Senior Bowl Practice Report Day 1: How Did Potential Jaguars Draft Targets Perform?
MOBILE, Ala. — Day one of Reese's Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Alabama are in the books, and JaguarReport made sure to keep a particularly close eye on the South squad, which was coached by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Throughout this week, we are going to keep tabs on a number of players on both teams who could be potential draft targets for the Jacksonville Jaguars come April. This, of course, means there are some positions we will gloss over, such as quarterback, and we will pay closer to other positions such as defensive line, tight end, cornerback, wide receiver, and offensive line.
So after the first day of South squad practices, how did potential targets for the Jaguars look on the practice field? We took extensive notes to give you an idea, and in the video above uploaded some clips from practice.
St. Johns University OT Ben Bartch
A Division III prospect who is being given a chance this week to play against stronger competition than he saw his entire college career, Bartch was plenty impressive on Tuesday. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 308-pounds, Bartch had nimble feet and a strong base in pass protection. He had one terrific rep against Florida defensive end Jabari Zuniga in one-on-one pass-rush drills, as he rode Zuniga completely out of the arc with sheer strength and aggression. He wasn't perfect, being beat a few times when put at right tackle, but he flashed plenty of tools.
FAU TE Harrison Bryant
Harrison Bryant was one of the most impressive skill players on the South squad on Tuesday. He beat linebackers downfield with ease thanks to his quickness off of the line and natural speed, and he was able to track the ball nicely in the air. He had one especially impressive rep in which he shook the defender once the two made contact and then caught a nice deep pass from Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert. Bryant looks the part of an athletic move tight end who can improve a pass-catching unit.
Auburn DL Marlon Davidson
Lining up all over the defensive front, Marlon Davidson was a man of many hats on Tuesday. He rushed the passer from three-technique, nose tackle, and defensive end, which isn't surprising considering his tweener size at 6-foot-3 and 297-pounds. He had impressive hands and pass-rush moves, including a nice inside spin when lined up at defensive end. He isn't the most flexible player, which showed during individual bag drills, but he won in a lot of different ways.
Texas WR Devin Duvernay
A superbly productive wide receiver for Texas in 2019 (106 catches for 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns), Duvernay let his name be known early on in practice thanks to his blazing speed. He routinely beat cornerbacks off of the line in one-on-ones, using excellent burst to win the outside and then quick strides to separate downfield. He missed a few passes in his area code, which makes sense considering he doesn't have much of a catch radius, but he is an intriguing vertical/yards after catch threat.
San Diego State OL Keith Ismael
A versatile offensive lineman who told JaguarReport he feels most comfortable playing center, Ismael had an up and down day on Tuesday. He moved really well for an interior lineman but had some issues anchoring in pass-protection vs. bigger defensive lineman. Ismael told us San Diego State used a heavy amount of both gap and zone blocking schemes, and it showed during team drills as he was able to reach nose tackles as well as linebackers. He needs to show more strength against the pass-rush moving forward.
Pittsburgh CB Dane Jackson
One of our favorite prospects to watch on Tuesday, Pittsburgh cornerback Dane Jackson shined in individual drills, especially when pressing receivers at the line. He had one superb rep against Florida wide receiver Van Jefferson in which he stayed in Jefferson's hip pocket throughout the route and then deflected the ball at the catch point. He looked feisty, athletic, and instinctive all day.
Florida WR Van Jefferson
Van Jefferson put on a masterclass in releases on Tuesday, showing the nifty footwork and quickness that made him such a productive wide receiver in college. He got beat in a few reps by physical corners (Dane Jackson) but ultimately looked like a dependable player who can get open at the next level. He has also met with the Jaguars this week.
Texas WR Collin Johnson
One of the most impressive players on the practice field on Tuesday, Collin Johnson showed why so many people were high on him entering 2019. Considering his towering size (6-foot-5, 221-pounds), it isn't surprising that Johnson didn't have the quickest release off of the line but he moved really well in his cuts for a player his size and showed great physicality against press coverage.
Ole Miss DT Benito Jones
The definition of a dancing bear, the 6-foot-1, 321-pound Benito Jones flashed the rare quickness for his size that makes him such an enticing nose tackle prospect. He also showed the obvious strength his large frame possesses, making him a hard man to move off the ball. He didn't impress with any pass-rush moves, but the physical tools are there.
South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw
Freak of nature. That is the best, and maybe only, way to describe Javon Kinlaw (6-foot-5, 315-pounds). Kinlaw was the best player on the field for the South squad, overpowering offensive lineman as well as beating them with his initial burst off of the line. He had the quickness and flexibility to win with speed moves from multiple alignments inside, showing a nice array of pass-rush moves. He also played with really good leverage, impressive considering his sheer size. He will be a top pick come April.
Vanderbilt TE Jared Pinkney
Jared Pinkney has a lot of Marcedes Lewis to his game with his frame, running strides, and playstyle. He did, however, struggle on Tuesday, often failing to separate from linebackers and defensive backs at the intermediate and deep levels of the field due to sloppy footwork and a lack of quickness. He needs to have a better week moving forward.
LSU TE Stephen Sullivan
Unlike Pinkney, Stephen Sullivan did a ton to help his stock on Tuesday. The sparingly used collegiate tight end (only 12 catches for 130 yards and zero touchdowns in 2019), Sullivan looked the part early on Mobile. He is a huge body (6-foot-5, 245-pounds) and ran by defenders with ease throughout the practice. He also showed good hands and body control, catching a few downfield passes he had to adjust on. He really impressed.
Georgia Southern CB Kindle Vildor
We admittedly didn't see a ton of Kindle Vildor on Tuesday, but we did him make maybe the play of the entire day during team drills. Playing zone coverage, Vildor read the quarterback's eyes perfectly and intercepted a deep pass down the right sideline, leaping in the air to secure the ball above his head. It was an amazingly athletic play and one that leaves an impression.
