Every pre-Senior Bowl week, I do a preview scouting on each prospect attending. It’s a 30–60-minute review on each prospect (except OLs) of some of their background, looking over their college career outputs, and watching 15-20+ minutes of game tape and highlight reels, etc. It’s just the early stages of the scouting process. For many of the top names here we’ll preview again ahead of the NFL Combine and then do extensive work on many prospects after the Combine all the way through to August…on top of scouting them at the Senior Bowl week.
So, these positional preview scouting bytes…it’s a first reaction, a first handshake intro/greeting on them for us, so we can better watch/scout them all Senior Bowl week and beyond. After the Senior Bowl week, we’ll re-grade the group/update players who needed it coming out of the Mobile week, heading to the Combine week.
Here’s the post-event week grade reactions on these prospects (and some new ones added if they joined the Senior Bowl late/filled in due to injury, etc.). The next scouting set of clues on these guys is in a few weeks at the NFL Combine.
CB Marcus Jones, Houston (Post-SB scouting grade: A)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: A
SB Measurements: Did not attend (Estimate = 5’8”/185)
Post-SB Note: I think Jones realized he might be ‘bigger’ than the Senior Bowl and skipped it. Not sure he needed the Senior Bowl for his draft stock – when people see his 40-time at the Combine, it will tell the tale. The more I learn and observe about Jones, the more I love the prospect. He’s arguably the best prospect that I’ve seen in all my Senior Bowl previews and watching the actual Senior Bowl week. He’s likely to be ‘lit’ by the NFL Combine.
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Pre-SB Note: If Tyreek Hill played cornerback…this would be the outcome. Think I’m joking? 6 career kick return TDs…3 punt return TDs in four college seasons. 5 picks and 13 PDs last season. He’s ultra-fast. Ultra-agile. And he’s a hitter.
Halfway through the Senior Bowl prospect previews, he’s the most interesting/captivating prospect I’ve seen on either side of the ball.
NFL Comp? = Tyreek Hill playing slot corner or regular corner or nickel corner.
CB Alontae Taylor, Tennessee (Post-SB scouting grade: B+)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: B+…possible ‘A’
SB Measurements: 6’0.0”/196, 9.0” hands, 31.8” arms
Post-SB Note: He didn’t lose any scouting grade with me this week. I was wondering if he’d take a step towards ‘A’ but he was just quietly good and didn’t hurt himself this week. The Combine times will launch him to ‘A’ or B/C range.
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Pre-SB Note: I really liked this guy’s tape. Very good movement skills. Has length/long arms. Looks a bit skinny but will go and make nice tackles. But best of all, he has very good cover instincts to go with all the rest of the attributes. Watching him vs. Pitt/Kenny Pickett…Pickett stayed away from Taylor and went wherever he wasn’t. Smart.
NFL Comp? = Slower (but not slow) Eric Stokes. Marlon Humphrey potential?
CB Joshua Williams, Fayetteville State (Post-SB scouting grade: B+)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: B+
SB Measurements: 6’2.4”/193, 9.3” hands, 32.3” arms
Post-SB Note: The tallest CB here was not hard to ‘see’ all week. He had flashes of athleticism and length that should get him moved up to the top 100-150 prospects in short order. Many rating agencies were behind on him because he’s D3. If he clocks a nice Combine, he’s a top 100 draft pick athlete, raw as he is.
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Pre-SB Note: A great PROSPECT. A 6’2” corner with what looks like 4.4+ speed and a little nasty/grit to him…he’s a great D3 piece of clay for the NFL to mold. There are a million C/D grade cornerback prospects that are undersized for the NFL to mess with to try and develop – but there’s rare few built like Williams. He may be the kind of athlete you pay up for to see if you can train him to be an elite.
NFL Comp? = Amani Oruwariye
CB Coby Bryant, Cincinnati (Post-SB scouting grade: B+)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: C+
Estimate = 6’0”/195
SB Measurements: 6’1.3”/191, 9.2” hands, 30.5” arms
Post-SB Note: Made me a believer at the Senior Bowl week. Really tough/gritty cover guy with good athleticism, nice measurables…and he can cover and can tackle well. Pleasant surprise for me…or I just missed it the first time around.
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Pre-SB Note: Well thought of cover corner, but I think a lot of that comes from his name association with the famous LA Laker…which makes no sense, but little makes sense in NFL scouting as name, school, emotion weigh heavy on things even though it should not.
