MOBILE, Alabama – The Senior Bowl is underway as the league gets an intimate look at the upcoming stars of the 2025 NFL Draft class. On day one, it was all about competition and install, as the National team took the field first, then the American team followed in the afternoon.
Here are some of the top observations from practice:
TJ Sanders (South Carolina) and Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) each entered the day under the microscope on their interior defensive line play, being two of the higher-rated players in the event. They lived up to the hype and certainly looked the part. Sanders had a more complete day, single-handedly wrecking the team period and putting up some fight in the one-on-one reps. While Nolen put together a strong day, but only tallied a few pressures and was washed out of the fold a few times. (Kyle Youmans)
My favorite player of the day was Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa. He measured in at 6'1, 226 pounds with a 78-inch wingspan and looked the part from the stands too. He filled his gaps well in the run game during the 11 on 11 period. What I was most impressed with was how well Bassa closed against Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, who is known for his speed. Bassa made up three or four yards of ground and broke a good pass up on the sideline. He had a very strong day all around. (Tommy Yarrish)
It was a tough day for the secondary in one-on-one drills, especially in the first practice that featured the National team. Receivers were dicing up cornerbacks and were wide open on most of the reps. However, they bounced back in a big way through team drills. Forcing plenty of check downs to tight ends and underneath routes that weren't extremely open either. One name to keep an eye on at cornerback is Kentucky's Maxwell Hairston. He put together the most consistent first practice in the secondary and could build on that this week. (Kyle Youmans)
It was a good practice for edge rushers out of Texas, as Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart and Texas' Barryn Sorrell caught my eye. Stewart had the best rep of the day on a straight bull rush where he made easy work of Kansas OL Logan Brown, drawing "Ooo's" and "Ahhh's" from the crowd. Sorrell, who I considered to be a better defender against the run, was better than I thought he would be as a pass rusher too. (Tommy Yarrish)
There were some concerns about how fast Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery is able to move his feet, but in the first Senior Bowl practice it wasn't an issue at all. Ersery simply used his strength to overpower opposing defenders and didn't give up any pressures from what we saw in 1 on 1's. That's not to say the concerns about Ersery's foot quickness are null and void, but he impressed today. (Tommy Yarrish)
In a loaded running back class, this week could be especially beneficial for some talented runners to stand out. Two of which did so on day one, with Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State) and Jarquez Hunter (Auburn). Each player measured in well once arriving in Mobile, then showcased burst and lateral ability that jumped out even in a non-contact practice. Dallas is certainly in the market for a running back. Meaning, if they don't draft one early, these are some names that could be on the radar. (Kyle Youmans)
