Senior Bowl week is here… and that means it’s officially DRAFT SEASON.
I’m flying to Mobile, Alabama for the 2025 Senior Bowl on Monday. I won’t be alone. Team personnel, big media outlets, independent podcasts, fantasy analysts, and even fans will be in the Yellowhammer State for what is now a flagship NFL Draft event.
If you have followed my Senior Bowl content the past few years, you would have been privy to some very early flag plants that either panned out to be in lock-step with the NFL or turned out to be insane draft values. This is big for the fantasy crowd here.
Allow me to toot my own horn. Last year, I name-dropped Ricky Pearsall, Xavier Legette, and Ladd McConkey. Before that, I was first in on guys like Puka Nacua, Rashee Rice (was the only person in the industry to mock him in R1), Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Tank Dell.
I also came out of Senior Bowl week with top-50 grades on Terry McLaurin in 2019 and Michael Pittman Jr in 2020.
As usual, I will conduct evaluations and grade each prospect using my numeric scoring system. My scoring method creates a weighted score for each player that takes into account everything from classical traits and skills to production and intangibles.
This will be my ninth season implementing my scoring system, with a goal of 250 prospects scored before the draft and brought to you via the Fantasy Points Prospect Guide. Senior Bowl week is a big part of the process for me and can be an extraordinary tool for evaluating the next group of incoming rookies.
Check out my Senior Bowl video preview with Theo Gremminger on YouTube.
The Senior Bowl is a great way for us to get an additional look at over 100 of the nation's top senior players who are looking to make the jump to the NFL.
We want to add context and information, or further tell each player's story. Remember, each player deals with a unique set of circumstances that could hinder or enhance our view of them. We are using this week to get a better feel for what we think these players must show. This week very much matters.
What we cannot do, however, is use this week to rewrite history or replace what we have seen (or have not seen) from each guy throughout their collegiate careers. This cannot be stressed enough. We cannot throw out four years of lousy tape over several outstanding reps during practice, or vice versa.
For me, maximizing the effectiveness of Senior Bowl week and how it affects my evaluations comes down to understanding the purpose of these practices—it’s an “additional look.”
1) We get to see those players outside of their comfort zone. Players will be thrown to the wolves in just about every way imaginable, with new teammates, new coaching staffs, new playbooks and terminologies, and possibly new positions, plus in an unfamiliar venue — with the added pressure of knowing all 32 teams will be scrutinizing their every move. This is a great opportunity to see how these guys respond. It is not an easy week, especially for the quarterbacks. These guys are drinking from a firehose.
2) The level of competition and consistency with which the players will face it this week are massively upgraded — especially for the smaller-school prospects. These are the best college players in the country, and an overwhelming majority of them will be on NFL rosters come April. That is not true for their competition in-season, even at the juggernaut Power-4 schools. Seeing how they move and perform against a steady diet of superior competition really helps me solidify the translatability component of their traits moving over to the NFL.
3) Guys have the opportunity to display skills and traits that they didn’t get to during their college careers. Maybe they were miscast in a system and played out of position. Maybe the scheme or coaching was limiting. There will be guys participating this week who have a lot more to their game than we have ever seen.
Take this example.
Terry McLaurin was a participant in the 2019 Senior Bowl. McLaurin had a moderately productive senior season at Ohio State, notching more than 700 yards and 11 touchdowns in a super high-powered offense. However, most of his production that year came on simple crossing routes, go-balls, and schemed throws. He was rarely pressed and didn’t put a ton on tape that suggested he had any refined WR skills besides outstanding athletic ability.
And then… he shows up to Mobile and absolutely owns the week. He demolished his defensive back counterparts, routinely separating and getting off the line of scrimmage with wild efficiency, demonstrating remarkably crisp route running with an NFL-caliber release package.
Furthermore, when he wasn’t winning at the line of scrimmage, he was winning at the catch point. The man couldn’t be stopped. Senior Bowl week helped paint a clearer picture of what McLaurin would bring NFL teams. We learned something about him that week, and it didn’t replace “bad tape” — it filled the gaps for the things he couldn’t demonstrate while at Ohio State. I’ll be on the lookout for similar revelations this year.
