Who were the Senior Bowl risers from Day 2 of practices? A Division III wide receiver continues to stand out from the crowd, and several potential first-round prospects are setting themselves apart with their raw talent. Here’s who’s making a name for themselves in Mobile.
Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll
Back up the Brink’s truck, because Tyren Montgomery has made himself a ton of money in Mobile. His invite alone signaled that he had draftable interest from the NFL, but now the question isn’t whether or not he’s drafted: It’s just how high he can go off the board.
There’s a strong argument to be made that Montgomery has been the best WR in Mobile as a Division III product. His Day 1 was stellar, and while Bud Clark got the best of him on a middle-field pass breakup early on Day 2, Montgomery shook it off and showed the defense what they’d unleashed. No one was safe from that point on.
In team drills, Montgomery dusted Thaddeus Dixon on a slant off a masterful diamond release, and later, he got the best of Chris Johnson at the catch point on a 1-on-1, with excellent ball tracking, body control, and timing.
With his route nuance, smooth suddenness, and hip sink (his X bio reads simply “Route Technician”), Montgomery has been almost unguardable, and he competes at the catch point, too. This whole week has been Montgomery saying “I’m him”, and in this WR class, that could mean as much as Top 100 capital.
Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
It was only a matter of time before Caleb Banks reminded everybody that he simply moves differently. After a relatively quiet, but still productive, Day 1 at the Senior Bowl, Banks was one of the clear risers in Mobile on Day 2.
The 6’6″, 330-pound behemoth brought his inhuman quickness and recalibration efficiency in 1-on-1s. He tossed Logan Taylor aside with a brutal throw-by move after getting a step with his initial swim, ripped through Jake Slaughter’s anchor with a menacing inside rip, and brought Fernando Carmona Jr. to the ground with a fearsome push-pull.
Meanwhile, in team drills, Banks generated ever-consistent pressure and used his size, leverage acquisition, and explosiveness to reset the line time and time again, and was even active in backside pursuit on unblocked plays. For the proponents of Banks as a Round 1 prospect, Wednesday was a reminder of the merit of such a stance. He’s the truth.
Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas
Taylen Green had the play of the week on Wednesday, and it might be hard to beat. In team drills, Green found Malachi Fields on a deep post route. He stepped up, rolled his hips through the pass, and drove the ball high, past the coverage, where only Fields could make a play.
Even Green’s deep throw was released a tick late, but Green still showcases the ability to discern opportunities deep and maximize his placement with layering and touch. And when he’s forced off his rhythm and out of the pocket, he chews up ground with his athleticism.
Green did have one lowlight: An interception to Skyler Thomas when Green attempted to layer the ball overtop Thomas on the move. That lowlight placed his field vision back under scrutiny, but Green’s raw talent shined above all of it, and when he puts it all together, he can accomplish things few other QBs can on the field.
Delby Lemieux, OL, Dartmouth
Delby Lemieux had a respectable first day of practices, but Day 2 was where the Dartmouth product took it to another level. In both team drills and 1-on-1s, Lemieux’s highlights featured a strong anchor, hyper-active feet, and easy leverage acquisition skills at 6’5″, 305 pounds.
Lemieux has taken most of his reps at center in Mobile, and he’s looked extremely natural acquiring leverage, bending to stay in his stance, and keeping a steady anchor while on the move. His feet are active on replacement, he maintains his center of gravity well, and he has more functional strength than his lighter frame would suggest.
Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State
Green made the most exciting plays on Wednesday, but there’s an argument to be made that Cole Payton was the best quarterback overall between the two teams. The 6’2″, 228-pound passer’s raw talent pops, but his steadiness was what defined his game on Day 2.
In early team drills, Payton was extremely vocal pre-snap and showed impressive command in a new environment. More than that, he demonstrated the ability to convert in various scenarios. He appeared natural on an off-platform dish off boot action, and he got to his hot read at one point when pressure closed in early.
