Derek Brown | Tue, Jan 31st 2023, 9:21pm EST

Derek Brown’s Senior Bowl Day 1 Risers & Fallers (2023)

The Reese’s Senior Bowl week has kicked off. Prospects are flying around the field. The Ooohs and ahhs are pouring from the media crowd in the stands. This week of practice can be massive for aiding players’ draft stocks or burying them in the dirt. After Day 1 of practice, let’s see who could rise and fall on NFL draft boards.

Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles

Senior Bowl Day 1 Risers

Roschon Johnson (RB – TEX)

Johnson looked explosive during his reps. He had arguably the best day out of any running back in pass protection. Johnson also flashed in pass-catching drills displaying soft hands. After catching 56 balls at Texas, Johnson can prove to scouts that he can be a weapon in the passing game in the NFL.

Evan Hull (RB – Northwestern)

Hull’s strong and compact build was on display. He ran well in drills and held up in pass protection. Hull only lost one rep in 1-on-1 pass pro drills. He had no issues getting loose in routes and did nothing to dissuade my pre-Senior Bowl love.

Tyjae Spears (RB – Tulane)

Spears was lightning in a bottle every time he touched the ball. He took no time to exploit defenders in space on both carries and screens. Spears also checked a huge box for talent evaluators before even stepping onto the practice field by weighing in at 204 lbs. Spears was casually listed at 10-14 lbs below this on various sites entering the process. Spears will likely test well when the combine rolls around and with a long reel of highlight-level explosives plays in college. A team could view him as someone with workhorse potential.

Nathaniel Dell (WR – Houston)

“Tank” was anything but slow and trudging on the first day. Dell was nimble on every rep as he shook corners out of their shoes. Watching Dell make big plays with his speed is nothing new, but seeing it against top competition is great. While his weight remains a concern, there’s no disputing his penchant for the big play and the precise route running he displayed on the field. Dell consistently exploited corners.

Senior Bowl Day 1 Fallers

Jaren Hall (QB – BYU)

To put it kindly, Hall was erratic. He looked shaky all day. He sailed it when he reached back for some extra sauce on a throw. This left Hall in “don’t screw up mode” the rest of the day as he was short arming passes and jumpy in the pocket.

Camerun Peoples (RB – App State)

Peoples looked every bit the stiff early down grinder that I saw on tape. He was lumbering through his routes while gaining little separation. He was also blown up in the backfield on a few carries. While black eyes left him woozy, the knockout punch for his tough day came in pass protection drills. Peoples looked overmatched in pass protection. Oncoming rushers found little resistance with Peoples as their only obstacle.

Chase Brown (RB – Illinois)

Brown was highly touted entering Senior Bowl week. Sadly though, Brown failed to deliver on Day 1. He managed his best matador impression in pass protection as charging pass-rushing bulls had no issue running wild. Brown also put the ball on the turf once after losing his footing in the backfield immediately after a handoff. If all of that wasn’t bad enough, Brown dropped a few passes in 1-on-1 pass running drills.

Jonathan Mingo (WR – Ole Miss)

Mingo managed a few wins on crossing routes with his upper body strength, but overall it was a tough day for him to find separation. Mingo continually looked stiff in and out of his breaks with corners in his back pocket routinely.

Rashee Rice (WR – SMU)

Rice had a relatively ho-hum type of day. For a receiver that has garnered top-50 buzz, it’s a disappointing day that he should have stood out to justify the hype.

Kenny McIntosh (RB – UGA)

McIntosh left practice with an apparent lower leg injury. It’s unfortunate for the talented former Georgia running back who looks to improve his draft stock in Mobile.