Below are my skill player rankings heading into Senior Bowl week. This is not a ranking of all draft-eligible prospects, but merely those whom I will get to see in Mobile. I will also provide daily updates and write-ups after each practice this week.
Rankings
NOTE: Any player name with an asterisk means I have watched only five or fewer games on their tape coming into the week.
Quarterback
| Rank | Player | School | Stock Day 1 | Stock Day 2 | Stock Day 3 |
| 1 | Jaxson Dart | Ole Miss | – | ||
| 2 | Dillon Gabriel | Oregon | – | ||
| 3 | Will Howard | Ohio State | – | ||
| 4 | Jalen Milroe | Alabama | – | ||
| 5 | Riley Leonard | Notre Dame | – | ||
| 6 | Tyler Shough | Louisville | – | ||
| 7 | Seth Hennigan* | Memphis | – | ||
| 8 | Taylor Elgersma* | Laurier | – |
Running Back
| Rank | Player | School | Stock Day 1 | Stock Day 2 | Stock Day 3 |
| 1 | Damien Martinez | Miami | – | ||
| 2 | Devin Neal | Kansas | – | ||
| 3 | LeQuint Allen | Syracuse | – | ||
| 4 | Woody Marks | USC | – | ||
| 5 | Cam Skattebo | Arizona State | – | ||
| 6 | Ollie Gordon II | Oklahoma State | – | ||
| 7 | RJ Harvey | UCF | – | ||
| 8 | Kalel Mullings | Michigan | – | ||
| 9 | Jarquez Hunter | Auburn | – | ||
| 10 | Trevor Etienne | Georgia | – | ||
| 11 | Breshard Smith | SMU | – | ||
| 12 | Donovan Edwards | Michigan | – | ||
| 13 | Bhayshul Tuten* | Virginia Tech | – | ||
| 14 | Marcus Yarns* | Delaware | – |
Wide Receiver
| Rank | Player | School | Stock Day 1 | Stock Day 2 | Stock Day 3 |
| 1 | Elic Ayomanor | Stanford | – | ||
| 2 | Tez Johnson | Oregon | – | ||
| 3 | Xavier Restrepo | Miami | – | ||
| 4 | Jack Bech | TCU | – | ||
| 5 | Savion Williams | TCU | – | ||
| 6 | Jayden Higgins | Iowa State | – | ||
| 7 | Tai Felton | Maryland | – | ||
| 8 | Jaylin Noel | Iowa State | – | ||
| 9 | Jalen Royals | Utah State | – | ||
| 10 | Kyren Lacy | LSU | – | ||
| 11 | Pat Bryant | Illinois | – | ||
| 12 | Chimere Dike | Florida | – | ||
| 13 | Jaylin Lane | Virginia Tech | – | ||
| 14 | Bru McCoy | Tennessee | – | ||
| 15 | Kyle Williams | Washington State | – | ||
| 16 | Da’Quan Felton | Virginia Tech | – | ||
| 17 | Arian Smith* | Georgia | – | ||
| 18 | Issac TeSlaa* | Arkansas | – | ||
| 19 | Jamaal Pritchett* | South Alabama | – |
Tight End
| Rank | Player | School | Stock Day 1 | Stock Day 2 | Stock Day 3 |
| 1 | Gunnar Helm | Texas | – | ||
| 2 | Harold Fannin Jr | Bowling Green | – | ||
| 3 | Elijah Arroyo | Miami | – | ||
| 4 | Mason Taylor | LSU | – | ||
| 5 | Terrance Ferguson | Oregon | – | ||
| 6 | Gavin Bartholomew | Pittsburgh | – | ||
| 7 | Jackson Hawes | Georgia Tech | – | ||
| 8 | Jake Briningstool | Clemson | – | ||
| 9 | Thomas Fidone* | Nebraska | – | ||
| 10 | Moliki Matavao* | UCLA | – | ||
| 11 | CJ Dippre* | Alabama | – |
“My Guys” Pre-Senior Bowl
Elic Ayamanor (WR, Stanford) — In a receiver class that doesn’t have a ton of clear-cut studs, we are starving for that #2 guy to emerge. I think it’s Ayamanor. “Same-School Faux Pas” aside, he reminds me of a significantly better athlete version of Michael Wilson. If you want the rosiest possible outcome, I see some Nico Collins to him. His body composition is that of a true -WR. He has superior route running chops to anyone in the class and has the best tape getting off press as well. Combine all that with really nice body control and ball-tracking skills, and he profiles as a do-it-all alpha at best. I am fascinated to see how he looks in the 1v1 drills this week and if the route running polish translates to easy wins and separation.
