2023 Senior Bowl Risers: Darius Rush and Keidron Smith Impress in Final Practice

The final day of full pads practice for the 2023 Senior Bowl is complete, and all that’s left is to play the game. Today, just like yesterday, players who previously made the risers list turned in terrific performances, and none more so than tight end Payne Durham.

The Tuesday riser did a great job catching the ball in practice after dominating as a blocker earlier this week. There was also another batch of players who impressed scouts on the final day.

Risers From Senior Bowl Practices

Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina

Darius Rush played well every day of Senior Bowl practice and had a particularly strong session on Wednesday. He’s a physical corner with excellent length at 6’1 1/2″ and next-level athleticism.

Rush was quick transitioning off the line, tracked the pass in the air, and did a great job positioning himself against opponents to break up throws. If he wasn’t knocking away the ball, Rush beat down receivers to keep them from gaining control of the reception.

Keidron Smith, CB, Kentucky

Keidron Smith showed a lot of ability all week long and continued to impress on Thursday. He’s tough, physical, and comes with outstanding size, measuring over 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds. He also showed good ball skills, getting his head back around, then positioning himself to break up passes. Smith has a nasty, aggressive streak and rebounded well the few times he made a mistake.

Jonathan Mingo, WR, Mississippi

Jonathan Mingo is a large receiver at 6’1 1/2″ and 226 pounds, and he plays to that size. Mingo is not the fastest wideout but plays with great balance as well as body control, and possesses strong hands. He used his large frame to out-position defenders and consistently won out for contested throws. Mingo also snatched the ball out of the air and displayed excellent pass-catching technique.

Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford

Michael Wilson struggled to catch the ball at times today, which was the exception to the rule, as he caught the ball extremely well during the initial two Senior Bowl practices. Otherwise, Wilson was one of the top route runners in attendance and consistently separated from defensive backs, leaving them twisting in the wind as they tried to stay on his hip.

MORE: Wednesday 2023 Senior Bowl Team Practice Report

Wilson is super quick and was able to throw multiple moves on opponents during routes. His route running drew a lot of positive reaction from coaches and scouts.

Jarrett Patterson, OL, Notre Dame

Jarrett Patterson had his best day of the week on Wednesday, lining up at both center and guard. He was one of the few linemen who actually stopped Adetomiwa Adebawore over the past three days. Patterson is strong, blocks with outstanding fundamentals, and played hard through the whistle.

Davis Allen, TE, Clemson

Davis Allen was not spectacular at any point in the week but rather very steady every day. He’s a hard-working blocker who showed a lot of skill and ability catching the ball. Allen displayed strong, reliable hands, made a lot of catches in the middle of crowds, and also looked terrific snatching the ball in the red zone.