We have reached Day 3 of the Senior Bowl and there are quite a lot of prospects who are impressing scouts and analysts. After taking a look at the practices tape, let’s highlight the names who are performing at a high level.
Trey Palmer
Wide Receiver, Nebraska
Trey Palmer is by far one of the best senior wide receiver prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. After a strong season for the Cornhuskers, he’s putting together impressive reps at the Senior Bowl too. Palmer doesn’t possess any individually elite traits, but overall, he’s an extremely athletic pass catcher with a rather refined profile. He’s a field stretcher who can hold his own at the catch point, who’s also a weapon with the ball in his hands. Palmer has the tools to become a respectable target and number three receiver at the next level.
John Michael Schmitz
Center, Minnesota
Schmitz entered the Senior Bowl as my top-rated center in this class and he’s showing why every single day. He is technically refined and polished in pass protection and he’s a fantastic athlete who displays it consistently in the run game where he’s an impact player. Schmitz looks like a plug-and-play center in the NFL, he’s a safe prospect who can be a rock-solid starter for a long time.
Darius Rush
Cornerback, South Carolina
While his teammate Cam Smith has been getting first-round buzz for quite some time, Rush, who’s a legit NFL talent, displayed some good things throughout his college career. Now that the spotlights are all on him, he’s stepping up in quite a significant way. He's got excellent eyes, great instincts, solid ball skills, and the physicality to take on receivers on an island and make plays. Rush will probably end up being a middle rounds pick who has the traits to become a starter at the next level.
Christopher Smith
Defensive Back, Georgia
Smith has been a key player for the Bulldogs in their back-to-back National Champion campaigns. He is absolutely dominating in coverage, displaying traits to potentially be utilized both at corner and safety. Leaving that aside, Smith has a pretty complete skill set that will allow him to be reliable both as a run-stopper and in coverage in the NFL. Smith has great natural talent and he’s a twitchy athlete with great eyes who can absorb rapid direction changes, a rare trait that will allow him to take on both tight ends and receivers.
Keion White
Defensive Lineman, Georgia Tech
White is one of those prospects who got totally overlooked during the 2022 College Football season and as soon as the season ended, he started to rise on draft boards after more people and analysts started to have the tape. The 6'5", 280 lb. lineman is a tremendous athlete who offers the versatility to both play as an edge rusher or as a defensive tackle. He’s a super explosive player who also possesses impressive power. White still has to improve from a technical standpoint, but he’s a truly high-upside player who can have a solid impact right off the gate because of his raw talent.
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