NFL.com names Senior Bowl standouts from Day 1
The first day of Senior Bowl practice is officially in the books.
With three days of practice on the schedule leading up to Saturday's game, the seniors participating in this year's festivities will have plenty more opportunities to show what they can do.
NFL Network analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks named a couple of standouts from the first day of Senior Bowl practices, and each player listed enjoyed a promising senior campaign.
The first player mentioned was South Carolina wide receiver Shi Smith, who finished 2020 with 57 receptions for 633 yards and four touchdowns in nine games.
"There's nothing better than one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl, and to me, watching Shi Smith, the wide receiver from South Carolina in the one on ones, I thought he was outstanding," Jeremiah said. "You saw the quickness, you saw the ability to separate, and then he just wanted to show off. He made the catch of the day, an unbelievable leaping grab, as good as it gets. You can't have a better first practice than what Shi Smith had today."
The second player discussed was UCLA wide receiver/running back Demetric Felton. In six games this season, Felton ran the ball 132 times for 668 yards (5.1 yards per attempt) and five touchdowns while catching 22 passes for 159 yards and three more touchdowns. He also returned eight punts for 168 yards, good for an average of 21.0 yards per return.
"Staying outside on the perimeter, let's go with Demetric Felton from UCLA," Brooks said Tuesday on NFL Network. "We have seen the impact that these perimeter playmakers have made in the National Football League. Think about Tyreek Hill. But now, let's look at another guy from UCLA who was able to get it done as a hybrid.
"He goes on the outside today playing wide receiver after playing running back, and is absolutely outstanding. Explosive, quick, does a great job of creating separation. You already can see him tease us with the explosiveness with the ball in his hands. He has a chance to really make some money this week with the way he's performing."
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah updated his ranking of the top 50 prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft for the final time before the start of the draft.
No. 50 Georgia CB Eric Stokes
No. 49 Oregon S Jevon Holland
No. 48 LSU WR Terrace Marshall Jr.
No. 47 Notre Dame OT Liam Eichenberg
No. 46 Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth
No. 45 Wisconsin-Whitewater IOL Quinn Meinerz
No. 44 Oklahoma EDGE Ronnie Perkins
No. 43 Alabama DT Christian Barmore
No. 42 Houston EDGE Payton Turner
No. 41 Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman
No. 40 Alabama IOL Landon Dickerson
No. 39 Florida State CB Asante Samuel Jr.
No. 38 Virginia Tech OT Christian Darrisaw
No. 37 North Dakota State OT Dillon Radunz
No. 36 Oklahoma State OT Teven Jenkins
No. 35 Michigan OT Jalen Mayfield
No. 34 Missouri LB Nick Bolton
No. 33 Washington EDGE Joe Tryon
No. 32 Alabama QB Mac Jones
No. 31 Penn State EDGE Jayson Oweh
No. 30 Georgia EDGE Azeez Ojulari
No. 29 Washington DT Levi Onwuzurike
No. 28 Florida WR Kadarius Toney
No. 27 Northwestern CB Greg Newsome II
No. 26 Mississippi WR Elijah Moore
No. 25 North Carolina RB Javonte Williams
No. 24 Tulsa LB Zaven Collins
No. 23 Kentucky LB Jamin Davis
No. 22 Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley
No. 21 Miami EDGE Jaelan Phillips
No. 20 Alabama RB Najee Harris
No. 19 Clemson RB Travis Etienne
No. 18 Miami EDGE Gregory Rousseau
No. 17 Michigan EDGE Kwity Paye
No. 16 TCU S Trevon Moehrig
No. 15 Notre Dame LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
No. 14 South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn
No. 13 USC OL Alijah Vera-Tucker
No. 12 Penn State LB Micah Parsons
No. 11 Oregon OT Penei Sewell
No. 10 Northwestern OT Rashawn Slater
No. 9 Alabama CB Patrick Surtain II
No. 8 Ohio State QB Justin Fields
No. 7 North Dakota State QB Trey Lance
No. 6 Alabama WR DeVonta Smith
No. 5 Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle
No. 4 BYU QB Zach Wilson
No. 3 LSU WR Ja'Marr Chase
No. 2 Florida TE Kyle Pitts
No. 1 Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence
Mel Kiper predicts offensive playmaker for Giants in first mock draft
The 2021 NFL Draft is over three months away, but it looks like we have already entered mock draft season.
ESPN's draft expert Mel Kiper, covering the NFL Draft since 1984, is one of many pundits to release a mock draft this week.
As Kiper writes in his introduction, "This is going to be one of the most interesting drafts since I started covering them more than 40 years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought extraordinary changes to the pre-draft process. There's no NFL combine. Pro days will be limited to teams. The Senior Bowl this week is the only event where coaches, scouts and front-office execs will be able to meet with prospects -- through plexiglass."
The Giants could go in a variety of directions with the No. 11 overall pick in this year's draft, as some draft analysts are predicting the Giants select an offensive playmaker or lineman while others think they could boost the defense.
As for Kiper, the ESPN draft expert believes the Giants add a talented pass-catcher for quarterback Daniel Jones in the form of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.
"At 6-foot-6, Pitts has the size/speed traits to line up out wide, in the slot or next to an offensive tackle," Kiper writes. "And he showed off his ability after the catch by averaging 17.9 yards per reception with 12 touchdowns. Pitts is not a traditional tight end, but he's a skilled offensive threat. And with Evan Engram on the roster, too, the Giants would have two of the most athletic -- and versatile -- tight ends in football."
Senior Bowl Highlights: Sights & Sounds from Day 1
The 2021 Senior Bowl is underway in Mobile, Alabama. Check out highlights and interviews from the annual showcase event for the nation's top outgoing seniors ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft below.
