2025 Senior Bowl pop or drop: NFL Draft prospects who impressed, underperformed during practices in Mobile

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After unsteady week at Senior Bowl, it’s Alabama’s Jalen Milroe John Talty 2.
I watched Bech in the fall, and again in the leadup to the Senior Bowl and all he does is make plays, time after time.
You’ll sometimes hear people say that “WR X was unrecoverable” and it’s with a slight degree of exaggeration; that was not the case when describing Johnson during Senior Bowl practices.
Here’s to hoping he can show progress in the actual Senior Bowl game, when it’s more about football.
But the issues that plagued him during the season showed up at Senior Bowl practices; during Wednesday’s session, I counted three dropped passes (though he did make a catch in team drills).

NEGATIVE

There was a lot to like about the class that, while admittedly lacking the group of quarterbacks we saw in 2024, had legitimate depth and a wide range of other positions, including tight end, running back, defensive line, edge rusher, linebacker, and cornerback. The 2025 Senior Bowl practices are now complete.

On my NFL Draft podcast, “With the First Pick,” which I co-host with former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, we have a weekly segment called “Pop or Drop” during the college season where we highlight players who had fantastic weeks and highlight others who fell short of expectations. In Pop or Drop: Senior Bowl Edition, I’ve highlighted 11 players who drew my attention—and the attention of NFL fans—as well as a number of others who have the potential to be good NFL players but didn’t stand out as much as I had hoped during the three practices held in Mobile.

I recall Tyson Bagent appearing lost and overwhelmed at the Senior Bowl a few years ago, but he was a completely different player—one who was composed, decisive, and in control—when he was forced to start for the Bears during his rookie season. This does not imply that they cannot or that their NFL careers are doomed. This is only the beginning of the journey, not its conclusion.

“Pop.”.

1. . Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA ED.

On Thursday at 6:45 a.m., we had a conversation with Oladejo, also known by the nickname “O2” (which Rick promptly renamed “O2 Jo”). m. Hours before the final practice day, he was drinking hot tea due to his hoarse voice from shouting for two days in a row. It would be a significant understatement to describe him as high energy. The fact that Oladejo has only been playing off the edge for one season is among his most remarkable qualities. He started his career as an off-ball linebacker at Cal and played the same position early in his UCLA career. In 2024, he decided to move to the edge due to the crowded linebacker room, and he played like a seasoned veteran. Simply watch the Penn State game to get a sense of Oladejo’s character and his potential. The right tackle had a long afternoon as Oladejo won as frequently as any pass rusher this season by using a range of pass-rush techniques. Before practice, I witnessed him and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin chit-chatting, and O2 Jo was the only player in Mobile who seemed like a potential Pittsburgher.

It’s Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, the most divisive prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, following an unstable week at the Senior Bowl.

John Talty.

2. . Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

As you may have heard, this quarterback class is similar to the one from 2022, which didn’t have the first passer off the board until pick No. The Steelers acquired Kenny Pickett on 22. Desmond Ridder, Matt Corral, and Malik Willis were also members of that class; none of those players are currently on the rosters of the teams that selected them. All of that is said with an eye toward the ’25 draft, when Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are the top two quarterbacks and everything is up in the air. During the podcast on Thursday, Rick expressed his belief that Dart had a strong enough week to potentially finish last in Round 1. Even though you may recall that I was much more impressed with Dart than Rick in the fall, I’m not ready to go that far just yet, but I’ll gladly admit that Dart is superior to Pickett as a college graduate. Last week, I spoke with former Ole Miss standouts Chris Paul, Walter Nolen, and Princely Umanmielen, and they were all raving about Dart’s leadership and toughness—qualities that NFL teams were praising at this week’s Senior Bowl. Dart undoubtedly had the best week of any quarterback in Mobile, and his arm strength is more impressive in person than it is on video. He has also made significant progress in securing his position as the third quarterback, at least with eighty days left before the draft.

3. . Jack Bech, TCU WR.

A lot of fun as a player. Bech consistently makes plays, as I witnessed both in the fall and in the run-up to the Senior Bowl. Even though he might not run a 4.3 40, he can stretch the field vertically once he gets going, run great routes every time, and was one of the most dependable receivers at the Senior Bowl (he had 96 targets and only one drop in ’24, too). During team drills, he demonstrated his ability to high point the ball. In the fall, Puka Nacua was my comp for him, and I didn’t see anything in Mobile that would make me change my mind. What’s different is that Bech might make it into Day 2.

4. . Miami’s Elijah Arroyo, TE.

Arroyo’s play supports the idea that it’s impossible to not fall in love with him. He can emphasize defenses in between the numbers due to his athleticism and is a long strider who feels at ease inline or in the slot. He has soft hands, a huge catch radius, and a burst of energy when he breaks. Arroyo won’t be the first tight end at his position to be cut, but given his performance in Mobile and his season with the Hurricanes, he should be called up soon.

5. . Tez Johnson, Oregon wide receiver.

Although Tez Johnson weighs only 156 pounds, Tutu Atwell and Kavontae Turpin are the only two wide receivers who have been invited to the combine since 2010. However, those two players are fairly good, and a couple years ago, Tank Dell, Johnson’s reflexive comp at the Senior Bowl, weighed 165 pounds at his combine. It’s a little overblown to say that “WR X was unrecoverable,” but that wasn’t the case when Johnson was being described during Senior Bowl practices. The smoothness with which Johnson ran routes, the explosiveness he displayed getting off the line of scrimmage, at the top of his routes, and with the ball in his hands, make it very likely that he will hear his name called on Day 2. No DB had a chance in one-on-ones. And although Johnson only plays in slots, he can do a lot of damage from there, whereas Dell played all over college.

