This time next week, your boy will be reporting live and on the scene from Hancock Whitney Stadium as the 2023 Senior Bowl festivities will be underway. Be sure to follow SoBros Network (you’re already here, so just stay put), Football & Other F Words, and 440 Sports to stay up to date with all of the Senior Bowl action your hearts can stand. I can’t wait – it’s a veritable football holiday, and it’s a blast to watch the path to the draft kick off in earnest. Draft stock can swing in a hurry at an event like this. So, who am I most stoked to see next week? I’m glad you asked.
RB Chase Brown – Man, he might not have the ideal size to be a bruiser in the NFL, and I get how that limits the impact he can have in the league, but Illinois put the offense on Brown’s back in 2022 and he delivered. He can absolutely be a bell cow type of running back with his acceleration ability and vision. Brown could prove to be one of the underrated backs in this year’s draft.
LB Andre Carter II – Carter is a pure athletic disruptor. It’s like a wild horse that needs to be reined in. He has one of the highest ceilings of this year’s Senior Bowl class.
OL Jaelyn Duncan – He’s one of the “I wanna see how this guy can be coached up” prospects heading down to Mobile this year. If he can improve upon his fundamentals and technique, Duncan has the size and physical tools it takes to start games in the NFL and could be a bargain for a team with a good offensive line coach.
DL Isaiah Foskey – Foskey is an explosive pass rusher touted for his leadership skills. If he lands in a situation with a defensive coordinator that understands how to deploy him, he could be an impact player right away. I want to see him build some strength in setting the edge against all of these good offensive linemen that’ll be down there next week. If he irons out that aspect of his game, he’ll be a more well-rounded prospect, and dare I say, a fringe first-rounder.
OL Blake Freeland – Freeland certainly looks the part of a true left tackle, and his tape shows a mauler that seems to seek out the big hit. But, his frame is a bit awkward. He’s top heavy and that could make him susceptible to speedy and savvy edge rushers who could utilize leverage to throw him off balance. I’m stoked to see how he steps up against elite competition.
WR Xavier Hutchinson – Blown away by how fearless he is in contested catch situations. He’s a zone-killer with a knack for finding space with his in-breaking routes. He’s not an outright burner, but he is a nifty runner in the open field with the ball in his hands. He has good size and length, and plays a physical ball game. I think he projects as a bit of an underrated deep threat – his long arms and body control skills make him more lethal than his outright speed, which you typically think of as a deep threat. If he can draw a 1:1 match-up and take his guy down the field, he’s likely to win that contested catch. I get the criticisms of his route tree, and how he wasn’t really asked to do a variety of things at Iowa State, but there is absolutely WR1 potential. At the very least, he’s a solid WR2 in the NFL, being used as a specialist with upside in the return game.
WR Andrei Iosivas – I don’t know that there’s a bigger boom or bust prospect in the Senior Bowl than Iosivas. He is the mold for what a receiver in the NFL should look like, and he is fast as all get out. The dumb thing for me to say here is “he could be this year’s Christian Watson,” but he could be this year’s Christian Watson.
WR Puka Nacua – Put on the Arkansas tape and lust over this scrappy wide receiver prospect. Nacua is a HARD runner. He’s a gadgety guy that BYU tried to get the ball to in creative ways. Good jet sweep guy. He’s underrated as a contested catch guy – he just plays with that attitude that he’s going to drag you down into a knife fight in the mud. He’s a crisp route runner that makes good, sudden cuts.
WR Trey Palmer – Palmer is a speedy, physically gifted wide receiver with a high ceiling that is being slotted into that “project receiver” role because of the offense he played in. But, if he can show improvement during his time in Mobile, and he irons out some of the questions about his physicality and potential to run a NFL route tree, he could be a riser as well.
OL Jarrett Patterson – Patterson is a heady hoss that is lauded for his technique and polish, though he isn’t exactly the most dynamic athlete along the offensive line. I’m eager to see if that technique can win out over talented competition in Mobile. If it does, Patterson’s stock will rise.
RB Tyjae Spears – Explosiveness, breakaway speed, game-changing elusiveness. That’s the name of the game for Spears. Just pop on the Cotton Bowl tape to see exactly how Spears can strike a defense with fear. He has a torn ACL in his history, and I do wonder about durability going up against NFL defenders every week. But, Spears is going to be an x-factor for whichever NFL team drafts him.
The 2023 Senior Bowl will take place on Saturday, February 4th at 1:30PM CST from Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. It will air live on NFL Network. For more on the Senior Bowl, check out their website!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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