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Senior Bowl Prospects Names to Watch for Giants

The Reese's Senior Bowl rosters are taking shape, so Nick Falato took a look at some early prospects who could draw interest from the Giants.
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The 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl begins the week of January 31st, with the game as the culminating event on February 1st. The historic event off the bay in Mobile, Alabama, will host several exciting college football names. Another intriguing aspect of the event is the host teams; every year, the Senior Bowl allows returning coaching staff that finished near the top of the draft order to coach the event.

If Joe Judge returns as the head coach of the Giants in 2022, his staff could realistically coach the event and gain extra insight into the player’s practice habits and personalities. I would welcome an opportunity for the Giants to coach the event--we know they need the additional insight.

There are several futures up for debate on the Giants, so every position group should garner interest from the new general manager. Here are the names to pay attention to during the Senior Bowl event.

Quarterbacks

Sam Howell, North Carolina. After North Carolina's bowl loss to South Carolina, Sam Howell announced he would attend the Reese's Senior Bowl in a loaded quarterback event. The 2021 quarterback class is thought to be weak, so this event could be a difference-maker for a team set on drafting a quarterback in round one. Howell threw for 3,056-yards, 24-touchdowns, and 9-interceptions this season. He has a total of 10,283-yards in three seasons with 92-touchdowns and 23-interceptions.

Howell is mobile enough to work the RPO game, and he did a good overall job in Phil Longo's vertical offense with many designed quarterback runs. Howell was once considered a potential top pick but slid after a less than stellar season in 2021. Can he regain some ground and work his way towards the top of the draft with a good Reese's Senior Bowl event?

Carson Strong, Nevada. The 6'4, 220-pound from Vacaville, California, has prototype size and arm strength. Many draft pundits believe Strong is a name that could rise up draft boards with a strong offseason in Mobile. He was the Mountain West Offensive Player of the year in 2020 and 2021. He has thrown for 9,379-yards, 74-touchdowns, and 19-interceptions through three seasons starting at Nevada. His ability to rip the ball will be evident throughout practice during the Senior Bowl events.

Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh. If there's one quarterback who may be drafted in the top 10, as I type this right now, it's Kenny Pickett. He finished third in Heisman voting in 2021 with a stellar 2021 where he threw for 4,319-yards, 42-touchdowns, and only 7-interceptions. He has a career completion rate of 62.4 percent with five years of play. He has thrown for 12,303-yards, 81-touchdowns, and 32-interceptions throughout his career. He is a name to remember.

Malik Willis, Liberty. The Auburn transfer has eye-popping physical skills, and his name has been floated around as a potential first-round pick. He transferred to Liberty in 2020 and hit the ground running. In his junior year, he threw for 2,250-yards with 20-touchdowns and 6-interceptions.

He followed that performance with a 27-touchdown, 12-interception rate with 2,857-passing yards. Liberty ran the football a considerable amount, but Willis' ability to throw on the run and make plays off-script garnered interest from people around the league. He will be a name of note at the event.

Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati. The non-power five Cincinnati Bearcats were the first team to earn a playoff bid. It didn't go the magical way for Cincinnati, who lost 27-6 to Alabama, but Ridder's grit and leadership all season has earned him NFL buzz. He has 10,239-passing yards through his four years starting at Cincinnati. He also has 87-touchdowns and 28-interceptions.

He had his best year in his senior campaign, throwing for 3,334-yards with 30-touchdowns and 8-interceptions. He is another name to monitor through the week - a week with many exciting quarterbacks, but none clear cut above the rest.

Running back

Hassan Haskins, Michigan. Haskins is most known for his incredible five-touchdown performance against Ohio State in 2021. It tied Michigan's single-game touchdown mark, which Ron Johnson set in 1968. Haskins was a backup for most of his career at Michigan before splitting time with Blake Corum in 2021. He rushed for 2,324-yards with 5.1-yards per carry and 30-touchdowns in his career; 20 of those touchdowns were in 2021, along with 1,327-yards. He only has 24 career receptions for 171-yards but didn't look unnatural as a receiver. That element of his game will be tested during the week of practice in Mobile.

James Cook, Georgia. James is the brother of Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook, and he intends on playing in the Senior Bowl only a few weeks after competing in the national title game. The Miami native only has 1,426-yards in his career with an average of 6.4-YPC to go along with 14-touchdowns. He was in a deep Georgia rotation and had 65-career receptions for 715-yards and 6-touchdowns. Cook isn't as dynamic as his brother, but he's very skilled and will be a fine NFL running back. Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy has indicated that Cook's receiving skills may garner him looks at wide receiver through the week at practice.

