Senior Bowl Practice Preview: What to Watch for on Day 2

Day 1 of Senior Bowl practices are in the books, and I think it is safe to say it is probably a good thing we can put that one in the rearview mirror. Tuesday, we saw two incredibly sloppy practices.

Whether shaky quarterback play, offensive line failings, or wide receiver error, it was hard for the offenses to get anything going in either practice. The defenses seemed way ahead of the game almost by proxy of just being present. The good news is that it wasn’t unexpected, as this is the first time each group of guys is playing together. As I am sure you know, football is a game best played with team cohesiveness and chemistry, and while it might sound silly or far-fetched, getting a practice under everyone’s belt will work wonders in the way of improving the product on the field today.

Something as simple as understanding what the expectations are from the coaching staff will help things go smoother Wednesday, and we should get a much better feel for where everyone is at, it really is exciting.

Here are a couple things I am looking forward to watching in Wednesday’s practice. 

The Running Backs

With the practices just being shells and helmets Tuesday, we didn’t really get a real introduction to all these backs. It is impossible to fully evaluate a running back without some contact, so fingers crossed that we get some contact this time around. Guys like Dameon Pierce and Brian Robinson Jr. will only benefit from getting all the pads on and hitting. On the other hand, I am very curious to see if undersized running back Tyler Baddie is able to follow up a very nice performance Tuesday when everyone starts hitting. I will also be keeping a close eye on guys like Jerome Ford and Rachaad White in the one-on-one passing drills. These guys both look incredibly fluid and explosive and have a chance to upgrade their stock quite a bit, especially if they can do work in the passing game. 

Can Charlie Kolar Win Downfield?

Kolar seems like a very safe tight end prospect, but can he also be a high-ceiling guy? He does a bunch of stuff well and in the pass game he seemingly can get open at will within 10-15 yards of the line of scrimmage. He also catches absolutely everything. Tuesday, I thought Kolar just confirmed all of those things and especially looked comfortable working the short middle of the field. I want more though, and I do have questions about his athleticism and explosiveness and would love to see him win some reps downfield, specifically taking charge of the seam. Tight end is one of the positions where athleticism matters the most. We have very few examples of minus athletes being difference makers in the NFL at tight end. Bottom line: In a very deep class it is difficult to stand out from the pack and Kolar, along with the other tight ends here, have an opportunity to turn some heads this week. I will be watching him closely Wednesday. 

QB Reboot 

We are probably best served if we just forget Tuesday happened for the quarterbacks. It was a bad day all around for these guys and even the “standouts” only really stood out because of how rough the day was as a whole. The good moments were certainly few and far between. Wednesday is a new day though, and I am optimistic we will get much better performances all the way around. I will be looking for more throw-to-throw consistency, especially from guys like Sam Howell, Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett, who all have a chance to be high draft picks. I will also be looking for those plays that go above expected. The reality is, all of these guys should be able to make the routine and expected throws — if they couldn’t, they probably wouldn’t be at the event in the first place. I want to see someone step up and go above expected and leave us no doubt they are the guy.