Bryant has very fast closing speed but plays very lazy otherwise…relying on his closing speed to lay back off WRs. It works a lot in college. It will be useful in the pros, but it will also leave him open to getting burned in front of him.
NFL Comp? = Plays a Marcus Peters style. Reminds me some of Caleb Farley style…looks cool when they close in on a soft pass in front of them but there’s less of that in the NFL…and they have issues with tight/press coverage all over and cutting across the middle.
CB Tariq Woolen, UTSA (Post-SB scouting grade: B)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: B-
SB Measurements: 6’3.3”/205, 8.6” hands, 33.5” arms
Post-SB Note: Measured the tallest among the CBs and with the biggest wingspan (79”). He’s a really promising cover corner at a freakish size. Had a solid week.
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Pre-SB Note: Promising WR-turned-CB…has the movement skills and long reach/size to defend passes/blanket opposing WRs. Impressive raw talent that I bet NFL scouts will drool over here.
NFL Comp? = Some Rasul Douglas
CB Mario Goodrich, Clemson (Post-SB scouting grade: B-)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: B/B-
SB Measurements: 6’0.0”/186, 9.0” hands, 30.5” arms
Post-SB Note: Was fine but I think he left the week early. Didn’t hurt or help himself this week. Small hands/arms didn’t help, so a small ding there.
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Pre-SB Note: I’ve watched preview tape on about 70% of the DBs on the Senior Bowl list…and Goodrich is the first guy I looked at, physically, and thought – this is an NFL body, this guy looks and moves like a legit NFL DB. He needs more training in coverage/he’s raw, but he has what cannot be taught – good feet, very good acceleration/closing speed and a solid, muscular frame.
NFL Comp? = Nate Hobbs, 5th-round pick 2021 by LV and NFL starter right away.
CB Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston (Post-SB scouting grade: C+)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: C
SB Measurements: 6’2”/202, 9.2” hands, 31.2” arms
Post-SB Note: He was one of the guys that kept catching people’s attention all week on various plays in 1-on-1 drills, especially. He was not ultra-consistent but did provide a lot of ‘eye candy’ movements/moments.
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Pre-SB Note: Promising length/reach, but skinny/needs to add some muscle. Has good movement skills to cover but wasn’t challenged much in FCS. Watching him Senior Bowl week will tell the tale of whether he is a ‘B’ or a ‘D’ prospect. I wasn’t overwhelmed with what I saw on my preview tape, but I am open to seeing him versus the better receivers from the D1 level.
NFL Comp? = Kevin King-ish.
CB Derion Kendrick, Georgia (Post-SB scouting grade: C+)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: C+
SB Measurements: 5’11.4”/202, 9.2” hands, 30.7” arms
Post-SB Note: Barely noticed he was there this week. He didn’t stand out good or bad.
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Pre-SB Note: ‘B’ grade CB talent but ‘D’ grade off the field stuff swirling around. Was a five-star recruit WR, converted to CB his sophomore season, and flashed for Clemson for a couple seasons at CB. He was dismissed from the team for multiple disciplinary issues/games missed in 2020 and then missed practice time in 2021 due to issues with his kids, so Kendrick says. He graduated from Clemson, then transferred to Georgia this season…and had his best year and won a national title (his 2nd title of his career).
He has NFL athleticism and size but also some question marks on his dedication to his craft. He’ll be one to watch in Mobile for sure.
NFL Comp? = Eli Apple
CB Gregory Junior, Ouachita Baptist (Post-SB scouting grade: C+)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: C+
SB Measurements: 5’11.3”/202, 9.0” hands, 31.3” arms
Post-SB Note: You can see the raw speed/athleticism but also the raw cover skills. He’s an upside prospect but still behind many of the other guys here.
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Pre-SB Note: Excellent movement skills…he can move/accelerate on a pro level it appears. Possibly a 4.3-4.4 runner. Hard to 100% know because he’s moving against D3 athletes. We need to see him vs. the better class of athlete to be sure. He might be a ‘B’ talent easily.
NFL Comp? = Chidobe Awuzie
CB Akayleb Evans, Missouri (Post-SB scouting grade: C)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: C+
SB Measurements: 6’1.7”/201, 8.7” hands, 32.4” arms
Post-SB Note: Another solid CB who just didn’t stand out for me much…not good or bad.
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Pre-SB Note: Has NFL size and movement skills and flashes some really nice press coverage/man-to-man cover skills, but his college career is marred with inconsistency and injury, but also his career is marked by QBs not wanting to throw his way.
