• Spencer Rattler's draft stock improves: The South Carolina signal-caller may have helped his stock the most of all the quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl.
• Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix are unable to separate themselves from the pack: Both showcased their talents, but inconsistencies throughout the week led to mixed results.
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Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Senior Bowl Week is in the books, and we'll now turn to what the practices and game meant for the quarterback class. Here’s a summary of how each signal-caller performed relative to expectations during Senior Bowl Week.
BO NIX, OREGON
Nix had a slow start to the week. Though his first series throwing in the WR-DB one-on-one was mostly on point, as the day went on you could tell he was just a little tight and did not have the chemistry and route repetition between himself and the wide receivers he was throwing to. Those off reps seemed to get fewer and further between as the week went on, and Nix was able to warm up, finishing the week on a high note.
But even with the accuracy issues, some of Nix's touch passes were very impressive. It wasn’t a week where Nix secured the QB1 title, but it was still a fine showing when including his in-game performance.
MICHAEL PENIX JR., WASHINGTON
Penix didn’t play in the Senior Bowl game but did give us a full three days of practice earlier in the week. He had some throws where he showed off his arm talent, specifically with velocity on throws to the sideline or throws versus zone over the middle.
The inconsistencies in accuracy and ball placement that exist in his tape were still present, at times, in his Senior Bowl practice reps. Overall, the week was fine for Penix, but it didn’t change the narrative of him one way or the other.
SPENCER RATTLER, SOUTH CAROLINA
There is a case that Rattler helped his stock the most of all the quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl. Nix and Penix had their moments, but neither was the clear top quarterback. Meanwhile, Rattler had a handful of throws each day that reminded onlookers why he was once seen as a potential first-round pick.
Consistency is still a work in progress, but if you didn't pay attention to Rattler during his time at South Carolina, you would’ve been shocked by his improved decision-making, even in practices, and by how well he throws with timing and anticipation, rather than just rely on pure arm talent once guys get open.
Rattler was named MVP of the game, going 4-of-4 with an excellent passing touchdown on the first drive of the game. Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy said before the week that the NFL is higher on Rattler than the media, which felt like a hint that he could be a Day 2 quarterback come April. His performance this week was a step in that direction.
SAM HARTMAN, NOTRE DAME
Hartman showed off his added athleticism with some nice scrambles throughout the week of practice. Whether it was in the red zone or two-minute drills, Hartman showcased that he isn’t afraid or incapable of keeping a defense honest with his mobility.
He also made impressive touch passes over the intermediate areas. But when throwing next to both Nix and Penix, it was clear his arm does not have the same level of juice.
MICHAEL PRATT, TULANE
Pratt seemed a little too amped up on Day 1 of practice. When he would miss his intended ball placement, he was consistently throwing too high. He was a bit inconsistent throughout the week but was able to settle in and gave us a handful of nice touch passes throughout the three days of practice.
That seems to be the story with Pratt. Some games of his games this past season were impressive — that of a top-50 player. But ball placement and consistency concerns are still there. He remains a good Day 2 quarterback to draft and develop with starting potential.
JOE MILTON III, TENNESSEE
Many eyes were on Milton during Senior Bowl week since he has a ton of arm talent, with the ability to throw the ball 70-plus yards. But the more powerful the arm, the more accurate you need to be.
Milton didn't ease any of the concerns about his accuracy, ball placement and touch during Senior Bowl Week, though. He made a few throws where he was able to zip it to the sideline or between zones, but there were too many reps where the ball would sail or be outside of his receiver's catch radius. One does have to be cautious of being too judgmental of quarterbacks at these events, since a lack of familiarity with the receivers is a factor. But Milton still had too many throws where he did not give his receiver a chance. He remains a preferred developmental quarterback after his Senior Bowl week.
CARTER BRADLEY, SOUTH ALABAMA
Bradley did not enter the week with the same sort of draft hype as the others in his position group, but that didn’t stop him from having a decent showing. He was off target on his few deep shots on Day 1, but he made what might have been the most impressive throw of the day in the seven-on-seven drill, delivering a fastball up the seam between tight zone coverage.
Bradley's arm wasn’t as lively as his peers' at the event, but he did show good accuracy and anticipation, especially in the short to intermediate areas.
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