RADIO
Chris Gregory goes over the 2025 Senior Bowl, including identifying what players you should target in fantasy and dynasty leagues.
The Senior Bowl is the most important and exciting event in the NFL Draft's current age. While the NFL Combine and Pro Days will dominate media attention this spring, the Senior Bowl is by far the better measure of an NFL prospect. In other words, prospects who thrive at the Senior Bowl have a much higher success rate than those who flash at the Combine or their Pro Day.
With that in mind, it is worth noting that the Senior Bowl's primary attraction is practice. Namely, we all watch for the one-on-one drills more than anything else. The players who make money at this event almost always do it in these drills rather than in the real game. Heck, by the time the real game comes, many of the top prospects have already left.
Considering those factors, the following notes rely heavily on observing one-on-one performances and team drills at Senior Bowl practices. Quarterback is the only position where the game factors as much or more into my evaluation. Additionally, please note that some of these risers or fallers may not be “fantasy relevant.” These notes are for both fantasy and NFL Draft fans alike.
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Offensive Player of the Week
Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
Zabel stood out from the very first snap of one-on-ones this past week. He won nearly every individual set he took throughout three days of practice, stonewalling real prospects like Aeneas Peebles, Deone Walker, and the hefty Jamaree Caldwell.
While the North Dakota State product gave up some pressure in the game while playing with teammates he had very little experience with; he handled power and speed rushers with equal ease throughout drills. He also showed that he can transition inside, showing All-Pro caliber potential at center in particular.
Couldn’t have been more impressed with @NDSUfootball OL Grey Zabel in the @seniorbowl 1-on-1s. Here are three good reps from him at three different positions (C, LG, RG)
Strong case for IOL1 in this draft, and a top 50 pick pic.twitter.com/qX2is4UXn6
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) January 28, 2025
No one earned themselves more money at the Senior Bowl this year than Zabel. He went from a third-round prospect to one who may sneak into the first round when all is said and done.
Defensive Player of the Week
Oluwafemi Oladejo, EDGE, UCLA
A converted linebacker, Oladejo showed enough raw potential to climb my rankings before the Senior Bowl game was even played. During drills, he showed ideal length, great explosion, and the potential to convert speed to power. While he took too many risks playing off balance or exposing his back, he won a lot of reps and showed leadership, breaking up a scrum.
Then, Oladejo collected two sacks in the actual game. While dominance in an all-star game isn’t always notable, his second sack was impressive. He showed good discipline and understanding of his assignment, working through the tackle before shedding and collecting his second sack. It was the cherry on top of an already strong week.
Offensive Risers of the Week
Jack Bech, WR, TCU (My Guy!!!)
The MVP of the Senior Bowl game, it’s hard not to label Bech a riser… even if you read my earlier columns/tweets and knew I already had him ranked much higher than most others in the dynasty or draft community.
Jack Bech’s brother Tiger was killed during the NOLA attack on New Years.
Today, he caught the winning pass in the Senior Bowl while wearing his brothers number to honor him.
RIP Tiger.
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 1, 2025
Bech has been "my guy" for months and showed why throughout the week. While it would've been nice to see him create separation more consistently in drills, as he has shown he can on film, he did everything else well. He blocked aggressively and through the whistle, brought down multiple off-target throws, and dominated in contested catch situations.
A year ago, I was the “high man” on Ladd McConkey, ranking him inside my top-20 prospects early in the process because of his elite separation skills. This year I will be the “high man” on Bech, who has the potential to do much more in the pros than people think.
He already plays like a starting NFL receiver.
Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami (Fl.)
After Day 1 of practices, it looked like Arroyo might be the Offensive Player of the Week. He was absolutely dominant on the first day, showing the ability to run plus routes and make difficult catches that some wideouts miss. He didn't dip the rest of the week, either; others simply caught up to him.
Arroyo was a third-round prospect coming into this event. After showing he was one of the best receiving prospects at this event, with perhaps the best straight-line speed of any TE in this class, he may have pushed his way into the second round of the Draft.
Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
My TE3 leading into this event, the son of Jason Taylor made a case for TE2 in this class after several strong practice sessions. Taylor looks like he added muscle since the regular season, but he maintained his agility and speed. He also made several catches despite having hands in his face or a throw out of reach.
