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Senior Bowl Day 3 takeaways: Oregon WR continues his tear
National team wide receiver Tez Johnson of Oregon (15) talks with media members after Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Senior Bowl Day 3 takeaways: Oregon WR continues his tear

By Pierce Downey  |  Last updated Jan 30, 2025 10:43 PM ET

MOBILE, Ala. — There were many positives to take away from the final day of practice for Saturday's Reese's Senior Bowl. Several players raised their draft stock with strong performances in front of hundreds of NFL scouts.

Here are our takeaways from Thursday's practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile:  

Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson continues his tear

He was unstoppable on Thursday.

Every one-on-one rep the WR took was won with several feet of separation from the defender, and occasionally, his jukes were hard enough to cause defenders to slip and fall. 

The only reps when Johnson didn’t come down with a catch was because he either failed to get his feet down on the sideline or lost concentration and dropped an easy ball. 

The bulk of Johnson’s success came from a certain route, where he would run vertically for about ten yards and then cut toward the middle of the field. He used this play several times throughout the practice, and not a single defender successfully stopped it.

 Be on the lookout for the National Team to call this route for Johnson during Saturday’s game, as it seems to be very effective. 

Standout in the National Team secondary

Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas was fantastic in coverage throughout the day.

He especially showed out during drills in the red zone, where he was physical at the line of scrimmage and broke up nearly every ball that came his way.

When asked about his approach to coverage on different areas of the field, Thomas explained that he keeps some parts of his game constant, but makes tweaks to others.

“No matter where the ball is at on the field, I try to keep my technique the same, but when I’m near the red zone, I focus on being way more alert since the ball is coming out fast,” he said after the practice.

On a Senior Bowl roster full of talented CBs, Thomas made a name for himself and stood out at certain points. He should be leaving Mobile in good spirits, as his position regarding the NFL draft has certainly improved. 

American Team quarterback bounces back

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe had a rough first two practices but did a nice job bouncing back on Thursday.

His main problem entering the final practice was accuracy. Clips of him missing basic throws to receivers during the first two days certainly worried NFL scouts, but Milton cleaned up the silly mistakes and made a couple of excellent throws which will certainly rescue his previously damaged draft stock. 

Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. makes himself known

After being decent the first two practices, Fannin exploded on Thursday. His strong day started by making an excellent one-handed catch in the back of the end zone during one-on-ones, and he only continued to shine from there. 

In 2024, Fanning led all college tight ends in receptions (117), receiving yards (1,555) and touchdowns (10). TE-needy teams would be foolish to pass up on him during the draft.  

All quotations were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Pierce Downey

Pierce Downey is a Texas-based Patriots fan who has previously written for Stadium Rant and Around The Block Network in the past. Downey also appears on numerous podcasts and talk shows to discuss football. You can follow him on Twitter @patsdowney.

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