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Scouting Future Giants Senior Bowl Day 1 Practice Report

Which players stood out during the first day of Senior Bowl practices in Mobile?
Brandon Olsen|
Sep 7, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd defensive lineman Mike Green (15) celebrates after sacking Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) during the first quarter at Lane Stadium.
Sep 7, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd defensive lineman Mike Green (15) celebrates after sacking Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

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New York Giants

MOBILE, AL - The first day of Senior Bowl practice is always interesting, as the one-on-one environment tends to favor certain position groups.

As is always the case, the New York Giants have a party of scouts and front-office executives out in full force, taking meticulous notes on players who, come April, could be donning Giants draft caps after hearing their names called.

Here is a look at a few of the Senior Bowl participants who to our eyes made a good first impression int he opening practices.    

EDGE Mike Green, Marshall 

Mike Green (6-3⅛, 251 lbs.) has made a name for himself as an edge rusher with elite bend and twitchiness who destroyed offensive tackles all season long but feasted on lesser competition.

Green has a ridiculous bend as a pass-rusher and, on film, looks like one of the next great game-breakers, but there were concerns about his weight.

Going into the Senior Bowl, Green weighed 251 pounds, which only left the question as to whether he could bend at that size. 

The answer was an emphatic “yes,” Now, Green has answered the biggest question about his bend and measurables.

OL Grey Zabel, NDSU 

Every year, North Dakota State produces offensive linemen who are maulers and can usually play multiple positions.

At this year’s Senior Bowl, Grey Zabel (6-5⅜, 316 lb.) is the one who is off to a good start, making himself a lot of money in the upcoming draft. Zabel absolutely dominated Day 1 of practice, and teams are going to fall in love with his versatility.

He’s played all five positions on the offensive line in college and started at every position except center. With that kind of versatility, you just don’t get much better in value than that.

DL Walter Nolen, Ole Miss 

There’s a real possibility that Walter Nolen (6-3¼, 293 lbs.) is drafted at the end of the first round before the Giants get back on the clock, but if he’s available at the top of Round 2, the Giatns have a decision to make.  

Nolen is a lethal pass-rusher, and to no surprise, we rarely saw any offensive linemen capable of slowing him down during the one-on-ones.

The possibility of Nolen being paired with Dexter Lawrence is enticing, as it could take their defensive line to the next level.

I’m curious to see if he’ll participate for a full week or if another day of practice will cause him to drop out and accept the win.

WR Xavier Restrepo, Miami 

If you’re familiar with either the Senior Bowl or Xavier Restrepo (5-9⅜, 200 lbs.), then you shouldn’t be surprised to hear that he dominated day one in Mobile.

Senior Bowl practices emphasize route runners winning in one-on-one drills, and Restrepo is one of the cleanest route runners at the event.

His measurables leave much to be desired, but he’s giving himself the best opportunity to earn more looks as a legitimate slot option for NFL teams.

DT Darius Alexander, Toledo 

Day 1 belonged to the trenches, and the group of five had two hellacious players: Mike Green and Toledo’s Darius Alexander (6-3⅝, 304 lbs.).

Alexander has been a multi-year contributor who could have declared last year but chose to go back to school, which improved his ability at the point of attack.

The question for Alexander, similar to Green, was whether he could do that against better competition.

Alexander had a dominant first day against both the run and pass and won one-on-ones consistently.

If the Giants wait until Day 2 to add a lineman next to Dexter Lawrence, Alexander could be the man to watch for.

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Brandon Olsen
BRANDON OLSEN

Brandon Olsen is the founder of Whole Nine Sports, specializing in NFL Draft coverage, and is the host of the Locked On Gators Podcast. 

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