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2024 Senior Bowl Preview - Defense

Writer's picture: John B. Everett John B. Everett

(T'Vondre Sweat / IDL / Texas)


College football scouting has four distinct stages – the regular season, the postseason all-star game circuit (Hula, Shrine, and Senior Bowls), the NFL Scouting Combine, and the pro day circuit. This Saturday (February 3), the premiere college postseason all-star game takes place in Mobile, Alabama – the Senior Bowl which features some of the very best prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. SNS provides a breakdown of some of the best prospects this week and provides a complete roster with the official measurements taken on Monday, January 29th.

 

NOTE - College All-Star game participant rules have been changed for this off season. Previously, only players who had graduated or been removed from high school for a minimum of four years were eligible to play in a postseason all-star game. However, starting this January, any player who left high school at least three years ago and notified the NFL of their draft eligibility are eligible to participate in the all-star game circuit. This should allow more of the top prospects to play in the all-star games but unfortunately, this increases the chance that some quality prospects that would otherwise get an opportunity, fall through the cracks.


PROSPECTS to WATCH


DeWayne Carter / IDL / Duke

The 2024 NFL Draft has a deep class of quality IDL and several prospects could be drafted in the first round. Carter is one of the fastest rising defensive tackles in this class. He offers a good combination of size (6’2” / 308 lbs / 33” arms), technique, and quickness to start in even man fronts. Carter should continue to climb up draft boards as the combine approaches later this month.

 

T'Vondre Sweat / IDL / Texas

Sweat won the 2023 Outland Trophy and is nearly impossible to move off the ball due to his power and size. He is the best run stopping IDL in the 2024 NFL Draft. But he has a lot of questions to answer going forward. Sweat chose not to get any measurements taken this week in Mobile and although he is a genuinely big man, he was visibly overweight and this noticeably effected his stamina. The concern is that Sweat will only be a run down defender and will only have enough gas to play 15-20 snaps per game. No one wants to use a day one or two pick on a situational run stopper since the NFL is primarily a passing league. Sweat will need to come into the combine at the end of the month in much better shape or he will cost himself millions of dollars when the draft arrives in April.

 

Payton Wilson / LB / North Carolina State

Wilson, the 2023 Chuck Bednarik Award winner as the nation’s best defensive player, is a well-rounded player with fantastic speed and range to excel in zone coverage but with enough athleticism to cover TEs and RBs in man coverage. He has great instincts and is a reliable open field tackler who breaks down well in the open field. Wilson was a state champion wrestler and those skills translate with his exceptional ability to stack, shed, and secure the tackle. Wilson has an extensive injury history but other than that, has no flaws in his game. Expect Wilson to be one of the first LBs selected in April’s draft.

 

Quinyon Mitchell / CB / Toledo

Mitchell came into Mobile as a fast-rising prospect and may leave Mobile this weekend as the top CB prospect for the 2024 NFL Draft. Mitchell was the best defensive back in attendance at the Senior Bowl and looks like a true lockdown corner. The Toledo Rocket CB has prototypical height and length, possesses loose hips and light feet required for man coverage, superb short area reaction skills, and fantastic ball skills. He can shadow quickness and agility in space and has the size and length to match up with size down field. Mitchell looks like a lock to be drafted in the first round in April.

 

Khyree Jackson / CB / Oregon

Jackson offers the best combination of size and length amongst all the CBs available in April (6034 / 203/ 32” arms / 78” wingspan). The former Alabama and Oregon CB is physical throughout the route, but especially at the catch point, and is a physical tackler who supports well against the run. Jackson will not fit every defensive system and he will need to run well in Indianapolis later this month to get drafted high in April. Jackson should go off the board in round three or four in April in Detroit.


Senior Bowl Official Defensive Roster


PROSPECT

SCHOOL

Height

Weight

Hand

Arm

Wingspan

EDGE

Jalyx Hunt (LB)

Houston Christian

6036

250

10.1

34.2

82.7


Adisa Isaac

Penn State

6045

250

9.5

33.7

81.3


Marshawn Kneeland

Western Michigan

6030

268

9.1

34

83.3


Laiatu Latu

UCLA

6046

261

9.3

32.4

79.2


Darius Robinson (IDL)

Missouri

6050

286

10.4

34.6

84.4


Nelson Ceasar (LB)

Houston

6025

260

10.2

33.2

79.7


Javon Solomon

Troy

6006

247

10.5

33.6

80


Chris Braswell (LB)