Payton’s processing speed clearly has its lapses at times, as is to be expected from a QB with relatively little in-game experience. But Payton has been impossible to ignore with his athleticism and throw velocity, and he’s taking advantage of his opportunity in Mobile.
Kyle Louis, LB, Texas Tech
Kyle Louis has been the best, most consistent, and most dynamic linebacker in Mobile through two days, and it hasn’t been overly close. That’s not a knock on other LBs either, as there are several on this risers list. Louis has just been that good.
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On Day 1, Louis had one of the best 1-on-1 plays for an LB, snaring an INT on a Texas route. On Day 2, he again had an incredible play in coverage, this time running with high-speed back Adam Randall on a vertical catch technique rep and notching a deflection with his back to the ball. Later, he knifed through exterior gaps for a tackle for loss in teams.
At 5’11 3/4″ and 224 pounds, Louis is indeed undersized, so there will come questions of where he ultimately plays at the second level. But at this point, his level of combined closing speed, fluidity, processing quickness, and playmaking ability defies any size-instigated limitations. This is a player you want on your team.
Dametrious Crownover, OT, Texas A&M
Dametrious Crownover had another very strong day at the Senior Bowl, an exciting development for those already enamored by his physical tools. At 6’7″, 331 pounds, he towers above the opposition and has logic-defying lean mass and explosive athleticism. In Mobile, he’s won with those tools and his technical fortitude.
On Wednesday, Crownover was once again one of, if not the best, tackle present. He experienced a lapse in positioning early in team drills against Romello Height, who got Crownover to overset before executing a swift throw-by move.
But Crownover learned and adapted in real-time, and his positioning was sharper from that point on. He was stellar in the run game, paving open lanes with his powerful leg drive, and he got revenge on Height in 1-on-1s. A rep between them elicited gasps when Crownover kicked back, entered his set, and snatched and anchored Height like a Venus flytrap.
With his elite physical tools, don’t be surprised if we start to see Crownover at the tail end of some first-round mocks. He’s a domineering specimen who’s matched that talent with his play.
Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Jacob Rodriguez distinguished himself as an S-tier playmaker at the collegiate level, so it’s no surprise that he’s making that same impression at the Senior Bowl. Day 2 was more of the same for Rodriguez, who is quieting the doubters with every passing practice.
In coverage, Rodriguez was particularly effective on Wednesday. In 1-on-1s, he ran with Seth McGowan on a vertical route, preventing a completion. And in team drills, he showed off his savvy in zone coverage, reading Sawyer Robertson and undercutting an ill-fated middle-field pass for an interception.
Rodriguez’s testing athleticism will still be talked about, but as far as functional mobility goes, I’m a massive fan of his short-area recalibration and hip fluidity, and his instincts enable him to play as fast as his framework allows. He’s rising up my board.
Gracen Halton, DT, Oklahoma
Through two days, Gracen Halton has been a clear riser on the defensive line. At 6’2 1/2″ and 293 pounds, with energized athleticism and a formidable compact mass profile, he’s a handful simply with his physical tools, and his combative disposition has made him even harder to corral.
Early on in 1-on-1s, he set the tone by beating James Brockermeyer with a quick swim move. But Halton’s best play came later in team drills. Working against an outside zone duo concept, Halton exploded into contact, taking on a double team with force. He split that double with the knee-drop technique, then sprang into pursuit for the tackle-for-loss.
Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
At 6’4″, 223 pounds, Malachi Fields measures as the biggest WR at the Senior Bowl by a comfortable margin, and one could argue he made the biggest impression on Wednesday, after a solid debut outing on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Fields separated well in the quick game on slant routes, and he also had a nice space-creating move on a curl route, though he did rely on a slight push-off.
The highlight of Fields’ day, however, was a deep ball hauled in from Taylen Green. Fields stemmed Michael Taaffe out of position, then tracked the ball with immaculate focus, weaving back outfield with his long speed to run it down, as defenders chased haplessly. His diving, full extension grab made waves in the draft space.
