Five SEC stars who can improve draft stock most at Senior Bowl
By Ethan Levine
Published:
As more and more underclassmen declare for the NFL Draft each year, the Senior Bowl has become more and more vital to the professional futures of many of college football’s most talented seniors.
A solid week of practices and a strong showing in the annual showcase game can do wonders for a player’s draft stock as he embarks on the long, arduous NFL Draft process extending from now until the draft begins on April 30. A lackluster Senior Bowl week, on the other hand, can serve as a crushing blow to a player’s NFL dreams.
There are 25 former SEC stars expected to participate in this year’s Senior Bowl, hoping to continue the trend of success that SEC alums have established in the NFL.
Here are five former SEC studs who could improve their draft stock the most during this week’s Senior Bowl festivities:
Dillon Day, C, Mississippi State: Day is one of three SEC centers invited to participate in the Senior Bowl (Auburn’s Reese Dismukes and Florida’s Max Garcia are the others), and he certainly has the most to prove among the three. The four-year starter at Mississippi State has more than enough experience to translate his game to the professional level, and his high football IQ and mean competitive streak should allow him to compete with the big uglies of the NFL. However, Day’s lack of athleticism and his perception as a “dirty player” could hurt his draft stock come April. Day has a chance to show he is skilled enough to overcome a lack of athleticism, and if he can impress the coaches during the week of Senior Bowl practices, it could begin to turn around his off-field image as well.
Senquez Golson, CB, Ole Miss: Golson’s draft stock has skyrocketed since the beginning of the season, thanks to his SEC-leading 10 interceptions in 2014. He began the season as a perceived late-round pick, but as of Tuesday morning CBS Sports’ draft experts slate Golson as a second-round selection. The unanimous All-American lacks the size of the bigger, longer cornerbacks that are becoming trendy in the NFL, but he plays the ball in the air better than any other defensive back in this senior class. If he can hold his own once more in a game featuring exclusively top-notch wideouts, it could elevate his draft stock even further as he enters a league that is becoming more and more dependent on the pass, and thus on stopping the pass.
Nick Marshall, QB, Auburn: It remains to be seen exactly what position Marshall will try and play at the next level, but it almost certainly won’t be quarterback. The Auburn senior showed near the end of his college career that he can sling the ball around better than many expected, but he’s still not a skilled enough passer to play the position in the NFL. Marshall does possess NFL athleticism, however, and he could use that athleticism to sustain a career as a defensive back, a wide receiver or even just a kick returner. Marshall will have an opportunity to display his talents at other positions during the Senior Bowl week, which could reassure NFL general managers that he’s worth a draft pick to add speed and athleticism to a roster.
Blake Sims, QB, Alabama: Unlike Marshall, Sims has the tools to be an NFL quarterback but lacks the college experience needed to convince draft scouts that he can hack it in the pros. CBS ranks him as its 11th best draft-eligible quarterback, listing him behind Ole Miss’ Bo Wallace, who wasn’t even invited to the game. Sims will undoubtedly begin his career as a backup no matter where he goes, but if he appears sharp and in rhythm during the Senior Bowl he could elevate himself from a 6th or 7th round pick to a 4th or 5th rounder, which may not sound like a huge difference but it’s a difference that’ll be reflected on Sims’ paychecks.
Martrell Spaight, OLB, Arkansas: Spaight began to emerge as a superstar during the second half of last season, eventually finishing the year with an SEC-leading 128 tackles including double-digit tackles in eight of his last 11 games. He’s has a tremendous burst as a run-stopping outside linebacker or as a pass rusher off the edge, and he has a great motor fueling him. However, he has a tendency to be late to react on given plays and has shown a difficult time locating the football as a play is developing, limiting his impact on a down-by-down basis. If Spaight can become a more intelligent player during the week of Senior Bowl practices and can put forth a strong showing in the game, he could improve his current perception as a fifth round pick.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
