• Which QB comes out on top in Mobile? Bo Nix looked tight at times in practice, whereas Michael Penix Jr. seemed to play with more confidence.
• Fierce trench battles await: Taliese Fuaga may have his hands full with Darius Robinson if the two match up during the game.
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Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Though Senior Bowl practices get most of the coverage, there is something to be gained from the game itself, when the players can actually bump up the physicality and make full contact.
Here are 10 matchups to watch for during the 2024 Senior Bowl.
QB BO NIX VS. QB MICHAEL PENIX JR.
Nix and Penix don’t face off head-to-head the way a cornerback and wide receiver do, but this is absolutely a matchup to watch. Nix felt tight this week. Some passes were short, some reads were late and his footwork would stop — contrary to what he displayed during the season. He did make some nice throws to end the week of practice on a high note.
Though Penix didn’t “wow” on all three days, it felt like he was playing with more confidence. He also made a few good throws on Day 3 of practice. Plus, his velocity was standing out each day. With neither player grabbing the title of “top quarterback” for the week, perhaps the game will be a deciding factor.
WR BRENDEN RICE VS. CB JARVIS BROWNLEE JR.
Rice, as a former sprinter and a currently sound route runner, plus the son of a Hall of Famer, was expected to be a potent separator in practice, especially in the one-on-ones. He disappointed in that aspect but was very impressive when catching through contact.
I can’t wait to see Rice go up against Jarvis Brownlee Jr., who might be the biggest riser of any player at the Senior Bowl due to how little he was mentioned in the Day 2 cornerback conversation compared to how he played this week. Brownlee battling against Rice’s strength will be another box he can check. These will be two very competitive players going at it.
WR MALACHI CORLEY VS. CB TYKEE SMITH
Corley wins with strength and after-the-catch ability, and Smith wins in press coverage by getting hands on receivers early. This would be a classic strength-versus-strength matchup. If we get a handful of reps from these two going up against one another, it will likely come from the slot. But that physicality will be fun to watch.
Corley still seemed a bit awkward in his footwork and when running routes in practice, but he could shine on game day. Smith is one of the only slot players who has the build to match up with him. If neither wins those reps, it could be a catalyst for both to rise on draft boards due to their play styles.
WR JAMARI THRASH VS. CB MAX MELTON
I am not convinced we’ll see a ton of this matchup, but if or when we do, it will be impactful for both guys. Both Thrash and Melton aren’t the most athletic at their positions, but they are very confident players who are coming off great weeks of practice.
I am most interested in seeing these two battle from the slot. Thrash played only 275 slot snaps in his career compared to more than 2,000 on the outside, but he did get some work in the slot this week, even in the red-zone drills. Melton was one of the most impressive slot cornerbacks from his team on the final day of practice and is a player who has the skills to be a very useful inside-outside cornerback at the next level.
WR TEZ WALKER VS. CB ANDRU PHILLIPS
Walker just needs to catch the ball better in the game, as he did not have a good week there in practice. He was still one of the fastest players on the field and showed the speed to get vertical and behind defenses.
Phillips flashed fearlessness and versatility in his coverage assignments this week. There was a sequence of reps where he lined up against Ladd McConkey in the slot on one play (shut him down) and Johnny Wilson on the outside the next (almost got an interception). He’ll have the chance to take care of business against one of the top-rated receivers at the event to cap off a strong week in Mobile.
TE JAHEIM BELL VS. S SIONE VAKI
Bell has been the most impressive player from the tight end group this week, given he is the most athletic and can play inline, in the slot, on the outside or even out of the backfield. Vaki will be a good counter to that.
Vaki is so versatile that he even played running back along with leading the Utes in defensive snaps played as a safety. There’s not much more to explaining this matchup other than it being a fun one between two good athletes who could gain some ground in their draft position rankings.
G DOMINICK PUNI VS. DI BRADEN FISKE
Puni had a great week in practice. His 6-foot-4, 323-pound frame and his strength profile were imposing, especially on the first few days of practice. He won with strength, but going up against Fiske will allow him to see how he matches up with one of the best one-gap penetrating defensive tackles in Mobile. Fiske had a few really nice wins this week with an explosive first step and fast hands. If Puni can win his one-on-ones with Fiske, it will round out an exceptional week.
OT TALIESE FUAGA VS. EDGE DARIUS ROBINSON
Coming into the week, some saw Fuaga as an offensive tackle and others saw him as an interior player. I thought he had great reps at tackle in the early parts of the week, even through some ups and downs. He’ll have the chance to go up against Darius Robinson, who is one of the top risers of the week.
Robinson is a massive edge defender at 6-foot-5 and 286 pounds — a former interior defensive lineman. He wins predominantly with his power, just like Fuafa, so these two matching up will be like The Mountain and The Hound facing off in “Game of Thrones.” Whoever can win with more finesse, along with strength, will earn an impressive note on their scouting report.
OT TYLER GUYTON VS. EDGE ADISA ISAAC
A lot of eyes were on Guyton going into the week, as he was viewed with first-round potential. After a week of practice, it feels like the question is no longer whether he’ll be picked in the first round but, rather, how high.
Isaac has not received the praise he deserves due to teammate Chop Robinson getting the potential first-round buzz early in the season. But Isaac is such a steady player. He earned good run-defense grades this past year and was able to open it up in Mobile and show off his skills as a pass rusher, too. This could be a battle of two future top-50 picks.
C BEAUX LIMMER VS. DI MICHAEL HALL JR.
Limmer was one of many pleasant surprises at the Senior Bowl practices. With a lot of hype around Jackson Powers-Johnson, as well as Christian Haynes, Graham Barton and Troy Fautanu — the final two didn’t even practice — Limmer didn’t garner much buzz going into the week. But he was very solid. Both he and Michael Hall Jr., another riser, will have the chance to best the other in the game. Hall had a handful of solid reps of winning with finesse as a pass rusher.
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