Bears-centric thoughts and observations from the second day of the 2023 Senior Bowl.
The Reese’s Senior Bowl is a college football all-star game in Mobile, AL. A week's worth of practice led by NFL coaches precedes the game itself. This year, Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is the head coach for the National Team. Over the course of the week, scouts from every NFL team and numerous members of the media look on in attendance. And the Bears sent a haul of evaluators and coaches to Mobile this year.
During the week, watching the practice and seeing how the players match up, adjust, and improve can be telling for the draft process. I am focusing most of my attention on the offensive line and defensive line. Day 1 of the Senior Bowl provided some quality insights, which I documented in a previous article.
Here are my notes from Day 2:
Senior Bowl Day 2 Best Performances
Will McDonald IV: EGDE, Iowa State
According to NFL Mock Draft Database, McDonald is currently slotted as a late second-round pick. But that could change after his performance over the past two days. On Day 2 of Senior Bowl practices, McDonald was virtually unblockable as a pass rusher. He beat projected first-round pick Darnell Wright on two consecutive one-on-one reps. Then, he took it to Matthew Bergeron and Wanya Morris later in practice.
That means that he found success against three of the top tackles in attendance. He uses his speed and bends to attack the edge while being able to string together pass-rush moves inside and outside consistently. Despite being listed at 241 lbs, I would expect McDonald to rise up most boards once the Senior Bowl finalizes.
Matthew Bergeron: OT, Syracuse
In my first report, I noted that I wanted to see Bergeron carry his Day 1 success into Day 2. And outside of a handful of reps against the aforementioned Will McDonald, he did exactly that.
Bergeron continued to stonewall defenders in one-on-ones and gracefully managed pressure packages and zone-blocking schemes with his teammates in the scrimmage portion of the day. While Bergeron's performance has not been the most surprising development of the week, it has created a potential addition to the tier-1 class of offensive tackles on my board.
John Michael Schmitz: C, Minnesota
I have been lower on John Michael Schmitz than most. I was not overly impressed by the Minnesota product's 2021 tape, and compounding on that is the fact that I have not been able to find all-22 tape for his 2022 season.
But on Day 2 of the Senior Bowl, I saw a player that consistently did his job in pass protection, opened run lanes in zone blocking concepts, and was able to efficiently move in space and find his second-level blocks with authority. Schmitz's quick feet and athleticism really shined in Wednesday's practice. He has given me more to consider when re-evaluating his tape in the near future.
Other Observations
Alabama OG Emil Ekiyor Jr. has now put together two quality days of practice. On Day 2, he transitioned from guard to center, and it proved to be a quality move. He could be on the rise if he continues to play well at center on Day 3.
Another Alabama player, OT Tyler Steen, had a productive start to the week. On Day 1, it felt like there might be something there with him. Then, on Day 2, he moved over to guard. That move made me realize that he likely has something to contribute to an NFL offensive line.
Oklahoma OT Wanya Morris spent Day 2 primarily playing left tackle after spending the entire 2022 season at right tackle.
Notre Dame OC/OG Jarrett Patterson spent a successful Day 2 at center after struggling at guard on the first day.
North Dakota State OT Cody Mauch spent some time at center and tackle on Day 2 after playing guard for most of the first day.
Rain or shine, I will be back Thursday with either a Day 3 summary or a Senior Bowl wrap-up. It simply depends on how the weather in Mobile impacts the day's events.
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