigan State solidified his status as my top center in the draft here, too, but he’s not a guard.

3. Braxton Miller made himself a lot of money

Perhaps no player in any of the nine Senior Bowl weeks I’ve attended generated the buzz amongst the gathered scouts and media like Ohio State wideout Braxton Miller. He put on an absolute show all week long. I happened to catch one of the best from just a few feet away…

There were more like this in every session. Miller also proved erudite, energetic and engaging in interviews with both the media and the NFL teams behind closed doors. The fact he’s able to do so much already as a wideout despite only playing the position for a year has teams tantalized with his upside. Add in how well he handled the change and adversity over the last couple of years and it’s very easy to see a team picking in the 15-25 overall range to fall in love with Miller. 

4. Sheldon Rankins really impressed

The Louisville defensive tackle was one of the big winners from Tuesday and Wednesday,

 

Unfortunately he tweaked his knee and had to bow out for Thursday and for the game itself. That shouldn’t cool the buzz on the explosive interior rusher. This is another player who needs to be in the first round of your next mock draft, and ahead of the (by comparison) relatively underwhelming Jarran Reed of Alabama. His game tape validates it, too. Reed remains a late first-round talent in his own right, but next to Rankins he looked a little sluggish and less heady to find the ball in team drills.

5. Noah Spence checked many boxes

Eastern Kentucky pass rusher Noah Spence dominated in team drills, so much that had he actually been allowed to hit the QB I’m not sure any pass would have ever been attempted during the reps he played. His first step is electric, but what sets Spence apart is his second and third steps. He has incredible balance for a 6’2”, 254-pound guy with such speed, and that’s his calling card at the next level.

It wasn’t all great. Spence wins almost exclusively on athletic ability. The difference between being Von Miller or Barkevious Mingo is in being able to do more than just being long and fast. The actual football moves are fairly rudimentary at this point. Of course that was good enough for him to kill it in Mobile.

There are off-field issues Spence is constantly asked about. He left Ohio State under a cloud of failed drug tests and suspensions. By all accounts Spence handled himself professionally and has matured beyond his troubled past. With similar recent success stories like Tyrann Mathieu and Janoris Jenkins overcoming hazy pasts, I really don’t think it will be a huge issue. Spence offers so much pass rushing potential, it’s hard to see him falling into the second half of the first round. Remember, when he was at Ohio State he was the primetime pass rusher, not Joey Bosa.

6. Bad news for teams wanting offensive tackles

As impressive as the interior line group performed, the offensive tackle crop did not look ready for harvest.

Sure, some of the guys looked the part. Texas Tech’s LeRaven Clark and Vadal Alexander from LSU both have the coveted length, as does Willie Beavers from Western Michigan. Stanford’s Kyle Murphy comes with broad acclaim from a major national power. Spencer Drango out of Baylor appeared in many preseason mock drafts as a first-round talent.

The overriding takeaway after watching these guys pretty intently for two of the practices is that none of these guys should be starting in the NFL at tackle anytime soon. Even the best in Mobile, Jason Spriggs from Indiana, showed major vulnerability against bull rushes (see Sheldon Day). Spriggs has the athleticism and solid enough resume’ to remain a first-round pick. For guys like Alexander and Drango, it’s quite difficult to see them staying at tackle at the next level. Others, like Harvard’s Cole Toner and Clark, will need some development that they may or may not get in today’s “win now” NFL culture. 

7. Inside linebackers helped themselves

One of my favorite players in this draft is Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland. I think he’s a top-10 overall talent. However, that lofty status was not on display in Mobile as Ragland showed up a little heavier than expected. And playing more of an outside backer role just didn’t fit him well, certainly not at 260 pounds.

Fortunately there were several others who stepped up and proved they can play. The revelation for me was Jake Ganus, who played one year at Georgia after his program at UAB folded. Ganus showed range and precise, purposeful movement. He was the best backer in coverage drills too. Antonio Morrison from Florida looked great in full team drills, which is really the best way to evaluate the linebackers in practice. Jared Norris from Utah was the same, merely okay in individual reps but standing out in the team portion. Nick Kwiatkowski from West Virginia is a limited athlete but a smart one, enough that he can play in sub packages and stand out on special teams. Blake Martinez from Stanford and LSU’s Deion Jones had real positive moments, too.

As a position group this is not a high-profile crop, but there were several players here who proved they can become quick contributors at the next level.

I will have a new mock draft and updated big board coming in the next few days, so stay tuned and thanks for the great support!