Day 2 of practice for the 2017 Reeseās Senior Bowl is in the books. Here are the biggest takeaways from the second day of field work in Mobile.
The second day of practice for the North and South teams at the 2017 Reeseās Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile was certainly better than the first. Both John Foxās and Hue Jacksonās teams practiced more efficiently. Many of the players that looked lost on Tuesday improved on Wednesday.
Foxās Chicago Bears staff took the field with the North team at 1:00 p.m. ET and got a solid two hours of work in. Jacksonās Cleveland Browns staff would get on the field at 4:00 p.m. ET and did what they needed to do until 6:00 p.m. ET. Here are the biggest takeaways from Wednesday, broken down by position group.
Quarterbacks
Frankly, no quarterback has separated himself from the pack just yet. For the North, Iowaās C.J. Beathard is clearly the most comfortable player under center of the six. It helps that he played in a pro-style offense for Kirk Ferentz at Iowa. Coloradoās Sefo Liufau has the best foot work, but the worst arm of the six. Pittsburghās Nate Peterman hasnāt taken control of Senior Bowl practices, but looked a cut above the rest in red zone execution. Itās not everything, but that matters to NFL scouts.
For the South, Calās Davis Webb might be front-runner at this point. The ball looks better coming out of his hands than anybody else. However, accuracy and plays under center have not been his strong suit. Tennesseeās Joshua Dobbs has a better arm than we thought, however, he does not have great accuracy in the short-game, which is problematic. Tiffinās Antonio Pipkin may have actuallyĀ had the bes day. He looked poised in his second day of practice, executing better than the rest in seven-on-seven ā Pipkin looks to be a gamer.
Running Backs
Running backs got more involved in day two. The biggest standout for the North was Toledoās Kareem Hunt. He looks to be extremely versatile as an NFL back, as he plays with both power and speed. He has good hands and will be a productive player at the next level.
For the South, two of the running backs had strong days. North Carolina Stateās Matt Dayes gets to the second level of a defense very quickly and heās got a great one-cut-and-go running philosophy. BYUās Jamaal Williams never stopped moving his feet and looks to be a runner that will fight for every inch the defense gives him.
Tight Ends
Day two wasnāt a great day to pick up on a lot from the tight end group. For the North, Florida Internationalās Jonnu Smith seems to be ahead of the curve with his blocking. Arkansasā Jeremy Sprinkle is a bit loose with his play, but seems to run well for the position.
On the South, Ole Missā Evan Engram was the best player of the position group. He showed a great ability to go vertical, as well as factor in run blocking. Alabamaās O.J. Howard dropped a few balls and wasnāt as sharp as he was yesterday.
Wide Receivers
The wide receivers group had a little bit of everything on Wednesday. For the North, Louisiana Techās Trent Taylor had another great day. Size doesnāt matter, as this guy is going to be a stud slot receiver. He has great hands, quickness and physicality. Itās starting to be obvious that Louisvilleās Jamari Staples isnāt a great practice player. The competition wavers with him, but that might be because he gives his best on game day.
For the South, LSUās Travin Dural has been the best wideout on that team this week. He can compete for playing time in the NFL day one. North Carolinaās Ryan Switzer had a miserable day, as he dropped a lot of balls and could not create separation in press man. Thatās so problematic for a likely slot receiver. Texas A&Mās Josh Reynolds may be the most talented, yet inconsistent player in the wide receivers group. Grambling Stateās Chad Williams got into a fight at the end of practice with Miami safety Rayshawn Jenkins, which the whole world saw.
Offensive Linemen
These practices tell us more about guys in the trenches than anything. The most compelling storyline heading into day two of practice was that Western Kentuckyās Forrest Lamp suffered a high ankle sprain in yesterdayās practice for the South. He wonāt practice the rest of the week and may not play in the Senior Bowl on Saturday.
The best player up front for the North was easily Western Michiganās Taylor Moton. He is a technician at right tackle. Moton is so mechanically sound, he might even start in the NFL Week 1. Bucknellās Julieān Davenport is great at the edge, but can be thwarted with a bull rush. USCās Zach Banner uses his size to his advantage, but his lack of motor is troubling. Indianaās Dan Feeney was miserable again and his stock is definitely plummeting this week. Feeney spends just about every play on the ground.
The South was overall sound as a team up front. Kentucky center Jon Toth rose to the occasion. Tennessee Stateās Jessamen Dunker looks to be very coachable. LSUās Ethan Pocic is better served as a guard than at center, as he didnāt look bad during reps at that position. That being said, Miami guard Danny Isidora was the best guy on the South team today. His feet got wide in pass protection, but he rarely got beat by the pass rush.
Defensive Linemen
Because the offensive lines for both teams looked vastly improved, there wasnāt as much to draw from either defensive line in day two. For the North, Ohioās Tarell Basham is a relentless competitor. Michiganās Chris Wormley still hasnāt found his footing in Mobile.
With the South, we could extract a bit more from the defensive line. Villanovaās Tanoh Kpassagnon continues to thrive against higher levels of competition. UCLAās Eddie Vanderdoes is so reckless, but is a delight to watch when he does get everything going. Auburnās Montravius Adams wasnāt as good as he was yesterday. Alabamaās Dalvin Tomlinson creates great pressure on the interior, while Clemsonās Carlos Watkins does not.
Linebackers
We saw some great things out of some linebackers in day two. The MVP of Senior Bowl practice day two was Templeās outside linebacker Haason Reddick. He was so explosive off the edge and nobody could stop him one-on-one. Michiganās Ben Gedeon was flying around in run stuffing for the North. Illinoisā Carroll Phillips and Youngstown Stateās Derek Rivers had their moments in the pass rush.
For the South, Alabama outside linebacker Ryan Anderson continues to put together impressive tape in the Senior Bowl. Itāll be hard to not see him off the board before the 50s in the second round. Florida inside linebacker Alex Anzalone improved his stock considerably. Health is always an issue for him, but the guy thrives in 11-on-11.
Defensive Backs
Thereās been a lot of great stuff to see in the defensive backfield. However, itās almost all with the corners. For the North, Missouriās Aarion Penton was outstanding in goal line defense, as was UConnās Obi Melifonwu. Michiganās Jourdan Lewis was close to perfect, while Iowaās Desmond King had a few noticeable lapses. West Virginiaās Rasul Douglas is a fierce competitor. Lamarās Brendan Langley does not look coachable.
However, the best defensive backs played for the South today. Tennesseeās Cameron Sutton just toyed with guys today. Heās has first-round talent, but is a mediocre player when having to compete hurt. The Tennessee tape will tell you that.
San Diego Stateās Damontae Kazee could be something very special. Heās like a rawer version of Jason Verrett for the Los Angeles Chargers. Kazee may have gotten some flags, but the guy has good hands and recovers well. Miamiās Corn Elder and Jenkins have been outclassed all week.
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Special Teams
Not a lot to take away from the special teams. Memphis kicker Jake Elliott will get drafted, but isnāt the same kicker as Arizona Stateās Zane Gonzalez. Gonzalez might even be a mid-round pick. Heās a sure thing at kicker. Clemsonās Artavis Scott might be a big special teams contributor right away. Look for him to compete for touches in the return game.