On day three of the Senior Bowl, the trenches were the place to watch

Senior Bowl practice was moved inside on Thursday even though the downpour of rain stopped overnight. The field conditions inside the South Alabama practice facility were perfect – outside in the stadium not so much, and that’s why the offense seemed to bounce back after struggling at times on Wednesday.

The first two days have featured excitement on both sides of the ball. The third day at these all-star games is where a player can cement what he’s shown or create further questions for scouts to look into – both positively and negatively.

Needless to say, Thursday is an important day at the Senior Bowl. After this, most everyone leaves as very few scouts and media stay for the game coming up on Saturday. Thursday is the day where players can put an exclamation point on what they’ve done during the week.

Here is my day three report from the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

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Broncos Like the Pass Rushers

Talking to sources here at the Senior Bowl, I’ve gathered the Broncos like what they’ve seen from the pass-rushers in Mobile. That would make sense given the fact the Broncos need help at the position. With Von Miller traded away in 2021 and Bradley Chubb in a contract year, the team is thin at one of the most important positions in football.

There are many different types of pass-rushers here at the Senior Bowl. You have huge prospects who can play defensive end or defensive tackle. You also have smaller prospects who can bring speed off the edge from the outside linebacker position. What kind of pass-rusher are the Broncos looking for? Without a hire at defensive coordinator (yet), it’s difficult to tell which direction they’ll go in.

I do like what I’ve seen from edge DeAngelo Malone from Western Kentucky. While I think the era of the 240-ish pass-rusher is done, Malone could be one player who carries that torch in the future. He’s around 245 to 250 pounds and gets off the line in a hurry. Once he’s even with the tackle on the outside, Malone can “bend and burst” around the corner to get to the quarterback.

.⁦@WKUFootball⁩’s DeAngelo Malone blows up Southern Utah OL Braxton Jones.#seniorbowl pic.twitter.com/cbbs9TJJ7E

— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) February 3, 2022

I’m not sure if the Broncos will have the No. 9 overall pick in the first round. If they do, then perhaps they’ll go with a pass-rusher. However, if that pick is dealt away as part of the package for Aaron Rodgers, I think pass-rusher will be on their list in the second round – and I like those prospects who will potentially be there for the Broncos to choose from. Malone is currently projected to be a mid-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

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Right Tackle Needed… For Now

In addition to pass-rushing help, I have heard the Broncos are looking for offensive line help down here at the Senior Bowl. The best offensive tackle at this game is a player I’ve watched closely all week, Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning. A star at the FCS level, Penning has shown that he can hang against the best seniors in the nation from much larger programs.

Not only can Penning hang with these guys, but he also shows a lot of fight after most reps. Literally, Penning was pushing guys around after reps and showing that aggression that teams love. He didn’t go overboard, but Penning showed that he is physical and will not back down from a challenge.

It was fun to watch him during the week of practice, especially because he got better as the week went on. On Tuesday, Penning did let Florida State defensive end Jermaine Johnson (one of my favorites in this game) get by him in drills. By the time Thursday rolled around, Penning wasn’t letting any of that happen.

The Broncos could use Penning as their right tackle in 2022 if they drafted him. A left tackle in college, Penning certainly has the size as he measures in at 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds. He could make the transition as many left tackles in college do. However, he could make the move back to left tackle in a year or so – with the Broncos.

Yes, Garett Bolles is their current left tackle, but he may regress with o-line coach Mike Munchak getting replaced on the staff. Bolles is under contract through the 2024 season, but there is a potential out in his contract after the 2022 season. Bolles has $29 million remaining in dead money in 2022, but that number drops to only $8 million in 2023.

If Penning (or another tackle drafted with a premium pick) starts at right tackle and impress – while Bolles struggles or regresses – then perhaps a move would be in order. No matter what happens, it’s wise for teams to have versatility in their offensive tackles – something that Penning and others at the Senior Bowl provide.

Trevor Penning plays nasty in every drill lmao. He's doing his best to start a fight pic.twitter.com/qcMWWQrg5Z

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) February 3, 2022

There are many prospects who begin their pro careers on the right side only to be later moved to left tackle. A lot of the time, NFL teams want a young tackle to get used to the speed and discipline of the pro game before putting him in there as a blind-side protector for the quarterback.

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Wide Receiver Day!

With the practice moved indoors, the wide receivers made plays they couldn’t on Wednesday in the torrential rain. It seemed like play after play we saw receivers making ankle-breaking moves and big catches. In one-on-one drills, these wide receivers were having a heyday and the videos of them doing so went viral during the day – well, viral for those watching for NFL Draft and Senior Bowl news.

