MOBILE, Alabama — An air horn sounds loud enough to be heard throughout Hancock Whitney Stadium approximately every 15 minutes during each of two practices at Reese’s Senior Bowl, marking the transition from one practice period to the next.
But the one blowing in the two-hour sessions with about 45 minutes left is different. It sounds the same, but it signals something special for the hundreds of NFL coaches, scouts and hiring managers in attendance: one-on-one pass rush drills. This is where money is made and lost for the linemen at the annual All-Star Game because their draft inventory can be impacted by these one-on-one replays as much as their performance in Saturday’s game.
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On Tuesday, more than 200 pro scouts and coaches surrounded the linemen at the 20-yard line, wide-eyed and excited for the action. And as if a 200-man ring of spectators standing at three depths wasn’t enough attention, representatives are also captured from multiple video angles and are available to NFL clubs as they work through the 2023 NFL Draft ratings Continue.
Nothing goes unnoticed.
Take the size of the crowd that has gathered in your high school hallway to witness a fight, multiply by 10, subtract out all the teachers to break them up and you get an idea. Players feel the attention, and the importance of the competition – they may only get six or seven reps before the next horn sounds – hasn’t escaped them.
“After my experience in Alabama, I kind of got used to having all these eyeballs on me, all this attention. For me, there’s no extra pressure out here, I’m just playing ball,” said Tyler Steen of Alabama offensive tackle. Steen impressed most with his one-on-one opportunities, including one against Tennessee pass rusher Byron Young. Crimson Tide defensive end Byron Young, one of four Alabama linemen in Mobile, also looked good along with Steen, Emil Ekiyor and DJ Dale.
But even those who are good-looking can be humbled.
In a particular replay on Tuesday, Notre Dame defenseman Isaiah Foskie flattened Michigan offensive lineman Ryan Hayes and ran over the 6-foot-6, 305-pounder like it was a speed bump. The coaches let out howls of approval that would make Ric Flair proud. But a few minutes later it was Foskie’s turn to lose a rep when he was gobbled up by Ohio State OL Dawan Jones. It’s not for the meek, and frustration can sometimes boil over when an extra nudge or a hand under a face mask reaches past the whistle.
Occasionally one player will totally dominate; Former senior bowlers Von Miller (2011) and Aaron Donald (2014), who have 17 Pro Bowls combined, were all but unblockable in these drills. But for the most part, everyone is made to look bad on at least a rep or two.
“They’re going to get hit. I told these guys during orientation that nobody came down here and pitched a shutout,” said Senior Bowl general manager Jim Nagy. “That’s what everyone’s watching, what does the next repeat offender look like? Can they achieve coaching points, can they recover mentally, (show) resilience? This is my favorite exercise of the week. (There is) a lot of money to be made. “
And there is no better show in mobile.
Reach Chase Goodbread at [email protected] Follow @chasegoodbread on Twitter.
