Day 2 of Senior Bowl Practice Report
The second practice reveals who the movers will be in the draft process as we proceed through Senior Bowl week. Some players are having their first successful day. For a few, it confirmed that they will, at most, have a decent two of the three days.
Chau Smith-Wade, the cornerback for Washington State, was the first player on the list and, in my opinion, the first to make a play that was truly impressive. During one-on-ones, Smith-Wade ran vertically with the receiver, maintained phase, and at the last second, he turned around and made an athletic interception.
Despite his small stature (5’10” and 187 pounds), Smith-Wade showed off his ball skills on day two. I would like to see Smith-Wade get more playing time in the slot in Mobile as he has virtually exclusively played on the outside in college, but he did what was most crucial: he took advantage of his opportunities.
Brevyn Spann-Ford, one of the better blocking tight ends available in the 2024 NFL Draft, can benefit from demonstrating a little more versatility as a pass-catcher in Mobile, which he has already demonstrated.
Throughout his career, Spann-Ford has been counted on to assist in creating passing lanes for an offense that enjoys passing the ball; however, through the first two days of practice, he has also demonstrated promise as a receiver.
With a time of 16.32 mph on Day 1, Spann-Ford was the second-fastest tight end for the national team. Day two: after being grabbed, he battled through traffic to make a catch. With a strong end to the week, he could have seen an increase in his stock earlier on day three.
In 2023, Darius Robinson had a breakthrough season for a number of reasons, chief among them being his increased technical proficiency. He was able to demonstrate his pass-rush skills more thanks to playing with leads and having a stronger supporting cast on the line, but he also improved physically and with his hand usage.
For the past two days, Robinson has been destroying offensive linemen in Mobile as a run defender and pass rusher. With his physical attributes and a senior level of output to match, Robinson has positioned himself to potentially even make the first round this offseason.
Prospects from smaller schools have the chance to demonstrate their mettle in front of NFL players who they wouldn’t typically play against in the Senior Bowl. Christian Haynes of UConn has taken full advantage of his chance in Mobile this week.
Haynes has been winning his battles and facing off against a formidable defensive line group. If Haynes has another excellent practice and game day on Saturday, he will have set himself up for a meteoric rise.
