It’s the third and final day of practices at the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl for the American Team down in Mobile, Alabama. Which means another day of covering the risers and fallers from each Senior Bowl squad.
There were plenty of guys who rode the momentum from their first two days of practice. There were also those that turned it on after the rust of inactivity from the end of their college seasons finally dissipated.
Lastly, and unfortunately, we do have those who either didn’t live up to the billing or, worse, fell even further with their subpar performance on the final day of practice.
Senior Bowl Risers: Day Three
Jammie Robinson, Florida State
Robinson had another great day of coverage today. He was constantly around the football in team and red-zone drills. There was a play where he ranged from the middle of the field to the hash and almost intercepted the football (Darius Rush ended up with the interception) and it was telling about his improvement as a center field safety.
He showed a lot better range and man-coverage ability than he did at Florida State. Look for him to make a play or two on Saturday during the 2023 Senior Bowl game for the American team.
Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
Well, it happened. As soon as Hutchinson’s play was in question, he proceeded to show up and show out in day three. He was making contested catches and creating easy separation against everyone. Any rust that he had from the first two days has been completely knocked off, and I can’t wait to see how he performs in the game Saturday
Darius Rush, South Carolina
Rush had a couple of flashes the first two days but it all culminated on day three. He was sticky in both one-on-ones and team reps. He was physical at the top of routes and repeatedly beat receivers to the spot. That led to two interceptions and multiple pass deflections. Rush has been an up-and-down guy, but today he put it all together and left a great impression.
Don’Tayvion Wicks, Virginia
Wicks has been a solid guy all week, but he really put it together today. He repeatedly was getting early separation and showcased a really diverse package of releases. From step-back releases to two- and three-step releases, he kept defensive backs guessing from the snap of the ball to the top of the break. He did a great job giving his quarterbacks an easy target.
John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
Raise your hand if you’ve heard this before: John Michael Schmitz has completely dominated the Senior Bowl. He’s shown unreal anchoring ability and fantastic play strength at the center position. He simply has been the best offensive lineman at the 2023 Senior Bowl this season.
Aubrey Miller, Jr., Jackson State
Miller, Jr. has shown so much physicality throughout this week, but he hadn’t put it all together yet. Today, he continuously brought the energy in every one of his reps. He impressed with his motor while coming downhill and his ability to get into the backfield in the run game.
Tyjae Spears, Tulane
I refuse to go three days without saying how much Tyjae Spears has shown his explosiveness and raised his stock. He has been one of the more consistent running backs in the fact that he is a threat to score whenever he touches the football.
He still has some struggles with pass blocking but you can see the strides he’s taking as a receiver. He is constantly improving and I do hope to see even more improvement at the game on Saturday.
Senior Bowl Fallers: Day Three
Max Duggan, TCU
Please do not be fooled by whatever may be talked about, Max Duggan has not been good throughout this week. Duggan has looked shaky this entire week and it has looked no better today. He repeatedly overthrew receivers and missed layup throws that, yet again, he was expected to hit throughout the week. I hope that on Saturday he shows more in front of the scouts, but he did not do well throughout this week. At all.
Anthony Johnson, Jr., Virginia
After having a really good day yesterday, Johnson, Jr. really had an off day today. He was far too handsy throughout the day and was getting beat at the top of routes too easily. Johnson didn’t win many of his reps in one-on-ones and struggled keeping up with receivers in both team and red-zone today.
Isaiah Land, Florida A&M
The coaching staff for the American team seemed to not like Land at EDGE and had him playing in off-ball linebacker all day. While this may not be an omen for his NFL projection, it is something to watch as he goes through the draft process.
He clearly looked uncomfortable at the position but, in his defense, it was a snap decision and a new experience for the Florida A&M product. It will be interesting to see if NFL teams are going to want to do the same throughout his process.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some final notable names for the American team here at the 2023 Senior Bowl. Zacch Pickens had another really good day in team drills and got good penetration in the middle of the line. Byron Young (Tennessee) was another guy who dominated in team drills as he beat guys to the spot very easily. Derick Hall had another day where he showed his strength and that coveted long arm in team drills.