The 71st edition of the Senior Bowl on Saturday did not disappoint.
Ladd-Peebles stadium in beautiful Mobile, Alabama is the traditional site of the annual North versus South battle with the billing of “The Draft Starts in MOBILE!”
Browns Nation was live on the sidelines Saturday for a near-capacity crowd to get a firsthand look at some potential draft prospects for the Browns.
Here is a look at some of the talent on the field that stood out.
Official North vs South Rosters are LIVE!
Head over to https://t.co/dROrLVt6CL GAME TAB #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/H6nkllzO9o— Reese’s Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) January 19, 2020
Offensive Lineman
The top priority for the Browns’ 2020 draft is to improve the offensive line and some great potential was on display.
Three linemen on the North team stood out from the crowd.
Josh Jones of Houston, Matt Peart of Connecticut, and Matt Hennessy all had good showings in the Senior Bowl.
#SeniorBowl interview with @JoshJones_23 after the game for @BrownsNationcom – could we see him in a #browns jersey later this year? pic.twitter.com/IHo676VZmJ
— Andy Durham (@BigAndyLove) January 26, 2020
Hennessy was particularly effective at center, and cleared the way for Joshua Kelley of UCLA to rush for over 100 yards.
Peart was excellent in pass protection all day, helping quarterbacks Jordan Love and Anthony Gordon pick apart the South’s secondary.
Charlie Heck of UNC was a pleasant surprise at offensive tackle for the North as well.
The South’s offensive line struggled for most of the day.
The lone bright spot was Damien Lewis of LSU, who was a late addition to the South’s roster.
Lewis played guard for LSU this season but showed off his versatility by filling in at center.
He held his own against DL Neville Gallimore of Oklahoma, who is projected to be a second-round draft pick.
Defensive Line and Ends
The North Defensive Line was the most impressive squad on the field Saturday.
Bradlee Anae of Utah was a terror to the South’s offensive line, and was in the backfield all day.
One of the prospects that helped his draft status the most on Saturday was Alton Robinson of Syracuse.
Big Alton Robinson on the sack for the North at the #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/Xgdc2v5bbi
— Andy Durham (@BigAndyLove) January 25, 2020
Robinson showed a creative ability to work through blocks and has a great motor to get to the quarterback.
Larrell Murchison (N.C. State), Jason Strowbridge (UNC), Gallimore, and Darrion Daniels (Nebraska) all had productive series throughout the game.
The surprise of the day in this squad was Kenny Willekes of Michigan State.
Willekes was quick off of the ball all day and brought consistent pressure on the South’s quarterbacks.
Projected as a late third or fourth-round draft pick, Willekes made a statement on Saturday to NFL scouts in attendance.
Linebackers
A pair of linebackers for the North worked very well together as defensive leaders.
Evan Weaver of California and Zack Baun of Wisconsin both played aggressively, showing their ability to be leaders at the next level.
Caught up with Evan Weaver @Weavin_it after the #SeniorBowl for @BrownsNationcom pic.twitter.com/AstGVWoRHp
— Andy Durham (@BigAndyLove) January 26, 2020
Malik Harrison of Ohio State stood out on the field as a surefire NFL prospect.
Harrison was physical at the point of attack and smooth and athletic in coverage.
The South linebackers were good as well, as Alabama’s Anfernee Jennings and South Carolina’s T.J. Brunson both had solid showings.
The surprise performance of the day came from South linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither of Appalachian State.
Davis-Gaither battled some behemoths on the North’s offensive line and came away with some key tackles.
Secondary
Defensive backfield help is a huge need for the Browns in the draft, and there were some solid prospects to watch on Saturday.
The stand out was South safety Kyle Dugger of Division II Lenoir Rhyne.
Although from a small school, Dugger is a big presence on the field at 6’2″ and 220 pounds.
He is built like a linebacker, but quick and fluid in coverage as a safety.
Dugger was all over the field on Saturday, making tackles, breaking up passes, and returning punts for the South.
Great game to cap off an incredible week at the @seniorbowl for @KingDugg_3!
The former LR star finished the day with eight tackles and one pass breakup that prevented a TD.
Congrats on a successful week Kyle!#DraftDugger2020 #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/aI62LQhM86
— Lenoir-Rhyne Football (@LRBearsFootball) January 26, 2020
Fellow South defensive back Antoine Brooks, Jr. of Maryland and the North’s Troy Pride, Jr. of Notre Dame showed well also.
The surprise performance of the day for this squad was the South’s Kindle Vildor of Georgia Southern.
Vildor had a great week of practice leading up to the game, and had several outstanding series, coming away with a key interception in the first half.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
The North’s Quartney Davis of Texas A&M led all receivers in the game with 4 receptions for 53 yards and helped elevate his draft status on Saturday.
