The first day of the Panini Senior Bowl is in the books, and more than a few 2026 NFL Draft prospects made their presence felt. Which prospects are trending up after the first wave of action in Mobile?
T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
After Rueben Bain Jr., David Bailey, and Akheem Mesidor all opted out of the Senior Bowl, T.J. Parker was left as the highest-rated edge defender. He’s already taking advantage of that opportunity to separate himself.
On Day 1, Parker’s talent presented itself as a cut above. His best rep came in 1-on-1s, where he feigned a euro-step outside rush to widen his opponent, before suddenly surging inside and demolishing his opponent’s anchor with elite raw power output and leg drive. He did something similar to Trey Zuhn III in team drills.
At his best in college, Parker was viewed as a potential first-round pick. The more he overwhelms with his power element and calculated application, the more he can resurrect his standing in that range.
Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
Lee Hunter can only rise so much farther after his dominant stretch in the CFB Playoffs, but he’s reaching for as much early-round real estate as he can at the Senior Bowl. “The Fridge” was icing opponents left and right on Day 1, and made an impact where it mattered for his position.
Hunter’s traits popped in 1-on-1s, where he forced linemen to both reach their landmarks and stay rooted on their anchor. But team drills are where he made his biggest mark, at one point violently splitting a double-team for a stop in the backfield.
Hunter has elite point-of-attack power and resetting strength, even before you address his motor and pass-rushing juice. Despite being an older prospect, he has a case to be the best nose tackle in the class, and might be a warranted surprise Round 1 pick.
Kevin Coleman Jr., WR, Missouri
Kevin Coleman Jr. has always been a natural separator, but that profile was pushed to the forefront in the Senior Bowl environment. In both team and 1-on-1 drills, Coleman stood out and commanded the spotlight, and made himself known in a stacked WR class.
On one 1-on-1 rep, he dusted his opponent on a slant with his lightning-quick feet and transition freedom. On another, he beat Davison Igbinosun with a perfect outside comeback route, planting and reducing out of his break.
Meanwhile, in team drills, Coleman was a carving knife whose zone IQ shone as well. Not only that, but he displayed uncanny composure and resolve at the catch point in congested areas. He’s undersized at 174 pounds, but he doesn’t play like it.
Keylan Rutledge, OG, Georgia Tech
Keylan Rutledge was always easy to point out on Georgia Tech film: Just look for No. 77 mauling opponents during and after reps. It was the same on Day 1 of the Senior Bowl: Rutledge made his presence felt.
More than once in team drills, Rutledge blocked to the whistle and moved defenders up the field, not only using his physicality to supersede but also effectively replacing his feet and hands to sustain power. And in pass protection, his anchor was incredibly sturdy at 6’3″, 316 pounds. A strong week could move Rutledge closer to the mid-Day 2 range.
Caleb Douglas, WR, Texas Tech
Caleb Douglas first caught my eye on Texas Tech’s film with his route-running flexibility and malleability at his size. At 6’3″, 198 pounds, Douglas can sink his hips and redirect better than most WRs at his size, and that played into his success on Tuesday.
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Douglas’ sync on routes can still be more consistent, but his separation upside is clear, and he was dialed in on the first day. His focus was clear as early as warm-ups, where he had a smooth one-handed grab down the field.
Later, Douglas beat Chris Johnson on a post route in team drills and made an acrobatic catch over the middle of the field. And when given another opportunity over the middle later on, he secured it seamlessly and transitioned to RAC. Douglas’ hands were inconsistent in college, but if he can make that a strength, he has exciting upside.
Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn State
Kaytron Allen genuinely looked to be a cut above most, if not all, of the running backs at the Senior Bowl on Tuesday. That’s not a knock on anyone else, but instead an endorsement of Allen’s complete skill set.
Multiple times in team drills, Allen climbed to the second level with fast, efficient footwork and decisive cuts, and his vision underlies his rapid play pace and responsiveness to gaps. He has the size, power, and cutting flexibility to field real interest as a volume back.
On top of his running ability, Allen also proved sound and tenacious in run blocking drills against linebackers, and he quelled concerns about athletic limitations as well, registering the second-highest max speed among National Team RBs (18.61 MPH).
Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri
Zion Young was a premium producer for Missouri this past season, and the Senior Bowl could be his launch pad toward early-round capital. At 6’5″, 262 pounds, he has the size, lean mass, length, and athleticism, and he put it all together on Tuesday.
Early on in 1-on-1s, Young beat Max Iheanachor with a perfectly executed inside swim, baiting Iheanachor into widening to the apex. Later, he beat Jude Bowry with a forceful combo, first popping the chest with power before chopping Bowry’s outside hand and ripping through.
Young is athletic, powerful, and tenacious on the attack. If he proves to be this unblockable all through the week, we could see him reach astronomical heights in future mocks.
