MOBILE, Ala. — Our nine items this week come from the Senior Bowl:
1. The no-spin zone. If the Falcons were looking for a quarterback of the future in the 2025 draft, they would be in big trouble.
The quarterback position is not as talented as it was in 2024 when six quarterbacks were taken in the first round. The Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick to shock the league.
“Yeah, again, I think there’s good depth to the class,” Senior Bowl executive director Matt Nagy said. “I think there’s some good guys. I think there’s some guys that the league is still trying to figure out for different reasons. It’s certainly not last year.”
After Kirk Cousins, who the Falcons signed for $100 million guaranteed in free agency, started to struggle last season, the Falcons moved Penix into the starting lineup.
The left-hander from Washington went 1-2 with the Falcons playoff hopes on the line, but did enough for the team to declare him the starter.
“I don’t know if anyone in this class would be in the top six of the guys last year,” Nagy said. “I don’t know if any of these guys are Bo Nix or Penix or J.J. McCarthy. That was just a unique class. I think we’re going to look back in 15 years at the class of 2024 as one of the best classes ever.”
Former SEC standouts Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe are the top two quarterbacks in the Senior Bowl, which is set for Saturday. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward are also are highly regarded.
“Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart are two guys that the league is really excited to see here,” Nagy said. “Especially like with Jaxson Dart, my phone probably pinged more when we announced him than any other quarterback, just because I think guys want to see him in a pro-style offense and throwing into tighter windows.”
Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin’ offensive system is viewed as being quarterback-friendly.
“Lane does such a good job there that …he’s throwing routes on air all the time, and that’s not NFL football,” Nagy said. “So, I’ve even said something to Jaxson this week. You get ready to throw into tighter windows.”
Dart, who’s 6-foot-1⅞ and 226 pounds, needs a good week of work in front of the league scouts to move up in the draft.
He started his career at USC, but transferred after Lincoln Riley was named the coach and was bringing Caleb Williams with him after the 2021 season.
2. Underclassmen, depth of the draft: Players are staying in college more with the help of the transfer portal and name image and likeness (NIL) deals.
“There’s about a dozen more guys,” Nagy said of the underclassmen at the Senior Bowl. “Last year, there were 58, and this year it’s 70. It’s certainly different. I don’t think we’re ever going back to the days where there’s 140 juniors coming out in the draft. I think those days are long gone with NIL.”
Nagy said there are only about nine or 10 players with first-round grades. That’s not good for the Falcons, who hold the 15th overall pick in the draft.
“It’s a deeper class,” Nagy said. “I don’t think this draft is great up high. I’ve made that known on social media. I mean, I’m talking to teams where they’ve got eight, nine, 10, first-round grades right now. So, I don’t think it’s a great draft to be way up high.”
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said they might consider trading back along with their other options.
“You’re going to see a lot of teams trying to trade back, but I do think there’s good depth all the way through (the) seventh round,” Nagy said. “I think you’ll be able to find good players all the way through (the) draft.”
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
3. Rushing attacks can get restocked: The running back group, including former Georgia running back Trevor Etienne, has as many as 30 players with draftable grades.
With the season that Saquon Barkley had for the Eagles and the play of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in Detroit, teams may shift back to leaning on the run more.
The Falcons have a nice combination with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
“The trend was going away from it,” Nagy said. “It’s going to time up well with this running back class. You get a flood of really good young runners into the league at one time. I think you’re going to see a lot of teams prioritize the position.”
4. Smaller receivers in vogue: Oregon’s Tez Johnson, who measured 5-foot-9 and weighed 156 pounds, is considered one of the top receivers at the Senior Bowl.
“It’s become more of a spacing game,” Nagy said. “These guys are protected more. You can run free over the middle without fear of (safeties) Ronnie Lott or David Fulcher or Benny Blades knocking your head off. So, I’m sorry for the dated references for the younger people.”
The NFL, in the name of player safety, has protected receivers when they are defenseless on most routes.
“But guys like Tez, we all saw what (Houston wide receiver) Tank Dell did down here a couple years ago, not saying Tez is Tank,” Nagy said. “I think Tank was a pretty unique player. It’s a more spacing game. Size isn’t as big an issue. Fifteen years ago, guys, you know, Tank’s size, (Rams wide receiver) TuTu Atwell (5-9, 165) and Tez, they would have really been more heavily scrutinized, but it’s a more wide-open game.”
5. Backing out: Nagy shared a story about one player coming to play in the Senior Bowl to compete for a job against the wishes of his agent.
“If you’re a top-five, top-10 pick, I’m not an idiot,” Nagy said. “Like, if you don’t want to come to the Senior Bowl, that’s fine. But like, there’s a certain point where I think all these guys can benefit.”
6. Gabriel hoping to repeat Nix’s plan: Former Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel is hoping to have success in the NFL after moving around the college ranks, much like his predecessor at Oregon, Bo Nix.
Nix played at Auburn before transferring to Oregon. Gabriel played at Central Florida and Oklahoma before landing at Oregon.
He wasn’t surprised with the success Nix had in his rookie season with Denver.
“From afar, I admired what Bo has done throughout his collegiate career,” Gabriel said. “That naturally attracted me to Oregon by seeing a quarterback that can play at a high level within that offense. … So, that’s part of what attracts you to Oregon, but knowing that it definitely translates.”
Gabriel, at 5-10½ and 202 pounds, is a smaller quarterback.
“I think you’ve seen it on many levels,” Gabriel said. “There’s a lot of quarterbacks that have done it on all levels, but, I think it’s just all about the right fit. Aligning with a team that values playing at a surgical level, with accuracy and anticipation.
“That’s kind of how I play. So, everyone has their playing styles and how they do things, but more importantly, the right fit for me and that team.”
7. Top edge rushers: The top five edge rushers at the Senior Bowl are Marshall’s Mike Green, Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku, Michigan’s Josiah Stewart, South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard and Texas A&M Shermar Stewart.
Stewart had nice power rush over Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea in the Tuesday practice. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper and several others have Stewart being selected by the Falcons with the 15th pick.
Credit: Daniel Varnado/Special to the AJC
Credit: Daniel Varnado/Special to the AJC
8a. Another Tez Johnson fan: When Raheem Morris was the wide receivers coach, the Falcons had Taylor Gabriel (5-7, 168) in 2016 and 2017 as a deep threat to take the top off defenses.
Last season, after Rondale Moore was hurt, the Falcons didn’t have the smallish-speedy receiver threat.
“He’s electric,” Dillon Gabriel said of Johnson. “He’s a guy who’s continued to make plays in crucial moments ... when he gets on the field he definitely makes plays.”
8b. Royals at the Senior Bowl: Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals, who played at Hillgrove High and Georgia Military Academy, is played on the American team.
Royals, 5-11¾ and 210 pounds, caught 126 passes for 1,914 yards and 21 touchdowns over his career. He ranks tied for third all-time in school history in touchdown catches, 12th all-time in receiving yards, 16th all-time in receptions, and tied for fifth all-time in 100-yard receiving games with eight.
9. Milroe off to good start: Milroe completed 426 of 663 passes (64.3%) for 6,016 yards, 45 touchdowns and 20 interceptions at Alabama. He had 375 rushes for 1,577 yards and 33 touchdowns.
He led the Crimson Tide to the SEC title after the 2023 regular season, Nick Saban’s last as the head coach.
He has more rushing touchdowns than any other quarterback in Alabama history. He had a strong first practice Tuesday.
About the Author
