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By this point in the NFL draft cycle, scouts, coaches and analysts have watched all the tape that's out there on this year's class.
But that doesn't mean big boards and draft plans are set; predraft activities, from the Senior Bowl to the combine and pro days, can cause player rankings in mock drafts to move like a see-saw.
The Senior Bowl will be played Saturday, but the week of practices leading up to it showed prospects in a new light, impacting scouts and analysts on the ground and changing conventional wisdom.
Let's take a closer look at six prospects in particular who improved their draft stocks this week in Mobile, Alabama. Some even did enough to move from Day 2 to Day 1 of the draft.
You can see these prospects in action when the National Team faces the American Team at 2:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
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Early in the draft cycle, it looked like Malik Willis (B/R scouting report) had plenty of potential but didn't seem like he'd be the first quarterback selected.
B/R NFL scout Nate Tice gave Willis a 7.1 grade as a potential starter who figures to come off the board in Round 3. In mid-December, ESPN's Todd McShay had him as his No. 3 quarterback, albeit a first-rounder.
But more recently, McShay has called Willis his QB1, and his colleague Mel Kiper Jr. has the Liberty product as the first quarterback taken in his latest mock draft.
Senior Bowl practices provided more clarity on Willis' stock—and it is definitely rising.
The Liberty product had an up-and-down first practice, but by Wednesday, analysts and scouts were singing his praises. ESPN's Jordan Reid was impressed, noting Willis "was able to clean up his accuracy from Day 1" and showed off his mobility and that "the ball explodes off of his hand." Reid added that Willis "has the strongest arm of any QB in Mobile."
That will be enough for quarterback-needy teams at the front of the draft to pay attention, but there was more. Mother Nature gave Willis a chance to show what he can do in bad weather, and the former 3-star recruit delivered. Emory Hunt of CBS Sports tweeted that the 6'1", 225-pounder "seemed like the only QB playing unbothered by the elements [Wednesday]. He was excellent throwing the ball in this driving rain."
With the Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers all candidates to draft a quarterback in Round 1, Willis' stock seems firmly planted.
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Jermaine Johnson II (scouting report) had a dominant campaign at Florida State, racking up 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. So, it's only fitting that he had a standout showing in Senior Bowl practices, too.
Jon Ledyard of Pewter Report tweeted video that showed Johnson easily winning a one-on-one drill, adding, "Jermaine Johnson making money [Tuesday]. Dude looks outstanding."
B/R NFL scout Derrik Klassen had given the defensive end a 7.8 grade as a potential impact player with a second-round designation, lauding his "great ability to see blocks develop, get low and control offensive linemen with his long arms" against the run while pointing out that his pass-rush power runs "hot and cold."
But at least in Mobile, that power was hot.
Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy tweeted video of a one-on-one drill in which Johnson put Kentucky's Darian Kinnard—No. 79 on B/R's big board—on his back.
Pro Football Focus' Mike Renner tweeted that we can expect to see Johnson in first-round mocks after this week. What else could a prospect ask for after Senior Bowl week?
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Jermaine Johnson II isn't the only player who elevated his stock to Round 1 in Mobile.
Boston College's Zion Johnson (scouting report) was also on a short list of prospects Pro Football Focus' Mike Renner tweeted about as having risen into Day 1.
Heading into Senior Bowl week, the offensive lineman already had a 8.2 grade from B/R NFL scout Brandon Thorn as a Year 1 starter with a late-first or second-round designation. But his practice work seems to have placed him squarely in Round 1.
NFL.com's Chase Goodbread observed that Johnson was one of the few prospects at his position to impress during his drills. "Most of the National team OLs struggled in 1-on-1s [Tuesday]. Johnson did not. Versatile, athletic, powerful," Goodbread tweeted.
Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy also showed Johnson working on his center skills after practice. "This is what NFL scouts are looking for," Nagy noted.
Johnson was the only National offensive lineman to stay late, ESPN's Jordan Reid noted, and "he was the best player on the field [Tuesday]."
Johnson's stock was already high, but he seems to have secured his spot in the first round—as well as the extra salary that commands.
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Interior offensive lineman Dylan Parham (scouting report) was a four-year starter at Memphis, boasting 51 career starts across right tackle and both guard spots. At the Senior Bowl, he was playing both guard and center, and several analysts noted he looked good doing it.
Analyst Fran Duffy thought Parham had some "really nice reps" in Mobile. "Light feet. Really athletic," Duffy tweeted Wednesday.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler thinks Parham hasn't gotten enough publicity to this point.
"Love his knee bend, core strength, and balance in pass protection on tape. Showing the same thing during SB practice," Brugler observed Tuesday. It's always a huge boon to a prospect's draft stock when their performance at a predraft event matches their tape.
Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema also noted that while Parham was listed at 285 pounds on Memphis' official site, he showed up to Mobile at 313 pounds. That alone will help raise his stock, and he could test off the charts at the combine and at his pro day.
B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn gave Parham a 7.4 grade as a high-level backup with starting potential, amounting to a Round 3 selection. He looks to have improved on that with his performance in practice this week.
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Regarded as the No. 2 tight end in this class, Colorado State's Trey McBride (scouting report) already had a high ceiling coming into Senior Bowl week. But he's elevated it with his performance in Mobile.
B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice had given McBride a 7.7 grade as a potential impact player in Round 2, with a pro comparison to Hunter Henry. But for a team in need of a pass-catching tight end, McBride is showing his value as a late-Round 1 pick.
Blue Chip Scouting's Nick Price considers McBride his top tight end, calling the former Ram's Senior Bowl practices "stellar." Price was especially impressed by this contested catch in the rain, as were multiple other analysts on the ground in Mobile.
RosterWatch summed it up best: "Jeez Trey McBride catches everything."
After McBride's standout play this week in Mobile, Bleacher Report's Ian Kenyon thinks he has secured a selection in the top 40.
Draft Countdown's Shane P. Hallam thinks McBride's ceiling is even higher. The tight end "really brought it today at the Senior Bowl practice," Hallam tweeted Wednesday. "Some great contested catches, flashing what makes him a potential first round pick."
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Heading into Senior Bowl week, Kingsley Enagbare (scouting report) was one of many talented edge-rushers who figured to hear his name called later on Day 2. B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen gave him a grade of 7.3 as a high-level backup/potential starter with a Round 3 designation, lauding his "above-average explosiveness" and "excellent length."
But after an impressive showing in Mobile, the South Carolina product might have earned a selection early on Day 2.
Kyle Youmans of Talkin' Cowboys was struck by Enagbare's strength in the competition period, when he overpowered San Diego tight end Daniel Bellinger. Youmans tweeted, "The form and fight from Bellinger was there, but Enagbare just had too much strength for him."
NFL Network's Ben Fennell relayed that of players with 250 pass-rush attempts in 2021, Enagbare had the second-best win rate, according to Pro Football Focus College.
Back in Mobile, PFF's Mike Renner observed that while Enagbare "may not have the most diverse move set ... the dude has 35" arms and can play LOW."
With his impressive performance this week, the 6'4", 265-pound Enagbare, who comes in at No. 81 on B/R's big board, has given himself a chance to come off the board in Round 2.
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6 Prospects Flying Up NFL Draft Boards After Senior Bowl Week - Bleacher Report
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