12 Senior Bowl players who stood out as potential Lions (and 3 who didn’t)

Alexander repeatedly earned plusses in the practice notebook for his play in both 1-on-1s and team drills. The 6-foot-3, 304-pounder proved he could win as a stand-up EDGE with his explosiveness off the snap and surprisingly nimble footwork. Alexander was even better inside as a 3-technique, which is where he told me he sees himself in the NFL.

Ersery fits the Lions preferred style of offensive tackle. He’s got brute power, excellent shoulder and grip strength, and good downfield movement skills. His work in 1-on-1s steadily improved throughout the week as he got more comfortable playing more frequently on the right side–an adjustment for a career left tackle at Minnesota. His mindset and attitude when I talked with Ersery on media night definitely “fit the grit” for the Dan Campbell Lions.

Green brought an impressive production résumé to Mobile, but questions about his size and ability to perform against higher-level competition than he faced at Marshall. He checked those boxes, none more than on this rep where he annihilated Oregon OT Josh Conerly.

Green isn’t an edge setter against the run and he’s quite a bit lighter (253 pounds) than the Lions wanted across from Aidan Hutchinson, but his ability to impact the quarterback is undeniable. If new DC Kelvin Sheppard is looking for a flamethrower, Green brings a ton of explosive fuel.

Though Hairston’s a little smaller than ideal for Detroit at just over 5-11 and 179 pounds, you wouldn’t know it from watching him in drills in Mobile. He was very effective in using his long arms and strong body positioning to take away throwing angles. Hairston missed the final day with an undisclosed injury but was prominent on the sidelines in encouraging his newfound teammates, football firmly cradled in his right arm. Team captain, emotional leader, physical tackler, Detroit-area native; Hairston checks a ton of Lions boxes.

The Lions could be in the market for a wide receiver with some size, as oft-injured Tim Patrick is a free agent. Higgins stood out throughout the week in Mobile for not just his size (he’s almost 6-4 and 217 pounds) but his speed off the line. Higgins was pretty clearly the best of the bigger wideouts all week.

Knight was one of the biggest LBs in Mobile (6-1 3/4, 247 pounds) but was also the best all-around in coverage and blitz drills. Very active pre-snap in team drills, and his ability to consistently hit the proper gap in run fills with authority was very impressive. His football IQ and powerful closing burst should be very appealing for new DC Kelvin Sheppard if he’s looking to bolster his LB corps in the middle rounds.

Nolen moves like a much smaller man than his 6-foot-3, 293-pound frame would suggest. In the positional drills, Nolen flew through the bags and agility tests in comparison to his mates. He was consistently too quick off the line for guards and centers to handle in 1-on-1 pit drills, too. Nolen could be a top-20 overall talent, but if he slides a little as an attack dog with the ability to play anywhere from the 3 to 7 technique, the Lions should have intense interest in Nolen.

Femi, O2, O-O, whatever you want to call Oladejo (he was called all three at various points in Mobile), just make sure you call him a good football player. A converted off-ball LB, he proved to be the most consistent winner off the edge in 1-on-1 drills. He’s built like former Lions starter Romeo Okwara, with a compact torso and long, powerful arms. Because of his off-ball background, Oladejo could be a middle-round option as a hybrid EDGE/SAM–at least in the defense the Lions ran under Aaron Glenn.

Peebles is an explosive interior line presence who had an interesting week in practices. He wasn’t terribly successful in 1-on-1 rush reps in the pit, aside from out-quicking some of the slower-footed guards. But in team drills or a segment where the pit drill expanded to 2 DL vs 3 OL, Peebles was a wrecking ball. He’s short at just 6 feet, but he uses it to his advantage very well, and his long wingspan allows him to corral runners and keep blockers from getting too far into his chest. He’s a faster version of Lions 2024 rookie Mekhi Wingo.

All three of these players were ones I had my eyes on as guys the Lions might covet entering the week, but they just didn’t move the needle Detroit’s way in my eyes.

Tai Felton, WR, Maryland–Felton has good size for a player who can line up at slot or wide, and the straight-line speed was there. He didn’t get off jams well and often took an extra step to get out of his initial break. Still an intriguing prospect but probably a round or two later than I anticipated, as someone who thought he could be a viable option at No. 60 overall for the Lions.

Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas–very stiff lower body and uncreative as a pass rusher. Not sure he won around the outside once in 1-on-1s, though he did look much better attacking the inside shoulder on the last day of practice. Too easily blocked in team drills throughout the week.

Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss–another long edge rusher who didn’t impress with either quickness or balance. The closing burst is nice and he did set the edge well in team drills, but Umanmielen did not look like a Day 2 talent (where he’s widely projected) throughout the week.

Sometimes a picture sets everything up perfectly. Stewart wound up spinning inside off this set against LSU’s Emery Jones, sending him grasping for nonexistent shoulder pads, and with Stewart on a direct tack straight to the (would-be) quarterback. Optimally built as a “crush the can” edge presence at 6-foot-5 and 281 pounds, Stewart dominated practices so thoroughly that he took the last day off. He plays very similarly to how Ndamukong Suh looked when the Lions lined him up over a tackle instead of inside back in his Detroit days. If he lasts to No. 28 in the draft, it’s hard to fathom the Lions not strongly considering Stewart with their first pick–and he’s an ascending talent technically, too.

The goal for small-school prospects is to show enough that I want to go back and study more of their game tape. That certainly happened for Vinson, a giant FCS-level tackle at just under 6-foot-7 and 314 pounds, with arms over 35 inches and hands that literally cracked my fingers when we shook hands. With that sort of build and athletic potential, it was encouraging to see Vinson win a lot more than he lost in 1-on-1s. His pad level and leg drive in run blocking in team drills were impressive.

If you’ve consumed any Senior Bowl content from pretty much anywhere, you’ve heard Grey Zabel mentioned as a big winner for the week. I’ll go so far as to say he was the all-around most impressive player in Mobile, especially considering he was a college left tackle playing guard and center exclusively. He can start at guard or center for most every NFL team right away, though it’ll probably cost Detroit their first-round pick to select Zabel. He was that good…arguably the best center I’ve seen in Mobile since Alex Mack.