MOBILE, Ala. -- That's it, the 2023 Senior Bowl is a wrap; three days of practice here at Hancock Whitney Stadium at the University of South Alabama culminated in 74th annual game. On Saturday, the National team rolled to a 27-10 win over the American squad but these get-togethers are less about the final score and more about how the players -- who came from all across the country and included names from Power 5 FBS programs, FCS schools and even Division II.
This week in Mobile marks an end the the unofficial first leg of the pre-draft process. Next up: the NFL combine in just a few week's time, followed by pro days and, ultimately, the NFL Draft. For now, let's take one last look back at the week that was. Fresno State's Jake Haener earned game MVP honors, and it's hard to argue with that; he was the best passer on Saturday, going 12 of 19 for 139 yards big touchdown throw (more on that momentarily) and no turnovers. Below are five other players who punctuated a great week of practice with a strong showing in Saturday's game.
Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford
Wilson's name should familiar by now because not only have we been talking him up for the last month or so, but he consistently stood out above everyone else during the three days of Senior Bowl practices. On Saturday, he finished with 4 catches for 76 yards, and a 4th quarter 44-yard touchdown grab, high-pointing the ball over LSU's Jay Ward (who, admittedly, slipped) and Florida State's Jammie Robinson.
This is all over Wilson's Stanford tape ... when he's healthy; he missed the last part of the '22 season because of injury. But we'll repeat what we wrote earlier in the week. NFL teams viewed Wilson as a Day 3 target before he came to Mobile, and now there will be serious conversations about if he can move his way into Day 2.
Ethan Hull, RB, Northwestern
We didn't write about Hull during the week, but not because he didn't put in solid efforts each day. In fact, he was as steady as any player here, and that steady-as-she-goes approach was on display again on Saturday. Hull had 74 rushing yards on 10 carries and added another 11 yards on two receptions. He set the tone on the very first carry of the game:
Hull does everything well, and while he's not the fastest, or the most explosive back in this draft, his versatility will be an asset at the next level.
Anthony Johnson, CB, Virginia
Johnson was one of our favorite players to watch in the fall. He's big, moves well for his size, and consistently battles for the ball at the catch point. There will be questions about his speed in the coming weeks, and perhaps that may affect where he's ultimately drafted, but his playmaking ability was on full display Saturday when he pick-sixed a throw from Malik Cunningham.
Johnson, who wore No. 41 during the week, donned No. 15 on Saturday to honor the memory of his teammate, Devin Chandler.
Lonnie Phelps, EDGE, Kansas
Phelps lined up over the offensive tackle for much of the 2022 season but he's probably better described as "showing up wherever the ball is." That was his practice week, and it carried over to the game, where he was as active as any player on the field, causing problems in the backfield time and again. He almost sacked quarterback Clayton Tune for a safety on the American team's second drive, forced a fumble on the first drive of the 3rd quarter ...
... And flushed quarterback Tyson Bagent from the pocket, forced him to make an off-platform throw and he was intercepted, all but ending the game.
Payne Durham, TE, Purdue
We talked Thursday about the progress Durham made during the week, and the sure hands that showed up this season for the Boilermakers were here in Mobile too. He had just two catches for 24 yards on the stat sheet, but one was this close to being a touchdown -- instead, it was just a good back-shoulder catch on a good throw from quarterback Malik Cunningham.
Durham also made a touch catch in traffic -- and then there was the catch that didn't show up in the box score; he hauled in a pass from Cunningham to successfully complete the two-point try after the National team scored it's second touchdown.
What is next?
The NFL Scouting Combine runs from Feb. 28-March 6 in Indianapolis, Indiana. When that concludes, Pro Days begin in earnest and teams can conduct top-30 visits at respective team headquarters. Teams will continue communicating with players and gathering information. On-site evaluations usually include interviewing support staff at each college to gauge how the players act inside the building. Injury examinations will be conducted at the Combine. The 2023 NFL Draft will be held April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri.