MOBILE, Ala. —After a bit of a delay, I got my first look at the Senior Bowl class on Wednesday, taking in the American and National Team practices at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of South Alabama.
This Senior Bowl field lost a lot of its luster when a half-dozen of the best prospects pulled out on the eve of the game, but I still found plenty of draft gems on the field here in Mobile.
🏈 Let's start with the quarterbacks. This is not the best crop of passers that I've seen in Mobile — or even close.
LSU's Garrett Nussmeier is currently projected as a second-round pick. Everyone else is expected to go on day three.
Nussmeier didn't prove his draft stock by showcasing elite physical talents on Wednesday. He's still recovering from the mysterious injury that sapped his senior season with the Tigers, and said before practice on Wednesday that he's still not 100%.
So it wasn't a rocket arm that made Nussmeier stand out. Instead, he played right into an almost-cliched evaluation of him: the coach's son. Nussmeier's father, Doug, is the offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints .
When the other passers at practice on Wednesday got into trouble, whether it was because of pressure or no one being open, is when all of them made mistakes. For both the American and National Team practices, the defense was taking advantage of those mistakes, with turnovers being more frequently that big offensive plays.
The only one that I saw come with Nussmeier as a victim was one where two defenders pried the ball free from his target after the ball got there.
What does that mean for Nussmeier's draft stock? I don't know yet. I'd like to see him fully healthy first. That might come at the NFL Combine.
🏈 Let's talk about some of those defensive players, because boy, I thought both units had strong days on Thursday. In addition to the above interception, here's Oregon linebacker Bruce Boettcher putting his helmet on a football and causing a fumble.
Here's Texas Tech star linebacker Jacob Rodriguez making a diving interception to end a team period, and an absolutely mental celebration afterward.
How about a diving pick from Oregon State safety Skyler Thomas.
You want bigger bodies? How about Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant and Missouri defensive tackle Chris McClellan absolutely swallowing run plays.
And here's another solid run-stopping effort from Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis.
I didn't go into the day looking to highlight so many defensive players, but that's who was largely making the plays on Wednesday.
🏈 That being said, it wasn't all defensive highlights. What the Steelers really need — at least of what's here in Mobile — are wide receivers, and a few of them had really good days on Wednesday.
Notre Dame's Malachi Fields is one of the biggest bodies in the wide receiver class at 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds. But he isn't just a deep ball, contested catch guy. He made mincemeat of zone coverage underneath, and I really liked his approach on a showcase rep at the end of practice. He got a one-on-one opportunity, with the whole stadium watching. Instead of trying to beat his man deep, he ran a comeback, wide-open for a first down to win the drill. I think a lot of wide receivers would have tried for a splashier moment, but he knew what he needed to get a win for the offense and took it. I think that showed poise and maturity in a big moment.
🏈 I've almost certainly covered my last Mike Tomlin training camp, and that probably means no more backs-on-backers — a drill that's very rare in the NFL these days — but we got one rep at the Senior Bowl in the showcase session at the end of American Team practice.
Oklahoma running back Jadyn Ott — who is not known for his pass protection skills — stood up Arkansas linebacker Xavian Sorey in a really nice rep.
🏈 I don't have a clip of this last player, but Missouri wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. was absolutely un-coverable. He's not a player I had high on my radar before coming here, but just like the week at the Shrine Bowl , more wide receiver talent continues to emerge in this class. It seems like a good one for the receiver-needy Steelers.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Senior Bowl Takeaways: Nussmeier Lifts Floor, Defense Stands Out, 2 WR Targets Shine
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