2026 Senior Bowl Defensive Prospect Preview

John B. Everett
6 hours ago
8 min read

Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez drops into coverage — *Jacob Rodriguez / LB / Texas Tech*

The premiere college All-Star game is the Senior Bowl which is played on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 2:30 pm ET / 11:30 am PT. from Mobile, Alabama and televised on NFL Network.

The Senior Bowl participants are overwhelmingly the best declared juniors and seniors available for the NFL Draft - the majority of the top 100 prospects in the NFL Draft play in the Senior Bowl. Many, but rarely all, first round draft picks play in the Senior Bowl. This is especially true regarding the best QBs who historically opt-out of participating (e.g. Fernando Mendoza is not participating in Senior Bowl activities this week). The majority of these prospects in Mobile should earn an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, February 26-March 1.

EDGE

Zion Young / Missouri

Tyreak Sapp / Florida

Keyron Crawford / EDGE-LB / Auburn

Romello Height / Texas Tech

Logan Fano / Utah

TJ Parker / Clemson

Dani Dennis-Sutton / Penn State

Derrick Moore / Michigan

Gabe Jacas / EDGE-LB / Illinois

Cian Slone / North Carolina State

LT Overton / Alabama

Nadame Tucker / Western Michigan

Max Llewellyn / Iowa

Vincent Anthony / Duke

Quintayvious Hutchins / Boston College

Nyjalik Kelly / UCF

The strongest position group in Mobile this week, top to bottom, are the EDGE Rushers where the majority of the best EDGEs available for April's draft are in attendance this week and several of these prospects look like potential first round picks. Young has ideal size and length for a 4-3 DE and excels as a run defender. Crawford figures to split reps between the LBs and EDGEs this week although his best skill is pressuring the QB. Crawford's combination of length and agility makes him one of the best athletes amongst EDGEs in the 2026 NFL Draft. Height was somewhat overshadowed this past season by David Bailey but Height's agility and quickness makes him a quality NFL prospect. Parker entered the 2025 season with a ton of hype. But much like the Clemson football team, Parker underachieved last season finishing with only five sacks and disappearing for long stretches of time. But Parker's upside is significant and he is only one season away from the 11 sacks he recorded in 2024. Dennis-Sutton has ideal size and possesses a nice combination of power and speed. Dennis-Sutton could shoot up draft boards with a strong week in Mobile. Moore put together a productive senior season in Ann Arbor and his well-rounded game makes him a solid mid-round pick. Jacas has teased with his length, agility, and burst and is a good enough athlete to drop into a zone and hold his own in coverage. Jacas looks like a top 100 pick. Overton has premium size and is one of the best run defenders in this class. Overton shows the most pass rushing potential sliding inside and rushing as a 3T. Tucker led the nation in sacks and has steadily climbed up draft boards as the season has progressed. A solid week should earn him an invitation to Indianapolis. A name to keep an eye on is Llewellyn, a sneaky good athlete who could work his way into second round draft consideration with a productive week in Mobile. Anthony has outstanding length, light feet, and good pass rushing skill and looks like a solid mid-round pick.

IDL

Cameron Ball / Arkansas

Caleb Banks / Florida

Rayshaun Benny / Michigan

Zane Durant / Penn State

Lee Hunter / Texas Tech

Deven Eastern / Minnesota

Tim Keenan / Alabama

Darrell Jackson / Florida State

Chris McClellan / Missouri

Nick Barrett / South Carolina

Jeffrey M'ba / SMU

Bryson Eason / Tennessee

Gracen Halton / Oklahoma

The IDL in Mobile are a loaded class of potential NFL starters and major contributors with a diverse skill set that meet what NFL teams want out of their DTs. Ball is a massive interior force with light feet and good range for his size. Banks is likely to be one of the highest risers of any prospect in Mobile due to his fantastic combination of size and athleticism - Banks flashes elite twitch and agility but he has battled injuries throughout his time at Louisville and Florida. Benny is a first year starter but a major contributor for the last three seasons in Ann Arbor. Benny's combination of size, strength, and agility and his ability to play 5T, 3T, or as a NT makes him a likely second or third round draft pick. Durant is undersized but exceedingly quick and sudden and his ability to convert speed to power makes him more effective against the inside run than his body would seem to indicate. Hunter had a great senior season and his size, agility, and burst makes Hunter a potential starter and a likely second or third round draft pick. McClellan is a likely third or fourth round pick who really came on in the second half of the season with an intriguing blend of size and athleticism. Barrett is a classic, old school two-gap DT who shuts down inside run lanes and pushes the pocket with power. M'ba is an active and physical DT with good range and pass rushing potential. Eason is quick and long with the range and flexibility to play inside as a 3T or outside as a 5T. Halton is a dangerous and explosive inside pass rusher who should contribute early in his NFL career as a sub-package pass rush specialist.

