2022 Senior Bowl Live Blog

Hang out with the Draft Scout crew for a live blog during the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl

Following a week in the elements of Mobile, Alabama we’re back home in the Draft Scout offices and ready to settle in for the Senior Bowl game.

The actual game is often diminished in the eyes of evaluators as practices give the best opportunity for looks at player’s abilities and traits. But to us, the game offers a chance to showcase your skills in a live football environment.

Stats may not matter a ton today, as players will rotate often, but we’re looking for standout performances and for a chance to marry what we saw on tape this season with what we saw on the practice field in Mobile.

Come back at 2:30pm ET for kickoff.

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2:30pm ET — The biggest winners of the week will be on display early. Quarterback Malik Willis (Liberty) was the star of practices throughout the week. I’ll be watching him closely to see if he continues the improvement we saw throughout the week.

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2:40pm ET — As good as Willis was as a passer in practices, what the Senior Bowl practices don’t allow a quarterback to show is his mobility. Willis on a roll-out showed his speed and elusiveness in the open field as a runner.

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2:50pm ET — Kenny Pickett gets the start at quarterback for the National team. Pickett was up-and-down throughout the week of practices and notably struggled during the wet, windy practice on Wednesday. Today’s game could definitely put a positive spin on the end of his week after a good final practice on Thursday.

Also, keep an eye on left tackle Trevor Penning (Northern Iowa). This dude was all over defenders throughout the week. He’s tough, feisty and tenacious.

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2:56pm ET — Penn State punter Jordan Stout just banged one for 75 yards. That’s how you make a statement.

Trevor Penning was the top-ranked offensive lineman headed into Senior Bowl week and he handled himself very well throughout practices. Just saw that again on the first drive for the National team.

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3:13pm ET — A tale of two throws from Kenny Pickett.

Throw 1 - A cornerback falls down and Pickett has a wide open Christian Watson with daylight in front of him, but he underthrew the ball and Watson had to come back and make a circus grab to secure the pass.

Throw 2 - Pickett is patient and lets the play clear out with a vertical route opening up a swing pass to Baylor running back Abram Smith for a touchdown.

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3:15pm — Malik Willis shows off his elusiveness with a long run after dropping back into the pocket and not having options in the passing game. That’s what makes him so intriguing.

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3:22pm — Desmond Ridder comes in as the second quarterback for the National team. Ridder struggled both on tape and throughout the week with inconsistent accuracy. That’s a key to watch for him today.

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3:34pm — Sam Howell had a solid week of practice showing off his deep arm and his arm strength. Where he struggled was in his timing and touch throws. The game today will be a good viewing to find out if he’s improved that area.

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3:54pm — Colorado State tight end Trey McBride was a monster for defenders all week long and developed a special connection with the quarterbacks from the National team. We saw that just now with his touchdown catch from Desmond Ridder. McBride is the top-ranked tight end in the entire draft class.

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4:20pm — Following halftime, National quarterback Carson Strong struggled with a snap under center then had to sky for a high snap from center Cole Strange. Not the best series for two players I liked in practices this week.

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4:26pm — Glad we’re seeing a lot of Dameon Pierce on this drive for the American team. He’s a punishing inside runner who shows very good contact balance. He’s unlikely to be a top 120 draft pick but he has the tools to be a high-level contributor in the NFL.

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4:34pm — Carson Strong intercepted on a deep pass by Tennessee cornerback Alontae Taylor. Strong simply underthew the route which allowed Taylor to catch up to the play and high-point the pass.

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4:45pm — Sam Howell impressed with his quickness and mobility both as a runner and as a scrambler—including one for a touchdown. Notable on that play was the run blocking from Coastal Carolina tight end Isaiah Likely.

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4:56pm — Bailey Zappe came in and showed the touch and timing we love to see, but the drive he was leading was stopped by the pass-rushing of Minnesota’s Boye Mafe. A dropped pass and the sack from Mafe stopped the drive, but Zappe was moving the ball well before that.

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5:03pm — Great to see Perrion Winfrey have such a big game after a very good week of practice. The Oklahoma defensive lineman profiles as a starter-level 3-technique in the pros. He could very well be a second-rounder.

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5:14pm — The American team offensive line is struggling in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Bailey Zappe was under siege twice in three plays on the team’s last drive. Boye Mafe and Jesse Luketa both made big plays against this offensive line in back-to-back drives.