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Second Chance Senior Bowl Predictions: Defense

Senior Bowl

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.

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