Quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, Carson Strong impress in front of Panthers at Senior Bowl
.JPG "Nevada quarterback Carson Strong (12), pictured here playing against Cal last season, had an impressive showing on the first day of Senior Bowl practice Tuesday in Mobile, Ala.")
Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer stood on the sideline of Hancock Whitney Stadium with executives and scouts from around the NFL on Tuesday watching the top seniors from across the country practice on Day 1 of the 2022 Senior Bowl.
With Charlotte’s vice president of player personnel Pat Stewart nearby, Fitterer witnessed the first of three two-hour practices that will unfold in Mobile, Ala., in the coming days. Panthers scouts had their eyes on quarterback prospects Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati), Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh) and Carson Strong (Nevada) while the National team practiced.
Pickett often led the quarterbacks in reps, followed by Ridder and Strong. Practice began with a special teams session. During that time, the quarterbacks threw south side end zone while offensive linemen warmed up with positional drills.
After warmups, quarterbacks, tight ends and receivers practiced on-air routes.
Individual drills followed. Then came one-on-ones. Pass catchers versus defensive backs on one end and offensive linemen against the d-linemen in the opposite end zone.
“Everyone out here is very talented,” Strong said after practice. “What I bring to the table is, I’m a good decision maker with a strong arm, I’m very confident in my arm. You know, I can make all the throws.”
Strong backed up what he said by trying to match Pickett throw for throw. He did that, at times, but admitted he hopes to have an even better day of practice on Tuesday.
Here are some observations from Day 1 of practices at the 2022 Senior Bowl.
Pickett, Strong showcase accuracy
Scouts like seeing how quarterbacks perform at Senior Bowl practices because they are dropped into unfamiliar situations and either sink or swim.
Most are taking snaps from a center they don’t know and throwing to pass-catchers they’ve never met. How a quarterback handles such adversity can speak volumes about their adaptability.
For Pickett and Strong, Day 1 was a seamless adjustment. Pickett did not throw an incompletion until his one-on-one session. I counted eight straight completions throwing on air to targets during individual drills and skelly. He had no issues hitting targets short for a quick gain or making intermediate throws with more time.
The ball consistently left his hand with velocity and landed accurately. He was the most precise quarterback on Monday. When throwing quick slants, stick routes and speed outs, Pickett fired quickly and led his targets well.
Strong threw the ball well too. He was less accurate than Pickett but impressed with his arm strength. During one-on-one drills, Strong unloaded a few balls deep that traveled at least 50 yards in the air. One he completed to receiver Christian Watson from North Dakota State. The other deep ball was a slight overthrow intended for Rutgers receiver Bo Melton.
Both throws summoned “wows” from onlookers in the stadium. Pickett let a couple of deep balls fly as well but Strong’s long throws just looked better.
Pickett was intercepted during one-on-ones on a vertical end zone throw. He threw it high and outside. The intended receiver should’ve come down with it but cornerback Tariq Casro-Fields (Penn State) made a twirling interception on the sideline. He and Jets defensive back coach Jeff Ulbrich celebrated with a leaping shoulder bump afterward.
While Strong and Pickett impressed, Ridder struggled with ball handling. During a team session Ridder dropped two snaps, killing his opportunity at two valuable reps. Muffed snaps aside, Ridder also had some inaccurate moments throwing intermediate. He was inside and high on a deep over route during the skelly session and threw a vertical short during one-on-ones.
During the second practice, quarterbacks Sam Howell and Malik Willis stood out during their one-on-one sessions. Both showcased NFL arm strength and the ability to make pro throws.
Howell had a touchdown dropped by SMU receiver Danny Gray on a deep vertical. Gray beat Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary off the line of scrimmage, stacked him and beat him to the end zone. But when Howell dropped the ball on his chest plate, Gray couldn’t complete the catch.
Just because Pickett and Strong impressed on Monday does not mean they have solidified themselves as the top quarterback prospects.
I’ll watch Howell, Strong and Willis more closely over the next few days to see how they respond.
One offensive tackle stands out
Minnesota gopher tackle Daniel Faaelele makes some of his offensive tackle teammates look small.
Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing nearly 380 pounds, Faaelele has all the traits of a natural blindside protector. His 35-inch arms and 11-inch hands help him impose his will on defensive linemen and poorly positioned second-level defenders.
He stood out the moment he took the field. As a competitor, Faaelele plays like someone who has always been larger than his opponents. Watching him during team drills he moved soundly from combo blocks to the second level but sometimes looked like he was in low gear.
His massive frame lets him get away with this. Defenders would try to work around him rather than move through him. A push from Faaelele sent a defender flying during a team session on an outside run play. It looked effortless.
Faaelele earned most of the first-team reps, never rotating to the second or third group. His in-person play mirrors what he does on tape. His feet could move faster. I’m not sure that ever changes but a veteran offensive line coach (like new Panthers hire James Campen) would mold Faaelele into an NFL starter quickly.
Other playmakers to watch
While offensive linemen and quarterbacks held most of my attention, there were a few other playmakers who popped.
▪ Arizona State running back Rachaad White ripped off two long runs during the team session. Both were duo runs up the middle. They were blocked well but White showcased his breakaway speed by separating at the second level with ease.
At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, White fits the between-the-tackles style running Carolina craves. He may go too high in the draft for the Panthers to target. But the Panthers will keep an eye on him and backs like White throughout the draft process.
▪ Edge rusher Dominique Robinson (Miami-Ohio) had the best practice of any prospect I saw Monday. On consecutive team reps, Robinson sacked the opposing quarterback and used different pass rush moves to get there. On his first sack, he won inside with quickness. By jackknifing inside, Robinson created a direct line to Pickett and ended the ball within two seconds of the snap.
Robinson, who weighs 247 pounds, used a speed-to-power rush on his second sack, winning outside to sack Ridder. He accidentally took the quarterback to the ground because he got there so quickly. Fast-twitch reflexes like Robinson’s are rare on the defensive line. He’ll be a coveted prospect based on his Day 1 practice alone.
