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Five stars from Day 1 of Senior Bowl practice
Elijah Arroyo
Miami · TE · Junior (RS)
One of the things I had to weigh in my evaluation of Arroyo heading into this week was a major knee injury that limited him to just 11 total games during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He was a heralded recruit coming into Miami, but he made just 11 catches from 2021 to 2023.
It looked like his athleticism and speed improved as the 2024 season wore on, and Arroyo validated that on Tuesday, looking fluid and fast in one-on-one drills when matched up against linebackers and cornerbacks. He ran routes with good leverage and frequently created separation at the top of his route.
Despite his relatively modest career snap count and production, Arroyo's flashes in Tuesday’s practice highlighted his potential and the reason my colleague Daniel Jeremiah included him in his initial ranking of the draft’s top 50 prospects.
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Jack Bech
TCU · WR · Senior
There are always prospects I’m excited to see compete at the Senior Bowl after studying them on tape, and Bech was one of the players at the top of my list this year. He measured in at just over 6-foot-1 and 214 pounds in Mobile, but his hands measured smaller than I expected (just under nine inches) for a receiver who almost never drops the football.
Not only did Bech show off those sticky mitts on Tuesday with the way he snared throws outside his frame but he also got after blocking responsibilities heads-up and on toss cracks. He was the same player that I saw on tape, which should help him this draft season. The 40-yard dash still awaits this spring to help him answer the last big question I have about his game.
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Walter Nolen
Mississippi · DT · Junior
Nolen is my top-rated defensive tackle in this year’s draft class because of his explosiveness and productivity on all three downs.
In Tuesday's practice, Nolen stormed through his one-on-one matchups. He consistently was able to get on top of blockers with a big burst off the snap and pushed them into the pocket with relative ease. There were some up-and-down reps during the scrimmage phase, but overall, Nolen did what he needed to do maintain his standing.
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Jalen Royals
Utah State · WR · Senior
Royals is a big, strong wideout who measured in at just under 6-feet tall and 210 pounds at the Senior Bowl. On tape, what stood out most about him was the way he attacked the position like a pro. That was once again the case throughout practice on Tuesday.
He's going to have a size/strength advantage against almost every defensive back covering him this week, but it was the way he ran his routes with efficiency and created throwing windows that impressed me. He played inside and outside at Utah State but projects as a tough possession slot in the NFL.
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Grey Zabel
North Dakota State · IOL · Senior
North Dakota State had an offensive lineman drafted in the first four rounds for three straight years from 2021 to 2023 (Cody Mauch, Cordell Volson, Dillon Radunz). I expect Zabel to join them in that club this year. He has taken snaps at each spot on the offensive line, but he really stood out at both guard and center during Tuesday's practice.
He displayed good core strength and an impressive anchor in one-on-one matchups against powerful interior rushers. He has shorter arms but a good build and the potential to add a few more pounds on his frame. Zabel's ability to offer position flexibility and pass protection value will push him up the board if he continues to play well this week.
- by Lance Zierlein
Elijah Arroyo
Miami · TE · Junior (RS)
One of the things I had to weigh in my evaluation of Arroyo heading into this week was a major knee injury that limited him to just 11 total games during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He was a heralded recruit coming into Miami, but he made just 11 catches from 2021 to 2023.
It looked like his athleticism and speed improved as the 2024 season wore on, and Arroyo validated that on Tuesday, looking fluid and fast in one-on-one drills when matched up against linebackers and cornerbacks. He ran routes with good leverage and frequently created separation at the top of his route.
Despite his relatively modest career snap count and production, Arroyo's flashes in Tuesday’s practice highlighted his potential and the reason my colleague Daniel Jeremiah included him in his initial ranking of the draft’s top 50 prospects.
-
Jack Bech
TCU · WR · Senior
There are always prospects I’m excited to see compete at the Senior Bowl after studying them on tape, and Bech was one of the players at the top of my list this year. He measured in at just over 6-foot-1 and 214 pounds in Mobile, but his hands measured smaller than I expected (just under nine inches) for a receiver who almost never drops the football.
Not only did Bech show off those sticky mitts on Tuesday with the way he snared throws outside his frame but he also got after blocking responsibilities heads-up and on toss cracks. He was the same player that I saw on tape, which should help him this draft season. The 40-yard dash still awaits this spring to help him answer the last big question I have about his game.
-
Walter Nolen
Mississippi · DT · Junior
Nolen is my top-rated defensive tackle in this year’s draft class because of his explosiveness and productivity on all three downs.
In Tuesday's practice, Nolen stormed through his one-on-one matchups. He consistently was able to get on top of blockers with a big burst off the snap and pushed them into the pocket with relative ease. There were some up-and-down reps during the scrimmage phase, but overall, Nolen did what he needed to do maintain his standing.
-
Jalen Royals
Utah State · WR · Senior
Royals is a big, strong wideout who measured in at just under 6-feet tall and 210 pounds at the Senior Bowl. On tape, what stood out most about him was the way he attacked the position like a pro. That was once again the case throughout practice on Tuesday.
He's going to have a size/strength advantage against almost every defensive back covering him this week, but it was the way he ran his routes with efficiency and created throwing windows that impressed me. He played inside and outside at Utah State but projects as a tough possession slot in the NFL.
-
Grey Zabel
North Dakota State · IOL · Senior
North Dakota State had an offensive lineman drafted in the first four rounds for three straight years from 2021 to 2023 (Cody Mauch, Cordell Volson, Dillon Radunz). I expect Zabel to join them in that club this year. He has taken snaps at each spot on the offensive line, but he really stood out at both guard and center during Tuesday's practice.
He displayed good core strength and an impressive anchor in one-on-one matchups against powerful interior rushers. He has shorter arms but a good build and the potential to add a few more pounds on his frame. Zabel's ability to offer position flexibility and pass protection value will push him up the board if he continues to play well this week.
- by Lance Zierlein
