McSHAY'S QUARTERBACK REPORT
Let's look at how the signal-callers did on Days 1 and 2 (rankings are from Scouts Inc.).
Justin Herbert, Oregon
Team: South | QB ranking: 3
Day 2: One of the things you look for during Senior Bowl week is how the best of the best take on a leadership role. No matter the locker room, players follow the guys who are playing winning football. And because Herbert obviously is the best quarterback on the field this week, everyone seems to be following him. Not only has he played really well so far, he is taking on a leadership role and continues to come out of his shell.
Jordan Love, Utah State
Team: North | QB ranking: 6
Day 2: Yet again, Love had a good day. He wasn't perfect, and he missed a few throws. But the Senior Bowl allows for apples-to-apples evaluations -- seeing prospects side by side -- and Love is standing out among the North QBs. He hit a good deep ball down the left sideline that really showed his arm strength. I'm not sure I see the consistency of a Round 1 quarterback yet, and he needs some work keeping his feet in balance, but he has upside and needs just a little development. He needs to land in the right place with the right coach.
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
Team: South | QB ranking: 9
Day 2: The accuracy problems were in play again, but I did like the way he got the ball out on a few timing throws Wednesday. He flashes that ability. On one deep out route to the left side, he found LSU tight end Stephen Sullivan on a nice ball. The throw was a little high, but he had perfect timing on it. I want to see more of that.
Anthony Gordon, Washington State
Team: North | QB ranking: 8
Day 2: Gordon didn't stand out in a positive or negative way on Wednesday -- he was just solid. He missed a few throws that he normally hits, and he still looked like he was playing fast. But the Day 3 quarterback plays with touch and timing, and he has worked with full-field progressions in Mike Leach's system at Washington State. There's some potential there.
Steven Montez, Colorado
Team: South | QB ranking: 13
Day 2: The slow footwork stood out on Wednesday. Montez struggles to bring his feet around, and he has to work on keeping his feet married to his eyes when staying in the pocket. There is some talent there, and I actually think he looks better on the move when the play breaks down. Montez has some creativity to his game.
Shea Patterson, Michigan
Team: North | QB ranking: 16
Day 2: You can tell Patterson is really fighting and trying to be the guy. He made some good throws on Wednesday but has to get the ball out quicker. Patterson has this unique shot-put delivery that actually helps him get it out on deep shots. He hit a nice one down the left side on Wednesday. But that delivery is a big liability on short-to-intermediate throws, giving defensive linemen an opportunity to bat the pass. UNC's Jason Strowbridge batted two in a row from Patterson.
STANDOUTS AND DRAFT RISERS FROM WEDNESDAY
These prospects had a strong day of practice on Wednesday, and their college tape deserves closer inspection.
Van Jefferson, WR, Florida
Team: South
Jefferson doesn't have elite speed or quickness, and his 6-foot-1 frame doesn't stand out. But his route running is extremely impressive. He found his way open a lot on Wednesday. His dad is a wide receivers coach, and you can tell he wants to learn about the position. He sought out former NFL wide receiver Torry Holt after practice just to talk with him. Scouts notice that type of stuff. Jefferson is a midrounder in a deep receiver class, but he's doing the right things this week. -- McShay
Jason Strowbridge, DL, North Carolina
Team: North
Strowbridge had another strong practice on Wednesday. His hands and quickness stand out, as do his instincts in pass-rush drills. On one rep, he wowed by getting a good push and then spinning back inside once he was even with the QB. Strowbridge also batted down two passes in team drills. A fringe Day 2 prospect at the moment, he looks stout for a player with his 6-foot-4, 267-pound size when he plays inside -- but he is versatile and can play inside or outside. -- Muench
Terrell Lewis, OLB, Alabama
Team: South
Lewis is one of the most talented players in Mobile, and he stood out with his speed on Wednesday. No doubt about it. However, he needs to be more consistent using his hands and could get a little stronger. Lewis is a pure speed rusher right now, and offensive linemen aren't too worried about being pushed over by him. But if he gets a bit stronger and gets his hands in on blockers, he's going to be a problem off the edge. He might find his way into Round 1. -- McShay
Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton
Team: North
Trautman crashes with his hands, and I really like the way he gets out of breaks. He is a natural runner after the catch, making guys miss and using his free hand to keep would-be tacklers at bay. Trautman, a likely midrounder, looked especially good during a one-on-one tackling drill. -- Muench
QUICK HITTERS
Here are some additional scouting notes on players who stood out on the practice field.
McSHAY:
Day 2
Javon Kinlaw is a physical freak. Man, if he ends up on the right team and and is developed properly, he can be a premier interior lineman. Yes, he didn't play particularly well down the stretch, but he has impressed through two days at the Senior Bowl. Physically speaking, he's one of the best here.
You look at some of these LSU and Clemson guys, and it's worth noting that the College Football Playoff national title game was Jan. 13. It's been barely a week since some experienced the biggest letdown of their college careers and some experienced the incredible high of winning it all. Those players need to store all that away in under 10 days and realize it's time to go back to work. That's impressive, and it's worth pointing out.
MUENCH:
Day 2
Safety Jeremy Chinn is easy to spot on the field because of his 6-foot-3 frame. A playmaker at Southern Illinois, he looked good going up to get the ball during drills. Chinn played some corner in college, and while he is a far better fit at safety, he looked athletic during press drills. And I liked his instincts in zone coverage on Wednesday. He's a midrounder with a chance to climb.
UCLA running back Joshua Kelley showed smooth feet and good vision in 9-on-7 drills. There is no wasted motion with him -- Kelley sees the hole and hits the hole. That continued into the team period of practice. He could end up as a really good Day 3 pick.
Michigan State defensive end Kenny Willekes flashed all day on Wednesday. He made a tackle for loss in 9-on-7. And then the midrounder displayed good hands on an inside move on a speed rush in one-on-one drills. Willekes has a great motor.
Lenoir Rhyne safety Kyle Dugger showed off his ball skills Wednesday, undercutting a route for an interception during one-on-one drills before later tracking an over-the-shoulder pass thrown over his head during drills for another.
FAU tight end Harrison Bryant hasn't disappointed. He's quick enough to separate, and he catches the ball well. On Wednesday, Bryant looked competitive during one-on-one pass protection drills, too.
I mentioned him yesterday, but Penn State defensive tackle Robert Windsor is worth bringing up again after flashing for a second day in a row. He did jump offside at one point, and he can give up ground when he's late off the ball, but he's a problem when he gets off the ball and uses his hands.
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