Lammey: Grier, Minshew disappoint, Lock wins first Senior Bowl practice
Jan 22, 2019, 8:51 PM | Updated: 9:18 pm
The second leg of the “All-Star Road Trip” takes me to Mobile, Alabama, and the 2019 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
For 14 years in a row, I’ve made this road trip to see some of the best incoming talent to the NFL. Last year, for example, we saw first-round quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen at the Senior Bowl.
This season, I want to see if guys like Drew Lock (Missouri) and/or Daniel Jones (Duke) are able to impress enough to be selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft.
Tuesday was a busy day with the weigh-in during the early morning hours followed by media day and then the first set of practices at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Here is my first 2019 Senior Bowl practice report:
Pushing weight
The weigh-in at these all-star games is always a bit odd. Players walk across a stage wearing nothing but their underpants to get weighed and measured by scouts. Today’s weigh in at the Senior Bowl was no different.
Some players really needed to shine during this part of the process, where they stand on a stage in front of scouts in attendance. One of those players was Mississippi State defensive tackle Montez Sweat.
Measuring in at 6-foot-6, Sweat towers above the competition with his frame. Weighing in at 252 pounds was great news for Sweat. NFL scouts wanted to see if he was going to be stout enough on the edge or inside. Sweat has long arms and can get after the passer, and the number on the scale was good news for his draft stock.
Lucky No. 18
It seems like no matter which practice I watched today, the No. 18 kept making plays. In the South practice, Foster Moreau — tight end from LSU — was consistently making a positive impression. In the North practice, that No. 18 was Penny Hart — wide receiver from Georgia State.
Moreau is not the speediest player out there, but from the tight end position, he knows how to find the soft spot in the zone and get open. His wide frame makes him a big target for his quarterback, and Moreau does a good job of securing incoming passes.
Hart’s game is all about speed and quickness. As a small-school prospect, NFL scouts wanted to see how Hart would fare against tougher competition. He answered those questions in the first practice as nobody tasked with covering him could actually do that. Hart looked like a playmaker who can be utilized as a slot receiver or return man.
Broncos buzz
It’s all about Missouri quarterback Drew Lock when it comes to the Denver Broncos, and everyone in attendance was waiting for him to practice. The first practice saw quarterbacks like Will Grier and Gardner Minshew disappointing with their play.
On Tuesday afternoon, we were not disappointed with Lock.
He’s the best quarterback at the Senior Bowl this year and was quick to show why that’s the case. Lock looked comfortable out there and was zipping passes 40-plus yards despite cold and rainy weather. Known for his big arm and athleticism, Lock showed touch when throwing deep passes, dropping them in the bucket.
It’s apparent that Lock has worked to improve his footwork. He was light on his feet when going through his progressions, and his feet timed up well with the receivers working downfield to get open.
Lock showed he was the best on Tuesday, but he needs to continue to impress in order to cement his status as a first-round pick.
