Senior Bowl 2018, Day 2 Recap: Wide receivers begin to impress

In another nice day in Alabama, the action heated up on the field, as they players had full pads on today. Competition ratcheted up both with the fat kids along with the receivers and defensive backs.

Here are some of my observations from Day 2 at the Senior Bowl.

North Practice

• The schedules flipped today, so the North team practiced first on Wednesday. The Broncos’ coaches had another opportunity to evaluate both Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen, two of the top quarterback prospects in this class. Mayfield appears to have begun to pull away from the pack, but in typical fashion, Josh Allen hit two huge throws in 1 on 1 drills that exhibited the talent that makes him such an intriguing prospect.
• Running back Kalen Ballage looked very good again today, and his raw physical talent will be enticing to NFL personnel. He’s multitalented, and was used in a bit of a peculiar manner in Tempe for the Sun Devils. Ballage’s best days could be ahead of him.
• Penn State wideout DaeSean Hamilton continued to impress on the second day and will look to parlay that momentum heading into the Senior Bowl game and the Combine. Jaleel Scott from New Mexico State also played well and displayed his impressive catching radius.
• Michigan lineman Mason Cole has continued to struggle this week, a little to my surprise. He has looked stiff in the drills and has been beaten pretty soundly. I expect the Packers to be interested in Cole, who played left tackle in 2016 and center in 2015 and 2017.
• Mike McCray of Michigan had a nice day for the linebackers. McCray also drew the praise of the Broncos linebacker coach for doing a drill correctly, after the coach directing a comment at North Dakota State’s Nick DeLuca to the effect of: “If you can’t hold a back correctly, screw the draft, maybe you should just head home.”

South Practice

• The Houston Texans and the South team had the second practice of the day and the cooler temperatures didn’t keep the athletes from raising the competition level on the field.
• Oklahoma State’s James Washington continues to show that he’s the best wide receiver here. His deep speed is effortless, despite him not having elite top end speed. He consistently soundly beat his defender in 1 on 1s.
• Central Florida tight end Jordan Akins had a really nice 1 handed catch for a touchdown in a redzone drill. He’s quietly had a solid first two days. He could be a player to watch throughout the #process.
• Humboldt State’s Alex Cappa looked solid again today. He’s solidifying himself as a likely Top 100 selection in this year’s NFL Draft. Pass protection is at a premium right now in the NFL, and Cappa has shown the ability to do so through the first two days.
• Appalachian State’s Colby Gossett and North Carolina A&T’s Brandon Parker also both had good days on the offensive line. Parker looked awful on Tuesday, so it was nice to see him play better today.
• Virginia defensive lineman Andrew Brown really flashed a couple of times today. He’s looking forward to playing three technique in the NFL after playing end in an odd front for the Cavaliers. Texas’ Poona Ford also had some nice, disruptive reps. He’s a fire hydrant.
• South Carolina State’s Darius Leonard had a nice pop on Southern Mississippi’s Ito Smith during a team drill, after which head coach Bill O’Brien called him over and said, “Nice hit, but take it easy, he’s on our team.”

Look for a big day of final action on Thursday before they prepare for the Senior Bowl game on Sunday.