John Schmeelk: Fiction – It is the most important scouting INCLUDING the NFL Combine. The NFL Combine is great to get measurables and testing on everyone (and eating shrimp cocktail and steak), but the Senior Bowl is the last time these guys put pads on and do actual football things against the best competition available before they are drafted. The Senior Bowl does its own measurements and gives teams opportunities to meet with players just like the NFL Combine. The Senior Bowl also provides player tracking with speeds for NFL teams giving them one-to-one comparisons with players on the same field using the same GPS technology. I love the NFL Combine but give me the Senior Bowl every time.
Dan Salomone: Fact – The 2024 Senior Bowl produced 110 picks, representing 43 percent of the entire draft class. You’re not going to find an event like that anywhere else.
Matt Citak: Fact – I believe the top 30 prospect visits are the most important part of the pre-draft process outside of the Combine, but if we’re talking about an actual event, then I’ll go with the Senior Bowl. Between the practices during the week and one-on-one time teams get with players in Mobile, this proves to be an invaluable part of the lead-up to the draft. The Giants should benefit from having Mike Kafka, Joel Thomas, and Mike Adams all serving on the Senior Bowl coaching staffs this year. With Kafka serving as a head coach and Thomas as an offensive coordinator, the Giants should obtain plenty of intel, especially on the quarterbacks, during the week in Mobile.
John Schmeelk: Fact – This is a very unenthusiastic FACT only because I don’t know how much Shedeur Sanders is going to do at the Shrine Bowl, and as of this typing, Cam Ward is not going to be at either All-Star game. I’m excited to see the other quarterbacks too, especially Jalen Milroe, but the rest of the position groups are likely Day 2 and 3 picks. I’m secretly most pumped up to watch the edge and interior defensive line groups. Most of the top players from those positions will be on the field at both all-star games and I can’t wait to watch those one-on-one drills against the offensive line. There could be a dozen or more players at those positions participating in the games that will go in the top 50 of April’s draft.
Dan Salomone: Fiction – Pro days seem to be the most buzzworthy events for quarterbacks, but the fun part of all-star weeks is discovering those gritty role players you would want in your locker room. It’s a great showcase for players from smaller schools.
Matt Citak: Fact – Shedeur Sanders is the top quarterback prospect attending the Shrine Bowl, as he will likely have more eyes on him that week than any other player at either all-star game. Outside of Sanders, Syracuse’s Kyle McCord is the only other noteworthy QB attending the festivities in Texas. But it’s the group of quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl that I will be following closely. This crop of quarterbacks includes Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, and Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard, along with several others. Most of these quarterbacks are likely to hear their names called on Days 2 or 3, although one or two could sneak their way into the first round by the time April rolls around. Either way, these are the quarterbacks I am most interested in watching during college all-star game weeks.
