With just the Super Bowl remaining in the 2018-19 NFL season, much of the league has shifted their focus to the 2019 draft. One of the biggest pre-draft events starts with Senior Bowl practices Jan. 22 and culminates with the Senior Bowl game itself on Jan. 26. Though the actual game is seen as the big draw of the week, the practices will help talent evaluators determine their scouting reports heading into the draft. Here's a look at some of the players to watch during the Senior Bowl, and for your dynasty league drafts.
Daniel Jones, QB, Duke (6-5, 220)
With news coming in early January that highly-touted quarterback Justin Herbert of Oregon was returning to school, the remaining draft-eligible quarterbacks will try to seize the opportunity during the Senior Bowl. Jones has perhaps the best opportunity to try to solidify himself as a possible first-round pick among this year's Senior Bowl group.
Standing at 6-foot-5, Jones is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in this class having learned under highly thought of coach David Cutcliffe. During his four years at Duke, Jones passed for 8,201 yards and had a 59.6 percent completion percentage. Jones had perhaps his best game of the season in the Independence Bowl where he threw for 423 yards and five touchdowns against a strong Temple defense.
The senior has a pro-style frame to go along with pretty good throwing strength. He has shown on tape that he has the ability to put tremendous touch
With just the Super Bowl remaining in the 2018-19 NFL season, much of the league has shifted their focus to the 2019 draft. One of the biggest pre-draft events starts with Senior Bowl practices Jan. 22 and culminates with the Senior Bowl game itself on Jan. 26. Though the actual game is seen as the big draw of the week, the practices will help talent evaluators determine their scouting reports heading into the draft. Here's a look at some of the players to watch during the Senior Bowl, and for your dynasty league drafts.
Daniel Jones, QB, Duke (6-5, 220)
With news coming in early January that highly-touted quarterback Justin Herbert of Oregon was returning to school, the remaining draft-eligible quarterbacks will try to seize the opportunity during the Senior Bowl. Jones has perhaps the best opportunity to try to solidify himself as a possible first-round pick among this year's Senior Bowl group.
Standing at 6-foot-5, Jones is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in this class having learned under highly thought of coach David Cutcliffe. During his four years at Duke, Jones passed for 8,201 yards and had a 59.6 percent completion percentage. Jones had perhaps his best game of the season in the Independence Bowl where he threw for 423 yards and five touchdowns against a strong Temple defense.
The senior has a pro-style frame to go along with pretty good throwing strength. He has shown on tape that he has the ability to put tremendous touch on long throws to where only his receiver can catch it. It's clear Jones isn't the best athlete at the position, but he has the ability to use his feet and extend plays out of the pocket. His delivery is slow by NFL standards, so scouts will be looking closely at his ability to make quick throws and fit balls into tight windows this week. A strong week of practice for Jones this week could help his draft stock tremendously.
Drew Lock, QB, Missouri (6-4, 225)
Another quarterback with a pro-style frame, standing at 6-foot-4, Lock is another guy who could see his draft stock rise with a stellar week at the Senior Bowl. The first thing that stands out about Lock is his arm strength. He has the ability to make strong throws all over the field with relative ease. Lock is thought to possess one of the top arms in the class and it shows on tape.
A four-year starter at Missouri, Lock threw for over 12,000 yards, 99 touchdowns and completed 57 percent of his passes. In his final collegiate game, he threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-33 win over Oklahoma State in the Liberty Bowl.
Lock is another guy that can extend plays with his feet if needed and looks among the most pro-ready of any quarterback at the Senior Bowl. One thing scouts will be watching closely during the week of practice is his foot work. He had a tendency to get a little jumpy in the pocket and had footwork problems, especially under pressure, which could explain his middling accuracy.
Tony Pollard RB/WR/KR Memphis (6-0, 208)
Pollard isn't a name you would expect to see on this list, but with a big week, could see his name rise up draft boards in the NFL and in dynasty leagues. He is listed at 6-feet ,208 lbs and with that frame he could realistically switch between running back and wide receiver tasks without much trouble.
Pollard racked up 2,233 total yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns in three years at Memphis. Even though he was behind stud running back Darrell Henderson, Pollard still found a way to produce 552 yards and six touchdowns on the ground this season.
A true playmaker, Pollard has shown his ability to take screen passes for touchdowns, and has been outstanding in the return game for the Tigers in his career. His running ability is evident on tape, as he can break tackles with ease, or break away from defenders in the open field. Especially in today's ever-changing NFL offensive systems, Pollard could be an outstanding asset for any NFL team on offense and in the return game, so he's one to monitor this week.
Karan Higdon RB Michigan (5-10, 202)
Higdon was super productive at Michigan and is a player that could be a useful runner for NFL teams in the near future. Listed at 5-foot-10 202lbs, he's unlikely to emerge as an NFL workhorse, but he should be a useful part of a rotation at least. In four years at Michigan, Higdon rushed for 2,616 and 27 touchdowns in 39 games. He has shown he can handle a big workload, as he carried the ball 20 times per contest in his senior season for the Wolverines, but it might be best to keep his NFL workload in check so his explosiveness stays fully intact.
Higdon's tape is as good as you would expect for one of the nation's most productive backs. He shows good vision and hits the holes with speed and power. He has shown to have the ability to break tackles and has the speed to break runs outside when the middle is clogged up. Higdon's drawback is that he was not productive in the passing game. He only accumulated 16 catches in his career, so scouts will definitely be eyeing his ability to catch passes out of the backfield to catapult his stock higher.
Anthony Johnson WR Buffalo (6-2, 210)
Though Johnson is from a Group of 5 team, he was extremely productive in his time at Buffalo. Suiting up just two full years for the Bulls out of JUCO, he was able to rack up over 1,000 receiving in each season and had 25 touchdowns. This season alone, Johnson had a 26 percent target share in the offense and a 10.2 YPT average. He isn't a flashy name like N'Keal Karry or A.J. Brown, but Johnson is a player who could be highly productive in the NFL.
Johnson is listed at 6-foot-2 and he's not the fastest player at the position, but can take short throws for big gains and otherwise shows the ball skills to make big catches downfield. He could emerge a skilled red-zone target and has shown the ability to win 50/50 balls. Scouts will surely be looking at his footwork and speed this week to get a better feel for his true draft position.
Deebo Samuel WR South Carolina (6-0, 210)
Samuel was a major playmaker for South Carolina and could merit consideration for a high pick in the NFL and in your dynasty drafts. He is listed at just 6-foot, 210 lbs, but this kid can flat out play. This season for South Carolina, Samuel had a 61 percent catch rate, and a YPT average of 8.8. He had 12 touchdowns this season, and one of them came on a kick return where he showed his long speed.
Though he lacks the elite size like some wideouts, Samuel has shown his ability to make one-handed catches and break short passes for long gains. He consistently can create space for himself with his quickness and can break away from tacklers in the open field. Even with high-touted prospect Bryan Edwards, Samuel still led the team in all receiving categories including targets. If Samuel can put his playmaking ability on display this week, the sky could be the limit for the talented senior.