Dametrious Crownover, OT, Texas A&M
Dametrious Crownover is a superlative physical talent; that’s always been clear. He tips the scales at 6’7″, 331 pounds, with explosive athleticism out of his stance.
In college, the high-end flashes sometimes got lost amidst inconsistency. But on Day 1 of the Senior Bowl, he was arguably the best lineman on his team. Crownover consistently moved his opposition off the line in team drills, and in 1-on-1s, he was balanced, well-leveraged in his pass set, and showed off his suffocating anchor strength.
A natural right tackle with RT size and power, Crownover has plenty to gain from stacking good days in Mobile. The top 50 capital isn’t out of the question.
Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll
The first thing you want a Division III prospect to do at the Senior Bowl is prove he belongs. Tyren Montgomery, who racked up 1,528 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2025, proved he belonged on Tuesday.
He looked natural early on in warm-ups with a smooth sideline toe-tap grab, and that feel translated against real competition. The 5’11”, 190-pound WR beat Colton Hood on a crisp comeback with efficient plant-and-drive footwork, and high-pointed a touch throw on the boundary against Thaddeus Dixon.
Montgomery looks like a natural. And more importantly, the stage, the competition, and the moment aren’t too big for him.
Justin Joly, TE, NC State
Justin Joly entered the Senior Bowl as one of the top tight ends in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the 6’3″, 251-pound pass catcher distinguished himself on Tuesday. He certainly looks the part with his sturdily built frame, but his execution as a pass catcher sealed the deal.
In team drills, Joly did a little bit of everything. He caught a short throw in the flats and turned upfield for RAC, grinding through arm tackles with physicality. He had an incredible low focus fingertip grab not long after, and topped it off with a smooth one-hander.
Blocking drills will be just as big for Joly, but he’s emphasizing his utility in the aspect of his game that scouts will gravitate to most.
Seth McGowan, RB, Kentucky
Seth McGowan has an inspiring redemptive story, and he’s compounding that momentum with his play early on at the Senior Bowl. On a strong National Team offense, he was one of the most dynamic RBs and showed promise in both phases of the game.
McGowan’s highlight came in team drills, where he broke off an inside run with his quickness, explosiveness, vision, pressing IQ, and cutting flexibility, and trucked a defender at the end of the play. His quick feet were a constant on Day 1, but he also flashed versatile route-running ability.
In an RB class that lacks a clear pecking order past the top few prospects, McGowan can use this week to catapult his stock, with the size and athleticism at 6’0″, 215 pounds to be a diamond in the rough.
Derrick Moore, EDGE, Michigan
Derrick Moore passes the eye test with his 6’3 1/2″, 254-pound frame, and on Day 1, his rare combination of mass, leverage, and explosiveness got the better of several offensive linemen.
Moore elicited gasps from the crowd when he folded 6’9″ offensive tackle Markel Bell on himself with a brutal bull-rush, using his volcanic first-step and superior leverage profile to erode Bell’s center of gravity. Beyond that, Moore also played sound and sturdy run defense, using that same burst to reset the point.
Moore has the raw tools to potentially generate early-round interest in the 2026 NFL Draft, and if he can keep his current momentum at the Senior Bowl, he’ll make that outcome more likely.
Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State
After weighing in at 207 pounds with his 6’3″ frame, seeing how Ted Hurst moved in practices was essential. If the first practice was any indication, Hurst didn’t lose any speed or pace after adding mass to his frame.
Hurst moves like a gazelle for his size, and his long-strider burst and speed challenged defensive backs late in 1-on-1. His best play came against Julian Neal: A steely one-handed grab near the pylon where Hurst was required to dictate catch-point positioning and convert in the clutch.
Hurst has the size and athleticism to win over NFL teams, and his first practice session was an undeniable success.
Nadame Tucker, EDGE, Western Michigan
Nadame Tucker will be an older rookie, but whichever team gets him is getting an impact player, and one who will bring 110% on every down.
Tucker’s energy was infectious throughout practice. He wreaked havoc in team drills and was consistently disruptive in 1-on-1s. He beat seasoned lineman Trey Zuhn III with a wicked inside counter, won again with a push-pull-rip combo, and showed off bristling speed running the arc.
After one such play in team drills, Tucker came off the field nodding his head, shouting “This my whole life!” over and over again. Tucker’s passion was unmatched across both practices, and teams are sure to remember that.
Logan Taylor, OL, Boston College
Boston College lays claim to two offensive line prospects at the Senior Bowl. Jude Bowry flashed on his first day, but it was Logan Taylor who separated himself as the model of consistency.
Despite measuring over 6’6″, Taylor has proven very proficient at acquiring leverage, bending his knees, and keeping pad level all through reps.
His steady anchor limited movement against both Caleb Banks and Nick Barrett in 1-on-1s, the former of whom is a potential Top 50 pick.
