A few weeks ago, Shane and I predicted who would make the Senior Bowl roster. We are a little over .500 right now. Most of the players we missed on were simply because they weren’t on our radar. Others were on our scopes but hadn’t seen enough to form a concrete opinion on. We also were making guesses at a 110-player roster that we now know will be in the 130-prospect range.
With the overall depth of the class, this will allow for more opportunities for players to boost their respective draft stocks. Also, there may be graduating juniors who will be eligible if they declare and may take these last few spots, but I’m not at liberty to know who is graduating and if they will declare.
This is also a prediction and not who I personally would choose if I were running the Senior Bowl. Each list would look different if based on my personal evaluations and who I think is the “best” at each position. The Senior Bowl generally does a great job of balancing that with potential draft capital and what players NFL teams are interested in seeing.
See Shane’s offensive projections HERE
*=invite confirmed but not formally accepted yet
DEFENSIVE LINE (22 TOTAL)
Invitations accepted (15)
Jeremiah Moon, Florida
DeAngelo Malone, Western Kentucky
Logan Hall, Houston
Josh Paschal, Kentucky
Michael Clemons, Texas A&M
John Ridgeway, Arkansas
Travis Jones, UConn
Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma
Dominique Robinson, Miami (OH)
Zachary Carter, Florida
Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State
Amare Barno, Virginia Tech
Esezi Otomewo, Minnesota
Boye Mafe, Minnesota
Second Chance Projections (7)
Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina
Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State
Phidarian Mathis, Alabama
Devonte Wyatt, Georgia
Haskell Garrett, Ohio State
Sam Williams, Mississippi
Neil Farrell Jr., LSU
Kingsley Enagbare and Jermaine Johnson are no-brainers here as I project that they both will be selected in the first two rounds. Devonte Wyatt is a potential first-round selection on the interior. Haskell Garrett and Neil Farrell are both collegiate underachievers that the NFL probably views more highly than I do. Farrell also played his high school ball locally in Mobile and that always helps. Phidarian Mathis has flashed this season and should get in as well. Sam Williams has more sacks than anyone else in the SEC and is one of the best in the nation. His production and skill set should see him go off the board in the first three rounds.
**Please note** Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson and Georgia’s Jordan Davis are both eligible to play. However, I am projecting they will sit out the All-Star circuit***
Just Missed
Keir Thomas, Florida State; Ali Fayad, Western Michigan; Isaiah Thomas, Oklahoma; Marquan McCall, Kentucky; Tyree Johnson, Texas A&M; Jayden Peevy, Texas A&M; Dante Stills, West Virginia.
LINEBACKERS (14 TOTAL)
Invitations accepted (11)
Mike Rose, Iowa State
Aaron Hansford, Texas A&M
Devin Lloyd, Utah
Jeremiah Gemmel, North Carolina
Darrian Beavers, Cincinnati
D’Marco Jackson, Appalachian State
Chad Muma, Wyoming
Terrel Bernard, Baylor
Damone Clark, LSU
JoJo Domann, Nebraska
Jessie Luketa, Penn State
Second Chance Projections (7)
Channing Tindall, Georgia
Quay Walker, Georgia
DeMarvion Overshown, Texas
The two Georgia backers were locks for me. They are both prototypical NFL linebackers with great tape and production. Overshown is the high upside, scheme-diverse player I think the NFL will want to see in Mobile.
Just Missed
Merlin Robertson, Arizona State; Zakoby McClain, Auburn; Ventrell Miller, Florida.
CORNERBACKS (14 TOTAL)
Invitations accepted (14)
Akayleb Evans, Missouri
Marcus Jones, Houston
Joshua Williams, Fayetteville State
Tariq Castro-Fields, Penn State
Coby Bryant, Cincinnati
Cam Taylor-Britt, Nebraska
Roger McCreary, Auburn
Damarri Mathis, Pittsburgh*
Joshua Thompson, Texas
Alontae Taylor, Tennessee
Tariq Woolen, UTSA
Jaylen Watson, Washington State
Tariq-Castro Fields, Penn State
Mario Goodrich, Clemson
Second Chance Projections (0)
Some of these corners will likely double as safeties during the Senior Bowl practices. This is why I went with 14 corners as the final number and only ten safeties.
Just Missed
None
SAFETIES (10 TOTAL)
Invitations accepted (7)
Jaquan Brisker, Penn State
Leon O’Neal, Texas A&M
Sterling Weatherford, Miami (OH)
Yusuf Corker, Kentucky
Jalen Pitre, Baylor
Tycen Anderson, Toledo
Bryan Cook, Cincinnati
Second Chance Projections (3)
Chris Smith, Georgia
Quentin Lake, UCLA
Smoke Monday, Auburn
Smith is one of 8-9 Georgia defenders that could be selected within the first 100 picks of the 2022 NFL Draft. Quentin Lake has NFL bloodlines and his play has really taken off in the back half of the 2021 season. I went back and forth between Smoke Monday and South Carolina’s Jaylan Foster. Foster has been the much better player in 2021 but I went with the Auburn player to juice the box office a little.
Just Missed
Jaylan Foster, South Carolina; Kolby Harvell-Peel, Oklahoma State; Isaiah Pola-Moa, Southern Cal.