Senior Bowl Day 2 recap: Knight headlines strong performance from LBs

Several defenders made names for themselves on Wednesday and should be on the Raiders’ radar

Mobile, Ala. — Silver and Black Pride had a strong presence during Day 2 of the Senior Bowl as Marcus Johnson and myself were in attendance for Wednesday’s practice. Marcus will focus on the quarterbacks and offensive players while the emphasis here will be on the defensive front seven.

The position group had several standout players as the linebackers had a good session as a whole, giving Raiders fans plenty of names to keep tabs on from now until late April.

Linebackers

South Carolina’s Demetrius Knight II was impossible to ignore, showing some pop behind his pads during the full-team periods. He made several impactful plays as a run defender, stonewalling blockers in the gap and making a few notable tackles. His instincts and speed against outside runs stood out as he was constantly in the right spot and showed off some range. Knight doesn’t have a ton of short-area quickness to be a great coverage linebacker man-to-man against running backs, but he could fill Robert Spillane’s role as a downhill run stuffer who can make plays in zone coverage.

An under-the-radar player who caught my eye on Wednesday was Cody Lindenberg from Minnesota. He’s also a downhill thumper in the running game which was on display during the second practice session of the week. But what really stood out from Lindenberg’s performance is he made a great read in zone coverage to get a pick during seven-on-seven. Lindenberg is a Day 3 target worth keeping tabs on during the draft season.

Jack Kiser from Notre Dame is a super senior at the Senior Bowl and that showed with his instincts as a run defender. Kiser made several tackles by being in the right spot at the right time during the full-team period. It’s a question mark on how much he’ll be able to contribute in the passing game, but the former Golden Domer could be a solid two-down backer at the next level.

On the other end of the spectrum, Georgia’s Smael Mondon Jr. is impressive in coverage. He’s a fluid mover and stood out in the one-on-ones against running backs, undercutting an option route to get a PBU. Mondon has some work to do against the run, but he did show improvement on Wednesday with his ability to take on blocks. Continuing to build on the latter could make him a complete backer at the next level.

After an impressive outing yesterday, Oregon’s Jeffrey Bassa was more up and down on Wednesday. He began the session by making a quick read against the run to get a tackle near the line of scrimmage but then had some issues in coverage, getting caught flat-footed during the one-on-ones against running backs. However, Bassa managed to finish strong by getting a PBU and tightening up during the final full-team period. In my opinion, he’s the most talented linebacker in Mobile and would be a good target for Las Vegas during the draft.

Defensive Line

Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

If you don’t know the name Mike Green already, get used to hearing it as he’s generating some serious NFL Draft buzz. The Marshall product led the country in sacks this season and has continued that momentum into the Senior Bowl. He’s dominated in the one-on-one pass rush drills by not only showing some impressive moves to win around the edge but also flashing some power. Green had a rep where he went right through Josh Conerly’s chest and Conerly is a potential first-round pick out of Oregon. The only problem is Green might have played his way out of the Raiders’ range as he’ll likely be a top 20 player but would still be a reach at pick six.

Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart is in a similar boat as someone who’s draft stock has improved this week. His traits weren’t a question but his production—only 4.5 sacks in three seasons in college—is a potential issue. Stewart struggled to finish plays throughout the year, but he’s putting it all together in Mobile. The likely first-round pick has been standing out in both phases of the game, highlighted by getting a strip sack and TFL during the full-team period on Wednesday.

Donovan Ezeiruaku from Boston College is an edge rusher who could fall to Las Vegas and has been having a good week. Ezeiruaku’s natural bend and skills as a pass rusher were known heading into the week and he’s continued to show that. But what’s more surprising is he’s been much better at setting the edge than expected.

Deone Walker from Kentucky certainly looks the part, measuring in at over 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds. However, he’s lost some steam since the summer with how he played in the fall and that has continued during the Senior Bowl. Walker’s pad level was an issue on Tuesday and that was improving on Wednesday but an injury cut his day short. The former Wildcat might be worth taking a flier on in the third round or later, but he isn’t the impactful prospect many thought he’d be coming into the season.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Senior Bowl’s practice and my final day in town. So, I’ll have one more recap and hone in with a few final thoughts on the quarterbacks and notable defensive prospects.