Brian Robinson, Alabama. Longtime Alabama running back never had over 100-carries until his second senior season, where he shouldered the load with 248-carries. He had 1,268-yards and 14-touchdowns this past season. Like many past Alabama running backs, he is thick, fast, physical, with a hard-charging attitude. During the event, he will be a certain fan favorite, as will all Alabama players.

Wide receivers

Alec Pierce, Cincinnati. The 6'3, 213-pound Pierce is an "X" type of receiver who is fast, physical, good in the air, with excellent ball skills. He has a career of 1,851-yards with 13 touchdowns. He is a possible first-round pick who may ultimately end up on day two, but still a great player to have at the event.

Jahan Dotson, Penn State. The 5'11, 185-pound is a great route runner with big-play ability. He understands how to create separation in tight spaces, run routes at all three levels, and play bigger than his frame. He has 2,757 receiving yards with 25-total touchdowns, 12 of which came during a great senior season. He also has 183-career receptions, 91 in this past year.

Tight end

Charlie Kolar, Iowa State. Matt Campbell's big tight end Charlie Kolar is attending the Senior Bowl. The cyclone had 62-catches for 756-yards and 6-touchdowns this year. He has a career of 2,181-receiving yards with 23-touchdowns. Kolar is more of a receiving threat than a blocker. His ability to split the seams and use solid overall athletic ability to get vertical while understanding space will be valuable to a team that needs a tight end - like the Giants.

Tackles

Daniel Faalele, Minnesota. The massive 6'9, 380-pound Faalele has pretty decent movement skills for a man of monster-like size. He allowed 33 pressures, six hurries, and five sacks through three seasons. He only has allowed eight pressures in 2021 and one sack. His size may turn teams off, but the Eagles Jordan Mailata set some precedent for players like Faalele. Although some may feel he should be kicked inside.

Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa. Penning is another massive tackle at 6'7, 321-pounds. He allowed 13 pressures and a sack this season, playing at a lesser level of competition. In his career, he only allowed 45 pressures and six sacks.

Abraham Lucas, Washington State. Lucas is 6'7, 319-pounds with some of the best Pro Football Focus blocking grades in college football. He only allowed 13 pressures and one sack in his last two seasons. Last year, he only allowed nine pressures and no sacks. Lucas isn't the best athlete at the position, but, like Penning and Faalele, he is very long, and Lucas is a very smart and adaptive possible NFL tackle.

Max Mitchell, Louisiana. The Ragin' Cajun has spent some time with Rob Sale and has solid tape on his resume. Mitchell only allowed three sacks this past season, along with 13 pressures. He is undersized for the position at 6'6, 297-pounds, but maybe an NFL weightlifting regimen can help him maintain his weight.

Interior offensive lineman

Zion Johnson, Boston College. The 6'3, 316-pound Zion Johnson is an ideal zone running scheme fit, which is always in demand at the NFL level. He isn't very long, but he certainly should be a solid contributor early on and should have a good event in Mobile.

Darian Kinnard, Kentucky. If Dave Gettleman were to continue as Giants general manager, Kinnard would be a player that would interest him. A true "hog mollie." He is 6-5, 345-pounds of bruising ability that can power through defenders in the run game. He is more of a run blocker than a pass protector, but he isn't inept in the latter.

Jamaree Salyer, Georgia. Salyer projects to be an excellent athletic offensive guard that mainly played tackle in college. He doesn't have the ideal length for the tackle position, although he could function, so he could be kicked inside, and I'm sure the NFL would like to see him at guard through the Senior Bowl event.

He is an intelligent player with excellent balance and a physical demeanor when finishing blocks and in the run game. He could be someone the Giants may have an interest in.

Ed Ingram, LSU. Ingram is a versatile offensive lineman who can play four positions along the line, other than center. He has experience at both LG and RG, and he has the athletic traits and processing to play tackle in a pinch. Ingram is 6'3, 315-pounds, and only allowed 11 pressures this season. He also allowed two sacks. His senior year was far better than his other three seasons, but he did play significant snaps in 2019 when the Tigers won a national championship with Joe Burrow.

Defensive Line

Devonte Wyatt, Georgia. Wyatt plays next to one of the biggest, most physical, defensive linemen in Jordan Davis, but Wyatt's talent shouldn't be overlooked. He has been a fixture of Georgia's defense for four years, using his impressive burst and penetration ability to disrupt opposing passing and rushing attacks. He will be a true three-down workhorse of a lineman in the NFL. He is 6-3, 313-pounds, with excellent hands and ability at the point of attack. He should hear his name called somewhere on day two, probably in the second round.

