The Senior Bowl and its three days of practices are the last time college players will be in a structured football environment before this year’s NFL Draft.
Sure, the NFL Combine will provide strong hints on athletic skill, but last week’s practices and game will wind up being the last time the players in Mobile will get a true chance to show what they’re capable of doing on an actual football field. The latest NFL Draft rumors shine a light on who helped their stock.
2024 NFL Draft Rumors: Senior Bowl Scouting Notebook
Scouts generally say that while the game has value, it’s the week of practices where the true value comes in because the level of competition is “ratcheted up” as the week progresses.
With that in mind, we’ll take an inside look at some of the standout players, what they brought to the table, and what could be in store at the next level for them.
Note: The following notes are based on discussions with NFL scouting sources in attendance at the practices all week, fueled by their observations and more.
The heights and weights are the official measurements taken last week in Mobile.
Dylan Laube, RB, New Hampshire
Height: 5’9 5/8″
Weight: 210 pounds
New Hampshire running back Dylan Laube created major buzz at the 2024 Senior Bowl. Interestingly, few draft experts knew anything about him before he arrived in Mobile.
From talking to him during an interview on SiriusXM, Laube (pronounced Law-bee) was not highly recruited. In fact, he confirmed that New Hampshire was the only school to offer him a scholarship.
During the first two days of practice, it was abundantly clear Laube was one of the top offensive players on the field, and his versatility stuck out like a sore thumb.
Whether it was catching the ball out of the backfield — something he did a ton of in college — or lining up in the slot, which he also did during his time as a Wildcat, Laube was dominant.
One scouting source said he projects Laube to be a late-round pick or a priority free agent because of the level of competition that he played against. However, we can’t help but wonder if his practice performances could elevate his draft stock much higher.
MORE: Top Running Backs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Laube had one game this past season (at Central Michigan) where he lined up primarily in the slot (as pointed out by Fantasy Points COO Brett Whitefield). In that game, he posted a whopping 295 yards receiving on just 12 receptions.
Laube, who can be a multiple-position player (RB, slot WR), told me he lined up at the Z, slot, and X positions in college. Additionally, he was a kickoff and punt returner during his long career at New Hampshire.
Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
Height: 5’11 4/8″
Weight: 187 pounds
In my 23 years of attending these practices, I can’t recall many at his position who could make defenders miss within just a few yards of his initial movement off the line of scrimmage. The only player I can recall is Cooper Kupp in the 2017 Senior Bowl class.
It was interesting and somewhat funny to watch Ladd McConkey make DBs fall down a few times after being fooled by his jab step during the first practice on Tuesday.
I asked a scouting source if he’ll line up just inside at the next level, and the source said, “That’s going to be a discussion with the position coach and the GM.”
One NFL position coach did tell us that he would line up McConkey at the “Z” position and inside at the next level because of his quickness and he “runs so well after the catch.”
The thinking here is McConkey’s too talented just to line him up inside. Keeping him on the move and freeing him up would make the Georgia WR even more explosive.
Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State
Height: 6’0 4/8″
Weight: 254 pounds
After Brock Bowers, who is a lock to go off the board in Round 1, the tight end position is wide open, and Ben Sinnott certainly made his presence known in Mobile last week.
What was so impressive about Sinnott was his ability to get off tight coverage during the first two days of practices, and he displayed excellent short-area quickness.
I asked a scouting source during one of the practices if Sam LaPorta would be a good comp, and while the scout said that was a little bit of a stretch, he did agree that Sinnott really “moved well” and helped himself get more notice from the NFL’s scouting community.
Darius Robinson, DL, Missouri
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 286 pounds
While some mock drafts don’t have Darius Robinson going off the board in the first round or even in Round 2, as one scouting source said, “he possesses rare traits for a guy of his size” and “he will definitely go higher than most of the public thinks he should.”
Robinson was used all over the defensive line during practices, and he can fit in a variety of fronts at the next level (3-4 or 4-3). NFL teams are looking at him to play defensive tackle and defensive end.
Another college scouting source told us he “absolutely is worth taking a shot on within the first 40-50 picks” because “you can’t teach what he brings to the table.”
The source added, “With good coaching at the next level and an understanding of how to use him, he can contribute to a team early on next season.”
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
Height: 6’0 3/8″
Weight: 195 pounds
In a year where the cornerback position isn’t thought by scouting sources to be very deep, Quinyon Mitchell helped himself with an outstanding week in Mobile.
Mitchell was thought to be no worse than a top-50 selection mid-season but has solidified himself as a first-round pick after dominating the field for most of the week, according to multiple scouting sources.
In fact, there’s a decent chance he goes off the board in the upper half, one area scout said. Said scout added that Mitchell “is a lock to go in the first round” and “it’s just a matter of how high.”
MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Big Board
Mitchell, who was not highly recruited coming out of high school, has ideal size for the position and moves smoothly, another area scout told us.
He’s probably best used as a zone defender, one NFL personnel executive said, but certainly is capable of playing in a variety of coverages at the next level.
Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 193 pounds
Again, it’s not looking like a deep cornerback class overall, so there was an opportunity for some at the position in Mobile last week to catch the eyes of NFL personnel evaluators. Max Melton did that and much more, particularly during the first two practices, which are historically the most important of the three.
What Melton demonstrated during practice was a willingness to get physical, a scouting source said, which is key because there is a lot of zone coverage during these practices. Additionally, the Rutgers cornerback has ideal arm length (32″) for the position.
Melton, whose brother, Bo, is a wide receiver for the Green Packers, comes from a football family. They have another brother, Gary Jr., who played at Delaware State.
Their father, Gary, played collegiately for Rutgers and spent time briefly in the NFL. To top it all off, their mother, Vicky, played on the Rutgers women’s basketball team.
NFL teams like it when players who come from athletic families are also from such impressive football lineage.
All the 2024 NFL Draft resources you need — the draft order, the top QBs, the Top 100 prospects, and the full 2024 Big Board — right at your fingertips at Pro Football Network!
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