Fields still isn’t as fluid as most other WRs present at the event, and that’s a byproduct of his taller, denser frame. Nevertheless, Fields will have a role in the NFL as a combined vertical and red zone threat, and his Senior Bowl performance has provided proof.
Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
After a first day where Max Iheanachor’s timing and angle acuity were out-of-sync, he came back with a big-time rebound on Day 2. Iheanachor’s light feet at 6’6″, 325 pounds flashed on Day 1, but he channeled that mobility profile with measured patience, clean sets, and precise hand application on the second day of practices, showing clear growth.
Iheanachor was particularly eye-catching in 1-on-1s, where his superior physical tools took center stage.
He latched and nullified Nyjalik Kelly with expert-level upper-lower synergy, and he was one of the few who had a handle on Derrick Moore, much to Moore’s chagrin. Iheanachor reached his depth quickly with a jump-set, squared up with Moore, and then suddenly swiveled and locked Moore out when he attempted the outside rip.
For those, like myself, who viewed Iheanachor as a potential late Round 1 talent heading into Senior Bowl week, Day 2 was verification that he indeed has that ceiling in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Deven Eastern, DT, Minnesota
Deven Eastern demanded attention purely with his build on Day 1. At a long-limbed 6’5 1/2″ and 301 pounds, he’s a forklift-ready power producer who naturally sizes up in interior contact situations. Performance-wise, his Day 1 was quiet, but his play caught up on Day 2.
Eastern’s best play came in team drills. Positioned at the nose tackle spot, he stacked Delby Lemieux at center, swiveled his base back to anchor, and then violently shedded, before closing in for the tackle-for-loss. He was one of the few who bested Lemieux in any phase, and he also beat Keylan Rutledge with a forceful swim move in 1-on-1s.
There were flashes of Eastern’s violent torque and shedding ability on film at Minnesota, but seeing it in person against top-level competition inspires even more confidence in his potential as a hidden gem.
Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
Mike Washington Jr. once again looked the part on Wednesday and could see his stock rise considerably coming out of Mobile.
The 6’0 1/2″, 228-pound runner has some of the most impressive size-adjusted athleticism at the event. More than once, he used his explosive, long-strider speed to slice through creases in team reps and find daylight.
But it’s not just the speed. Washington’s ability to set up angles, press second-level defenders, and snap into adjacent paths while keeping speed is what sets him up for success, and his physicality at contact doesn’t disappoint, either. We saw plenty of that on his college film, but it’s even more distinct in person.
Reggie Virgil, WR, Texas Tech
The Senior Bowl is important for a lot of reasons, but one of the chief reasons is seeing prospects’ move set in-person. Few prospects, in that regard, have been more impressive than Reggie Virgil.
At 6’2 3/8″ and 190 pounds, Virgil’s wiry build and long speed stand out immediately, but just as eye-catching has been his lateral range on releases, fluidity on breaks, and deceleration capacity at the top of routes.
On Wednesday, he beat Hezekiah Masses deep for a completion in 1-on-1s, using a springy split release to bait Masses into over-setting, before sealing the deal with a late lean to gain space. And in team drills, his curvilinear acceleration and keen zone vision made him a consistently available target.
Xavian Sorey Jr., LB, Arkansas
Credit where credit is due: Xavian Sorey Jr. had perhaps the biggest day-to-day jump in performance from Day 1 to Day 2. His Day 1 was ugly, to be frank. He was slow-footed in coverage and passive in run defense. That all changed on Day 2.
In 1-on-1s, Sorey had an authoritative pass breakup on a delayed out route, where the long-limbed linebacker used his closing speed to undercut and take away leverage. And in team drills, he was flying downhill.
Sorey was the source of several loud pops at contact, and his best play came on an inside zone response. He recognized a guard climbing to the second level, and immediately inserted into the gap with his voracious downhill explosiveness, swallowing up the ball carrier.
A rebound is just as impressive as a two-day streak at the Senior Bowl, because a rebound takes grit, determination, and self-evaluation. It seems as though Sorey had the winning formula and changed his trajectory on Wednesday.
