6 Prospects Who Won the Senior Bowl

Teams don’t win the Senior Bowl. Players win the contest.

It’s largely about the individual effort of NFL prospects. With that in mind, here are players who won the Senior Bowl, and helped their stock heading in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Daniel Jones, QB, Duke: He finished as the Senior Bowl MVP, and finished the game with a 73 completion percentage for 115 yards (10.5 yards per attempt) with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown. Quarterback Tyree Jackson may have looked like the most physically gifted quarterback, but Jones looked far more ready for the pros.

LJ Collier, DE, TCU: He logged three tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in the game, which was a representation of the hard work he put in during the week of practices. According to reporters on the scene, he was a beast all week in 1-on-1’s and other drills. In the game, things were no different.

Andy Isabella, WR, UMASS: The North’s offense seemed to function well when they were putting the ball in the hands of the small but elusive pass-catcher in Isabella. He has seven catches for 74 yards and one rush for 14 yards. Hunter Renfrow, who is an undersized slot receiver like Isabella, was the class’ darling
at his position. And Renfrow was good (five catches, 63 yards). But Isabella looked even better. He was an impressive mix of reliable and explosive. (Cue the comparisons to every Patriots’ slot receiver.)

Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina: He had a quiet Senior Bowl game with just one catch for 14 yards. His practices, however, were anything but. He was one of the Players of the Week, largely because he was human highlight reel when he got the chance to show his route-running ability. Seriously, there are so many highlights from the week.

Tony Pollard, RB, Memphis: At 6-foot, 210 pounds, he showed impressive speed during the course of the game, hitting 20 miles per hour and logging the fastest game speed among offensive players. He finished the game with eight carries for 60 yards and a touchdown. He also had two catches for 13 yards. The fact that he contributed as a pass-catcher and between-the-tackles runner should bode well for his draft stock. He’s a versatile weapon, who could contribute immediately on third down.

Terrill Hanks, LB, New Mexico State: Hanks’ agent told USA TODAY that Hanks met with all 32 teams during the course of the week. That alone is a win. But Hanks also had a game-high eight tackles in the game on top of impressing teams with his length and athleticism during practices. He looks like he will be the highest draft pick in his college’s history (which would mean getting picked higher than the fourth round).