Day 2 Practice Recap/Notes

• Quarterbacks

— Baker Mayfield

After having an up and down day on the first day of practices, Mayfield came out and had an exceptional day on day two at the Senior Bowl. Showing extreme velocity, confidence and leadership throughout practice, Mayfield seemed to distance himself from the competition between the North QBs. He put on an absolute clinic during the team period of practice.

— Josh Allen

I thought Allen had a below average day. He started off the session hot, throwing back-to-back beautifully placed deep balls down the sideline to Michael Gallup. After the one-on-one session though, Allen struggled mightily with his accuracy.

For the second consecutive day, he showed that he doesn’t have a good feel of when to put touch on the ball. Everything is a fastball and he tries to throw it with all of his might. As a result of that, his accuracy suffers.

— Luke Falk

The decision making is extremely poor on film, but the traits you look in a mid-late round QB are there. Falk’s arm isn’t as gifted as any other thrower in Mobile, but what you notice about him is that he’s sharp on his reads and has anticipation — a very important trait that can’t be coached. The ball doesn’t jump out of his hand very violently, but what you notice is that he’s been very solid with his footwork and ball placement through the first two days of practice.

— Kyle Lauletta

As mentioned in yesterday’s recap, there really isn’t a headliner name in the South group of QBs. Lauletta has started to distance himself from the pack though. He seems to be the best in a mediocre group of signal-callers, but he easily has been the most consistent in all phases through two practices.

— Mike White

After generating the most buzz among QBs on the South team, White had a disappointing first day. On the second day of practices though, he look much more efficient and accurate. White doesn’t possess elite arm strength, but he wins with smarts and understanding where to go with the ball. That’s exactly what you saw during the duration of his reps.

• Running Backs

— Kallen Ballage

Ballage continued to show off his soft hands out of the backfield and abilities to run routes effectively. He’s struggled with his vision running between the tackles, often running into blockers along the way. Despite that, I still think he could be a value pick in the mid-late rounds.

• Wide Receivers

— DaeSean Hamilton

The momentum has seemed to carry over from the East-West Shrine Game, through the first day of practice and into day two for Hamilton. His elevation above the competition and route-running ability has been a pleasant surprise. Hamilton’s routes and suddenness have been too much for defenders and he has been a tough matchup for everyone that he’s faced. I would like to see him be a little bit more consistent catching the ball though. He’s had a couple drops early on during both days, but rebounded nicely as the practice progressed.

— James Washington

#OKState WR James Washington again…easy speed. pic.twitter.com/KMqzv1nEEi

— Steve Frederick (@_SteveFrederick) January 24, 2018

Washington put on a show during the one-on-one period of practice. He was simply unguardable. For the second consecutive day, he was able to show off his extremely strong hands, ability to make contested catches and easy vertical speed. He is sure to climb up draft boards after showing that he can run multiple routes in the route tree and is not just a speed demon on verticals down the field.

— Michael Gallup

Outside of Hamilton and Washington, Gallup has arguably been the third-best receiver in Mobile. Showing off his speed, route running and physicality, the former Colorado State receiver has easily stood out. During the first day of practice, Gallup was cleanly beating defensive backs, but the North QBs were unable to deliver accurate passes to him. That changed during day two. We were able to see Gallup once again show off his surprising vertical speed and reliable hands.

• Tight Ends

— Mike Gesicki

After a sub-par day from the tight end group as a whole on both teams, Gesicki was someone that finally started to stick out. After struggling to create separation during the first day of practices, he had a very nice day catching the ball on the perimeter. He can help a team as a flexed out tight end, but as a blocker he’s not going to give you much because of his frail frame and inexperience in that area.

— Jordan Akins

Pretty ridiculous one handed catch from #UCF TE Jordan Akins thrown by #WKY QB Mike White #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/dZNzXfTJQf

— Jennifer Lee Chan (@jenniferleechan) January 24, 2018

Akins easily had the catch of the day. Making a one-handed catch from Mike White during the redzone period of practice. Akins put together a solid day overall and he is someone that I will have a close eye on during the final practice session tomorrow.

