• Can Bo Nix finally get the upper hand on Michael Penix Jr.?: After losing to him three times in college, Nix has an opportunity to best Penix in the Senior Bowl this week and establish himself as one of the top signal-callers in this year’s draft.
• Taliese Fuaga is the best prospect in attendance: Ranked No. 12 on our big board, Fuaga is the top prospect who’ll be in attendance at the Senior Bowl.
• Prospects who need big weeks: Penn State cornerback Kalen King can re-establish himself as a potential first-round pick with a strong showing in Mobile, Alabama.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The Reese’s Senior Bowl is one of the most important events leading up to the NFL draft. It’s the premier showcase for some of the top prospects to impress teams through drills, interviews and, of course, the game itself.
This year is the first-ever Senior Bowl where third-year players are allowed to participate, adding even more top talent to this year’s event. Here are five of the biggest storylines heading into the week ahead in Mobile, Alabama.
Will Bo Nix finally get the upper hand over Michael Penix Jr.?
After three unforgettable battles in the last two years, Nix and Penix will face off once again, this time as the top quarterbacks in attendance at the Senior Bowl. While Penix won all three of their matchups in college, Nix has a chance to get the upper hand in the pre-draft process. He’s currently the No. 4 quarterback prospect on PFF’s 2024 NFL Draft big board while Penix is fifth.
With strong showings in Mobile, both Nix and Penix can establish themselves as firm first-rounders in the draft.
What other quarterbacks stand out?
Nix and Penix aren’t the only signal-callers at the Senior Bowl who’ll have NFL teams closely watching them.
Tulane’s Michael Pratt doesn’t have a cannon but has still been one of the more accurate passers in college football over the past couple of seasons. His 17.4% uncatchable pass rate since 2022 is a top-20 mark among all FBS quarterbacks. Pratt’s currently a top-75 prospect on PFF’s big board.
South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler was once projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but a shaky last couple of years (69.7 PFF passing grade since 2022) has him with a current late-Day 2 projection. If he performs well at the Senior Bowl, both on the field and in the interview process, he can leap into second-round conversation.
The quarterback with the biggest arm both at the Senior Bowl and in the 2024 NFL Draft is Tennessee’s Joe Milton III, who claims to have once thrown a football 97 yards. While he’s got a bazooka attached to his right shoulder, he tends to be a bit sporadic with it. Milton’s 71.0 PFF passing grade in 2023 was tied for 65th among FBS quarterbacks. Still, he should wow scouts in Mobile with his lasers and moon-balls that are unrivaled in this class.
How will the juniors perform?
For the first time ever, juniors are allowed to participate in the Senior Bowl. Three of them are top-60 prospects on PFF’s big board: Miami (FL) safety Kamren Kinchens, Penn State cornerback Kalen King and Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson. All have the opportunity to move even higher up draft boards this week with strong performances.
Who are the top prospects in attendance?
There are eight prospects at the Senior Bowl who are currently ranked in the top 32 of our draft board.
- Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga (No. 12) is an absolute road-grader in the run game. His 90.9 PFF run-blocking grade this year was 4.4 points higher than the next-closest offensive tackle in college football.
- UCLA edge defender Laiatu Latu (No. 18) is coming off the highest-graded season we’ve ever seen by an FBS player (96.3).
- Nix (No. 20) earned the highest PFF passing grade of all quarterbacks in college football this season (91.3).
- Alabama edge defender Chris Braswell (No. 23) was seventh among Power Five edges this year with 56 pressures.
- Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (No. 26) has earned an 85.8 PFF coverage grade over the past two seasons, a top-30 mark among Power Five corners.
- Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan (No. 27) is one of four Power Five tackles since 2022 with top-10 PFF grades both as a pass-blocker and run-blocker.
- Penix (No. 28) has 70 big-time throws over the last two years, second to only Drake Maye among Power Five quarterbacks.
- Kinchens (No. 30) leads all FBS safeties since 2022 with 11 interceptions.
- Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey (No. 32) earned a 96.9 PFF receiving grade against single-coverage this season, which places him in the 96th percentile for FBS receivers.
Prospects who need a big week
There are several prospects who need strong showings in Mobile this week in order to quell concerns about their game.
King was a projected first-round pick entering this season after leading all FBS corners with a 93.3 PFF grade and 18.3 passer rating allowed in single-coverage in 2022. However, a 55.7 PFF coverage grade this past season has pushed him into the second round. Against a strong group of receivers at the Senior Bowl, King has a chance to re-enter the first-round conversation.
BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia was also seen as a potential first-round pick thanks to his freakish athleticism. However, he struggled as a run blocker in 2023 (52.9 run-blocking grade) and needs to flash in Mobile to regain some hype.
Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell has dominated at the Group of Five level the past couple of seasons. His 95.1 PFF grade since 2022 is over three points higher than the next-closest FBS corner. Granted, it was against the MAC. If Mitchell can continue his dominance at the Senior Bowl, especially in press coverage, he could cement himself as a first-round pick.
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