Senior Bowl: An emerging cornerback and an Ivy League WR could be worth a Broncos look

Click here for the National team report from Tuesday!

MOBILE, Ala. — On a day where the Broncos’ draft focus turned away from the first round, the first practice of Senior Bowl week offered some potential answers — especially up front, where the Broncos could face looming needs on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

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CECIL: One of the best players at this game regardless of position is Kansas State CB Julius Brents. He’s a tall corner, measuring 6-feet-3. I like his length which helps him with recovery down the field. Brents has good speed, but he’s not as fast as Tariq Woolen (a player I saw here last year). I like the way Brents played the ball today. He was flagged with one pass interference penalty, but I think the call was bogus – or at least should have been on the receiver. Brents picked off the pass and had plenty to say about it afterwards.

Some players get open with ease, and that’s how I describe Virginia WR Don’tayvion Wicks. I saw Wicks get open multiple ways on Tuesday. Wicks is a player who insane body control. That’s what helps him get open with sharp cuts or with spin moves at the stem of his route. He has no problem spinning after planting his foot in the ground to get to the open spot of the field. I also saw Wicks make a defender fall down by using his leverage against him, and it led to a wide-open touchdown.

This is a great year for tight ends, and we’ve seen a couple of standouts at the position so far here at the Senior Bowl. Miami TE Will Mallory is a player I want to see more of after one day. Mallory is a smooth athlete, and I like the way he looks in passes on the run. He can naturally gather in the pass, turn to run, and make defenders miss without missing a beat. It seems like he’s not reacting to what the defender is doing but rather controlling a defender on a string.

I thought former Broncos LB Todd Davis was on the field when I watched Sacramento State’s Marte Mapu on Tuesday. Like Davis (a Sacramento State alum), Mapu looks like a smart player who is always around the ball. Watching him play, sometimes he moves like an offensive player in coverage. Not only that, but he seemed to have smooth hands when going through drills and practicing running after an interception. I love the Senior Bowl when it finds small-school gems like Mapu.

Another tight end at this game who had a great performance on Tuesday will be a familiar name — last name anyway — to Broncos Country. Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave, nephew of former Broncos offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, is one of the best tight ends in this class. He’s an athletic player who looks smooth with the ball in his hands. I saw him slip on a route, but still have the athleticism to get up to complete the route and catch the ball on time within the structure of the play.

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MASE: Cecil and I have a shared love of prospects from lower levels arriving on this stage and exploding onto the scene. My favorite from the American team practice was Princeton wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, the best route-runner I’ve seen in the last few days. He had a dominant 1-on-1 period, highlighted by a deep reception set up when he faked an out route, caught Miami (Fla.) CB Tyrique Stevenson off-balance and then sprinted past Stevenson’s inside shoulder for a deep reception. Iosivas also has excellent body control, keeping himself in-bounds for a tightrope catch near the sideline. He is an intriguing blend of length and route-running skill.

No defensive lineman operated with more power than South Carolina Zacch Pickens, who was the standout of the 1-on-1 lineman drills. Offensive linemen couldn’t handle Pickens’ bull-rush, and at one point he pushed Oklahoma OL Nick Broeker down to the turf.

Tennessee OT Darnell Wright looked the part for most of the day. Most of his repetitions saw him capably control the flow of his one-on-one engagement, and he plays with violent hands. But Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald used his speed to work past Wright, neutralizing the advantage of Wright’s hand work.

McDonald weighed in at 241 pounds. All of his moves are tied to speed, quickness and bend. But he also fared well in coverage.

As for the punting period, Rodgers’ Adam Korsak had a tough day. Although his distance was all right — ranging from 43 to 54 yards with a gross average of 47.8 yards — five of his eight hang times were under 4.00 seconds.

Also struggling in that period was Houston returner Nathaniel Dell, who muffed two punts. Kicker Jack Podlesny (Georgia) went 4-of-5 on placekicks from 33 to 52 yards.

At about that time, the phone rang. White smoke puffed from the roof of UCHealth Training Center — metaphorically speaking, of course. And at that moment, examination of potential first-rounders became futile. Fortunately, the Senior Bowl has plenty of mid-round prospects who fit neatly in the Broncos’ sights.

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TOP-FIVE AMERICAN PLAYERS:

CECIL

1. CB Julius Brents, Kansas State
2. WR Don’tayvion Wicks, Virginia
3. TE Will Mallory, Miami (Fla.)
4. LB Marte Mapu, Sacramento State
5. TE Luke Musgrave, Oregon State

MASE

1. WR Andrei Iosivas, Princeton
2. IDL Zacch Pickens, South Carolina State
3. CB Julius Brents, Kansas State
4. OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee
5. EDGE Will McDonald IV, Iowa State

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