The 68th annual Senior Bowl will take place this Saturday, January 28 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Several NFL prospects will be on hand to show their talent to scouts, general managers and coaches before the scouting combine, which is in February.
They’re many players from both the North and South team NFL personnel will have their eye on. Here are five players from the North team to keep an eye on during Saturday’s game.
Desmond King, defensive back, Iowa
King was one of the best players in the nation during his time at Iowa. He is the only Big Ten player in the last 20 seasons to recorded over 20 career interceptions and over 1,500 combined kickoff and punt return yards. In 2016, King started all 13 games as he racked up 58 tackles and tied for the team lead with three interceptions.
Despite being listed at 5-11, 203 pounds, King is a physical corner that has the instincts and quickness to be a first-day pick in this April’s NFL Draft. King showed excellent anticipation skills during his time in Iowa City, as his eight interceptions in 2015 suggest.
Scouts and general managers will need to see if King has the speed to keep up with NFL receivers. Some teams believe King’s best position at the next level is at safety. So, there may be times during the Senior Bowl where King could lineup at safety.
Cooper Kupp, wide receiver, Eastern Washington
Cooper Kupp may not be a familiar name, but it could be after this week’s Senior Bowl. In 2015, Kupp was named the 2015 Big Sky Player of the Year as he caught 114 receptions for 1,642 yards and 19 touchdowns. He followed that year up with 117 receptions, 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2016.
At 6-2, 215 pounds, Kupp has the size of an NFL receiver and he also has shown the hands of an NFL receiver as well. His speed has been a question mark with Kupp since Eastern Washington plays in the FCS and didn’t face elite defenders on a regular basis. Kupp comes from an athletic family as both his father (Craig) and grandfather (Jake) played in the NFL.
Zach Banner, offensive linemen, USC
Listed at 6-9, 360 pounds, Zach Banner certainly has the size to move defenders at the next level. Banner is also athletic as he played basketball at USC earlier in his career. In 2016, Banner was named the USC Co-Offensive Linemen of the Year.
Despite his size, Banner moves well for his size as he does a good job of blocking defenders at the second level. If there’s one concern with Banner it is his weight as he once reportedly weighed 400 pounds. While at USC, Banner played both tackle positions as he made 38 career starts for the Trojans.
Mike Roberts, tight end, Toledo
In his senior season, Mike Roberts was named a first-time All-America by the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America) as he caught 45 passes for 533 and 16 touchdowns. Roberts is a bit of later bloomer as he only recorded 25 passes for 299 yards and six touchdowns during the first three seasons of his career.
Listed at 6-5, 270 pounds, Roberts is built like an old school tight end. At the East-West Shrine Bowl last week, Roberts played much faster than his size would suggest. Many scouts say blocking is one of Roberts weaknesses, but that is something that can be worked on at the next level.
Zay Jones, wide receiver, East Carolina
During his four seasons at East Carolina, Zay Jones became one of the most accomplished receivers in NCAA history. In 2016, Jones broke the career (399 receptions) and single-season reception record (158 receptions).
While some may believe Jones was just a volume receiver, he improved his route running during his time in Greenville. At 6-1, 197 pounds, Jones has a good size for a slot receiver, which many project him to be like former ECU and current Atlanta Falcons receiver Justin Hardy. Jones arguably has the best hands of any receiver that will be eligible for this year’s draft.
Twitter: @antwanstaley
