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How Vols Are Faring in Senior Bowl Practices

A look at how three Vols have fared in Senior Bowl practices thus far.
Jack Foster|
How Vols Are Faring in Senior Bowl Practices
How Vols Are Faring in Senior Bowl Practices

The Reese's Senior Bowl will take place on Saturday, February 5 at 2:30 p.m. ET in Mobile, Alabama, and practices have taken place over the last couple of days.

Three now-former Vols in Cade Mays, Velus Jones Jr. and Alontae Taylor will take part in the game on Saturday as they look to impress on the road to the 2022 NFL Draft.

Two VFLs have generated mixed reviews through two practices while the other has struggled so far in Mobile.

Videos, analyses and more for each Vol are below.

Velus Jones Jr.-WR

The 6'0" USC transfer finished his sixth and final year of collegiate play in 2021, putting together a career year in his second year as a Vol. Jones finished with 62 catches for 807 yards and seven touchdowns, and his impressive season earned him an invite to the Reese's Senior Bowl.

In the past two days of Senior Bowl practices, Jones Jr. has impressed with his speed and ability to catch the ball but has struggled with coming out of breaks.

Below are the reports from Pro Football Network on Jones.

Tuesday Practice- "Jones Jr. was extremely quick, beating opponents off the line and competing to come away with the catch. But he struggled in battles and was not very smooth coming out of his breaks."

Wednesday Practice- "Jones Jr. had a solid day. He possesses enough speed to get down the field, plus he ran good routes and caught the ball exceptionally well. He made several nice deep receptions during drills."

Thursday Practice- "As quick as they come, Velus Jones Jr. put his speed on display yet again on Day 3. He was quick off the line, faster on a straight line, and even finished well at the catch point. Jones’ hands can improve, but he’s certainly showcased enough as a receiver to improve his draft stock quite a bit."

Takeaways (D1 and D2): Jones delivered in the areas he is known for, and while he had trouble coming out of breaks on day one, his day two performance was met with mainly positive analysis from several eyes.

The former Tennessee return specialist had one big play during practice on Wednesday, catching a touchdown after a beautiful route and showing incredible ability to track the ball. 

However, the flashy score came at the expense of former teammate and roommate Alontae Taylor. (Watch below)

Jones Jr. also showed his elite speed off the line of scrimmage on a fly route that eventually led to a touchdown. 

Below is an analysis of Jones' day two performance from Alex Kozora of the Steelers Depot.

"Tennessee's Velus Jones Jr. ran a great post corner route and tracked the ball, getting depth on his final few yards, and making a falling catch in the end zone (Play against Alontae Taylor). Jones struggled, though, with catching the ball cleanly as he had two obvious drops."

Drops seem to be the only thing plaguing the Saraland, Alabama native on Wednesday, something Buck Reising, a radio host and reporter who covers the Tennessee Titans, noticed. 

While Jones has work to do to end the week, he's on the right track, and it's likely his Wednesday performance increased his draft stock a considerable amount. 

Jones Jr.'s Thursday's performance continued to impress, as the VFL showcased his terrific speed and solid route running capabilities. 

Takeaways (Overall): It's safe to say the former Tennessee wideout has improved his draft stock tremendously, and the possibility of Jones becoming a Day two draft pick may not be out of the realm of possibility. 

Tennessee Vol Rank in Senior Bowl Week Performance Thus Far: 1 out of 3

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Alontae Taylor-CB

As for one of Velus' best friends and the victim of a touchdown from No. 1 on Wednesday, Alontae Taylor's couple of practices have been met with positive and negative reviews, though more so negative than Jones Jr. 

Below are the reports from Pro Football Network on the Tennessee defensive back. 

Tuesday Practice- No report. 

Wednesday Practice- "Taylor showed some explosion and the ability to fire to the ball out of his plant. However, he lacked balance and regularly got twisted, which on one occasion resulted in a long reception to his teammate, Velus Jones Jr."

Thursday Practice- "It was a shaky performance for Alontae Taylor on Day 3. He was flagged for defensive pass interference and then lost an outside release that he had leverage on during 1-on-1s. Taylor can get grabby at times in coverage, and the third day wasn’t his best performance."

Below is Kozora's day two report on Taylor (via The Steelers Depot).

"Taylor largely played on the outside in college, but he moved around today at safety and slot corner. Good size at 6'0" 196 pounds. The nickel is traditionally thought of as a smaller, twitchier role but with so many big-slots, teams will need bigger guys to combat that. Taylor looked fluid and comfortable playing there in man-coverage in red one work. In 7v7, he moved from his hook/curl zone to jump a throw inside and nearly pick it off."

Below is a play where Taylor shows his ability to lock onto a route and provide great coverage. 

Taylor did clock the fastest field speed of any player on Wednesday, reaching 21.12 mph at one point. The VFL's top speed earned him the 'Who Cares About the 40?' award for the day, according to the Executive Director of the Reese's Senior Bowl Jim Nagy. 

