Senior Bowl 2025: Standout Players After Day 3

By / Devy & College Football / Leave a Comment
Darius Alexander, Senior Bowl, The League Winners

The practices for the 2025 Senior Bowl are in the books! In slightly cooler temperatures, both the National and American teams had some of their most entertaining sessions to date. Despite some lulls during the day, the teams brought the energy for the most part, and closed out the week strong.

As usual, there were some standout players over the course of the day. Some were repeat performers, others built on their flashes, and others finished out solid weeks with a big boom.

With only the game remaining, Thursday was the last practice to paint the picture of who stood out and who did not at the 2025 Senior Bowl. Follow along as we recap the standouts from Day 3 in Mobile, Alabama.

2025 Senior Bowl Standout Players

National Team

Darius Alexander, DL – Toledo

Sheer. Dominance.

That is what describes the performance of Toldeo’s Darius Alexander on Day 3. The defensive lineman was a force in every aspect of the game and was not deterred by any of the offensive linemen he went up against.

In the run game, Alexander got inside and forced stops in the backfield. As a pass rusher, the Toledo defensive lineman was dominant. He showcased bend, power, and upper-level usage of his hands. This translated from 1-on-1s, where Alexander was borderline unblockable, to team drills, where he was an upper-tier disruptor.

After a very solid first two days of practice, Alexander truly went off in the final practice at the Senior Bowl. He dominated and showed off every aspect of his game to close out the Senior Bowl practices.

As I have said before, this is a very deep class of defensive linemen. There are a variety of different players that will help defenses at the NFL level, whether as run defenders, pass rushers, or both.

Thanks to his week in Mobile, Alexander has cemented himself as one of the best in the class, and should be a major riser on team’s draft boards.

Aeneas Peebles, DL – Virginia Tech

Speaking of impressive defensive linemen, Aeneas Peebles stood out as a versatile player on Thursday once again.

Peebles displayed quickness and a nice pass-rushing skillset during 1-on-1 drills. He displayed quick hands and good power against his opponents, including Miami’s Jalen Rivers and other offensive linemen.

In team drills, Peebles was winning in a variety of different ways. He won with speed to the inside, good hand usage, and even a slick spin move as a pass rusher. In the run game, Peebles displayed power and an ability to fill gaps to make tackles. It was another very good overall performance from the Virgina Tech defensive lineman.

Despite a loaded Senior Bowl class, Peebles has stood out during this week. With another good practice in the books where he displayed his full range of abilities, the Virginia Tech product will be a riser for NFL teams.

Junior Tafuna, DL – Utah

While fellow defensive linemen like Peebles and Alexander can win with speed and pass-rush moves, Junior Tafuna makes his money with power.

In 1-on-1 drills, Tafuna showed great power. He drove his opposition back to register wins, getting under their pads repeatedly in order to do so. In team drills, Tafuna built upon this power usage. He was able to walk offensive linemen back on multiple reps. Additionally, Tafuna utilized his hands to steer them and used rip moves to make plays in the backfield.

In a league shifting back toward the run game, strong interior defensive linemen are a must. They must be able to deal with a variety of blocks; and that is not even counting the contributions they have to make in the passing game.

Throughout this week, Tafuna displayed that he can handle being an anchor on the interior against high-level competition. As a result, a team will likely be very happy with his services come the 2025 NFL Draft.

Harold Fannin Jr., TE – Bowling Green

Even with a quiet first practice, Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. showed that he is one of the best tight ends in the 2025 class on day two and day three.

Fannin Jr. showcased the upper-level receiving ability he has come to be known for on Thursday. He had a great win in red-zone 1-on-1s, attacking the defensive back vertically, utilizing a great head fake, and using his speed to create separation. Most importantly, he made a nice one-handed catch in the back of the end zone.

On a different rep, Fannin Jr. used a nice double move through contact and made a toe-tap catch in the back of the end-zone.

On top of his receiving ability, Fannin Jr. has shown promise as a blocker. He was very physical with different reps and even had some wins during team periods.

Combined together, Fannin Jr. has shown that his Bowling Green production was not just a fluke against what some people consider “lower-level” competition. He has created separation, made great catches, and held his own against great linebackers and defensive linemen. All in all, the event has solidified Fannin Jr.’s standing as a prospect, especially after his day 3 performance.

Azareye’h Thomas, CB – Florida State

After some great moments on the first two days of practice, Florida State’s Azareye’h Thomas decided to put on a show on Thursday.

