18 players Cowboys should watch at 2023 Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl is the premier collegiate all-star game for prospects looking to make an impression beyond what their game film showed. There have been 106 players selected from the contest over the past two drafts, which represents over 40% of the overall selections. 87.2% of participants from the last four Senior Bowls made NFL rosters their rookie season.

The Cowboys are no stranger to the Senior Bowl and have gone to the well on numerous occasions, both early and late in the Draft. Dallas has selected at least one player from each of the last seven classes, including six participants in 2022 alone. Since 2014, the Cowboys have added 24 players via the draft or free agency that played in the Senior Bowl including the likes of Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, Terence Steele, and Tony Pollard.

It’s more than likely the Cowboys will again be selecting at least one player that will suit up on Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, AL. Here’s a look at some names to watch on both sides of the ball the Cowboys should be paying close attention too.

Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane

5-foot-9, 204 pounds

Spears is an explosive runner who combines outstanding vision with instinctive run qualities to excel on the second and third levels of a defense. He was dominant this past season finishing with 1,528 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns. Spears was named Practice Player of the Week, voted on by NFL Executives and Scouts.

Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia

5-foot-11, 210 pounds

A three-down runner who excels as a pass catcher out of the backfield, McIntosh will be the top senior running back for some teams and has done nothing to change that trajectory this week in practice, Saturday’s game is just the cherry on the top.

McInotsh was featured in Cowboys Wire’s most recent 2023 Mock Draft, here.

Jake Haener, QB, Fresno St.

6-foot, 208

Haener sees the field well and throws with excellent touch and anticipation. He has the arm talent and football intelligence to have a long career in the pros, he is expected to be a middle-to-late round pick.

Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon St.

6-foot-5, 255 pounds

Musgrave is an exceptional athlete who can stretch the seams. More of a F-tight end than the traditional Y, but he isn’t absent the ability to be an in-line blocker. He recorded the eighth-fastest time of any player at the Senior Bowl week clocking in at 20.05 mph which is extremely impressive at 255 pounds.

Payne Durham, TE Purdue

6-foot-5, 255 pounds

Another impressive tight end in this draft cycle, Durham has the size and athleticism  that will intrigue NFL coaches and evaluators. In addition he has had a good week of practice, getting open in one on ones and displaying reliable hands.

That’s him on the receiving end of Haener’s TD throw above, as well.

O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida

6-foot-4, 337 pounds

Torrence is a top-50 lock and odds are he goes somewhere in the first round or at worst the top of the second round. He is a plug-and-play starter who will excel at the next level in a heavy gap run scheme. He plays with outstanding power and balance.

John Michael Schmitz, OC, Minnesota

6-foot-3, 306 pounds

Arguably the best center in the class, Schmitz has been fantastic during practices, rarely getting beat in one-on-ones. His instincts, recognition skills and play strength are all reasons why he is the odds-on favorite to be the first center drafted come April.

Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

6-foot-5, 342 pounds

After struggling at left tackle in 2021, Wright switched back to his more comfortable position at right tackle and was a dominant force for the Volunteers. He has faced some of the best edge rushers in the class ( Will Anderson and BJ Ojulari) and more than held his own.

Steve Avila, iOL, TCU

6-foot-3, 332 pounds

A versatile interior offensive lineman who spent 2021 at center and switched to guard this past season. Regardless of where he lines up, Avila is a plug-and-play starter with position flex.

Rashee Rice, WR, SMU

6-foot, 200 pounds

Rice has used these Senior Bowl practices to display his ability to consistently win one-on-one matchups. He is a plus route runner, who has the play strength and ball skills to win short, intermediate, and deep.

Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Virginia

6-foot-1, 212 pounds

Wicks is a very detailed route runner with the size and athleticism to be an X receiver at the next level. Wicks is effective at getting off the line of scrimmage and comes into the league with a pretty nuanced release package. He wasn’t able to replicate his 2021 output in 2022 like many expected but he is off to a good start this draft cycle, reminding everyone why expectations where so high coming into the 2022 season. His arrow is pointing up.

Hicks was featured in Cowboys Wire’s most recent 2023 Mock Draft, here.

Derrick Hall, Edge, Auburn

6-foot-2, 252

Hall is a long and strong edge rusher who wins with power and a relentless motor. He will need to continue to diversify his rush plan but he sets a strong edge in the run game and can stack and shed blockers on his way to the ball.

Will McDonald, Edge, Iowa St.

6-foot-3, 241 pounds

McDonald is one of the more intriguing prospects in this class; he is built more like a basketball player than a pass rusher but his ability to bend, corner and flatten to the quarterback is phenomenal. He already has a variety of tools in his pass rush arsenal.

Zacch Pickens, DTSouth Carolina

6-foot-3, 300 pounds

A big bodied interior defensive lineman, Pickens is a long and athletic defender who has alignment flex from guard to guard. He is an effective run defender with the functional strength to disengage from blocks and make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage. He also flashes the ability to get off the ball quickly and push the pocket as a pass rusher.

Keanu Benton ,DT, Wisconsin

6-foot-3, 312 pounds

Benton has shown he is much more than a space eater on the interior throughout the entire week. His ability to block shed, combined with reactive hand usage, has made him virtually unblockable in one-on-ones. He made some money this week with the way he practiced.

Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami

6-foot, 204 pounds

Stevenson has good size and length (32 3/8″ arms) and some impressive tape. He has enough speed to carry receivers vertically and uses his length and physicality to react to route breaks in front of him. When he does give up some separation downfield, he has the make up speed to recover and affect the receiver’s pocket.

Julius Brents, CB, Kansas St.

6-foot-3, 202 pounds

Brents is a tall and long corner who is much smoother than his measurables may suggest. During the week of practice, he did an excellent job crowding receivers’ space and using his length and route recognition to stay in the hip pocket of pass catchers. Brents checks all the measurable boxes which could easily make him a top-100 pick.

Jammie Robinson, Safety, Florida State

5-foot-10, 194 pounds

Robinson will get dinged by evaluators for his size, but he is a darn good football player. He doesn’t hesitate to come downhill and lay the wood. He has a high finishing rate as a tackler but what was most impressive through the week of practices was his ability to cover in the one-on-one drills. He understands his strengths and uses his physicality to reroute receivers and get his hands into passing windows.

Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire