2021 Senior Bowl Day 2: 5 Observations On Potential Jaguars Prospects
MOBILE, AL — The 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl rolled on into day two and potential Jacksonville Jaguars prospects continued to stand out in drills and practice.
JaguarReport was on hand to see the prospects in person. On a cold and windy day in Mobile, here is who—and what—stood out the most.
Related: 5 Observations On Potential Jaguars Prospects From Day 1 of the Senior Bowl
Shi Smith Continues To Impress
The South Carolina wide receiver caught our eye on Tuesday…and then held it on Wednesday. During individual drills to start the day, Smith exhibited just a slightly different approach than every other receiver. Neither was right or wrong but it does offer an advantage for Smith in that his style is something defenses will have to prepare for differently.
For example, on rainbow pass drills, where most of the receivers elected to high step through the catch, Smith planted his foot and drug his toe for balance. On deep ball drills, most of the other guys blasted off the line then slowed up at the catch. Smith stuttered off the line and accelerated through the catch. Neither are right or wrong, it’s just a matter of style…but it provides a quiver in Smith’s arsenal that others don’t have.
During team drills, Smith continued to draw praise, particularly in this one play (below) over the middle. The crossing route allowed him to body up the defender and then work his shoulders in for the contested catch. Those are the sort of things he’ll have to do in the NFL and, if he became a Jaguar, would allow him playing time early on.
Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell Are Both Nice Options…With Connections
Speaking of receivers who might join the Jags, two Clemson Tigers wideouts moved effortlessly through the day.
Amari Rodgers went up for a nice grab over the middle during team drills and neither dropped a ball on Wednesday from what we observed. Coaches rotated the duo, having them work inside and out.
There’s another benefit to having Rogers or Powell on the roster for the Jaguars. Both are familiar with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the presumed No. 1 overall pick for the Jags in April at the 2021 NFL Draft.
Powell, who told JaguarReport he has met with the Jaguars in Mobile, said of Lawrence, "Trevor's a generational talent. We already have a connection coming from Clemson so I definitely think it'd be amazing to go out there and play with him. We already know each other and I think it'd be an easy transition, it'd help both of us out."
Marvin Wilson Is Strong With Bend (and better than yesterday)
Watching on Tuesday, one of the primary concerns with FSU defensive lineman Marvin Wilson was lack of flexibility in his turns and bend. That looked moderately better on Wednesday, with Wilson dipping his shoulder to get around the offensive lineman.
What sets Wilson apart from the other d-lineman at the Senior Bowl is his pure power. His strength is going to win him battles he should lose and keep him in others long enough to give a teammate time to make a play. That’s something the Jaguars can use to help K’Lavon Chaisson and Josh Allen as Jacksonville looks to improve the pass rush.
Tre’ McKitty…Hello
The Georgia Bulldogs tight end was quiet on Tuesday…but showed up on Wednesday. It began in one-on-one drills when McKitty spun around LSU linebacker Jabril Cox for what became an easy catch over the middle—but only because he’d lost the defender at that point.
During team drills, McKitty scooted down the sideline and made a one-handed grab over a defender that drew a reaction from players, coaches, and everyone in the stands.
The Jaguars could use a tight end; injuries and inconsistent offense kept Tyler Eifert from being all the Jags hoped he would be. As offense evolves in the NFL, the tight end is more important than ever. It would take a small miracle or some trade finagling to grab Florida junior tight end Kyle Pitts before the Jaguars second first-round pick (No. 25). But grabbing a solid TE on Day Two—or maybe even early Day Three—is still a good play and maybe Tre’ McKitty can be that guy.
Shawn Davis Could Be A Project Ball Hawk
There are plenty of viable and intriguing safety options and the Jaguars will need to do their due diligence on them all. The 2020 season exposed many things, the least of which was Jacksonville’s lack of depth at the position.
While Shawn Davis might not jump off the tape as an all-around safety, he’s a strong possibility as a scheme player. While with the Gators, Davis was a ballhawk, and that doesn’t seem to be changing. He began Wednesday’s practice with a near interception, undercutting LSU’s Racey McMath. He wasn’t able to hold on to the pick as he fell out of bounds, but he essentially broke up the pass.
As the afternoon wore on into team drills, Davis read quarterback Jamie Newman, moving up off his man and picking off the pass in the middle of the field. Both plays on the ball were perfectly read and timed.
Davis—who is also known as an intensely hard hitter—still needs to work on his coverage skills. But his physicality and innate ball skills make him someone to watch as the Jaguars build their secondary.
