Senior Bowl Takeaways: Quarterbacks Earn Mixed Reviews After Full Week

The Senior Bowl touts itself as the official start of draft season.

Technically, the claim isn't true since underclassmen declarations, the Hula Bowl, the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, the East-West Shrine Bowl all precede the event in Mobile, Alabama. 

However, this much is true: The Senior Bowl is still the premier all-star event and features the most future NFL talent on one field compared to its competitors.

Saturday's 20-10 outcome with the National Team emerging as victors over the American Team has less to do with the result and far more with how everyone reached that point. 

Senior Bowl week is a must for any and all NFL personnel as they descend upon the original home of Mardi Gras. The trip is simultaneously a must-see scouting excursion while serving as the league's biggest job convention.

For those prepared to compete throughout the week, there are multiple practices and the game itself to show why they should be considered an early-round selection, if not the top player among their respective position group.

This year, the crop of quarterbacks generated the most buzz as organizations search for a true QB1. 

''Iron sharpens iron,'' Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder told reporters. ''We're all competing for our No. 1 spot. All competing to get to the best team.''

In the end, the week provides one more on-field opportunity for incoming prospects to prove themselves in front of NFL coaches, scouts and front office personnel. Yes, it's still a team game, but individual performances matter the most in Mobile. 

''I just want to show people who I am, who I am as a player and who I am as a person,'' North Carolina's Sam Howell said.

Who looked the sharpest during the 73rd Senior Bowl? Those thoughts and more are included in Bleacher Report's takeaways.

The ending of the 73rd Senior Bowl couldn't have better encapsulated where the incoming draft class, specifically its quarterbacks, stand as the NFL combine looms. 

Western Kentucky's Bailey Zappe severely underthrew a pass, and the fluttering throw landed in the waiting arms of Baylor safety JT Woods. 

Just like the throw, the 2022 quarterback crop comes up short, and the Senior Bowl further proved how much of a mixed bag the class is. 

Throughout the week, a glimmer of hope poked through the wet and overcast Alabama skyline.

Liberty's Malik Willis generated significant buzz among league circles with his impressive natural skill set. He is the best overall athlete behind center and has the strongest arm among his contemporaries. His raw potential was obvious during practices and unmatched among those in attendance.

However, concerns about a simplistic offense, poor reads and being late on throws weren't eased, particularly in the contest when the quarterback made far more impact as a runner than a passer. 

"We all have different strengths and weaknesses," Willis said Friday. "But I don't know, I feel like I'm a really blessed individual. I think I'm the best, and I think they should as well.''

Willis' potential is obvious, but the Liberty signal-caller didn't outshine any of those who played in the game to stake his claim as the easy and obvious choice for QB1. 

Instead, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder showed improvement throughout the week despite a sluggish start and proved himself the best quarterback on the field once the action began. 

To be clear, an emphasis is placed on the practices when all of the scouts and decision-makers are still in Mobile to see these quarterbacks live and how they react to certain situations.

In this particular case, Ridder made a few high-level throws during actual game action and completed a pair of touchdown passes on boot action. No other quarterback in attendance can make the same claim. 

Willis once again showed he's an excellent athlete with upper-echelon escapability and agility when working in space. North Carolina's Sam Howell made a few plays with his feet too.

Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett simply operated the offense and didn't make a single high-level throw. Nevada's Carson Strong didn't do anything of note, either. Multiple passes were underthrown by this group as well.

There's something to like with each of these prospects. They're draftable targets and present intrigue. But the fact none of them can seemingly stake a claim as the top guy shows why this class is considered suspect. 

For the most part, better offensive line performances across the board could have helped with the game's underwhelming quarterback play. But one group consistently won at the point of attack and made life easier on all of the surrounding skill positions. 

The National Team's offensive line featured two of the best blockers in Mobile. 

Northern Iowa's Trevor Penning won't win the leverage battle on every snap, but he's sure to win the war in the trenches. 

"That guy has a legitimate mean streak, and he can flat-out play," an AFC national scout told Pro Football Network's Aaron Wilson.

"He's for real. I would definitely want him on my team. Sign me up for a tough guy like that. He's a little bit raw in terms of technique, but we can teach that and make him even better. He's got a great future in the NFL ahead of him."

Penning opened the contest at left tackle. Though the 6'7", 330-pound FCS product didn't come up with his typical highlight-worthy pancakes, he more than held his own and seemed to secure his status as a first-round option. 

Inside, Boston College guard Zion Johnson converted to center, where he excelled. The flexibility to play all five line spots will only help another blocker well-worth an opening-round selection. The 6'3", 314-pound lineman performed so well throughout the week that he earned the title of Senior Bowl Practice Player of the Week. 

Penning and Johnson pushed quite a few people around, but they weren't the only ones in orange jerseys doing so. 

Central Michigan's Bernhard Raimann may be an older prospect after coming to the United States as an Austrian exchange student, but he's a powerful run-blocker with significant untapped potential as he develops.