The LSU product’s added size should help him as a blocker, but Taylor will still earn his money as a receiving threat in the NFL.
Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon
The adopted brother of Bo Nix elevated his draft stock this week, though his size (listed at 5-foot-10 and 165 lbs.) remains a real question.
No one created more separation than Johnson this week. The Duck regularly got himself open during drills, whether it was with a quick release at the line, sharp cuts at mid-field, or speed on deep balls.
Again, none of this means the questions about his size are forgotten. Further, his separation skills are still short of what we saw from McConkey at this same event last year. However, McConkey's route-running skills are generational, so it is no insult to say Johnson is a step behind in that area.
Willie Lampkin, OL, North Carolina
There is no getting around the fact Lampkin is woefully undersized, as he is listed at 5-foot-10 tall and just 270 lbs. With that said, he is a former wrestler and plays like it. The diminutive blocker wrestled multiple oversized defenders to the ground and held his ground with an impressive anchor all week.
Many teams will write Lampkin off because of his size. He won’t even fit with offenses that value weight and power in a gap-heavy scheme. However, the right scheme and coach can turn this undersized prospect into a quality starter. He proved that during Senior Bowl practices.
Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
None of the quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl were particularly impressive during practices. They struggled with accuracy and timing and couldn’t find a rhythm with foreign receivers. None of these problems are new in an all-star game setting where teammates haven’t played together. However, it was more noteworthy this year, given how weak the QB class was already.
With that said, there’s a strong argument that quarterbacks are just support pieces in all-star drills. Their flaws can shine through during those drills, but the inherent ability to play quarterback won’t show up until game time. It’s in the game when you see a QB’s ability to handle real pressure, anticipate, and process.
No quarterback looked better during the actual Senior Bowl game than Dart. This was no surprise; he was already the highest-rated QB on my board at the event. He showed enough anticipation, velocity, mobility, and toughness in the game to rise a bit in my rankings, though.
A throw Dart made on a two-point conversion during the game was of particular note. He threw the ball over a defender and between others into a shrinking window. He had the opportunity to attempt the same type of throw during practice earlier in the week and passed it up, but he nailed it with perfect velocity and timing during the game.
Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
Higgins started the week slowly, struggling to get separation early on Day 1. His lack of speed and average change of direction were concerns on tape and showed up in early drills. Fortunately, he turned things around after his slow start.
It felt like we saw a different Higgins on Day 2 and Day 3. He utilized quicker-than-usual footwork on a double move that got him easy separation on a long touchdown during one-on-ones. Higgins also showed better cuts and executed several crisp breaking routes after that, improving his stock before wrapping things up with a long contested touchdown in the game.
Defensive Risers of the Week
Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
It's tough to say Green is a massive riser this week, given he was already prospect No. 15 on my board with little room to rise much further. Of course, Green wasn't that high on many boards, which means his Senior Bowl performance should shoot him up many ranks that were too low on him.
Mike Green😳
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 29, 2025
Whatever you want to call Green’s performance this week, there’s no doubt he helped himself. The Marshall product flashed better speed-to-power than he did on film while retaining his burst and bend at the edge. It was clear that Green, an established speed rusher, wanted to prove he could win with power this week. He accomplished that goal and more.
Aeneas Peebles, DT, Virginia Tech
Peebles is not Aaron Donald, no one is. That said, the diminutive Hokie will likely earn some comparisons to the Hall of Famer because both are/were undersized three-techs who play with tenacity, quickness, and multiple effective pass-rush moves.
Peebles was a consistent interior penetrator during practices and collected a sack during the game. His motor, quick first step, and creativity as a pass rusher combine for one of the higher floors of this year’s Day 2 prospects.
There are shades of Calijah Kancey in Peebles' game, and it's hard to imagine he won't at least find a niche in the NFL as a passing downs penetrator in a 4-3 scheme.
David Walker, DL, Central Arkansas
Another undersized prospect from a small school, Walker, was one of the players I was most interested in seeing at Senior Bowl practices. On Day 1, his reps were a bit disappointing. He played too high and seemed to struggle getting off of bigger, stronger linemen who had better length than him.
As the week went on, Walker began utilizing his leverage and getting under linemen’s pads more often. This led to more wins in one-on-one drills and a sack during the game. Overall, Walker overcame a slow start to become a winner this week.
