Risers From 2021 Senior Bowl Who Could Interest the Jaguars
A few seniors really took their stock to the next level over the last couple days in Mobile as the Reese's Senior Bowl kicked off for the 2021 draft season. With the Jaguars holding 11 picks, there is little doubt that they could hold the performances from Mobile highly in their mind.
Key practice drills were the red zone drills and also one-on-ones that really showed aggressiveness and footwork. A few of these players could be potential starters and picked up by the Jaguars in either the early or mid-rounds, with each offering the chance to improve both the depth and production of the roster.
Here are some players that are risers from this week's practices based on practice film, each of whom could land on the Jaguars' radar.
Georgia TE Tre' McKitty
Tre' McKitty underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in the beginning of his senior year. He transferred to Georgia from Florida State after his junior year where he caught 50 passes for 520 yards and a pair of touchdowns in three seasons with the Seminoles.
Despite having low targets while at Georgia, McKitty has shown to be a triple-threat on offense. He can catch the ball through traffic, run block downfield, and is also solid at protecting the passer.
McKitty likely wasn't very high on the draft boards but after Senior Bowl week, that should change. This week, McKitty showed that he can be effective in pass protection, run blocking and more than just effective in receiving; even pulling multiple one-handed catches in traffic.
McKitty doesn’t shy away from contact in any aspect of the game. His physical toughness is solid in pass protection and also in receiving; he continues hand fights for separation in-route to gain leverage for the catch and then in pass protection, he does a great job using his body to get in between edge rushers and his quarterback.
This primarily pass-catching tight end does have some areas where he needs work. For instance in pass protection, he doesn't always hold blocks for very long. In receiving, having tighter footwork in-routes to gain separation will be key if he wants to beat defensive backs in the NFL. He shouldn’t have a problem against linebackers.
Alabama OL Deonte Brown
Alabama offensive lineman Deonte Brown showed this week that he can keep an outside rusher in front of him as a tackle, but he performed best when at his natural position of guard. On most snaps, he lined up at LG, (playing RG most recently at Alabama) but also protected the edge and lined up on the right side early on in the week. That being said, he is very versatile, and the Jaguars can use him right out of the draft. It is especially important the roster has deep depth at OL to protect the future No. 1 overall pick, Trevor Lawrence.
Brown has quick feet off the snap pulling across the line to help the ball carrier, which can create and secure lanes inside the A gap for James Robinson. He uses his wide base to help him keep a low center of gravity, which helps when having to shuffle his feet to remain in front of the defender, sometimes it looked effortless late in the week. In College, the Crimson Tide offensive line blocked for the Power 5’s No. 1 scoring offense (48.5 ppg), No. 1 pass efficiency offense (198.9), No. 2 passing offense (358.2 ypg), No. 2 total offense (541.6 ypg) and No. 23 rushing attack (183.5 ypg).
Tennessee OL Trey Smith
Some say Trey Smith's stock went down after Senior Bowl week, but this versatile blocker from Tennessee could be a vital pickup for the Jaguars. He is quick off the snap and uses his hands well to stay in front of any defender. He was performing well in the passing game, getting out to the flat quickly for screens and also using his athleticism in the run game for very quick second-level blocking. Smith plays very light on his feet, which is an attribute you can not teach. This gives him very good play-speed and bounce to his game. In 2017 he was Under Armour All-America Game selection. Named 2016 All-USA First Team by USA TODAY and Honorable mention Parade All-American selection.
Tulane DL Cameron Sample
Cameron Sample started every single snap his junior year at Tulane and has recorded 11.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss over the last three seasons. Sample could be a long-term choice in the interior of the defense who could learn a lot from the current players on the Jaguars defense.
Sample showed better hand fighting than the offensive linemen who were across from him throughout the week. He was physical, which could become overbearing for the offensive line as a game enters the fourth quarter. Sample showed a lot of different moves when lined up on the inside where he was able to squeeze in between two linemen. He saw a lot of double teams this week which means he was not taken lightly.
UCF SAF Richie Grant
UCF safety Richie Grant was everywhere this week! He came out with a few interceptions which means he plays really well in open space ... and the Jaguars especially need a ballhawk safety to help complete the defense. Grant showed high physicality and speed in traffic with an ability to fight off blocks when defending an outside run. When defending a pass, he is like glue, even against a very quick slot receiver. Even when he got beat, he did a great not allowing the WR to secure the catch all the way to the ground.
In Grant’s senior year, he totaled six pass breakups, three interceptions and two force fumble/recoveries. In his junior year, he was second on the team in total tackles, and in 2018 he led the team in tackles with 109.
Honorable Mentions:
Duke TE Noah Gray
Houston LB Grant Stuard
