Quarterbacks Unable to Separate From Pack After First Senior Bowl Practice
MOBILE, Ala. -- Senior Bowl practices commenced on Tuesday for both the National and American squads, with six draft-ready quarterbacks eager to prove they should be the one of the top ones taken at their position later in April.
The National team took the practice field first at Hancock Whitney Stadium, with passers Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder and Carson Strong having the first opportunity to make a great first impression.
Pickett, considered to be the favorite to be taken high in the first round this year, left his first practice with perhaps the best reviews of the day after excelling in the team portion of drills.
However, Pickett did find himself on pace with Strong and Ridder at times throughout drills. While Pickett didn't have a "bad" day by any stretch, the next two days will be crucial in taking another step towards cementing his place as QB1 in this class.
As for Strong, his lack of mobility and overall inaccuracy was on display when defenders closed in on him (Strong said he wasn't Lamar Jackson quite often in his post-practice interview).
However, Strong did gather rave reviews for his arm strength.
As for Ridder, his overall play was neither good enough to turn heads or bad enough to drastically drop down draft boards. The Cincinnati gunslinger needs to take advantage of the few opportunities he'll have this week, and Tuesday saw some of this stock slip.
Once the American team took the field for the second practice of the day, the narrative of quarterbacks failing to separate from the pack continued despite Sam Howell, Malik Willis and Bailey Zappe showing more juice than their counterparts.
Howell had perhaps the best day out of the trio, flashing his notable arm talent as the only Power 5 quarterback in the group. If there was any "winner" out of the first day of practice, it's likely him.
Willis, perhaps the most intriguing quarterback in Mobile, was able to flash his athleticism despite proving to be wildly inconsistent with his accuracy.
Zappe needs to have the best week out of any of the six quarterbacks in order to drastically increase his draft standing. Zappe was able to make some nice throws in one-on-one drills, but still felt as if he was playing behind Howell and Willis for the majority of the practice.
After the dust settled, we have no clearer picture of the quarterback position heading into the second day of practice. Each passer saw highs and lows throughout their time on the field, and with just two days of practice remaining before the game, Wednesday could prove to be pivotal in determining quarterback rankings moving forward.