After the Shrine Bowl on Thursday, attention shifted fully to the Senior Bowl that took place on Saturday.
The Senior Bowl is the largest all-star game to focus on in the pre-draft process, and the Las Vegas Raiders were paying attention to everyone in attendance.
Unlike the shutout in the Shrine Bowl, however, scouts were treated to an evenly-matched contest, ending with the American team winning 22-19 over the National team on a walk-off touchdown from Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan to TCU wide receiver Jack Bech.
Throughout the game and the preceding practices, several prospects jumped off the page towards the Raiders and other teams, while others did not have the week in Mobile that they were hoping for.
Here are three prospects who the Raiders will be highlighting after the Senior Bowl, and three they will approach with more caution:
Up: Jack Bech, WR, TCU
To start off, why not go with the aforementioned Bech?
It was clear that Bech was attending the senior bowl with a heavy heart. Just a month ago, Bech lost his older brother and former Princeton standout wide receiver Tiger in the horrific terrorist attack in New Orleans.
To honor his brother, Bech switched to the number 7 (the same one Tiger wore at Princeton), and every player wore a helmet decal to honor the fallen player.
????????????????????????????????: Every player in this year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl will have helmet sticker to honor TCU star WR Jack Bech’s brother, Tiger, who was tragically lost in NYE terror act on Bourbon Street.
Bech, who wore #18 at TCU, will switch to #7 in Mobile, the same number Tiger… pic.twitter.com/DPZ0lgfbIB
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) January 25, 2025
Bech proceeded to be arguably the best wide receiver in Mobile all week, consistently winning battles against opposing defensive backs. That same physicality and competitiveness shined through during the game, where he won the award for offensive MVP.
Bech led all receivers in the game with six catches, which he converted for 68 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
For a Raiders team in need of more weapons, this was a dream scenario. Receivers with profiles similar to Bech also stood out, including Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins and Illinois’s Pat Bryant.
However, Bech’s emotionally-charged performance in the game and consistency throughout the week have pushed his value tremendously in the right direction. It is hard to imagine Bech sliding out of Day 2, if not the second round.
Down: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Unlike Bech, Milroe’s stock has gone into absolute freefall.
He started off the week on the wrong foot immediately during measurements, with his hand size measuring at eight-and-three-quarters inches. This raises questions about ball security (especially with Milroe’s tendency to scramble), and the only quarterback to go in the first round with hands smaller than nine inches was Kenny Pickett in 2022.
Practices did little to help Milroe make up the ground he lost. While he put together some decent reps, he also made some questionable decisions that lead to inconsistent ball placement and accuracy. The game went the same way for him, taking three sacks and missing throws he should have made.
Teams like the Raiders will still give Milroe looks due to his athletic tools, but the week made it clear that he is far from a finished product. Even in a week where the quarterbacks did not steal the show, Milroe’s inconsistency was what stood out the most.
He has likely lost his spot for top quarterback behind Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, and his draft stock has plummeted towards Day Three. A rough outing on all fronts for the uber-athletic Milroe.
Up: Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas
During practices where other highly-touted edge rushers shined, Jackson started his week with some notable struggles.
Jackson was losing one-on-one reps against stiff competition early on, and some scouts were left wondering if there was no role for the Arkansas product in the NFL. Just as some teams were starting to head out on him, he pulled them back in with a great second half.
The last practice day on Thursday was Jackson’s best day by a considerable margin, and the positive momentum carried over into the game.
Even amidst a fantastic day for defensive line prospects (LSU’s Sai’Vion Jones and UCLA’s Femi Oladejo were also impressive), Jackson consistently found ways to be a defensive tone-setter. He broke his way into the backfield for a strip-sack in the second quarter, as well as multiple tackles for loss.
Given Maxx Crosby has started to voice his discontent, the Raiders would be wise to prepare a contingency plan. Combining that with Malcolm Koonce and K’Lavon Chaisson hitting free agency this offseason, and looking for significant edge rushing depth becomes a larger priority.
Jackson ended the week not only salvaging his draft stock, but improving it and ensuring he stays in the conversation with some of the top pass rushers in the class.
Down: Carson Vinson, OL, Alabama A&M
If ‘so close, so far’ was a Senior Bowl player, Vinson fits the bill.
Similar to other small-school offensive linemen such as North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel and Jacksonville State’s Clay Webb, Vinson was impressing in the practice sessions all week. Combining that with a six-foot-seven, 314-pound frame, Vinson was pushing hard at Day 2 pick status for a HBCU prospect.
Unfortunately, the coaching staffs did him no favors by trying him out at tackle, where he struggled to get a good feel for the position. He was also beaten consistently by pass rushers during the first half of the game, possibly putting an end to that experiment.
Being pushed to guard is not necessarily a kiss of death for offensive line prospects, but Vinson failing to cement himself as a versatile offensive line prospect certainly pushes him down boards. Teams love prospects who can fill in at numerous positions, and only having a single role to fill makes it that much harder to crack a roster.
Vinson went from securing a high pick to having to rebuild his draft stock with a strong pro day.
Up: Jack Kiser, LB, Notre Dame
Kiser was a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster due to Notre Dame’s championship season, but he made his presence felt.
While some questions remain about his size, Kiser emerged as a playmaker all week long. In a class lacking depth for off-ball linebackers, a performance like this goes a long way.
Kiser showed his range in pass coverage throughout the week with two interceptions during practices, including this one on Milroe.
Oben pressures and Kiser takes it away ????
The Irish are making plays down in Mobile ☘️@rj_oben ???? @JBKiser4 #GoIrish☘️ | @seniorbowl pic.twitter.com/rAl7UTkT3I
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 29, 2025
Meanwhile, the game showcased his efficiency against ball carriers with five tackles.
With linebackers Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo hitting free agency, the Raiders will need to replenish the middle of the field.
Between returning defensive coordinator Patrick Graham using his linebackers in various roles, and new head coach Pete Carroll having the likes of Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright patrolling the middle of the field, Kiser stands out as an intriguing fit.
Despite having a longer season than most of the other players in Mobile, Kiser’s strong performance is worthy of a mention here.
Down: Tommi Hill, CB, Nebraska
While the defensive backs were typically strong at Mobile, Hill ended the week as the biggest enigma of all.
Some reps were fantastic for the athletic Nebraska product, as Hill emerged with a few near-interceptions throughout the week.
Unfortunately, Hill was beat by some of the better receivers in one-on-one drills, and also got caught taking penalties by holding on too much during reps.
Hill did not necessarily have a bad game, but it accomplished little in fixing the impression of him as a raw cornerback prospect.
The Raiders are in need of secondary help, with slot corner Nate Hobbs and safety Tre’Von Moehrig hitting free agency and the inconsistency of cornerback Jack Jones this past season. Adding another raw Day 3 prospect such as Hill does not help the team solve an immediate need, especially with the difficult learning curve of the position.
Similar to Vinson, Hill is going to need a strong combine and pro day to get his draft stock trending back in the right direction.
