NFL Draft Risers, Fallers & Takeaways from the Senior Bowl (2025)

NFL Draft Risers, Fallers & Takeaways from the Senior Bowl (2025)

The 2025 Senior Bowl practices have wrapped up, and after three days in Mobile, we have a clearer picture of which NFL Draft risers have boosted their stock and which prospects struggled to stand out. FantasyPros’ Mike Maher and Derek Brown have been on-site all week, evaluating every rep, every route, and every drill to determine which players made the most of this crucial showcase.

Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel was arguably the biggest winner among wide receivers, consistently dominating his matchups and proving he can win from the slot and the perimeter. Miami TE Elijah Arroyo followed up a strong start with another standout day, positioning himself as one of the top tight ends in this loaded draft class. Meanwhile, Mason Taylor (LSU), Brashard Smith (SMU), and Jack Bech (TCU) also made strong impressions, solidifying themselves as names to watch in the pre-draft process.

On the flip side, Alabama QB Jalen Milroe and Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel failed to capitalize on their opportunities, struggling with accuracy and decision-making throughout the week. Michigan RB Donovan Edwards didn’t necessarily have a poor showing, but he failed to separate himself in a deep running back class. Washington State WR Kyle Williams also had a disappointing week, struggling to create separation in drills that typically favor receivers.

With the Senior Bowl practices now in the books, the focus now shifts to the actual Senior Bowl game on Saturday, the NFL Combine, and Pro Days as players continue to make their case for draft positioning. Here’s a full breakdown of Senior Bowl risers, fallers, and key takeaways from Mobile.

2025 NFL Draft Guide: Mock Drafts, Scouting Reports & More

NFL Draft Risers & Fallers (Senior Bowl)

Risers

Jaylin Noel (WR – Iowa State)

Noel won the week among wide receivers. There was Noel and everyone else. I loved his game before arriving in Mobile and leave with him as one of my flag plant players. Noel flashed everything you want from a wide receiver. He was physical, dynamic, and proved he could win from not only the slot but the perimeter. I won’t be shocked if Noel is a second-round pick in the NFL Draft.

– Derek Brown

Elijah Arroyo (TE – Miami)

I don’t know what rose quicker on Day 3 of Senior Bowl practice. Arroyo’s NFL Draft stock or the punt he sent into the second row of the Whitney Hancock stadium seats. Arroyo was unguardable all week in Mobile. He was a mismatch weapon with too much size and physicality for corners to deal with and too quick off the line and in his routes for linebackers. Arroyo is a top-50 player in this NFL Draft class.

– Derek Brown

Mason Taylor (TE – LSU)

Taylor is another TE in this deep class with ideal size and strong receiving ability, and he consistently won reps in Mobile. In such a competitive TE group, performances at showcases like the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine could be the difference between being TE4 or TE8. Taylor helped his case this week, generating separation with crisp route running and consistently winning at the catch point-even in contested situations, as seen in the red zone rep below.

Mike Maher

Brashard Smith (RB – SMU)

I wish Devin Neal had the type of week that Smith did. Smith got open effortlessly in receiving drills all week while also flashing lightning-quick acceleration in rushing plays. The NFL has been kinder to sub-200-lb backs in recent seasons in the NFL Draft, and Smith could be the next name on that list. He has all of the necessary tools to be the 10-12 touch “lightning” part of a committee backfield in the NFL.

– Derek Brown

Jack Bech (WR – TCU)

Bech sandwiched a rollercoaster Day 2 in Mobile between two other outstanding days of practice. Bech won in a variety of ways. He earned early and late separation from the slot and the perimeter while getting loose on in-breakers and go balls. Bech had a “my ball” mentality and came down with a number of contested catches, leaving the stadium cheering. At the latest, Bech will hear his name called on early Day 3 of the NFL Draft (if not Day 2).

– Derek Brown

Jalen Royals (WR – Utah State)

I was incredibly impressed with Royals this week. Despite not being fully healthy and having his afterburners available, Royals won a ton of reps in Mobile with his route running prowess and footwork. He did have issues on some perimeter routes in the red zone where he really needed his speed to separate in the close quarters. Everything he did this week, despite having to back off the throttle, showed another layer to his game against better competition that wasn’t present in his film. Every team should be earmarking him on their draft lists. Royals’ best football lies ahead of him with a high ceiling in the range of outcomes.

– Derek Brown

Taylor Elgersma (QB – Laurier)

Elgersma didn’t have a fantastic week by any means, but he flashed a big arm and intriguing accuracy while proving he belonged at the event. This was an outside-the-box invite for Jim Nagy and the Senior Bowl staff, but Elgersma likely opened some eyes this week. He wasn’t the best QB in Mobile, but he was far from the worst. He’s going to be a project at the NFL level, but with ideal size and arm strength and a solid showing at the Senior Bowl, teams will be taking a closer look in the coming weeks.

Mike Maher

Harold Fannin Jr. (TE – Bowling Green)

Fannin Jr. proved that he could win against better competition all week in Mobile. While I still question his raw speed, Fannin Jr. stated in his play that his short-area quickness and route-running chops are strong enough to sustain his game at the next level. He made waves on the final day of practice with a smooth one-handed catch in the end zone.

