One of the most important weeks in the NFL’s draft process ended on Saturday with the 71st annual Senior Bowl game. Brian Flores’ national team beat Matt Rhule’s American team by a score of 27-24.
In keeping with tradition, the Senior Bowl provided the best college football veterans with the opportunity to showcase their skills and demonstrate their potential value to all 32 NFL teams.
The New England Patriots value this game and prosecute perhaps more than any other team, calling or hiring eight former Senior Bowl students in just the past two seasons. There will undoubtedly be a few more acquired this draft season, so with that in mind, let’s take a look at the guys who stood out, for better or for worse.
Winner: WR Amari Rodgers
In a rare case of a player whose stock rose between his last college game and the Senior Bowl, Amari Rodgers just continued that trend with his game on Saturday. Playing on the slot machine and spreading out, Rodgers showed some versatility and success in both places. His touchdown came on a route of great excitement between two defenders while taking a hit, and his reception in a two-point conversion came through the formation where he opened without problems.
Winner: EDGE Elerson Smith
It is difficult to do a better series than Elerson Smith had at the beginning of the first quarter. In a four-game streak, he recorded a quarterback hit (with a bad blow to the passer), a first-down defense tackle from behind and a tackle for defeat in a final where he stayed home and controlled the advantage. He alone took his defense off the field. Smith made some cool moves here and there for the rest of the game, but it was this initial series that got him here.
Loser: OG Deonte Brown
It was a difficult week for the man who has been making comparisons with Michael Onwenu while Deonte Brown struggled to protect the pass. At first, he was carried away by a strip bag. He then lost a key block on a fourth down and the running back was stopped. The speed and agility of the foot is nowhere near where it needs to be for it to play and succeed at the next level.
Winner: WR / RB Demetric Felton
We all wondered whether or not Felton could switch from running back to wide receiver. Felton showed he could with a solid touchdown reception that showed some short-range quickness and running skills on the route. He also had the chance to show the agility of the running back to enter the touchdown.
Winner: FB Ben Mason
A Michigan gym rat fullback? Bill Belichick is on the phone while we talk.
Loser: EDGE Jordan Smith
Throughout the draft process, I mentioned how much I like Jordan Smith’s tools, but I care about his IQ in the field and the training he received from the UAB team. The constant mistakes he made throughout Saturday’s game were evident that he needs some time if he wants to be a real player at the next level.
Loser: WR Frank Darby
Frank Darby’s biggest question that week was whether or not he could show any consistency. With more drops (2) than catches (1), it is safe to say that he was not able to change the narrative. The flashes are there and are incredible, but he did nothing to help himself on game day.
Winner: CB Keith Taylor
It is not always that you see a guy give up two touchdowns and still make one of those lists. In addition to a small misstep and a missed call, Taylor was perfect. He has great size and length and shows incredible patience in men’s coverage. There is a guy who will fall for many stop and go moves. The guy won a good amount on Saturday.
Winner: WR Dez Fitzpatrick
It’s pretty obvious from the statline (6 receptions for 90 yards), but Dez Fitzpatrick was open all day. A smooth-running runner with reliable hands, Fitzpatrick proved he was much more than the number two Louisville receiver. He greatly improved his draft stock. He was also open for a touchdown of more than 50 yards, but quarterback Feleipe Franks lost.
Winner: RB Michael Carter
The man who averaged 8.0 yards per race in 2020 continued on his way with an average of 7.5 yards per race on Saturday, including an incredible touchdown race that practically sealed the national team’s victory. He proved that his size should not influence his draft stock. Michael Carter is the real deal.
For those who are wondering, some potential targets of the Patriots on this list are Amari Rodgers, Dez Fitzpatrick and Ben Mason. They all played very well and fit in places where New England has a lot of recruiting capital.