Phidarian Mathis, Alabama. The 6'5, 317-pound defender is a versatile player who can align as a nose technique all the way to a 4i-shade. He is athletic, powerful, and can impact the run and pass. Mathis had 25 pressures this season and seven sacks this year. This was the best season for Mathis who could potentially sneak into the second-round conversation.

Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma. Winfrey is undersized at 6'4, 292-pounds, but he is a quick penetrator that can shoot gaps and disrupt. He does a solid job playing with good leverage for a taller defensive lineman. He had 29 pressures in 2021 and 6 sacks. He was a JUCO transfer who should be a good 3-technique or possibly a 5-technique at the next level.

Edge

Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State. Johnson is a versatile, long, 6-5, 256-pound OLB/DE who is an intelligent player with good athletic ability. He can rush the passer and play the run well. In 2021, he had 46 pressures and 14 sacks. He had two three-sack games, one against Jacksonville State and the other against Miami. He transferred from Georgia to Florida State. His length and abilities will intrigue general managers around the league.

Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati. Sanders was only a three-star recruit who turned himself into a potential back-end first-round pick. He has great size at 6'5, 255-pounds, and his change of direction ability, combined with his quick feet, make him an impact player when rushing the passer; that is, on the EDGE or as a looper inside. He had ten total pressures on Bryce Young in the 27-6 loss in the Cotton Bowl. He ended his 2021 season with 61 total pressures. He is a bit more of a pass rusher than a run defender, but Sanders is a good football player who will hear his name on day two.

Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina. The 6-4, 265-pound defensive end opted out of the Gamecocks' 38-21 victory over North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. His senior season was solid; he had 45 pressures but only four sacks. He is ideal for a multiple-front defense like the Giants, Patriots, or the Miami Dolphins. Enagbare is a name to know if Patrick Graham and Joe Judge are retained for next season.

Cameron Thomas, SDST. Thomas is a thick 270-pound, 6-5 defensive end who had 77 pressures in 2021. He also had 21 sacks. Since arriving at San Diego State, his Pro Football Focus grades have been incredibly high. He does a good job using power and finesse pass-rushing moves while getting skinny through narrow gaps to make disruptive plays.

Linebackers

Devin Lloyd, Utah. The Senior Bowl getting Lloyd to commit is an excellent job by Nagy and his staff. Lloyd is a potential top-ten selection from one of the top defenses in college football. He is 6-3, 235 pounds with coverage and blitzing skills. He had 31 pressures and eight sacks for the Utes in 2021. He also had 90 tackles and 56 STOPS, ranking 7th in tackles and 8th in STOPs in the entire FBS. Lloyd will be used all over the defense and will likely be used as a pass rusher through drills all week in Mobile.

Darrian Beavers, Cincinnati. He is a 6-4, 255-pound excellent run defender who had 21 pressures as a blitzer on passing downs; he is also a solid zone coverage defender. The former UCONN Husky had 74 tackles and 53 STOPS in 2021. Beavers may have some athletic limitations for the modern-day linebacker, but he is still an exceptional prospect.

Damone Clark, LSU. Clark is 6'3, 245-pounds with 46 STOPS, 23 pressures, 88 tackles, and a low 6.1 percent missed tackle rate. He is a sure tackling, athletic, do-it-all linebacker who can move even higher on boards with a good Senior Bowl week.

Cornerbacks

Roger McCreary, Auburn. McCreary is a fluid athlete who was First Team All-SEC in 2021. He's a smart and disruptive cornerback who is a sound tackler and can be a dynamic special teams gunner.

Coby Bryant, Cincinnati. The Jim Thorpe Award winner is sticky in man coverage and plays with a desirable temperament. He is 6'1, 198-pounds, with an impressive 44 percent completion rate. This season, he allowed three touchdowns, with three interceptions and 11 passes defended.

Mario Goodrich, Clemson. Goodrich is a long cornerback with great zone instincts. Goodrich is also a very impressive tackler who is aggressive in run support. He is 6'0, 191-pounds with a 51 percent completion rate.

Derion Kendrick, Georgia. Kendrick is a good cornerback who can play man or zone coverage. He had a 49 percent completion rate with five passes defended on one of the most feared defenses in college football.

Safeties

Jaquan Brisker, Penn State. Brisker is a phenomenal athlete who should be a first-round pick in the upcoming draft. He was a JUCO transfer from Lackawanna College and was a difference-maker for the Nittany Lions. He has good size at 6'1, 200-pounds with the capability of delivering big hits.


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