NFL Draft

1/30/25

6 min read

Mike Green’s Senior Bowl Dominance Propels Him Into 1st-Round NFL Draft Consideration

Sep 7, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd defensive lineman Mike Green (15) sacks Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

There might not be another prospect from this year's Senior Bowl who caught more eyes than Marshall EDGE Mike Green.

Despite facing a big step up in competition down in Mobile, Green shined in the first two days of this year's all-star event, dominating one-on-one competition and shining in individual drills. Easily his biggest moment of the week came in a one-on-one rep against potential first-round tackle Josh Conerly Jr., using a bull rush to drive the former Oregon OT into the dirt.

The work that Green put in was so impressive that he has officially withdrawn from the Senior Bowl after just two practices. With his stock on the rise, Green opted instead to start preparing for athletic testing at the NFL Scouting Combine instead of continuing to go through practices and Saturday's game.

It's the right move for Green, who is suddenly generating buzz as a potential top-15 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

What Makes Mike Green Special?

Marshall hasn't produced a first-round pick in the NFL draft since Byron Leftwich in 2003. Green has a good chance to change that this year.

Green led the FBS with 17 sacks this past season to go along with 81 total tackles and three forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished in the top 10 among college EDGEs with 59 pressures and first in the nation with 49 defensive stops.

It's not like Green hid against top competition, either. In two games against Ohio State and Virginia Tech, Green generated three sacks, nine pressures, and five defensive stops. One of his best sacks on tape came against the Buckeyes with a lethal spin move.

Two of the best traits that pop out immediately on Green's tape are his bend and explosiveness. His lightning-fast first step allows him to quickly gain ground as a pass rusher, but he also has the flexibility to dip and bend around blockers without losing that burst, allowing him to tighten his path to the QB and make contact with legitimate pop.

Like any savvy pass rusher, Green also has a great feel for how offensive tackles are adjusting to his pass-rush plan. When he's able to start consistently beating tackles around the edge, he'll start to plan counter moves, and take advantage of adjustments that blockers are trying to make.

This rep against Coastal Carolina is the perfect example. After already beating the left tackle around the edge just a few minutes earlier, Green reacts to the OT oversetting and turning his shoulders, allowing the Marshall EDGE to cut back inside with good hand usage and lateral agility.

There have been some questions about how effective Green can be as an every-down player at the NFL level as a smaller EDGE. However, he eased some of those concerns after weighing in at 6'3 1/8" and 251 pounds.

On top of that, Green goes into contact against the run with good technique. He makes sure to utilize his length to get fully extended while keeping his outside shoulder clean, allowing him to clean up any attempts from running backs to bounce to the outside.

There aren't many EDGE prospects in this class who have the ability to fly off of the snap and bend around the edge in this class. There also aren't many with the developed hand usage and counter moves that Green has in his bag, and scouts are starting to get on board with him being an early first-round pick.

What are the scouts saying?

Green continues to climb up draft boards, and a dominant Senior Bowl week should have him climbing up even more.

Prior to the week in Mobile, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah had Green ranked at 23rd overall. Pro Football Focus has moved Green all the way up to 11th overall on their most recent big board. The reviews that came out of the Senior Bowl suggest that he could be even more highly touted by the end of the pre-draft process.

"NFL scouts and execs down in Mobile have seen everything they were hoping for from Marshall EDGE Mike Green," Connor Rogers with NBC Sports tweeted. "He’s cemented himself as a 1st round pick and I would be very surprised if he does anything the rest of the week at the Senior Bowl."

Ben Fennell brought up an excellent point about both Green and Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, who have been knocked for having smaller frames, comparing them to the body types of two of the most dominant pass rushers in the NFL.

"The Marshall product is checking all the boxes he needed to mark off this week: weighing in over 250 pounds, showing a wide pass-rush repertoire and proving himself against top competition," Bleacher Report's scouting department wrote. "Green will be moving up B/R's edge rankings and should end up being a top-20 pick in April."

Green leaves Mobile with everyone talking about his dominance in just two days of practice. That kind of momentum will put him in the spotlight if he ends up attending the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in just a few weeks.


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