NFL Draft
2/1/25
7 min read
2025 Senior Bowl: Biggest Takeaways From This Year's Game
The Senior Bowl is over, and as scouts start to gear up for the NFL Scouting Combine in a few weeks, they can also take some time to break down the tape from Saturday's all-star game.
Players shined throughout the week in Mobile, but the game itself on Saturday provides a more realistic environment for prospects to show what they're capable of. It wasn't a shootout by any means, but the game provided some legitimate highlights from a handful of prospects who can go into the rest of the pre-draft process knowing they put on a show in front of NFL scouts.
Let's break down some of the biggest takeaways from the Senior Bowl's main event on Saturday.
Grey Zabel Looks like a potential first-round pick
After one of the most impressive weeks of practice for any prospect, North Dakota State's Grey Zabel continued to dominate in Saturday's all-star game.
Zabel won virtually every single rep during one-on-one drills during the week, and continued to move bodies in the run game on the national team's opening drive on Saturday. One of his best reps came on a WR screen, showing good play speed and fluidity to get out in space and seal a lane for his teammate for a first down.
At over 6-foot-5 and 316 pounds, Zabel has the skill set to play all five positions on the offensive line, even with shorter 32.25-inch arms. His best position might end up being center, especially if he's able to snap with consistency, because of his ability to mirror pass rushers and generate push in the run game.
Zabel was named the practice player of the week by NFL scouts and executives at this year's Senior Bowl. There aren't many other OL prospects with the versatility and strong film that he brings to the table, and that could mean legitimate first-round buzz heading into the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
A tough day for a Pair Of OL
While Zabel and other OL prospects had pretty clean days, it was one to forget for Alabama A&M tackle Carson Vinson and Jacksonville State guard Clay Webb.
Vinson showed flashes during the week of practice, but struggled to keep his quarterbacks clean in the first half of Saturday's game, giving up multiple pressures around the edge. The uptick in competition against future NFL pass rushers exposed some of his limitations.
Fortunately for Vinson and Webb, it's just one game after a strong week of practices, and there's still plenty for scouts to like about his NFL future. Vinson is a massive prospect at nearly 6-foot-7 and 314 pounds with 35-inch arms, while Webb is a former 5-star Georgia recruit with the pedigree and experience to be a contributor.
It's important to not weigh one bad performance too heavily on the body of work for guys like Vinson and Webb.
"Make yourself some money, Landon Jackson." - @MoveTheSticks
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 1, 2025
The standout from @RazorbackFB gets the strip sack for the National squad!
📺: @SeniorBowl on NFL Network
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/vGdnlPLZOz
The Defensive Front Players Dominated
One-on-ones can only tell you so much about a prospect, but a handful of players up front dominated the line of scrimmage on Saturday.
Toledo's Darius Alexander shined early with a big tackle for loss in the first quarter, while Sai'vion Jones was just as disruptive early on, then came away with a huge sack in the second half. Even Aeneas Peebles got in on the action by timing up the snap to get into the backfield for a TFL.
The star of the first half was Landon Jackson out of Arkansas, who was able to snuff out a delayed draw and then coming away with a huge strip sack after the two-minute warning in the second quarter. Jackson's big game was much needed after a tough start to the week down in Mobile, where the Arkansas prospect was consistently losing his footing in one-on-ones, looking a bit stiff for a potential EDGE prospect.
Femi Oladejo out of UCLA was a menace throughout the game, consistently getting after the quarterback. A versatile chess piece for the Bruins, Oladejo's athleticism, length, and on-field energy could make him an intriguing Day 2 or Day 3 pick with upside.
So many different DL and EDGE prospects stood out on Saturday, which feels fitting in a draft class that's loaded up front.
TRICK PLAY ALERT 🚨
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 1, 2025
Gabriel to Gordon II to Higgins for the National Team score!
📺: @SeniorBowl on NFL Network
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/lnUynLvZ0m
It's a good year to need a physical outside receiver
It's a crowded WR group at the top of this year's draft, but Iowa State's Jayden Higgins and TCU's Jack Bech keep closing that gap.
At 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds, Higgins got the scoring started on Saturday with a trick play pass from running back Ollie Gordon II. Despite having a defender draped over him, Higgins used his size and body control to box out the smaller DB, allowing him to create enough space to work back towards the ball and haul in a touchdown.
That kind of body control is all over Higgins' tape at Iowa State. He also showcases legitimate technique with his route running, along with solid explosiveness and long strides to be a vertical outside threat and safety blanket for his quarterback.
Bech stepped up later in the first half, hauling in a tough contested catch over a defender on a flea flicker from Jaxson Dart. The TCU standout has drawn comparisons to Puka Nacua over the Senior Bowl week for his competitiveness and physical play style.
Even Pat Bryant got in on the action with a deep shot from Taylor Elgersma in the third quarter. He wasn't as much of a breakout star during the week of practice, but was solid and had great tape during his final year at Illinois.
These receivers shined throughout the week, and continue to establish themselves as Day 2 prospects.
Elgersma ➡️ Bryant @LaurierFootball @IlliniFootball
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) February 1, 2025
📺: @SeniorBowl on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus
pic.twitter.com/Kv7c3L5WEQ
It's a Bad Year to Need a Quarterback
The Senior Bowl is only one part of the equation, but it's another reminder about the limited options NFL teams will have if they're looking for a QB.
The two biggest plays from the first half on Saturday came on trick plays, including a halfback pass from Ollie Gordon. Riley Leonard completed 6-of-7 passes in the first half, but a lot of those were underneath throws instead of trying to push the ball deep downfield. Another TD in the second half came off of a second halfback pass, this time from RJ Harvey to Tai Felton.
Jalen Milroe was one of the top QBs to keep an eye on during Saturday's game, but his first couple of drives showed some erratic accuracy on this throws. He had an opportunity on a third down to complete an easy pass over the middle of the field, but the ball was throw way too low, skipping off the grass to the intended receiver.
One of the best throws of the day actually came from Canada's own Taylor Elgersma, finding Illinois wideout Pat Bryant for a third-quarter deep shot to get the national team close to the red zone.
In a class where it's unclear who QB3 is going to be, no one at the Senior Bowl really stood out. Jaxson Dart may have had the most consistent week, but didn't exactly set the world on fire down in Mobile.
Last year was the year to take a quarterback. For anyone looking this year...good luck.