Takeaways: Jones Jr.'s score hurt Taylor's practice performance. His specialty is in zone defense and jamming wideouts at the line of scrimmage, and his strength, physicality and determination got him to this point. His stock is not in jeopardy with his speed and intelligence to read plays. However, the former Vol needs to focus on positioning to not let another receiver score a highlight-reel touchdown on him. It also will probably sting more when a close friend does not benefit from your mishap.

As for Thursday. Taylor's negative report is not promising for his outlook in the week as a whole. To end the day on your worst performance is not ideal, but the VFL's performance in his first day (Wednesday) showcasing his elite speed makes his week a true mixed bag. More so than Mays and Jones, who have been consistent with their performance, Taylor's performance in the Senior Bowl on Saturday will be significant for his draft stock. Currently, it's hard to imagine Taylor going early in Day two with the depth at the position, though I would not rule out a third-round pick, especially if the VFL shows out on Saturday. 

Tennessee Vol Rank in Senior Bowl Week Performance Thus Far: 2 out of 3

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Cade Mays-OL

The third Vol that will participate in the Reese's Senior Bowl is offensive lineman Cade Mays. After the season, it was unclear if Mays would return to Rocky Top for another season or test the NFL Draft waters. Upon declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft, it did not take long for the Knoxville native and former Georgia Bulldog to receive an invite to play in Mobile.

Mays' physical stature and work ethic led to a successful career in Knoxville, as he earned a spot on the AP and Coaches All-SEC Second Team roster following the conclusion of the season.

However, Mays' start in Mobile has been less than ideal. Below is Mays' Tuesday and Wednesday report from Pro Football Network.

Tuesday Practice- "A highly touted recruit and experienced starter from Tennessee, Cade Mays was less consistent on Tuesday. He’s a wide, nasty blocker who has good core strength. On the flip side, however, his pads were sometimes high, he was knocked off-balance fairly easily, and had a false start. Mays’ attitude stands out in the trenches, but so too does his room for refinement. That’s something he can seek on Wednesday and Thursday."

Wednesday Practice- "Cade Mays looks the part and has the strength, but he hasn’t lived up to his billing so far at the Senior Bowl. The Tennessee blocker plays too upright at times and doesn’t drive his blocks forward. He’s been relatively easy to move all week, and his balance is inconsistent from down to down. Mays needed a strong week to get back on the map. So far, he hasn’t stood out."

Thursday Practice- "Mays is a strong blocker with some bend, but he isn’t overly consistent. Devonte Wyatt made quick work of him on a 1-on-1 drill, but Mays stood up Phidarian Mathis on the interior. Adding to Mays allure, he has lined up at nearly every position at the Senior Bowl, showcasing his versatility — though a spot on the interior seems like his best fit at the NFL level."

Mays' size, strength and attitude have impressed, but his technique has been lacking against some of college football's best pass rushers in practice thus far, two of those being Georgia DL Devonte Wyatt and LSU DL Neil Farrell Jr.

Cade Mays vs. Georgia DL Devonte Wyatt (Wednesday) 

While Mays struggled with Wyatt's speed and hand movement, the VFL also struggled with Farrell's physicality and strength. 

Cade Mays vs. LSU DL Neil Farrell Jr. 

Mays did a better job with Devonte Wyatt on a later day three drill than he did on Wednesday and early Thursday, not letting the Bulldog standout get around him. 

And Mays impressed against Alabama DL Phidarian Mathis. 

Takeaways: Mays decided to enter the league rather than playing one more year with UT. Mays needed to impress this week to put himself in the conversation of a probable Day two pick, but that has not been the case. Although Mays is versatile and physical, his draft stock is likely to have fallen after his trio of practices. Mays took a step in the right direction on Thursday, especially playing his former position at guard, but the VFL needs to put together a solid outing on Saturday with little to no mistakes in order to stay in contention for a late day two pick. After the Senior Bowl practices, is likely Mays' stock has fallen out of day two. 

Tennessee Vol Rank in Senior Bowl Week Performance Thus Far: 3 out of 3

**With Mays' latest performance showing improvement and Taylor's showing regression, Saturday's game will be the deciding factor in how Mays and Taylor fill in after Jones in the rankings of how the trio did in Senior Bowl week. 

Sources: Tony Pauline, Ian Cummings and Cam Mellor of Pro Football Network. Alex Kozora of the Steelers Depot

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Photo Credit: Jim Nagy

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Jack Foster
JACK FOSTER

Jack is a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville majoring in Journalism/Electronic Media. Jack grew up in Paris, Tennessee, but now spends the majority of his time in Knoxville doubling as a student and sports journalist for Volunteer Country. Jack has been a sports junkie since he was a young kid and always watched NFL football with his dad on Sundays. Jack still follows the NFL religiously, as he is an avid fantasy football player. Jack started with Volunteer Country in May of 2021 and has since helped provide full coverage of football, baseball and men's and women's basketball. Jack also works as a recurring member of WUTK's Rock Solid Sports show on Wednesdays and Fridays, and he also serves as head sports producer of The Volunteer Channel's Vol News, a student-run show at the University. When Jack is not watching or covering sports, find him on the golf course or back home spending time with his parents, younger sister and friends. Follow Jack on Twitter and Instagram by clicking "Twitter" and "Instagram" to see all of his work with Volunteer Country as well as student media.

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