Today’s Best Bets
Sam Choudhury
It’s the most exciting time of the year. Though there’s still some football left to be played to conclude the 2021 NFL season, the offseason – and most importantly draft preparation – is in full swing for most teams. Most of, if not all 32 teams will have representatives down in Mobile, Alabama this week where they’ll have a chance to get up close and personal with more than 100 of the nation’s top collegiate senior players. FTN will also have the privilege of getting a close look.We’re sending a full team down, including myself. With practices set to kick off this week let’s take a look at four things I’ll be keeping a close eye on.
Preface: It ‘s important to note that while Senior Bowl week (practices and game) can be a valuable tool in evaluation, what we see this week cannot replace what we have seen (or not seen) from these players over the past four years. I personally like to use this week as a way to discover new information or reveal part of the story that may be missing. One of my favorite examples of this was from the 2019 Senior Bowl. Ohio State wide receiver Terry McClaurin had a moderately productive senior season, notching more than 700 yards and 11 touchdowns in a high-powered offense. However, most of his production that year came on simple crossing routes, go-balls, and schemed throws. He was rarely pressed and didn’t put a ton on tape that suggested he had overly refined WR skills other than his outstanding athletic ability. Fast forward to his week in Mobile and he absolutely owned the week. He demolished his defensive back counterparts while demonstrating remarkably crisp route running with an extensive release package. Senior Bowl week helped paint a more clear picture of what McClaurin would be bringing NFL teams. I’ll be on the lookout for similar revelations this year.
How will small-school WRs Romeo Dobbs and Jalen Tolbert adjust to the level of competition?
Both of these guys have fantastic tape from 2020 and 2021. In most of the games they played, they absolutely nuked their competition and racked up a litany of jaw-dropping plays. For the most part though, their competition won’t be playing on Sundays in the future. This week will be huge for them and similar to my story about McClaurin (although they come from much smaller programs), they both have a chance to help paint a clearer picture of what they bring to the table. The Senior Bowl rosters are stacked full of excellent defensive backs from around the country that will pose exactly the challenge they need to prove themselves. In my opinion, after the top tier of WRs in this draft class, the second tier is wide open. This is as real of an opportunity as it gets.
Will a quarterback set himself apart from the pack?
It’s no secret at this point that my favorite quarterback in this year’s draft is North Carolina’s Sam Howell, with Liberty’s Malik Willis a close second. That doesn’t mean the NFL agrees with me. No matter how much I like Howell, the fact is that most seem to think this class doesn’t have a true franchise quarterback, at least not yet. This week could change that. Almost all of the top QB prospects are participating. It just so happens that the Detroit Lions, one of the teams coaching this week, need a long-term answer at QB and will certainly have their eye on all six of the quarterbacks in town. The Lions also have two first-round picks in the upcoming draft and will have multiple opportunities to grab anyone that sets themselves apart.
Is Dontario Drummond the real deal?
The Ole Miss WR might just be one of the most underrated players in this class. In 2020, Drummond displayed precise route-running and a sophisticated release game at the line of scrimmage while playing mostly on the outside. He consistently showed the ability to win downfield. In 2021, Drummond moved to primarily a slot role, filling in for Elijah Moore. While he certainly had a productive season in that role, he did so without really having to win a whole lot of 1-v-1s. I’m looking forward to seeing him in the 1-v-1 drills this week so that he can showcase his route-running ability again and wonder if he can establish himself as a polished, versatile, inside-out WR prospect.
How will Jerome Ford look in passing drills?
The Cincinnati running back had a phenomenal senior season in his first real opportunity to be the lead back. In the run game, he possesses most of the traits you look for in a guy who can carry the load. He’s big and lightning fast with good vision and the ability to create yards. However, we didn’t see a ton of reps from him in the passing game. If he can show that he can play in that part of the offense too, he has the chance to be one of the first running backs selected come April.
