Pro Football Weekly was in Mobile, Ala., last week to observe the Senior Bowl, where many of the nation’s top draft prospects practiced in front of hundreds of front-office executives, scouts and coaches representing all 32 NFL clubs.
Deshaun Watson, Jonathan Allen and Taco Charlton, among other high-profile players who declined invites, weren’t in attendance, watering down the talent pool and, frankly, some of the buzz surrounding this year’s event. Nonetheless, as is the case every year, future NFL stars, some mostly unknown heading into the week, were on display.
Although many players improved their stock in the early stages of the pre-draft process, as a general rule of thumb, participants in college All-Star games aren’t downgraded by NFL evaluators based off their showings – injuries and new and significant off-field red flags emerging during interviews notwithstanding.