MOBILE, Ala. — The Senior Bowl is officially in the books, so it’s time to call out a few winners from the week, with an eye toward the Las Vegas Raiders’ 2026 NFL draft needs. The focus here is on players who boosted their draft stock, so while someone like Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter had a good week, Hunter isn’t featured since he had plenty of buzz heading into the event.
LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Speaking of the Red Raiders, Rodriguez had a fantastic showing down in Mobile. He made headlines on Wednesday by
forcing a couple of turnovers during the full-team period, and was equally impressive in the one-on-ones against running backs in coverage. I had him projected as a fourth-round pick before the Senior Bowl, but the Butkus Award winner could easily climb into the Day 2 category now.
LB Xavian Sorey, Arkansas
Sorey is one of those prospects who people didn’t know much about heading into the week, but he made a strong name for himself. The Arkansas product was flying around the field and made several plays against the run, showcasing an impressive combination of instincts and speed. Sorey also held his own in the one-on-ones to catch the league’s attention.
S Bud Clark, TCU
There weren’t many defensive backs that stood out positively since the Senior Bowl’s format typically favors wide receivers. However, Clark’s ball skills really shone through in Mobile, as he collected a few interceptions and pass breakups. Seeing as the former Horned Frog had 15 interceptions (two pick-sixes) and 21 passes defended over the last four years, that shouldn’t be much of a surprise. But he managed to do it on a big stage to garner some more attention.
Edge Zion Young, Missouri
There were plenty of edge defenders who stood out over the week—four are listed here—Young being one of the biggest. His ability to turn speed to power as a pass-rusher allowed him to collect several wins in the one-on-ones, and the former Tiger proved to be a strong edge-setter against the run. That should firmly put Young in the second-round category.
Edge Gabe Jacas, Illinois
At times, it felt like Jacas was unblockable as a pass-rusher. He collected win after win in the one-on-ones, and that translated to 11-on-11, where he had at least two sacks in each of the first two practices. To me, the Illinois product showed why he should be a Top 10 edge prospect in this year’s draft and is an intriguing Day 2 option next April.
Edge Derrick Moore, Michigan
Moore sent shockwaves down the Gulf Coast by running right through Miami offensive tackle Markell Bell’s (6-foot-9, 345 pounds) chest during the first one-on-one pass-rush period of the week. But the Michigan product did more than just that one rep; he had a handful of impressive reps setting the edge and collected more wins as a rusher throughout the week. The most impressive part about the latter is that he showed off a diverse set of pass-rush moves, which he did throughout this past season, too.
Edge Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan
Small school prospects standing out against Power 4 competition is a big part of what makes the Senior Bowl such a fun event. Tucker did exactly that in the trenches, starting with some physical play against the run and ending with a few sacks during the full team periods. The Western Michigan product forced people to flip on the tape, which is the primary goal for an unknown prospect.
DT Darrell Jackson, Florida State
Fresh off standing out at the East-West Shrine Bowl, Jackson didn’t arrive in Mobile until the second day of practice but was hard to miss. The 6-foot-5, 328-pounder measured in at the Shrine with 35-inch arms (h/t: The Athletic’s Dane Brugler), and that stood out in his ability to win with power as a pass-rusher. He was considered more of a two-down nose tackle heading into the event, so getting a few wins in the one-on-ones was good to see.
RB Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma
In 2023, Ott rushed for over 1,300 yards and had 12 rushing touchdowns at Cal to build some draft stock heading into the 2024 campaign. However, an ankle injury led to a significant dip in his production (385 yards, four touchdowns) and a transfer to Oklahoma, where he barely got playing time and only received 21 carries. That led to the former Golden Bear losing just about all of his draft stock, but he had a strong week in Mobile in several areas to gain some of it back. Fully healthy and with a bigger opportunity in the NFL, Ott could end up being a late-round or undrafted free agent steal when it’s all said and done.
WR Tyren Montgomery, John Carroll
Finally, one of the biggest storylines from the Senior Bowl was how a Division III prospect was cooking Power 4 cornerbacks in the one-on-ones. Montgomery, a former walk-on for LSU’s basketball team, has only been playing football for a couple of years, but that was hard to tell based on his performance in Mobile. He already has an impressive press release package to win at the line of scrimmage, and the athleticism is certainly there, making the John Carroll product a guy to keep an eye on throughout the rest of the pre-draft process.
