Is 2025 NFL Draft's sleeper QB prospect at the Senior Bowl? Storylines to watch in Mobile

MOBILE, Ala. — The best part of Senior Bowl week — aside from the barbecue and seafood — is the opportunity to see prospects rise before our eyes.

Last year, Quinyon Mitchell entered the event already in the top-40 conversation, but he cemented himself as a first-rounder with his play in Mobile. Meanwhile, wide receiver Ladd McConkey was uncoverable in drills and gave teams a preview of what was to come in his rookie season. And defensive tackle Braden Fiske created deafening buzz with his domination in one-on-one drills.

Which prospects will impress and supercharge their draft stock this year? Here are eight storylines I’ll be watching closely from the sideline:

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1. Tyler Shough is a dark horse candidate to be QB4

The most interesting non-first-round quarterback in this class? My vote goes to Shough, and I expect the Louisville quarterback to show why during Senior Bowl practices. Once a top recruit, Shough had his college career derailed by injuries, and it wasn’t until 2024 that he put a full season on tape. This isn’t quite a Brandon Weeden situation, but Shough is already 25 — which will matter more to some teams than others.

Having engineered a Louisville offense that averaged 36.6 points per game this season, Shough has access to every inch of the field because of his arm strength and the way the ball explodes off his hand. At 6 feet 4 1/2 and 225 pounds, he looks the part physically, and his functional mobility is an effective club in his bag. Shough can be guilty of lingering on preferred reads at times, but he is always looking to create explosive plays.

In some ways, he is a much more talented version of Aidan O’Connell, another former Jeff Brohm quarterback. Shough will need the right situation in the NFL to get a legitimate shake at a starting job. But if you are looking to roll the dice on a quarterback outside the top 50, he might be the most interesting option.

We’ll see whether he lives up to that billing during Senior Bowl week.

2. Can Jalen Milroe convince NFL teams he should be a first-round pick?

I don’t use the word “special” lightly when it comes to NFL prospects, but Milroe is a special athlete, especially at 6-1, 225. He also has a rocket arm and the type of intelligence and character makeup that every NFL team wants in its building.

But his consistency as a passer was not a strength this season, especially down the stretch. Considering he’ll be throwing to unfamiliar receivers all week, no one is expecting him to be perfect during Senior Bowl practices — but scouts will be looking for consistency and progress. Can he show repeatable footwork and throwing mechanics? Will he have an understanding of which throws should be fastballs and which ones require more touch?

An AFC scouting director this week said the No. 1 thing he wants to see from Milroe is his “targets not having to work for the catch.” He also mentioned that, with a good week in Mobile, he would “doubt” Milroe would get out of the first round.

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3. The talent along the defensive line is as deep as we’ve seen during Senior Bowl week

Defensive line is one of the strongest position groups in this year’s draft class — and many of that group’s top prospects will be competing in Mobile. Buckle up.

Marshall’s Mike Green? His violence, quickness and overall activity level separate him. He’s one of my favorite players in this class.

Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart? He’s one of the freakiest dudes in the class — 285-pounders shouldn’t be able to explode and move like he does.

Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen? With an explosive lower body and fast, physical hands, he has the disruptive skills to go in the first round. His interviews will be paramount during the draft process.

And it doesn’t end there. Numerous other defensive linemen participating in the Senior Bowl have the chance to be selected in the top 50, including Landon Jackson (Arkansas), Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College), Alfred Collins (Texas), Deone Walker (Kentucky), Nic Scourton (Texas A&M), Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss), Jordan Burch (Oregon) and Shemar Turner (Texas A&M).

4. Which wide receiver will receive the ‘Senior Bowl bump’?

Who is this year’s Tank Dell, Christian Watson or Jayden Reed? Which wide receiver will gain momentum with NFL teams after leaving corners in the dust all week?

Weighing in at less than 170 pounds, Oregon’s Tez Johnson has a very slender frame with play strength concerns. But corners still have to get hands on him or stay in phase to create crowded catch windows, which college defensive backs struggled to do on tape. An electric athlete, Johnson can win vertically or decelerate on command, and he has the balance to break off routes with minimal gear down.

One of the receivers I’m most eager to see this week is Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor, a big, physical athlete with the tools to win over defenders. His tape featured a healthy helping of slants and go routes, but scouts want to see more variety in his patterns during practices. They also want to see him attack defenders at the stem, using sink to transition his weight and create space out of his break.

Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins leads the conversation to be the highest-drafted receiver out of the group in Mobile. And his Cyclones teammate, Jaylin Noel, could be this year’s Roman Wilson — an undersized, speedy slot who plays his way into the third round.

Utah State’s Jalen Royals missed the majority of the 2024 season due to injury, so scouts can’t wait to see the projected Day 2 pick back on the field.

