January 26, 2017
Last year, in the 2016 Senior Bowl, former Mississippi State University quarterback Dak Prescott shined. http://www.seniorbowl.com/game-history-gamescores.php">He even won MVP in the South squad’s 27-16 win over the North squad.
Scouts were impressed with his footwork and the fact that he could take snaps under center, an area in which quarterbacks from spread offenses often struggle. Prescott then carried over his solid practice and game from the Senior Bowl to the NFL Combine.
Even though he slid to the fourth round in the NFL Draft, all the evidence that Prescott could play in professionally started in the Senior Bowl. The meteoric rise of Prescott will have NFL scouts taking a harder look at the work of players in this all-star game.
There are a few players with ties to Mississippi universities or the state in this year’s Senior Bowl. All the players will be looking to show scouts that they are ready to make a Prescott-like step to the next level.
http://www.seniorbowl.com/rosters-2017.php?squad=South">Mississippi State University has two players in the 2017 Senior Bowl: wide receiver Fred Ross and offensive tackle Justin Senior.
Ross ended his career at MSU as one of the most productive receivers in school history, although he dropped some passes that he should have caught this season.
Scouts are going to watch Ross’ route running and see if he drops easy passes in the Senior Bowl. He can help himself even more by showing that he is faster in person than he looks on tape.
Though Senior started most of his career at right tackle with the Bulldogs, scouts will likely watch his pass-blocking skills and see if he can play left tackle.
Being able to play left in the NFL is important for offensive tackles. Players who can play left tackle often rise higher in the ranks because they protect the quarterback’s blind side, which also means they can make more money than right tackles.
If Senior can’t play left tackle, another important thing to show is that he can slide inside and play guard. Being able to play more than one position on the offensive line would make him for more useful on an NFL roster.
http://www.seniorbowl.com/rosters-2017.php?squad=South">University of Mississippi tight end Evan Engram will be one of the most watched players at this year’s Senior Bowl. He can stretch the field vertically in the passing game and could make for a red-zone threat at the next level.
Just like Ross, Engram had some head-scratching drops at times this season, and scouts will be watching that in practice this week. Teams might like to see how he blocks in the run game before deciding when to draft him.
http://www.seniorbowl.com/player-view.php?p=1822&squad=South">Texas A&M University safety Justin Evans will try to show that he is the top player at his position in a year that is full of good safeties. Evans is from Wiggins, Miss., and played at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College before transferring to Texas A&M.
NFL scouts will want to see how Evans covers receivers, which will include how well he recovers when beaten in pass coverage and how he handles the run game. Evans was known for covering up mistakes on the Aggies’ defense last season and earned high praise from coaches.
All four players can boast their draft stock or earn an invite to the NFL Combine with a great week of practice. Last year, NFL teams drafted four players from the http://www.seniorbowl.com/game-nfl-draft.php">Senior Bowl in the first round and 87 players who played in the game were drafted overall.
The http://www.seniorbowl.com/game.php">2017 Senior Bowl will take place Saturday, Jan. 28, at 1:30 p.m. on the NFL Network.
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