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USATSI

MOBILE -- The three days of 2024 Senior Bowl practices have wrapped and all that remains is Saturday's game. For this week, anyway. We're still in the early stages of the pre-draft process, with the NFL combine, pro days and private workouts still on the docket. But there will be plenty of time for all that; let's focus on which players helped themselves with a strong showing here in Mobile. (This isn't an exhaustive list; just some of the players that caught my attention through the six practices.)

Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane

Unlike last year, where the Senior Bowl quarterbacks were Jaren Hall, Jake Haener, Clayton Tune, Max Duggan and Tyson Bagent, this year's group consists of at least four passers who have a chance to be Top-100 selections, and maybe a couple even find their way into the first round. Pratt missed two games early in the season because of a knee injury, but still finished with 22 touchdowns against just five interceptions, and had a career-best 65.4 completion percentage in 11 starts. He reconfirmed in Mobile what showed up on tape: he is a better athlete than maybe he's given credit for, he has a big arm (during Tuesday's practice, Joe Milton III had the fastest fastball at 76 mph; on Wednesday, Pratt was also clocked at 76 mph), he can layer the ball downfield when he needs to, and he was consistently accurate to all three levels. 

Here's a dot on a corner route to a tight end during the team session:

(Added bonus: our colleague Danny Kanell repping Florida State!)

Questions remain, of course; I'd like to see him continue to throw with more anticipation and make better decisions at times, but of all the quarterbacks this week, I thought Pratt helped himself the most.  

Jha'Quan Jackson, WR, Tulane

It was a good week for the Green Wave; Jackson came into the week as an established return man, but he only had 26 catches last season. At 5-foot-9, 190 lbs, it's no surprise that Jackson was primarily used out of the slot. But he showed in Mobile what you got glimpses of in the fall: quickness off the line of scrimmage, the speed to stack defensive backs on vertical routes, the quickness to win on short and intermediate routes, and good hands. 

And while he has a small catch radius, all he did was make plays this week. There is no Tank Dell at the Senior Bowl this year but Jackson made his case that he's much more than a returner.

Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State

My With the First Pick co-host, Rick Spielman, is the president of the Ben Sinnott fan club coming out of Mobile, but it's hard to disagree with his sentiments; Sinnott showed athleticism in the open field, consistently won in coverage versus linebackers and safeties, and had reliable hands. All of which mirrors what we witnessed in the fall: the 49 receptions, the six touchdowns and just the two drops. 

He's also good in space with the ball in his hands; at Kansas State, he regularly made contested catches and then ran through arm tackles. Spielman went so far as to say that his pre-draft situation could mirror Sam LaPorta's in that he could end up getting drafted much higher than folks currently expect.

Darius Robinson, EDGE, Missouri

I gave Robinson a mid-Day 2 grade based off his 2023 season and all he did this week was make me question if I underestimated just how good he is. In terms of looking the part, Robinson checks that box and then some: He's 6-foot-5, 286 lbs, and has nearly 35-inch arms. And while he played primarily on the edge for the Tigers, this week he showed the ability to kick inside and win there too. 

During the 2023 season, his bull rush forced offensive tackles to have to re-anchor, and his push-pull was all but unstoppable. I made this note in his fall write-up: "He might have the strongest hands in this edge-rusher class, and he is a consistent problem for offensive tackles in pass protection.

Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

This was a deep Senior Bowl group across positions. And a good number of players here who are likely top-100 picks, and practiced on Tuesday, weren't on the practice field for Thursday's final session; and that's not uncommon; minor injuries occur, and players choose to sit out. And sometimes, after a strong start to the week, there's no reason to keep going out there and risking a needless injury; you've proven what you came to do and didn't need the entire week to do so -- and no evaluator will think any less of you for making what truly is a business decision. 

I mention all that because Toldeo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, already a first-round talent coming into the week, was in pads all three days and he was as close to dominant as you're going to see in individual drills. 

This basically confirmed what we all saw in the fall: long frame, fast, physical and consistently battling at the catch point; in the fall Mitchell had 14 pass-breakups and just one interception (he dropped three others, according to TruMedia). And while you would like more turnovers given the opportunities, the fact that he has created those opportunities in the first place is what makes him one of top cornerbacks in this class. In fact, we're early in the pre-draft schedule, but there's going to be a real conversation about whether Mitchell is CB1.