2018 Senior Bowl open thread

Greetings, Raider Nation! Today is the Reese’s Senior Bowl from beautiful Ladd-Peebles Stadium in picturesque Mobile, Alabama. While it’s true that the best NFL prospects usually leave school as juniors, there is a place for those who actually care about their education, and it’s right here. This is an opportunity for some of the best seniors in the country to show their stuff for pro teams, and hope Raleigh McKenzie isn’t asleep while they do so.

In today’s game, the North team has a distinct advantage in the quarterback department. Luke Falk of Washington State, Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma and Wyoming’s Josh Allen are on that squad, and Nebraska’s Tanner Lee is also there to make the South’s cornerbacks look good when he throws a pick-six.

If you’re looking for a tackle, your search need go no further than Oregon’s Tyrell Crosby. While he’s done plenty of zone blocking for the Ducks, he is a monster who rarely allows pressure and was a key cog in one of the nation’s best rushing attacks.

The North also features three excellent running backs, led by Arizona State touchdown machine Kalen Ballage. NC State’s Jaylen Samuels and Iowa standout Akrum Wadley will also prove their mettle in this game.

The North features two of the best tight ends in the country in Penn State’s Mike Gesicki and Wisconsin’s Troy Fumagali. Can either of them make an impact like Evan Engram has for the NY Giants?

The South doesn’t feature quite as much firepower as the North, but they do have San Diego State RB Rashaad Penny and Oklahoma State WR James Washington, both of whom completed elite college careers. Either one of them would be a steal in the third round of the upcoming draft.

Georgia guard Isaiah Wynn has been a brick wall in practices against a very good defensive front, and could be an answer for teams looking for more beef in the middle.

That defensive front for the South features former #1 overall high school recruit, Alabama’s Da’Shawn Hand, as well as a raw prospect from UT-San Antonio named Marcus Davenport. Texas’ DT Poona Ford will also play and give scouts even more tape on him than he gave them in the Shrine Game.

Behind that line are stars such as LB Shaq Griffin from self-proclaimed national champs UCF, as well as safeties Quin Blanding of Virginia and Trey Matthews of Auburn, who will seek to make Tanner Lee look like a waterboy in the CFL.

Today’s game can be seen at 11:30 AM Pacific on the NFL Network.