MOBILE, Ala. — The first two days of practices for the 2025 Senior Bowl are in the books as some of the nation’s top prospects try and take advantage of their last on-field exposure points in front of contingents from every NFL team as we enter the last two-plus months until the NFL Draft in Green Bay.
The final day of practice is Thursday, though much of the hay is in the barn as to who had a good week or a disappointing one. Here are players who stood out.
It’s hard to imagine a prospect who’s had more impressive back-to-back practice performances than North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel. A position versatile stalwart for North Dakota State the last five seasons, the South Dakota native’s position flexibility has been on full display this week as he’s shown the seamless ability to transition to both guard and center after starting 16 games for the Bison at left tackle this past season. An FCS veteran that started 41 career games at four out of the five positions on the offensive line, Zabel has quickly established himself as one of the most impact ready offensive linemen in Mobile.
There’s been no shortage of chatter about wide receiver Tez Johnson’s size this week as the former Oregon standout measured in at a shade over 5-feet-9 and 156 pounds upon his arrival in Mobile. Small, yep. The good news? Despite his slight frame, Johnson can create separation anywhere on the field as he’s continued to demonstrate in a best-on-best setting. Although Johnson’s size could end up being a potential issue for some teams, the Alabama native’s resemblance to the Texans second year standout Tank Dell could ease the minds of front offices hoping to acquire a dynamic playmaker on Friday of the NFL Draft.
A native of Baton Rouge, Emery Jones Jr. started 35 games at right tackle for Brian Kelly and LSU the last three years. After an up-and-down performance on Tuesday, Jones bounced back Wednesday as he made the transition inside to guard after spending the majority of yesterday’s practice portion at right tackle. Possessing a thick lower half and some natural finish, Jones’ game appears more adept to playing inside at the next level as his combination of frame, play strength and athleticism are suited better in a phone booth.
Measuring in at just over 6-feet, Virginia Tech defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles has arguably been the most disruptive front seven prospect in attendance this week. Possessing an excellent first step in conjunction with uncanny snap anticipation, the All-ACC defensive lineman has made his presence known in each of the first two days’ team periods as he’s proved to be more than a handful for the opposing offensive line to account for. What he lacks in length, the Virginia Tech standout compensates with lead hands and exceptional initial quickness.
A former two-way prospect by way of Kearns High School in Utah, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa spent the majority of his high school career playing skill positions on both offense and defense before eventually moving closer to the line of scrimmage as an inside linebacker at Oregon. A speed and athletic second level defender, Bassa’s natural athleticism to drop in coverage in match-up man-to-man with athletic tight ends and running backs has been nothing short of impressive in both one-on-ones and team periods. Although the Oregon standout can still improve navigating the run game, his combination of athleticism and game activity should prove worthy to him in the evaluation process.
Off the hoof, Alabama A&M offensive tackle Carson Vinson is undoubtedly in the conversation for one of the most visually pleasing prospects in Mobile. Measuring in at a shade under 6-7 and 314 pounds, the Alabama A&M product boasts a prototypical tackle frame with 35-inch plus arms as he’s worked diligently to reshape his body over the years. Putting his size to good use in one-on-ones yesterday, Vinson flashed his size, athleticism potential as he got the better end of Texas A&M‘s Shermar Stewart to put an exclamation point on what has been a promising outing so far for the FCS standout.
Contributing to this report were Rick Spielman, Ryan Wilson and Emory Hunt
