Pro Football Focus' top Senior Bowl prospects
Practices at the 2022 Senior Bowl officially kicked off yesterday.
The Giants have a contingent of front office personnel, including General Manager Joe Schoen, down in Mobile this week to scout possible draft prospects.
Prior to the start of this week's festivities, Pro Football Focus' Michael Renner released his top draft prospects at each position participating in this year's Senior Bowl.
Here are a few of Renner's top Senior Bowl prospects.
EDGE Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State
PFF Draft Board Rank: No. 29
2021 Overall Grade: 88.4
"Ebiketie has one of the most advanced pass-rushing toolboxes in the class. He already won the weigh-in by checking in with 34-inch arms despite being only 6-foot-2. That's tremendous length for an edge rusher, and it will translate well to his bull rush in the NFL. It would be a shock if he's not a "winner" after this week." -- Renner
IOL Zion Johnson, Boston College
PFF Draft Board Rank: No. 46
2021 Overall Grade: 84.4
"Johnson's tape at guard is some of the cleanest you'll ever see from a prospect. He allowed only six pressures on 364 pass-blocking snaps last season. Because of how steady and consistent Johnson is, he should handle himself exceedingly well in Mobile." -- Renner
TE Trey McBride, Colorado State
PFF Draft Board Rank: No. 62
2021 Overall Grade: 94.7
"McBride is fresh off one of the most impressive statistical seasons in college football history. He accounted for over one-third of Colorado State's receiving yards this year, racking up 91 catches for 1,125 yards. Expect dominance from him in the one-on-ones." -- Renner
View photos of the best players ever to be selected with the Nos. 5 and 7 picks in NFL draft history.
1940: No. 7 C/LB Clyde "Bulldog" Turner (HOF)
1944: No. 5 HB Steve Van Buren (HOF)
1945: No. 5 HB/E Elroy Hirsch (HOF)
1946: No. 5 T George Connor (HOF)
1957: No. 5 QB Len Dawson (HOF)
1958: No. 7 LB Chuck Howley
1961: No. 5 TE Mike Ditka (HOF)
1964: No. 5 DE Carl Eller (HOF)
1965: No. 5 RB Gale Sayers (HOF)
1976: No. 5 DB Mike Haynes (HOF)
1979: No. 7 QB Phil Simms
1988: No. 7 WR Sterling Sharpe
1989: No. 5 DB Deion Sanders (HOF)
1990: No. 5 LB Junior Seau (HOF)
1992: No. 7 DB Troy Vincent
1994: No. 7 DT Bryant Young
1995: No. 5 QB Kerry Collins
1996: No. 7 WR Terry Glenn
1997: No. 7 WR Ike Hilliard
1999: No. 7 DB Champ Bailey (HOF)
2001: No. 5 RB LaDainian Tomlinson (HOF)
2004: No. 5 DB Sean Taylor
2007: No. 7 RB Adrian Peterson
2010: No. 5 DB Eric Berry
2011: No. 5 DB Patrick Peterson
2014: No. 5 LB Khalil Mack
2014: No. 7 WR Mike Evans
2015: No. 5 OL Brandon Scherff
2016: No. 5 CB Jalen Ramsey
2016: No. 7 DE DeForest Buckner
2018: No. 7 QB Josh Allen
2019: No. 5 LB Devin White
2021: No. 5 WR Ja'Marr Chase
Names to know coming out of the Senior Bowl
The 2022 edition of the Senior Bowl kicked off Tuesday with the first of three practice days before Saturday's game. This week will go a long way in setting up draft boards around the NFL as last year's Senior Bowl featured a record 106 players selected in the draft, representing 41 percent of the entire 2021 class.
"I think this [2022] group rivals that group," said Jim Nagy, the executive director of the annual college all-star game and a former NFL scout who was part of six teams that reached the Super Bowl (including four winners). "I'll be interested to see where the numbers end up shaking out."
DEEPEST POSITIONS
Nagy said the 2022 class is deep at tight end, offensive tackle, running back, and edge rusher. Because of players who opted out due to the pandemic and received an extra year of eligibility, the Senior Bowl had a much larger pool to choose from this year. Typically, they have 500 names on the board. This year, they had 700.
"It didn't really affect the top of the board," Nagy said. "It really affected Day 3 grades. Fifth through seven [rounds], the numbers were much greater. That made it a lot more of a challenge."
'DISRUPTIVE' EDGE CLASS
There could be five-to-seven edge defenders selected in the first round coming out of the Senior Bowl, according to Nagy. The group includes former conference defensive players of the year DeAngelo Malone (Western Kentucky, Conference USA), Cameron Thomas (San Diego State, Mountain West), and Jermaine Johnson II (Florida State, ACC).
Nagy also mentioned Kingsley Enagbare (South Carolina), Arnold Ebiketie (Penn State), Amare Barno (Virginia Tech), Dominique Robinson (Miami-Ohio), and Myjai Sanders (Cincinnati) as players to watch.
"Guys are going to have a really hard time getting a hand on this guy in terms of snap anticipation and his get-off," Nagy said of Sanders. "The sack numbers weren't there this year, but the pressures were. His pressure rate and volume of pressures were off the charts. … That group from top to bottom, you're going to find good pass rush help all through Day 2."
Senior Bowl on social media
The first day of Senior Bowl practices brought a lot of excitement to the NFL world, as it is the first chance for many to begin to get to know some of this year's draft prospects.
Here is what social media is saying about the first day of Senior Bowl practices.