A receiver that has been outstanding all week long is Calvin Austin from Memphis. He’s a smaller receiver, measuring in at just 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds but his game is all about electricity. Austin can make defenders look silly when he makes his break and has an array of moves to help him get open. He’s a more nuanced route-runner than other rookies coming into the NFL, and Austin is fantastic after the catch as well because of his speed and quickness.

One of my favorite things about Austin is that he does not waste time or motion when getting off the line of scrimmage. He’s bound for the slot in the NFL, and he’s going to be put in motion a lot so he will get a clean release. However, at the Senior Bowl, you saw Austin’s intent of getting to his spot quickly. Too many times you will see a receiver dance and juke while not moving much off the line of scrimmage – think of Jerry Jeudy here. That looks awesome in drills, but in games a good quarterback will come off a receiver who does not quickly get open. Passing offenses are all about timing, and when a receiver wastes time getting off the line then the passer goes to the next player in his progression. You don’t see any of that wasted time with Austin – and that will help him at the pro level.

WHEW CALVIN AUSTIN!

If you’re using him in the red zone, this is exactly how he needs to win. Elite speed and quickness when he gets space. He’s gotten better as the week has gone on.@MemphisFB @seniorbowl pic.twitter.com/0FHx4l5E2F

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) February 3, 2022

The group of wide receivers here at the Senior Bowl is intriguing, and you’ve got value picks and potential stars all over the board – not just in the top round or two. It’s a pass-happy league, and we’ve had some great wide receiver classes in recent years with superstars like Justin Jefferson (2020) and Ja’Marr Chase (2021) catapulting themselves to the top of the ranks. This Senior Bowl does not have those type of instant impact receivers, but there is still quality talent at the position here this week. Austin is a player the Broncos could get in the mid rounds and help out as a reserve receiver and return man for them.

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Quarterback Ticker

Everyone wants a near-constant update on the quarterbacks here at the Senior Bowl. I get it. Five of the top six quarterbacks are here in Mobile, and they are jockeying for position in the first round daily – well, at least a couple of them are. I feel the best quarterbacks here have been (in order) Malik Willis from Liberty, Kenny Pickett from Pittsburgh and Carson Strong from Nevada. Behind those two have been Desmond Ridder from Cincinnati and Sam Howell from North Carolina.

Willis has been the talk of the town, and he may have moved himself into a top-five pick this week. The team that is coaching him at the Senior Bowl, the Lions, have the No. 2 overall pick and could desperately use a quarterback not named Jared Goff. His arm strength is phenomenal, and teams already know he’s a threat as a runner because of the film he put up at Liberty.

Pickett is the most consistent of all the quarterbacks here. Perhaps his “wow” plays are missing as much as Willis or Strong, but this kid can play. He’s steady, he does not feel pressure and Pickett does a good job of scanning to make full field reads. Strong has a strong arm and showed a little more mobility than I gave him credit for on film. That’s exactly what he needed to do this week, especially since pure pocket passers are a dying breed in the NFL.

Ridder has everything you want in a quarterback, but it looks like he’d need some development in the pros before he’s ready to start. He didn’t make NFL decisions in college, and there are times when he won’t go after an NFL window and instead look for guys who are more open. He’s let it rip a few times this week, and that gives you confidence that talent is there with more coaching.

Howell might be the best deep thrower in this class, but when he goes through his progressions it needs to be faster. His feet are not tied to his eyes, and even in these drills where he can’t be sacked it seems like he rushes things at time mechanically. At one time, Howell was seen as a potential no.1 overall pick so perhaps someone will get a value in him as he should slip in this draft.

.⁦@LibertyFootball⁩ QB Malik Willis to ⁦@Vol_Football⁩ WR Velus Jones on the in-cut. #seniorbowl pic.twitter.com/tsWv7JkClP

— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) February 3, 2022

Anything can happen in the NFL draft, so nothing is set in stone, but it looks like we’ve already established who will be top picks and who may fall to the second round – or further in the 2022 NFL draft. At the Senior Bowl, Willis, Pickett and Strong have flashed starter’s ability. All three of them are seen as players who could start as rookies and have upside to develop into quality players. Yes, some development is needed by all of them but that’s where they rank after this week of practice.

Ridder and Howell are not in that group. We could see both of them fall to the second day of the draft – and who knows how far that fall could be. They should go in the second round – again, this is a quarterback-desperate league – but we’ve seen players fall further than we thought in the pre-draft process (see guys like Drew Lock or Matt Barkley).

Follow @CecilLammey