Evans was a four-year player at Tulsa, then a grad transfer to Mizzou for 2021. He might be more ‘B’ grade than ‘C’ or ‘D’, but there’s off-field worries that could make him a C or D.
NFL Comp? = Reminds me a bit of some Marshon Lattimore.
CB Roger McCreary, Auburn (Post-SB scouting grade: C)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: C+
SB Measurements: 5’11.0”/189, 8.8” hands, 29.3” arms
Post-SB Note: Good cover skills, and the media loves him…and he was solid this week, but there are so many other better CB prospects here. And his short arms and worst in Mobile wingspan (70.6”) by over 3”+ to the next shortest. He doesn’t have top prospect size/reach.
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Pre-SB Note: He’s a top guy for many scouts. I watched him against Alabama and thought he was OK. I was not blown away one way or the other. Looks like he’s an NFL-worthy prospect. How good? We’ll see if the Senior Bowl week can change my mind…for now, I’m ‘shoulder shrug’/he’s OK.
NFL Comp? = Terrance Mitchell?
CB Jaylen Watson, Washington State (Post-SB scouting grade: C)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: C
Estimate = 6’1”/200
SB Measurements: 6’1.4”/197, 9.5” hands, 32.6” arms
Post-SB Note: Had an up and down week. There were some nice moments and then some lost in the shuffle ones. It feels like something is here, but it lacks a consistency.
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Pre-SB Note: Had some good moments against USC’s Drake London, and sometimes he got beat. Shows some promise…shows some work needs to be done. An NFL body at CB. There’s something here. We’ll see how he competes during Senior Bowl week.
NFL Comp? = Fabian Moreau hopes?
CB Joseph Kerby, Illinois (Post-SB scouting grade: C)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: C/C-
SB Measurements: 6’0.5”/200, 10.5” hands, 33.3” arms
Post-SB Note: He is showing to be a solid DB option…can be used as a CB or SAF.
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Pre-SB Note: Played safety for Illinois but has the look and feel of a cover or nickel corner, possible slot corner. Had 5 picks in 2021. He’s athletic and is an aggressive hitter. He may be a safety classification for the Senior Bowl, but I see a cover corner possibility here, so we’ll classify him as such.
NFL Comp? = Levi Wallace, Anthony Averett
CB Josh Thompson, Texas (Post-SB scouting grade: C)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: C
SB Measurements: 5’10.7”/199, 9.3” hands, 31.2” arms
Post-SB Note: Again, another corner who was solid here this week…but didn’t stand out as anything special. Just good, capable. The depth of ‘good’ or ‘useful’ corners in this draft is very deep.
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Pre-SB Note: Wasn’t much of a factor early in his college career but he really came on at the end…a good looking, solidly built corner who needs more reps/training but has plenty of base skills to work with. He’s got a chance to be a breakout player at the Senior Bowl week…good cover CBs can really shine here.
NFL Comp? = Kendall Fuller?
CB Damarri Mathis, Pitt (Post-SB scouting grade: C-)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: C+
SB Measurements: 5’10.5”/197, 8.3” hands, 31.7” arms
Post-SB Note: Scrapped all week and was solid but was not as captivating as many of the other physical specimens here.
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Pre-SB Note: Scrappy/tough cover corner with long arms and good movement skills to keep up with opposing WRs. There’s a lot to like about him, but one issue is he has poor coverage instincts…but makes up for it with aggression and athleticism but will get lost in coverage/turned the wrong way a bit too much. If he can learn his craft as he goes…there might be a legit starting corner here for the NFL in a few years. You like his mindset and tools; you can work with the rest of it. And he’s a nice hitter too…could be a free safety at some point.
NFL Comp? = Bigger Damontae Kazee.
CB Tariq Castro-Fields, Penn State (Post-SB scouting grade: F)
*Pre-Senior Bowl scouting grade: F
Estimate = 5’11”/195
SB Measurements: 6’0.4”/217, 9.5” hands, 31.8” arms
Post-SB Note: I think I saw him on the field one of the practice days. Not sure he played in the game. He just doesn’t stand out for me. So, I’ll stick with my initial impression.
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Pre-SB Note: I won’t be getting that scouting time back. What a waste. I didn’t see anything here. I don’t know how this is a Senior Bowl invitee. Maybe I missed something. We’ll see if he changes my mind at the Senior Bowl week. My first intro was ‘nothing’. Laid back cover guy who doesn’t tackle all that well.
NFL Comp? = Someone who won’t make an NFL roster.