6. . Devin Neal, Kansas, running back.

At the Senior Bowls and the Shrine, there were many outstanding backs, and I could name a long list of players who had successful weeks. In Mobile, Neal, who was largely overlooked during the season, quietly showed off his one-cut-and-go explosiveness between the tackles. He also demonstrated something that Kansas didn’t ask him to do much of, which was to be a weapon in the pass game coming out of the backfield. One of his objectives this week, according to him during our interview, was to demonstrate to NFL teams that he is an all-down back who can contribute as a receiver and runner. The mission was completed.

7. . Louisville’s Quincy Riley, CB.

According to an old proverb, DBs would play receiver if they could catch. Riley had genuine chances to record three interceptions on Day 2 of practice, but he ended up with none. It was evident. However, I appreciated his aggressiveness throughout the route—without being flagged for being overly involved—and his capacity to think things through and be in a position to make a play with the ball. Riley, to his credit, had three interceptions and zero missed yards during the Cardinals’ season. I had him rated as a Saturday pick going into the week, but his actions in Mobile will make me go back to the tape.

8. OL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State.

I wish you luck in locating someone who had a better week than Zabel. As he played new guard and center positions during the three practices, let’s start with what may have been the biggest single rep at Senior Bowl 2025 before I go over everything he did. Mike Green, a Marshall edge rusher, bull-rushed Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr. Off his feet and onto the ground in what must have been one of Conerly’s “I can’t believe this is happening, I’m about to be all over social media” moments in real time. Unsurprisingly, the crowd gasped, the defensive players went crazy, and even one offensive lineman who was watching from the end zone was only able to put his hands to his helmet. Zabel, meanwhile, headed straight to Conerly to assist him in leaving the turf. Because leaders do that. And it’s not just me being hokey; NFL teams saw in Zabel a team-first player who can block out noise and, incidentally, was almost unstoppable when playing along the interior offensive line against some of the nation’s top players. If Zabel manages to advance to the first round, Rick wouldn’t be shocked.

9. 9. Central Arkansas’s EDGE, David Walker.

Walker’s physique is similar to that of a bowling ball, with a low center of gravity and the force of a bear bringing down a tree to obtain honey. He repeatedly demonstrated his ability to collapse the pocket against players who could be selected in the top 75, which is precisely what you want to see in a player attempting to transition from FCS to the NFL. Walker’s replacement by Rick was Brandon Graham.

Ten. North Carolina native Willie Lampkin, OL.

Everyone is Lampkin. He was 5’10”, 270 pounds, and had 32-inch arms, which, to be honest, makes him look more like an uncle at a family reunion than a potential offensive lineman in the NFL. primarily because future offensive linemen in the NFL typically weigh 315 pounds and stand 6 feet 4 inches. But I’d just like to invite you to Lampkin’s performance. For the Tar Heels, he played left guard and was not much larger than Omarion Hampton, their all-time great running back. However, Lampkin is one of my favorite players in this class and not only held his own, he made a difference. He will be a trailblazer in the most authentic sense of the word, so his path to an NFL roster will be difficult. Tez Johnson weighs 156 pounds, but the league has seen success with Atwell, Turpin, and Dell before him, all of whom had varied degrees of success. Good luck locating a 5-10 O-lineman.

11. . Oben, RJ, Notre Dame, EDGE.

Oben, who started his career at Duke with Riley Leonard and played his final season on a Notre Dame squad that advanced to the championship game, is an intriguing prospect. He is a “hair-on-fire” player who, when he is on the edge, shows signs of being a disruptive force. We spoke with him in Mobile, and he told us that NFL teams want to see him play more consistently throughout the season. If he can demonstrate that in the upcoming weeks and months, he might be a draft-weekend steal.

Drop.

1. Jalen Milroe, Alabama quarterback.

Milroe desired to arrive in Mobile and set himself apart from the group by demonstrating his ability to consistently and accurately throw downfield. Milroe also had trouble with touch on intermediate throws, even though his arm strength was always unquestioned. The world is not ending—Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix didn’t exactly blow everyone away at the Senior Bowl last year, and both of them ended up being first-round picks, but the former Alabama quarterback lost out on this chance.

2. Laurier’s Taylor Elgersma, quarterback.

Because he was essentially asked to play a game with different rules, on a field of different dimensions, and with a ball of a different size, I give Elgersma a lot of credit for showing up for the Senior Bowl. Yes, it’s called football in both the US and Canada, but that’s about as similar as it gets. If the other quarterbacks on the roster had been invited to participate in a Canadian football all-star game, I imagine they would have experienced similar difficulties. It’s safe to say Elgersma had a rough practice. We can only hope that he will make progress in the Senior Bowl game, which will be more about football. due to the fact that he is large, agile, and strong enough to make an NFL roster.

3. . Georgia’s Arian Smith, WR.

Smith consistently ranked among the fastest players on the field in the fall and was among the fastest players in Mobile this week. Senior Bowl practices, however, revealed the problems that dogged him during the season; I counted three dropped passes on Wednesday (although he did make a catch in team drills). Smith, who is incredibly talented, must demonstrate over the course of the coming months that he can overcome his concentration problems in order to advance because if he can, his talent will change the game.

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