Senior Bowl 2020 notebook: Trench players boosting stock

2020 Senior Bowl practices are coming to a close. Jason Strowbridge and many other trench players have elevated their stock in a big way this week.

The 2020 Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL doesn’t feature quite as much star power as the past couple of years, but there are some building blocks to be found in this class and potentially a handful of first-round picks on both sides of the ball.

As the week comes to a close, who has managed to stand out the most? Whose stock is rising substantially over the course of this process?

Obviously, nobody gets to the Senior Bowl without an impressive resume. Jim Nagy and his scouting staff do a tremendous job of picking the players to be at this event. Still, some guys have an opportunity to prove themselves as legit top 50 guys. Or maybe someone can go from a possible Day 2 pick to a guaranteed Day 2 pick with a great week in Mobile.

There’s no doubt that some of the drills allow for a lot more glorification of guys in the trenches at practice, and that’s where the most money has been earned this week.

Jason Strowbridge shows out again

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1220071933397610496

Jason Strowbridge capped off a stellar four-year career with the North Carolina Tar Heels by getting an invitation to the Senior Bowl, and he’s capitalized in a big way.

Some scouts and analysts have been high on Strowbridge throughout and before the Senior Bowl process and others are going to have to go back to find out what they missed about this guy, because he’s been doing things like you see in the video above all week during practices.

At 6-foot-4 and 267 pounds, Strowbridge is ideal to play as a 4-3 defensive end or even a 3-4 EDGE rusher in certain packages.

A number of guys are also coming off of the end of their college season, and their playing weight is often much lower than their listed weight or offseason weight because they’re not spending nearly as much time in the weight room. At UNC, he was listed at 285, for what that’s worth.

We’re seeing positional versatility from him this week and an ability to win in a variety of ways. ESPN’s Todd McShay said on the broadcast that he feels Strowbridge is a top-100 player.

Jordan Love establishing first-round stock

Throughout the season, Jordan Love struggled and underachieved at Utah State by most standards.

That will happen when you’re watching a guy with a really critical eye because Love had such a great sophomore season for the Aggies before his down year as a junior.

As a fourth-year junior, he’s gotten the chance to put his skills on display at the Senior Bowl, and while the fanfare here is not tremendous, this is a player too many people are talking about as a top 15 selection. Still, the talk is telling.

The Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Chargers and other teams needing a quarterback beyond the Cincinnati Bengals will likely show interest in.

Love has vast potential and has shown more than just glimpses of his talent at Senior Bowl practices. There is too much first-round smoke for there not to be a fire somewhere.

Josh Jones in top 32 discussion

If your team needs help at wide receiver or on the offensive line, you’re in luck.

This is one of the most talent-rich classes at receiver, tackle, and interior offensive line in some time.

One of the many players who should be under consideration for a first-round pick at the offensive tackle position? Houston’s Josh Jones.

The physical and athletic talent with Jones is obvious, but he’s been more than an athlete at the tackle position. He’s shown off what he can do with his strong hands, length, footwork, and pass protection abilities.

We’ve seen all four of Mekhi Becton (Louisville), Jedrick Wills (Alabama), Tristan Wirfs (Iowa), and Andrew Thomas (Georgia) as the top offensive tackle in this class from one analyst or another, and while Jones hasn’t reached those heights, he could very well be an OT1 caliber prospect in many other draft classes. Some team might be able to sneak him in the latter portion of the first round.