8 Senior Bowl 2022 Takeaways

In what was a defensive battle for much of the afternoon, each offense showcased its fair share of flashes as well. Let's jump right into five takeaways from this year’s Senior Bowl.

Malik Willis Is Fun

As if we didn’t know already, Liberty’s Malik Willis is flat-out dynamic live. While his success at the next level will come via his ability to deliver within the pocket, his ability to roll out without an option downfield, flip his hips, change direction, and turn what looked to be a blown play into a 25-yard gain and near house-call is video-game-like. He solidified his status as one of the top two quarterbacks in this class with his performance in Mobile this week.

Boye Mafe Was Unblockable

A tank off the edge, Southern Utah’s Braxton Jones will be seeing Boye Mafe in his dreams for a long while. While the stat sheet won’t showcase just how truly dominant he was, the former Minnesota standout nearly registered three sacks in back-to-back defensive series.

Perrion Winfrey Is A DUDE

A hoss up front, Perrion Winfrey has made himself some money this week. An uber-physical defender who will let you know if he wins a battle in the trenches, teams looking for help up along the defensive front should have Winfrey near the top of their board.

Abram Smith Flashed In Both Facets

Known for his ability to run downhill, Abram Smith was excellent in the reps he received. While his hands in the passing game were an underdeveloped portion of his skill set entering the week, he was targeted multiple times in the flat and took a swing pass to the house in the first half.

JoJo Domann In Coverage

One of the most versatile players in the class, the things JoJo Domann is able to do in coverage aren’t normal. On a scramble drill from Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder, Domann dropped his hips, took away any throwing windows over the intermediate areas of the defense, planted his feet, and tracked down Ridder toward the sideline before he was able to turn upfield. An athletically-gifted defender, Domann has the ability to do it all as a hybrid linebacker.

Dameon Pierce Moves At Different Speed

The clear RB1 of the week, Dameon Pierce was a different beast in comparison to the other 21 athletes on the field. A physical runner who has the ability to bounce it to the outside with a proven ability to also protect in pass pro, Pierce’s stock has a jetpack attached to it as we head into the NFL Combine.

Chad Muma Is Everything You Look For At LB

Built in the mold of Leighton Vander-Esch, Chad Muma is a talent that has a chance to record 100-plus tackles each and every season in the NFL. While he isn’t the most athletic or the smoothest in coverage, Muma is the type of player that wins teams Super Bowls.

T.J. Pledger Has Some Juice

A late addition to the Senior Bowl roster, T.J. Pledger remained relatively quiet in practice Thursday. But with the lights at their brightest on Saturday, Pledger had some pop in both the run and passing game. There is a lot of Boston Scott, Jerick McKinnon to his game.