Oklahoma's Marquis Hayes displayed heavy hands. Fordham's Nick Zakelj created some push. Even Washington State's Abraham Lucas, who played in a Run-and-Shoot derivative, showed he could create lanes for running backs. 

Arizona State's Rachaad White and Baylor's Abram Smith capitalized on the excellent blocking with powerful downhill runs. 

Conversely, a pair of defensive tackles from the National Team gave the American squad fits.

Oklahoma's Perrion Winfrey and Connecticut's Travis Jones showed how effective they could be throughout the practice week, and their performance carried into Saturday's contest.

A poor defensive interior class sorely needed strong efforts from prospects to improve its overall depth.
Prior to Senior Bowl week, Georgia's Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt, who also attended recent festivities, seemed like the rare exceptions who necessitated a first-round grade.

Houston's Logan Hall and Georgia's Travon Walker could be discussed as well, but both are likely base ends that reduce down to tackle in sub-packages.

Otherwise, the overall depth for teams searching for interior help had looked sparse.

Winfrey and Jones helped changed the narrative through a few practices and dominant performances during the actual all-star game.

The former captured the game's MVP award thanks to a pair of sacks and constant disruption in the backfield. Winfrey's quickness off the snap and potential as a three-down defender separates him from almost everyone else in the class.

The most valuable defensive tackles are those who can defend the run and collapse the pocket. Winfrey showed he could do both all week thanks to his fantastic first-step quickness and 85 5/8-inch wingspan.

Jones is different. He may never develop into a true three-down option. However, he has the power at the point of attack to consistently win one-on-one blocks and eat up double-teams.

At one point during Saturday's contest, Jones drove an offensive lineman into quarterback Bailey Zappe for a sack without ever disengaging from the block. At 6'4" and 326 pounds, Jones is a tailor-made nose tackle/1-technique.

What looked like the class' worst position group just might be a little better than expected.

Over the years, the Senior Bowl became vital to the ascendancy of future star edge-rushers DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller, Brandon Graham, etc.

Minnesota's Boye Mafe isn't regarded as highly as those previous attendees, but he put on a show worthy of all when the lights were the brightest. 

Ware, Miller and Graham were already considered first-round talents and still chose to play at the Senior Bowl. Mafe wasn't even a full-time starter with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. 

The 6'4", 255-pound defender played in 41 games in four seasons and recorded 19.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks. The physical traits were present but didn't always translate.

"His weight-room numbers are impressive; now the key is to take a guy who has vertical jumped 40.5 inches, broad jumped 10-6, run the 40 in 4.57 and power cleaned 400 pounds to make a lot more plays on the field," The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported prior to the 2021 campaign. 

When Mafe had an opportunity to pin his ears back and get after opposing quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl, those traits certainly popped, particularly in the actual contest when he registered three tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. 

The performance will help elevate Mafe as a prospect after being named the National Team Player of the Game. His skill set is far more important.

The edge-defender experienced success against high-level competition because he is lightning quick off the snap, displays excellent bend and shows an actual pass-rush plan.

Mafe is considered an outstanding athlete, but his effectiveness stemmed from a proper usage of his hands to accentuate those physical traits. He consistently swiped blockers' punches then blew past them for multiple pressures. 

Maybe Mafe enters the league as a pass-rush specialist. That's OK. He may never be an every-down defender. However, his value continues to rise because he can get after opposing quarterbacks as the type of edge defender every franchise wants. 

All-star events mean more for certain prospects. 

Individuals from Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, etc., have extensive film against high-level competition. Those who played outside of the Power Five conferences or even the FBS can use Senior Bowl week to elevate their profiles by showing they belong against other top prospects. 

Aside from Liberty's Malik Willis, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder, Northern Iowa's Trevor Penning and Connecticut's Travis Jones—all of whom have already been mentioned—a few other standouts deserve a shout-out. 

Western Kentucky's DeAngelo Malone jumps to the forefront as the American Team's MVP.

At 6'3" and 234 pounds, Malone certainly doesn't fit the preferred profile of an edge-rusher. Yet he's capable of holding up at the point of attack with enough power to bull-rush much larger offensive linemen.

He finished Saturday's contest with six tackles, half-a-sack and a pair of quarterback hurries after registering 49.5 tackles for loss and 26.5 sacks over the previous three seasons. 

North Dakota State wide receiver Christian Watson is a 6'4", 211-pound target who can power through the jam at the line of scrimmage while showing exceptional body control to make difficult catches.

He achieved both during one play. Watson may have played in a run-first offense, but he still averaged 20.4 yards per catch during his collegiate career. 

North Dakota's Matt Waletzko showed natural movement skills as a potential NFL left tackle. 

"Matt is closing the gap on some of these guys," Fighting Hawks offensive coordinator Danny Freund told the Grand Forks Herald's Tom Miller.

"These teams know they have to get him in and have him develop, but there's so much upside with the long arms and the athleticism."

Wyoming linebacker Chad Muma played extremely well in space as both a pass defender and chasing down the slippery Malik Willis in the open field.

All of these players shined in a spotlight they might not have gotten before and may have even earned themselves a higher draft grade following their performance.