LB

Jack Kelly / BYU

Jacob Rodriguez / Texas Tech

Xavian Sorey / Arkansas

Keyshaun Elliott / Arizona State

Owen Heinecke / Oklahoma

Kaleb Elarms-Orr / TCU

Namdi Obiazor / TCU

Scooby Williams / Texas A&M

Bryce Boettcher / Oregon

Kyle Louis / Pittsburgh

The Senior Bowl staff put together a quality class of off-the-ball LBs that fit what NFL teams desire in the position. Kelly possesses desired size and instincts and is a powerful tackler but he may not have the agility or speed to stay on the field on passing downs. Rodriguez, the Butkus Award winner, is an elite playmaker with fantastic instincts and excellent range. Off-the-ball LBs rarely get drafted in the first round but expect Rodriguez to be a notable exception as a likely top 20 selection in April's draft. Sorey may be the most athletic LB in the nation with desired size, speed, and range to become a starter early in his NFL career. Boettcher has an interesting career decision to make. Boettcher has the athletic ability and instincts to be developed into an eventual starter but he is a highly thought of outfielder in the Houston Astros farm system with a great chance to make the Astros' roster over the next couple of years. Louis is an athletic and instinctive LB with the range and playmaking skill to start as a rookie in the NFL. Louis looks like a top 50 selection in April.

CB

Hezekiah Masses / California

Collin Wright / Stanford

Chris Johnson / San Diego State

Charles Demmings / Stephen F. Austin

TJ Hall / Iowa

Ephesians Prysock / Washington

Colton Hood / Tennessee

Jalen McMurray / CB-S / Tennessee

Thad Dixon / North Carolina

Chandler Rivers / Duke

Malik Muhammad / Texas

Daylen Everette / Georgia

Davison Igbinosun / Ohio State

Julian Neal / Arkansas

Fred Davis / Northwestern

A talented group of athletic CBs have been assembled in Mobile where most of these prospects should get drafted in April. Masses is an athletic ball hawk with the instincts and agility desired on the outside but he may lack desired speed to stick with elite vertical threats. Hall has the size, agility, and competitiveness to contribute as a rookie. Hall looks like a fifth or sixth round pick in Pittsburgh in April. Prysock has elite height and length - he is somewhat thin and lacks desired strength but his toughness, agility, and burst are NFL-caliber. Prysock is a likely top 100 pick this spring. Hood is a likely first round pick with the length and fluidity to be developed into a starter as a rookie. McMurray has experience both outside and inside as a slot CB and that versatility is his ticket to an NFL job. Rivers is a highly experienced and intelligent outside CB with the hips and feet desired for man coverage. Rivers size is merely adequate so how well he runs at the combine will impact his draft standing. Muhammad has experience both outside and inside and is one of the most productive slot CBs in the nation. Everette has premium length and size and plays best when the pressure is highest but he needs to improve his consistency, as he disappears for long stretches. Igbinosun was flagged 16 times for holding/pass interference in 2024 but he corrected those issues and elevated his performance this past season in Columbus.

S

VJ Payne / Kansas State

DeShon Singleton / Nebraska

Bud Clark / TCU

Wydett Williams / Ole Miss

Michael Taaffe / Texas

Skyler Thomas / Oregon State

Zakee Wheatley / S-CB / Penn State

AJ Haulcy / LSU

Jalon Kilgore / South Carolina

Kamari Ramsey / USC

Genesis Smith / Arizona

Jalen Stroman / Notre Dame

A very athletic and fast group of safeties are present in Mobile this week and the majority of these prospects are likely to hear their name called in the seven round, 257 pick NFL Draft. Payne has excellent size and movement skills with the speed and range to become an eventual starter, although he needs to improve his tackling ability. Singleton looks like a solid mid-round draft pick with starting potential due to his size, range, and ball skills. Clark is another big safety with the size, length, and power desired in a starting safety with good range and excellent instincts. Clark possesses elite ball skills - he has recorded 15 career INTS at TCU. Clark looks like a top 75 selection in April. Taaffe, a former walk-on, is a highly instinctive safety with marginal size and speed who figures to be a solid special teams, his most likely route to a job in the NFL. Wheatley has good versatility with time spent as a safety as well as at slot CB and looks like a fourth or fifth round selection. Ramsey is an experienced slot CB with the speed, range, and instincts to play safety in the NFL. Ramsey is a likely mid-round pick. Stroman, a transfer from Virginia Tech, played his way to Mobile after a quality week at the American Bowl. Stroman lost his starting job in South Bend so showing out this week is an important step in his journey to get to the NFL.

Specialists

Ryan Eckley / P / Michigan State

Brett Thorson / P / Georgia

Drew Stevens / K / Iowa

Will Ferrin / K / BYU

Luke Basso / LS / Oregon

Beau Gardner / LS / Georgia

The specialists in Mobile this week are likely to provide two or three draft picks in April. Punters Eckley and Thorson have extremely strong legs and look like long-term NFL punters. Both punters could hear their names called, starting late in the fifth round. Stevens has terrific leg strength but accuracy has always been an issue. Ferrin is an accurate kicker who needs to prove he has the leg strength to make 55+ yard FGs consistently.