TCU’s Savion Williams (6-4, 225) is arguably the freakiest receiver in this draft class, and I expect plenty of buzz around him this week. We might also see him take some reps at running back/H-back.

5. Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish is my kind of cornerback

Every evaluator has a type, and cornerbacks who might not have ideal size but are overflowing with speed, instincts and toughness are my jam. Mike Sainristil and Andru Phillips were two of my favorite prospects in last year’s draft class, and I put a big grade on Trent McDuffie when he was coming out of Washington (No. 12 on my final board that year).

In this draft cycle, Parrish fits the mold as a “don’t overthink it” kind of prospect. At right around 5-10, 195, he has big-time speed as a former state champion sprinter (10.47 seconds in the 100 meters) and competes with surprising play strength in all areas. Parrish loves to play press man and challenge receivers, which is even more impressive considering he told me that he “never played cornerback” until he arrived at Kansas State — he was a wide receiver and safety in high school. He will see plenty of those press-man reps during Senior Bowl practices.

High achievement is a Parrish family trait. Jacob’s older brother, Jevon, was a state champion wrestler in high school, went on to compete at Nebraska and is now a chemical engineer in Minneapolis. Jacob’s younger twin brothers, Jason and Joshua, are scholarship track athletes at Wichita State — Jason runs sprints and hurdles; Joshua competes in hurdles and jumps.

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6. Who is the top offensive line prospect in Mobile?

“Best offensive lineman I’ve seen so far.”

That was the text I got from an area scout who was cross-checking offensive line prospects last week — and obviously came away impressed with Armand Membou. Based on my evaluation, I wasn’t surprised. Membou is one of my favorite prospects in this class, because of his ascending talent. He doesn’t even turn 21 for another two months.

First, I’m interested to see Membou’s verified measurements this week. He’s listed at 6-3, 315, but what is his official height and length? Though nothing on tape says he can’t stay at tackle at the next level, some NFL teams won’t budge on their size thresholds, especially for linemen.

Second, does the athletic footwork and body control that Membou put on tape translate to one-on-one pass-rush drills? Membou is on the short list of candidates to be the highest-drafted player from this year’s Senior Bowl roster.

Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr. and Minnesota’s Aireontae Ersery are two other prospects competing for the designation of “top blocker” in Mobile. I was expecting William & Mary’s Charles Grant to be a riser, too, but he had to pull out of the event due to an injury suffered in his season finale.

7. How do players making position switches hold up at their new spots?

Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy does a great job building his event’s roster based on what NFL teams want to see — and that translates to the field with players whom scouts want to see work out at different positions, primarily on the offensive line. The best example of that was Zack Martin, a college left tackle who moved inside for Senior Bowl practices and played at a high level. (He also gave us some legendary battles against Aaron Donald that year.)

This year, North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel could be one of those intriguing prospects to swap positions. Despite playing tackle and guard, Zabel might be the top center in this draft class. He played the position in high school, so he won’t be completely unfamiliar snapping the football, but teams are hoping to see him line up there during drills this week.

Purdue’s Marcus Mbow is an athletic blocker and has the feet to stay at tackle, his primary position in college, but some teams project him best inside at guard or center. It’s a similar story for West Virginia’s Wyatt Milum, who started 43 games at tackle in college but — with sub-33-inch arms — will be projected by most teams as an interior lineman. Unlike Zabel and Mbow, Milum only played tackle in high school and college, so the ability to move inside is more of a projection until scouts see him do it.

I’m also interested to see whether Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea takes more snaps at tackle or guard. He is considered more of a guard, but he played mostly outside in college.

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8. Need a tight end? Senior Bowl practices will be a great chance to window-shop

Running back? It’s arguably the deepest position this year. Defensive line? Absolutely loaded. But tight end also is in the conversation as one of the strongest position groups in the 2025 NFL Draft.

LSU’s Mason Taylor (son of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor) is my highest-graded tight end in Mobile. With his fluid athleticism and ball skills, he can line up anywhere on the field and earns an easy “NFL starter” grade.

Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr. has production that speaks for itself. He is awkward athletically but has straight-line explosiveness and catches everything.

Texas’ Gunnar Helm and Miami’s Elijah Arroyo have starting potential at the next level because of their mismatch potential as pass catchers.

Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson and UCLA’s Moliki Matavao, former teammates in Eugene, are two of my favorite underrated tight-end targets in this class. I don’t know whether either will crack the top 100 — but if they are available Day 3, I’ll bet both will end up outplaying their draft spot.

I’m also eager to see Nebraska’s Thomas Fidone II, who was ranked one spot ahead of Brock Bowers in the 2021 recruiting class. Back-to-back ACL injuries derailed his career during his first two seasons in Lincoln, but he played all 25 games the last two years — and the talent is still there. His best football is ahead of him.

(Photo of Tyler Shough: James Black / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)



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