Alabama

6032

257

9.3

32.7

80.7


Austin Booker

Kansas

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA


Braiden McGregor

Michigan

6051

263

9.6

33.1

80.6


Brandon Dorlus

Oregon

6031

272

9.2

33.3

81


Cedric Johnson

Ole Miss

6027

268

9.4

33

79.4


Eric Watts

UCONN

6054

277

9.7

35.6

84.3


Jaylen Harrell

Michigan

6034

251

9.5

33.1

81.3


Myles Cole

Texas Tech

6057

272

9.7

36.3

78



PROSPECT

SCHOOL

Height

Weight

Hand

Arm

Wingspan

IDL

Tyler Davis

Clemson

6016

299

9.2

30.6

75.4


DeWayne Carter

Duke

6024

308

10.2

33

79.5


T'Vondre Sweat

Texas

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA


McKinnley Jackson

Texas A&M

6015

331

9.7

33

88.1


Braden Fiske

Florida State

6035

295

9.2

31

77.4


Byron Murphy

Texas

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA


Keith Randolph

Illinois

6033

296

9.6

32.4

88.6


Marcus Harris

Auburn

6020

284

9.2

32

77.4


Jaden Crumedy

Mississippi State

6042

309

9.6

32.7

78.3


Michael Hall

Ohio State

6023

280

10.1

33.2

81.2


Justin Eboigbe

Alabama

6041

292

9.5

32.7

80.3


Jordan Jefferson

LSU

6025

323

9.7

32.3

79.7


Gabe Hall

Baylor

6056

298

9.3

34.3

84



PROSPECT

SCHOOL

Height

Weight

Hand

Arm

Wingspan

LB

Cedric Gray

North Carolina

6016

232

9.2

32.4

78.1


Payton Wilson

North Carolina State

6041

234

9

30.1

76.1


Ty'Ron Hopper

Missouri

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA


Marist Liufau

Notre Dame

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA


Michael Barrett

Michigan

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA


Jaylan Ford

Texas

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA


Eduan Ulofoshio

Washington

6005

239

9.2

32.4

79.3


JD Bertrand

Notre Dame

6010

235

9.3

30.2

75.2


Nathaniel Watson

Mississippi State

6021

244

9.7

32.5

80.7


Jontrey Hunter 

Georgia State

6028

229

8.7

31.5

77.3


Tyrice Knight

UTEP

6003

235

9.3

32.4

80.3


Trevin Wallace

Kentucky

6012

244

9.2

33

79.2


Jackson Sirmon

California

6022

235

9

30.3

74.2



PROSPECT

SCHOOL

Height

Weight

Hand

Arm

Wingspan

CB

Max Melton

Rutgers

5110

193

9

32

76.3


Kris Abrams-Draine

Missouri

5113

173

8.7

31.1

74.2


Quinyon Mitchell

Toledo

6003

195

9.1

31.1

75.6


DJ James

Auburn

5115

170

8.1

31

72


Chau Smith-Wade

Washington State

5100

187

9.1

31.1

75.6


Cam Hart

Notre Dame

6027

204

9.6

32.5

77.6


Caelen Carson

Wake Forest

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA


Johnny Dixon

Penn State

5110

192

8.4

29.5

72


Andru Phillips

Kentucky

5104

191

8.6

31.1

75.2


Nehemiah Pritchett

Auburn

6001

188

8.2

31.1

74.7


Kalen King

Penn State

5110

189

8.5

30.3

74.6


Carlton Johnson

Fresno State

5107

169

8

30

73.1


Willie Drew

Virginia State

5115

191

9.4

31.3

75.6


Jarvis Brownlee

Louisville

5105

183

8.6

31.6

75.7


Elijah Jones

Boston College

6016

182

9.2

31.2

76.4


Khyree Jackson

Oregon

6034

203

8.7

32

78



PROSPECT

SCHOOL

Height

Weight

Hand

Arm

Wingspan

S

Jaylin Simpson

Auburn

5115

178

9.7

32.2

77


Beau Brade

Maryland

6016

209

9.2

29.5

73.5


Malik Mustapha

Wake Forest

5097

210

8.7

30.1

73.2


Josh Proctor

Ohio State

6014

198

8.4

31.7

78.4


Kitan Oladapo

Oregon State

6021

219

8.6

31.5

76.3


Tykee Smith

Georgia

5096

206

9.2

31.3

75


Cole Bishop

Utah

6016

209

9.2

29.5

73.5


Javon Bullard

Georgia

5104

197

8.6

30.5

74.2


James Williams (LB)

Miami, Fl

6043

230

9.2

33.1

79.5


Kamren Kinchens

Miami, Fl

5111

206

9.5

31.2

75.1


Jaden Hicks

Washington State

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA


Sione Vaki

Utah

5113

211

9.2

29.4

71.3


Evan Williams

Oregon State

5113

202

10

29.5

73



PROSPECT

SCHOOL

Height

Weight

Hand

Arm

Wingspan

Specialists

Peter Bowden (LS)

Wisconsin

6028

238

8.5

30.1

75.2


William Mote (LS)

Georgia

6006

236

9.1

31.1

75


Austin McNamara (P)

Texas Tech

6044

204

10.4

33.4

81


Tory Taylor (P)

Iowa

6035

229

9.2

32

78.3


Will Reichard (K)

Alabama

6005

191

8.3

30.5

73.7


Joshua Karty (K)

Stanford

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA



(Quinyon Mitchell / CB / Toledo)


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