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Broncos' Senior Bowl Takeaways: Day 1 | South Team
Senior Bowl week is underway in Mobile, AL, and the South Team was up for the first practice. We learn a lot about these draft prospects during Senior Bowl week, especially during the practices.
From one-on-one drills to team period, it all plays a role in how a prospect's draft stock ultimately takes shape. What did we learn from day one of Senior Bowl practices? Here are my takeaways.
Stay tuned as there will be practice updates all week long for both teams following each day's practice sessions.
Steven Montez, QB, Colorado: He showed improved footwork from working with QB guru Jordan Palmer, the same coach who worked with Drew Lock leading up to the 2019 draft. Despite the improvements, Montez was still making some poor throws. He also had an interception on the day.
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon: He made quick and strong throws, although his velocity isn’t upper-echelon. He is able to put a decent spin on the ball. Herbert was undoubtedly the best quarterback on the South squad.
Van Jefferson, WR, Florida: He ran really quick routes, making sharp cuts. His footwork looked great and it's clear that he is taking advantage of the opportunity.
Collin Johnson, WR, Texas: He's 6-foot-6 but his route-running doesn't show it. It was a surprise to see his routes being as quick and clean as they were.
John Simpson, IOL, Clemson: He had a very rough day. The coaches didn’t make it easy with the matchup he was facing for a lot of one-on-one reps, but Simpson failed the trial by fire. He will need to bounce back as the week goes on.
Logan Stenberg, IOL, Kentucky: He showed off good power in practice. There were technical issues, but his power was able to hide some of those issues.
Ben Bartch, IOL, St. John's: He showed that he belonged at the Senior Bowl. Bartch is the only Division III player there, and he was one of the best looking linemen today. Tough, physical, mobile.
Darnay Holmes, DB, Cal: He was a weigh-in loser, but when it came time to practice, he was a big winner. His size may not be ideal, but Holmes is physical and is an ultra competitor. There are concerns about how grabby he was, which means he needs to learn how to be physical without grabbing.
Dane Jackson, DB, Pitt: He was hit or miss in coverage. Jackson did get beat a few times, but also had strong coverage as well. It goes without saying, but he needs to clean up the issues that are seeing him get beat.
Javon Kinlaw, DL, South Carolina: The star of the day for the South Team, Kinlaw was dominant against the interior offensive linemen at practice on Tuesday and he beat up on Simpson multiple times. Kinlaw's size, power, and quickness is tough for these offensive line guys to handle.
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