MOBILE, Ala. — The first Senior Bowl practice of the 2026 NFL draft is in the books, and the Las Vegas Raiders were well represented. How do I know? With Winter Storm Fern sweeping across the South and unusually cold temperatures for this time of year, on top of a schedule change that shifts the event’s practices to later in the day, the Raiders’ scouting staff moved into the media section for the second practice of the day to stay in the sunlight. I can’t blame them and would have done the same
because the sun was the only thing keeping me from shivering away.
But that’s enough weather talk, so let’s get to which prospects stood out during the first day of practice. In full disclosure, I spent most of the afternoon watching the trenches but did manage to catch wind of a few skill guys who boosted their draft stock on Tuesday.
EDGEs
The big winner in this group was Illinois’ Gabe Jacas. He was virtually unblockable as a pass-rusher, recording several wins in the one-on-ones. That translated to the full team period, where he had at least one sack and several other pressures. He also showed improved use of hands as a pass-rusher. The former Illini weighed in at 260 pounds and has good movement skills at that size to be a quality Day 2 target for the Raiders, if he doesn’t play his way into round one this week.
One of my favorite parts about the Senior Bowl is that it gives smaller school prospects an opportunity to prove themselves. In the trenches, no one took advantage of that more than Western Michigan’s Nadame Tucker. He started practice hot by being physical and setting the edge during the one-on-one run defense/blocking session, and made a couple of tackles during the full team period. Additionally, the former Bronco had a few wins as a pass-rusher in both one-on-one and 11-on-11. If he keeps this up throughout the week, look for Tucker to get some more draft buzz.
I’ve been asked a lot about Dani Dennis-Sutton from Penn State. First, he looks like he was built in a lab to play defensive end, standing at nearly 6-foot-5.5 and 270 pounds, while carrying his frame well with no bad weight. “The Dentist” (DDS, get it?) put that size to good use, showing some power as a pass-rusher and setting the edge against the run. He may not have generated much “buzz” compared to other prospects, but I thought he had a good day overall and will get a boost if he continues to play like this through the week.
Speaking of power off the edge, Michigan’s Derrick Moore had a rep that drew a lot of “oohs” from the audience, which included Raiders’ scouts, running right through 6-foot-9, 345-pound Miami offensive tackle Markel Ball’s chest. Moore had a couple of other good wins on Tuesday, and he’s one of “my guys” to be a quality Day 2 option.
T.J. Parker from Clemson was an interesting evaluation for me. He managed to generate some buzz on social media, showcasing power as a pass-rusher and the ability to set the edge against the run. However, that’s what I expected to see from Parker and left practice with questions about his quickness and bend to be productive off the edge in the NFL. I’d say Parker had a “good” day overall, but the questions I have about him weren’t answered. Maybe that changes throughout the week.
Defensive Tackle
Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter is the biggest draw on the interior defensive line (literally and figuratively) and was virtually unblockable against the run. He did have a tougher time winning as a pass-rusher, showing that he’s more of a two-down nose tackle than a legitimate threat on third downs at the next level. But that could work in the Raiders’ favor by keeping Hunter out of the first round.
One of the biggest disappointments of the day for me was Caleb Banks from Florida. He’s been receiving some first-round love recently but didn’t look the part in the first Senior Bowl practice. Outside of a sack during team period, Banks was pretty quiet as a pass-rusher (even during the one-on-ones where the defensive line has an advantage) and got pushed around in the run game. The 6-foot-6, 330-pounder is massive and a good athlete for his size, but his game isn’t there yet, in my opinion.
Offensive Line
On the other side of the trenches, the biggest standout to me was Washington’s Carver Willis. It’s hard for offensive linemen to stand out in the one-on-one pass rushes, but he was locking defenders up pretty consistently. Even better, Willis did it while playing both guard and tackle, showing off some position versatility.
One of the most impressive reps from a lineman during the one-on-ones was Beau Stephens from Iowa perfectly executing a snatch and trap technique against Hunter. That takes quite a bit of strength to pull off, especially when the defender is 320 pounds. Stephens also had several reps throughout the day that caught my eye as a potential guard option for Las Vegas.
Speaking of the Hawkeyes, Gennings Dunker has been another popular name people have asked me about. Dunker was working reps at both guard and tackle, as many project him to slide inside at the next level. It was obvious he wasn’t as comfortable anchoring in pass protection at guard, but he also didn’t signal anything to say that he can’t do it. At tackle, the Iowa product was one of the few players who managed to get a win against Tucker.
Wide Receiver
As mentioned above, seeing small school prospects thrive is one of the best parts about the Senior Bowl. Division III/John Carroll prospect Tyren Montgomery managed to make a name for himself during the first practice, as he was the talk of the position group by beating high-level competition.
On a similar note, Georgia State’s Ted Hurst had people buzzing with a ridiculous one-handed catch.
Finally, Missouri’s Kevin Coleman also had an impressive afternoon. At 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, he’ll likely be a slot-only type of receiver, but he was shaking defensive backs all day on Tuesday.
That’ll do it for Tuesday. Tomorrow, I’ll be paying closer attention to the linebackers, running backs and safeties. Stay tuned for another update!