However, there were some late-game fireworks from South receiver Juaun Jennings of Tennessee as he hauled in a beautiful pass in the corner of the end zone from Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter.
Jennings fits the mold for an NFL receiver at 6’3″ and 206 pounds, and drew positive attention to himself in Mobile.
Projected as a sixth or seventh-round draft prospect, he only helped his cause on Saturday.
Impressive Tight End play was definitely on display as well.
The North’s Brycen Hopkins was the name to remember coming into the game as a standout from Purdue, projected to be one of the top TEs selected in the draft.
Hopkins turned in a good performance along with fellow North TE Adam Trautman of Dayton, who made some great blocks in the second half.
The play of the day came in the third quarter when South QB Anthony Gordon of Washington State scrambled out of the pocket and hit Antonio Gandy-Golden of Liberty in stride in the corner of the end zone.
Jamycal Hasty takes it in for the North at the #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/AP3NNYRxDd
— Andy Durham (@BigAndyLove) January 25, 2020
It was a beautiful pitch and catch and a play that will have scouts talking about it for months.
Running Backs
Both teams had an impressive ground game on Saturday, but the North’s Darius Anderson of TCU stole the show.
Anderson has not been on the radar to date for most draft experts, but that will change.
The TCU running back rushed for 43 yards on seven carries and had two receptions for 87 yards with one being a long run after the catch for a touchdown.
Kelley of UCLA was the workhorse for the North though, carrying the ball 15 times for 105 yards.
The South’s Lamical Perine of Florida turned in a solid performance, rushing for 42 yards and hauling in a Justin Herbert pass for the game’s first touchdown.
The surprise of the day in the running back group was probably the North’s JaMycal Hasty of Baylor.
Jamycal Hasty takes it in for the North at the #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/AP3NNYRxDd
— Andy Durham (@BigAndyLove) January 25, 2020
Although he only rushed for 25 yards, he fought for a well-earned touchdown and displayed versatility as an all-purpose back.
Quarterbacks
The big storyline before the game was the South’s QB tandem of Herbert and Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts.
Herbert started the game and played well enough to earn MVP honors for the South.
Hurts was the fan-favorite however, bringing close to 30,000 people to their feet with cheers as he entered the game in the second quarter.
The former Alabama-turned-Oklahoma quarterback struggled in the first half but showed promise late in the game with some nifty footwork to escape pressure and throw a touchdown pass.
Jalen Hurts scrambles and completes the pass to Jauan Jennings at the #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/DmQWJW0hDz
— Andy Durham (@BigAndyLove) January 25, 2020
Michigan’s Shea Patterson of the North had a good first series for the North and then struggled to find open receivers and left the game with a touchdown and an interception.
Jordan Love of Utah looked impressive on the field for the North but ended the day just 4 for 6 with 26 yards passing.
The huge surprise of the day was the masterful performance turned in by Washington State’s Gordon for the South team.
Gordon was 8 for 12 with 69 yards, but threw for two touchdowns, and looked comfortable doing it.
Projected as a fifth-round pick in the draft, many eyes will now be on Gordon as he enters the combines.
Special Teams
Nothing too spectacular happened on special teams, but the kicking specialists all turned in solid performances.
Georgia Southern’s Tyler Bass of the North was 4 for 4 on PATs and had was 2 for 2 on field goals with a 50 yarder to close the first half.
Ohio State’s K.J. Hill showed some crafty moves as a punt returner and has the speed and athleticism to do so at the next level.
What can the Browns take away?
With offensive line and defensive being the top priorities in the draft, there were plenty of great players for the Browns to evaluate in Mobile.
At offensive line, Josh Jones was impressive and could be a solid second-round pick for Cleveland.
However, Malik Harrison was the best linebacker on the field Saturday and won’t be available after Round two.
Peart or Hennessy are also good candidates to bolster the line as later round picks.
Kyle Dugger stood out as a very impressive safety and could be a great third round target for the Browns.
Evan Weaver also looked like a potential addition, but Zack Baun might be an even better fit in the third or fourth round.
Adam Trautman could also be a great pick up in the fourth or fifth round as a TE.
And lastly, the Browns might want to take a look at Juaun Jennings as a late-round receiver in April.
NEXT: Looking Back: How The Senior Bowl Impacted These 4 Browns
Shoot, I knew I was missing something. I didn’t catch the Senior Bowl, but thank you for sharing the deets. Would be dope if we got Malik Harrison in the draft, but like ya said, that probably won’t happen. A lot of options though, excited to see how the Browns do in the draft.