NFL Draft: Mock drafting the top five prospects from the 2022 Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is the time the upperclassmen of the draft make a name for themselves and impress NFL scouts ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. There are five who stood out.
Senior prospects don’t always get the love they deserve. That’s why we have the annual all-star games. The grandaddy of them all is the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where prospects made a name for themselves ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft.
These prospects are following in the footsteps of guys like Zack Martin, Aaron Donald, Tyler Lockett, Antonio Gibson, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, who made an impression on NFL scouts and draft media.
As with most seasons, the quarterbacks were the primary focus. This was the most loaded quarterback class at the Senior Bowl in recent memory, but they weren’t the only stars. Other players came out to make a name for themselves and raise their draft stock. Kudos to all the guys who showed up and played hard, but only five names made this list.
You won’t see guys like tight end Tre McBride (Colorado State), Kenny Pickett (Pittsburg) or Boston College offensive lineman Zion Johnson, and Trevor Penning (Norther Iowa) since they were already Top 50 locks.
5. Philadelphia Eagles: NFL Draft target: Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State
There’s always going to be a small school prospect on the rise. This Senior Bowl wasn’t different and North Dakota State wide receiver Christian Watson saw his stock rise. He was so good the American Senior Bowl defensive backs voted him player-of-the-week.
Watson is 6-4 211 pounds with long arms and twitchiness to his game. He’s a tenacious wide receiver who does an excellent job as a run blocker who brings an X-factor trait with him.
What he showed this week was his ability to defeat press coverage with quick feet and hands. When facing off-man, he got low and displayed a deceptively quick inside release off the line. He’s not likely to hear his name called until late Day 2, but he can come in and start despite his draft position.
He’d be a perfect fit for the Philadelphia Eagles because of his experience in a run-heavy offense. He’s an excellent blocker on the boundary, and he’ll do a great job as a boundary wideout, or he can line up in the slot. Watson will give Hurts a dynamic, big target, downfield threat, and catch radius. He’s a big play waiting to happen, look at his 21.53-pards per catch.
If the Eagles decide to get creative, they could line Watson up in the backfield — he’s done it before. He’s a sleeper who’s on the rise, and the Eagles are the perfect team for him.