Jaxson Dart (QB, Ole Miss) — I will likely be the highest person you know on Dart — it will be a surprise if he is not my QB2 in the class behind Shadeur Sanders. From an in-the-pocket standpoint, you are getting much of what Jayden Daniels brings to the table — with potentially an even better arm. Dart has the goods to dominate the intermediate and deep parts of the field and has a mouth-watering reel of dimes pushing the ball downfield. He also has some sneaky athleticism in his game, and while he won’t give you Daniels’ level of production with his legs, I think he is “Bo Nix plus” in that regard, which isn’t nothing. Dart also has that IT factor, and there is a long history of QBs coming to Mobile and winning over the hearts and minds of the league (I think of Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts). Just last, year we saw teams fall in love with Nix and Michael Penix Jr. I would bet on Dart being that guy this year.
Damien Martinez (RB, Miami) — The first thing I would like to say about Martinez is I see shades of Stephen Jackson in his game — guys his size are not supposed to move like that. Martinez’s jump cut at 235 pounds is show-stopping. He is difficult to tackle in the open field, and also has plus burst and good vision. He has the traits to be a high-level starter in the NFL, and in my mind has been buried in the discussion of this loaded RB class. Mobile is the exact right place for him to show off and start building some buzz for himself — especially come game day, when he gets to put on the pads and hit. Devin Neal (RB, Kansas) — The Kansas football season was so disappointing after starting the season in the top 25. But Neal was one of few bright spots for the Jayhawks. He has game-breaking burst and speed that pairs with a solid frame (listed at 215 pounds). His chops in the pass game are scary as well. He is a refined route runner who teleports at the break and confuses linebackers. He should absolutely put on a show this week in the 1v1 passing drills. If you imagine an RB archetype spectrum from Tyjae Spears to Alvin Kamara, Neal is somewhere on it, which is exciting if you like every-down slashers who can be passing-game weapons.
Savion Williams (WR, TCU) — With all due respect to the TCU coaching staff, I need a federal investigation launched into why this guy only had 60 catches for just over 600 yards receiving. Allow me to plant my flag: Williams has 1st-round potential written all over him. Despite the overall lack of production, Williams’ tape shows a guy who lacks nothing in the way of WR skills. He has Megatron size at 6’5”, 230. He has start/stop ability that resembles Julio Jones, which makes him a nightmare to stop with any type of man/match coverage. He showcases high-level route-running IQ, freaky ball skills, and a DAWG mentality. With his lack of production, age, and the scheme he comes from all working against him, he will undoubtedly receive the “raw” label, but I see a guy with a veteran’s approach to the position. If he has more refined skills than TCU allowed him to show — which I believe he does — Mobile will host Williams’ coming-out party. Harold Fannin Jr. (TE, Bowling Green) — Evaluating the tape of small school guys can be tough. On one hand, you really want them to destroy their competition. On the other hand, when they do, sometimes you are left with more questions than answers. Well, from the box score, Fannin put together the greatest collegiate TE season of all time — 117 catches, 1555 yards, and 10 scores. And on tape, you see why. Both small schools and power-conference teams could not stop him. Fannin is an F-type tight end who can move all over the formation and take advantage of plus matchups. He will run by most LBs, route up most safeties, and body up most CBs. These Senior Bowl practices — like his game against Penn State — will be another window into how his skills translate against superior competition. I cannot wait to watch him in the route-running drills. (As an aside, he was a solid blocker despite his smaller size, which coaches will love.)