– Derek Brown

Fallers

Jalen Milroe (QB – Alabama)

If you’re a Milroe stan, there were enough Milroe flashes to allow you to continue to bury your head in the sand, wishing away his full week in Mobile. If you’re a realist, then this week proved emphatically that Milroe isn’t a first-round NFL Draft caliber quarterback. His accuracy was spotty all week as he sat in the pocket and consistently held the ball too long. There were too many reps where Milroe would have been sacked if there had been live tackling. Yes, his legs were not a factor because of the format, but his insistence on holding the ball instead of getting to his check-down is notable. In college, Milroe attempted to answer too many equations presented by opposing defenses with his legs, and without that safety net to help him in Mobile, he had a rough showing. After this week, if you still have a first-round grade on Milroe, it might be time to schedule an appointment with your local optometrist just to make sure your prescription is up to date.

– Derek Brown

Dillon Gabriel (QB – Oregon)

This week was important for Gabriel’s NFL Draft stock, and he didn’t do much to help himself. To start, he was listed at 6’0″ for Oregon but measured in at shorter than 5’11” in Mobile. That alone will be a red flag for many evaluators. Throughout the week, he was consistently late on throws, struggled with accuracy, and lacked zip despite a highly questionable velocity measurement earlier in the week. He had his moments, but in drills with a limited or nonexistent pass rush, he wasn’t decisive and had several throws broken up, batted at the line, or intercepted.

Mike Maher

Donovan Edwards (RB – Michigan)

This was a weird year for running backs at the Senior Bowl practices, so I don’t want to be too harsh on Edwards. There weren’t as many reps in previous years, especially in receiving or pass blocking drills. But even when you take that into account, Edwards is a faller here because he needed those reps. He’ll have his chance to shine when the pads are on and everyone is competing at full speed on Saturday, but he didn’t stand out in any meaningful way this week, and he was someone who needed to. These drills aren’t necessarily the most advantageous for running backs because the contact is limited, they aren’t tackling to the ground, and many of the running game drills are at 50-75% speed. So not every RB will stand out, and that’s completely fair. But Edwards is a player who needs to show out to improve his stock, and he wasn’t able to do that in Mobile, at least not yet.

Mike Maher

Xavier Restrepo (WR – Miami)

Restrepo’s improved final day of practice wasn’t enough to save him from this section of the article. Restrepo did get open more on Day 3, but he didn’t do enough on the final day to cleanse my memory of the previous two days. He was underwhelming as a short area separator and looked a bit slow. After this week, Restrepo’s NFL Draft stock is in the wind. He’ll need strong testing numbers and an eye-opening pro day to erase the disappointment of Mobile.

Derek Brown

Kyle Williams (WR – Washington State)

The measurements for the Senior Bowl are a fun lie detector test for college football programs that tend to round up for their players. That was the case for Williams, who was listed at 6′ but measured in at just taller than 5’10” in Mobile. He looked tiny, and he played tiny all week. And unlike other smaller WRs who excel at creating separation in drills that favor shiftier wideouts with quickness and agility, Williams struggled in his reps. That is especially concerning because he is known for his quickness and route running and not necessarily his top-end speed. If he can’t generate space in these drills, why should NFL evaluators have confidence he can do it in tougher situations against better competition at the next level?

Mike Maher

Gunnar Helm (TE – Texas)

Yes, I know Helm wasn’t in Mobile, as he was among a bunch of late opt-outs. Helm makes this list because this was a prime spot for him to show out and help his NFL Draft stock, and he missed out on the opportunity. After this week, Arroyo (and possibly Harold Fannin Jr. or Mason Taylor) could be cemented above him on plenty of draft lists for NFL teams. Helm has the talent to have made it a conversation for best tight end of the week in Mobile had he shown up, but sadly, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Helm’s loss could be a big win for an NFL team that could possibly get him later in the NFL Draft than he should be selected.

Derek Brown

Other Takeaways

Devin Neal (RB – Kansas)

Let me start with the fact that Neal had a solid week of practice. He displayed plenty of the intangibles that I love about his game, but I was hoping that he would put on a clinic this week and leave Mobile with some heavy buzz. That didn’t happen. Neal remains a player that I love, as he did nothing to tank his NFL Draft outlook, but he could have helped himself more this week in a deep running back class. Neal can still steal some team’s heart in the rest of the draft cycle, but he might not have a ton of suitors lining up around the corner for his services.

Derek Brown

Jayden Higgins (WR – Iowa State)

I want to be clear here that I still love Higgins’ game. The reason he remains in this section and not among the “winners” is clear. He didn’t show me anything this week that I didn’t already know that he could do and do at a high level. Higgins embarrassed plenty of corners in the short and intermediate routes, especially on in-breakers, but he looked pedestrian at times when asked to win on the boundary downfield or in the red zone. Higgins still possesses the tools to add to his game in these other areas, but it will be an area of growth for him that will have to occur in the NFL instead of an underrated area of prowess that he already possesses.

Derek Brown

Tez Johnson (WR – Oregon)

We’ve talked about this all week (and really for the last several years), but most of these drills favor the wide receivers who have a ton of space to work with and a quarterback who isn’t being pressured. They’re especially advantageous for wideouts who are quick, agile, and can change direction quickly. Check, check, and check for Johnson. It’s hard to call him a riser because he didn’t dominate the way Tank Did a couple of years ago, but he showed up and did what he was supposed to do. That’s worth noting because if he didn’t, you could make the argument he should be a faller (see our writeup for Kyle Williams). He also measured SMALL at weigh-ins at 5’9″ and just 156 pounds. Someone should have told him to eat a big dinner the night before and chug a gallon of water that morning, but he weighed in like someone fasting for a weight loss challenge. Still, he took care of business this week, and that can’t be said for many other players.

Mike Maher

Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Podcast Addict | TuneIn