Senior Bowl Standouts: Iowa State WR duo with Rams connection shine in Mobile

Iowa State wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel stole the show in Mobile on Day 2

The Senior Bowl was in full swing on Wednesday as the second day of practice took place. A few quick notes before we get into today’s standouts. I talked with some people about potential Los Angeles Rams outgoings on the coaching staff. When it comes to the offensive side of the ball a person said, “Nick Caley more likely than Scheelhaase.” I am hoping to have more tomorrow in regards to Cooper Kupp, but the overall feeling is that he may be done in Los Angeles, but not done with football. With that out of the way, here are the players that stood out in Mobile on day two.

• Senior Bowl Day 1: Winners include potential Rams target at linebacker

WRs Jayden Higgins & Jaylin Noel, Iowa State

Ever since Jaylin Noel made the acrobatic catch along the sideline on Tuesday, he’s been a player that many have been watching in Mobile. Noel continued that into Wednesday. He had an impressive catch along the sideline against Day 1 standout Azareye’h Thomas from Florida State. Noel shows physicality at the catch point and is also physical as a blocker. Noel told me after practice, “I feel like I’m a physical receiver. I’m pretty strong with my hands and taking advantage of my strong center of gravity and being able to just win.”

Something worth noting here is that the Rams have a connection to both wide receivers. Rams passing game specialist Nate Scheelhaase was the wide receiver coach at Iowa State in 2019-20 and was later promoted to offensive coordinator. Scheelhaase coached Noel and Higgins with the Cyclones and will have familiarity. Higgins and Noel both talked highly of Scheelhaase.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Rams took either, but Higgins may be a better fit for what the offense needs on the outside. He’s 6’4, 214 pounds and is alignment versatile. Due to his size, he’s able to win contested catches and fight for the 50-50 ball in the red zone. Coming into Mobile, Higgins needed to show an ability to win with speed and that’s exactly what he did on Wednesday. If that’s something that he can add to his game, he’ll be a very good pickup for an offense.

OT Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College

I spoke to Trench Warfare’s Brandon Thorn on Wednesday. After discussing the Rams offensive line and who he liked in Mobile, he noted that his comparison for Trapilo was Rob Havenstein. Trapilo won from both the left and right side. Marshall’s Mike Green had a fantastic day and Trapilo handled him as well.

It’s easy to see the resemblance to Havenstein. Trapilo wins with his length at 6’7, but doesn’t necessarily have the consistent foot speed. He’ll likely get beat by speed rushers and players with a lot of bend. However, this is someone that the Rams could take in the third round and develop to be Havenstein’s eventual replacement.

CB Quincy Riley

Riley had a moment early where he lost his balance and it resulted in a Higgins reception in team drills. However, everything after that was positive for the Louisville cornerback. Riley had two really nice pass breakups in 1-on-1s which can be difficult for a defensive back because there’s no help over the top.

Moving on to team drills, Riley made up for his earlier gaffe and nearly had an interception. While it was a good play, Riley did pushups after the drop which also shows his discipline as a player. The Louisville defensive back had a really strong day of practice and showed off his speed at 20.18 miles per hour. Riley helped himself a lot today as a potential day two selection.

WR Jack Bech, TCU

Bech has been one of the better stories in Mobile. His brother was tragically killed in the terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day and he is wearing the number seven in his honor. All players are also wearing a number seven decal on the back of their helmets.

The TCU wide receiver had strong moments on Tuesday, but really showed out on day two. Western Kentucky cornerback Upton Stout told me that Bech was the wide receiver he’s most looked forward to facing in practice. On Wednesday, Bech really impressed as a run blocker which is something that the Rams offense values in their wide receivers. He also showed physicality and the ability to win down the field.

iDL Deone Walker, Kentucky

The American team has some absolute units on the defensive line with the leader of that group being Cam Jackson from Florida. However, Deone Walker from Kentucky won a few times with his quickness, but also demonstrated effective use of his length. Walker followed up a strong day Tuesday with a good day two. He showed growth which is what this week in Mobile is all about.

Walker has good size and is excellent against the run. He’s exactly the kind of player that the Rams need on the interior of their defensive line. Walker has also shown the ability to play across the defensive line which the Rams will value, especially on passing downs.

LB Eugene Asante, Auburn

Linebacker is a position that many will have their eyes on when it comes to the Rams this draft season. They need to find a player that they can pair next to Omar Speights moving forward. Finding that Will linebacker won’t be a top priority, but it needs to be a priority.

The Rams need to find another leader on their defense. Asante was very vocal on Wednesday and took on that leadership type role. He’s a player that consistently brought energy to the American defense and that was infectious with the entire group. There are several coverage specific linebackers in Mobile that can move in space and Asante is one of them.

EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M

It’s going to be interesting to see what the Rams do at the edge rusher position. Ideally they are able to bring back Michael Hoecht and continue playing him in the role that he had last season. However, even if Hoecht is brought back, finding a player that can add some variety to the pass rush would be nice. Nick Hampton hasn’t developed and the Rams need some depth in that spot.

Stewart could very easily have the raw athleticism where teams at the end of round one could take him. However, he could just as easily drop to the third round as well. After his performance on Wednesday, it might be more of the former. Stewart was a disruptor on the edge on day two in Mobile. Stewart had an impressive strip sack which will be the highlight that follows him. However, he also did a nice job containing the edge in the run game.