Maxwell Hairston, DB, Kentucky
Hairston was particularly impressive in man and press coverage this week. He played Bech and Jalen Royals tight on multiple reps. Both of these opponents are quality prospects, yet Hairston gave them problems. That made the Wildcat one of the more impressive defensive backs this week despite most drills being stacked in favor of the offense.
Senior Bowl Fallers
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
The physical upside is still tremendous with Milroe. This week he showed off the arm strength and mobility that has him high on many boards. It's just that the accuracy and mechanics were just as inconsistent this week as they were during the regular season, if not worse.
Might be time for Jalen Milroe to find a new passion that doesn’t include playing quarterback pic.twitter.com/AZ9nkLbUgh
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) February 1, 2025
Without exaggeration, nearly half of Milroe's passes were off target during team drills this week. Many of them were way off, spiraling a yard or two into the dirt in front of the receiver. His ball placement was a bit better during the real game, with his deep throws actually more accurate than the short ones, but he’s a project passer who will need time to grow.
Marcus Mbow, OL, Purdue
Entering this event, some thought Mbow could remain an offensive tackle at the next level. His practice performances this week strongly suggest that may not be the case.
On the outside, Mbow struggled with both speed and power rushers. Power rushers knocked him back regularly off the edge, while he respected speed so much that he fell back and gave edges enough space to cut inside and reach the QB right off the snap. It wasn’t until Mbow moved inside that he looked comfortable.
Carson Vinson, OT, Alabama A&M
Vinson had a solid showing early, but his in-game performance was so bad it undid his positive reps at practice. In the game, he gave up multiple pressures and two strip-sacks. While one of those strip sacks was undone by a defensive penalty, it remains on tape and will cost him.
Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan
The video game cover boy had a down year in 2025, ceding significant touches to his backup and struggling with fumbles. Those struggles continued this week as Edwards fumbled and dropped the ball repeatedly. Plus, he failed to show the athleticism, speed, or power needed to compensate for his errors.
Dynasty Risers Not Already Mentioned
Pat Bryant, WR, Illinois
Bryant found himself out of bounds on multiple drills. He also needs to work on his footwork and feel for the boundary. However, he flashed the ability to make one-handed and acrobatic catches on multiple occasions during drills. He then wrapped the week up with good separation on a long completion during the game.
Taylor Elgersma to Pat Bryant for the big play!@LaurierFootball @IlliniFootball
📺: @SeniorBowl on NFL Network
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/uX6CHKRvsp— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 1, 2025
The Illinois product has the size and hands to become a bargain dynasty pick in the late second round of rookie drafts.
Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
No RB in this group ran with better patience and feel than Neal did this week. He also flashed plus hands and solid route running throughout practice.
While this class’s depth at the running back position will suppress Neal’s draft profile and stock, he was the most consistent performer at the position this week. The Jayhawk feels like a fantasy bargain that could be had late in the third round of rookie drafts.
Marcus Yarns, RB, Delaware
There were receiving drills where Yarns looked more like a wide receiver than he did an RB. His routes are crisp, his hands are soft, he is quick in and out of his breaks, and he has the makings of a good third-down back. He’s the kind of player who can carve out a significant role in a pass-oriented offense, which would make him very relevant in PPR leagues.
Yarns should be a fourth-round target in rookie drafts.
Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
While Tez Johnson was the best separator during practice this week, Williams was not far behind. He showed a plus release at the line and ran crisp routes on short and intermediate throws. Williams was also effective in red zone work.
Once the top weapon for Cam Ward at Washington State, Williams is another sleeper to watch late in your rookie drafts.
Arian Smith, WR, Georgia
Smith has plus speed and length but struggled with drops throughout his college career. His inconsistent hands were a problem leading into the Senior Bowl, but they didn't show up during drills or the game.
This is the kind of player some get very excited about, as Smith can make the big plays that make fantasy managers drool. His hands were steady this week, and he made two difficult catches, one in practice and another in the game, which could drive his stock up in both the NFL Draft and dynasty circles.
Jaylin Lane, WR, Virginia Tech
Lane isn't a dynasty priority, but he had a solid and surprising showing this week. He regularly got separation on deep balls, bringing in several at the boundary or in the endzone. There were times he struggled in the red zone, and he had a drop during the game, but he flashed enough that he could become a stash candidate in deeper dynasty formats.
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