• Offensive Line

— Brian O’Neill

After looking like just a guy on the opening day of practices, O’Neill put together a dominating performance during the second day. Winning all of his reps during the on-on-one period, but the session where O’Neill really shined was during the team period.

Generating solid movement in the running game and having one of the biggest highlights of the entire practice session. Pulling on a sweep play, O’Neill flat-lined cornerback JaMarcus King, driving him all the way out of bounds and finishing him on the ground. His nastiness and physicality was great to see. Being that he is a former basketball player, he has a lot of athletic traits that scouts are intrigued by.

— Isaiah Wynn

My draft crush on Wynn keeps getting stronger and stronger. Once again today, he showed off his brute strength, anchor, excellent feet and technique. Wynn is firmly in the conversation to go in the top-40 picks come April. I think he is that good. He has what it takes to be a day one starter on the interior of a teams offensive line.

— Will Hernandez

Hernandez put together another rock solid day. There’s still some questions about whether he can move laterally out in space, but in tight areas, he’s legit. Most likely best suited for power schemes, the former UTEP guard has positioned himself to be an early day two selection.

— Tyrell Crosby

A prospect whose film that I loved was Crosby. Showing off his finishing ability, nasty demeanor and average nimbleness at left tackle, Crosby made himself some money today. I still think he’s best suited as a guard due to his feet being a bit heavy, but there’s no doubt that he has a place in the NFL. I don’t think that he’ll be a starter right away, but it would not surprise me if he’s a contributor during his rookie season. His strength, tenacity and technique will allow that to be possible.

• Defensive Line

— Kemoko Turay

It’s been a long journey for Turay. Standing out as a freshman, before have two consecutive injury filled seasons there after. His senior season, he showed glimpses of being the player that we saw during his freshman year, but there still were multiple question marks. On the second day of practices, Turay clearly stood out. Showing his speed off of the edge and consistently able to turn the corner on offensive tackles. He still needs to show more as a run defender, but as a pass rusher, he could have an impact early on in his NFL career.

— Poona Ford

A late addition to the Senior Bowl roster was Ford. He’s proving his worth in Mobile. At 5-foot-11, he already has the natural leverage on blockers and he understands how to use that to his advantage. This was on full display in the one-on-one period during practice, even showing a spin move.

— B.J. Hill

Outside of highly touted prospect Bradley Chubb, the NC State defensive line was loaded with talent. Hill was littered in that bunch and the post-season all-star games has given the talent on their defensive front to make a name for themselves. Hill showed many favorable traits during practice and he certainly has caught my eye during this process. NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock even went as far as comparing Hill to Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph.

• Linebackers

— Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

It was a frustrating first day for the former Sooner edge rusher, but he seemed to settle in and look much more comfortable on the second day of practice. Showing the elite speed off of the edge and his patented inside counter move, Okoronkwo helped his stock on day two. He looks most comfortable as a stand up 3-4 outside linebacker.

— Darius Leonard

After a quiet first day, Leonard shined on day two. He flashed mostly during the team period where he stuffed a run and had a pass breakup on the goal line. Leonard has frequently been compared to Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith. A valid comparison as they both have very similar size and skill-sets.

• Defensive Backs

— Kyzir White

I thought he looked tight hipped and stiff on film, but White once again shined. Focusing on him in positional drills, what I wanted to see was how fluid he looked. He’s passed the test on both days with flying colors. Best suited as a box/strong safety, White has a chance to be an instant contributor for the team that drafts him.

• Other Notes

— Senior Bowl Schedule (Central Times)

Thursday, January 25

12:30 pm – 2:30 pm (North)
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm (South)

Saturday, January 27

1:30 pm, NFL Network

— Senior Bowl Day 1 Recap

— 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl Weigh-In Results

— I released the latest edition of my “Reiding Between the Lines” scouting journal. Included in it is my Senior Bowl preview of the storylines that I will be following closely, a brand new mock draft, and a six-pack of final thoughts about events that are happening from around the sports world.

Reiding Between the Lines Scouting Journal — January 23

For more NFL Draft news and analysis, follow J.R. on Twitter @JReidDraftScout.