This is Charlie Campbell’s Senior Bowl Recap article. It’s not possible to report from the Senior Bowl this year, but Charlie will still provide some great content.
Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond flashed during the week, according to team sources, and that continued in the Senior Bowl game. In the first quarter, Mond had a perfect throw to a well-covered Trevon Grimes for a back-shoulder reception, but shortly later, Mond was lucky to have an interception dropped by San Diego State safety Darren Hall. It looked like Mond thought Hall would drop into man coverage, but Hall was in zone, and he jumped a slant route for what should have been a turnover.
Mond had a well-located pass in the third quarter to Amari Rodgers for a 15-yard touchdown. Mond put the ball in position for Rodgers to make a leaping grab between two defenders. Mond then used his feet to run in a two-point conversion.
On the next possession, Mond had a nice play to dodge some pass rushers, as he climbed the pocket and then drilled a strike to Shi Smith for a gain of about 20. Mond then fired a fastball on a play-action slant for a touchdown to Josh Palmer. Mond added another two-point conversion with a phenomenal pass to Amari Rodgers, who was streaking across the end zone, and Mond fit the ball between two defenders.
Mond finished completing 13-of-25 passes for 173 yards with two touchdowns. Overall, Mond’s senior season and Senior Bowl should have him in contention to sneak into the second day of the draft or be an early selection on the final day.
UCLA wide receiver Demetric Felton helped himself at the Senior Bowl, according to team sources, and he continued his strong play in the game. Felton dropped an early pass downfield that could have gone for a long gain, but he made up for it with the first touchdown of the game. elton take advantage of deep off coverage from Georgia cornerback D.J. Daniel and sat down around the 8-yard line for a catch. He dodged Daniel and another defender to dart into the end zone. Felton had two catches for 28 yards, but ran good routes and showed his speed to be a weapon as a slot receiver.
North Carolina running back Michael Carter is sleeper prospect who could be a steal in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he gave more evidence of that in the Senior Bowl game. In the first quarter, Carter had an excellent run, dodging a tackler in the backfield and then another at the line of scrimmage before exploding downfield for a gain of 27 yards. Carter continued to run well, showing his speed to hit the hole and accelerate to the second level. Carter showed impressive strength to move a pile and keep his legs churning to push into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown in the third quarter. The offensive linemen helped, but Carter was initially hit at the 6-yard line, and they were able to push their way across the goal line.
Carter finished with 60 yards on eight carries. He showed his speed, cutting ability, and some strength for his size. After an excellent 2020 season, Carter could easily be a day-two pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah said that Pitt edge rusher Patrick Jones had a quiet week in practice and did not impress in the pass rushing one-on-ones, but he performed better in the Senior Bowl game. In the second quarter, Jones used an up and under to cut the inside of an offensive tackle to get a sack on Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman. Jones was making his presence felt in the backfield and putting some heat on the quarterback. Some teams have Jones graded as a third- or fourth-round pick, and this Senior Bowl performance confirmed that projection of Jones. He has some ability, but needs development for the NFL.
South Carolina wide receiver Shi Smith is another speedy slot receiver who helped himself in Mobile. Smith was quiet in the first half of the Senior Bowl game, but in the third quarter, the American team finally got Smith involved, as he got open running vertically out of the slot for a reception to the second level. The explosive Smith darted downfield for a gain for 32. He added a couple of other receptions to total 57 yards. Smith could be a nice value pick on the second day of the draft who turns into a solid contributor in the NFL.
Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman had a bad final practice on Thursday and continued that trend in the game. Newman took multiple sacks from holding the ball too long and had a fourth-quarter interception with a terrible pass thrown into a crowd of defenders. He had another sack where he ran into defenders after panicking off the snap. After sitting out 2020 and then disappointing in Mobile, Newman could easily slide well into day three of the 2021 NFL Draft.