A press-man specialist, Thomas did not let wideouts win in 1-on-1 situations against him. Facing Kyle Williams, Thomas stuck with him stride-for-stride, had a great angle, and made a leaping one-handed interception. On a different rep, Thomas forced the wide receiver off his track and did not allow him to make the play in the endzone.

Thomas had some ups and downs this week but displayed that his man-coverage skills were for real. He had some of the best pass breakups and reps over the past two days, and I wanted to see him put it all together for a whole day of practice.

Thursday was the practice I was waiting for; Thomas made play after play, giving the crowd of media, scouts, and NFL personnel one of the best cornerback performances of the week.

After this week in Mobile, Thomas solidified my view of him and should be seen as one of the best pure coverage cornerbacks in this draft.

Honorable Mentions
  • Elijah Arroyo: Monster receiving threat that showed some blocking ability, too. A personal favorite of mine from this week.
  • Quincy Riley: Riley played as a lockdown cornerback. Very electric player in coverage.
  • Kyle Williams: Crisp route runner that knows how to get open. Good week from him.
  • Bilhal Kone: Had some of the best coverage moments on defense the past two days. A sleeper in this cornerback class.
  • LeQuint Allen: Dynamic receiving threat through all three days of practice. He is a very fun player.
  • Tez Johnson: Very quick wideout who had a ton of wins during this week of practice. Predicting how he handles contact at the next level will be paramount to his evaluation
  • Jayden Higgins: Had another great sliding grab on day 3. Would argue that he was the second-best wideout at the Senior Bowl.
  • Terrance Ferguson: A silky smooth route runner and a solid blocker. Good player.
  • Jaylin Lane: Underrated player at this event. Smooth route runner and had some nice catches in traffic.
  • Jeffrey Bassa: Cerebral. My favorite linebacker at the Senior Bowl for a variety of reasons.
  • Nickolas Martin: Attacks downhill in the run game, has some awesome moments in coverage. Very good week for him in Mobile.
  • Damien Martinez: Great pass-protecting reps and a good downhill runner with nice vision. With more work in the passing game, he can be a contributor on all three downs.
  • Xavier Restrepo: The quarterbacks finally hit him on his wins today. Will be a steady contributor at the next level.
  • Keondre Jackson: My sleeper team headliner. Loved how Jackson played this week in coverage.
  • Oluwafemi Oladejo: Powerful hands. Not as splashy as other edge rushers, but very solid during this week.
  • Anthony Belton: Shut down Landon Jackson twice on two different 1-on-1 reps. Impressive showing.

American Team

Princely Umanmielen, EDGE – Ole Miss

In terms of players ending their weeks on a boom, Ole Miss edge rusher Princely Umanmielen completely fits that description.

Against the run, Umanmielen was very strong in holding the edge. He utilized his hands and overall strength as a player and did not let himself get blown off the ball.

However, the Ole Miss edge showcased his true value as a pass rusher. Umanmielen showcased a plethora of moves that he can use to get after the quarterback. He showed off a spin move, used his hands at a high level on a rip move, and showed off impressive bend to force a strip sack on Jalen Milroe. It looked like Umanmielen had a plan of attack on every rep and showed his football IQ as a pass rusher all day.

The Ole Miss edge rusher showed how good of a player he was on his college tape, especially as a pass rusher. And in spite of an up and down in the first two days in Mobile, Umanmielen’s third practice proved that his pass-rushing ability would not disappear anytime soon.

Danny Striggow, DL – Minnesota

Wait, who???

After an impressive Senior Bowl performance, Shemar Stewart departed the event before its conclusion. However, a new #14 appeared on the field for the American team. I had no clue who it initially was, but I was seriously impressed by his performance. As it turned out, the new player was Minnesota’s Danny Striggow.

Striggow, as he walked onto the field in Mobile, had basically just arrived in the area. Per an article from SB Nation’s JP Acosta, Striggow was on a very condensed schedule.

“I got a call at 11 p.m. on Wednesday night asking if I wanted to play on Saturday. They picked me up right from the airport.”

If you watched the practice, though, Striggow looked like a seasoned vet.

The Minnesota defensive lineman showed off some impressive pass-rushing skills, including some bend and hand usage. He was also stout against the run, getting inside blockers to make plays.

I was unfamiliar with Striggow before this practice, but he ensured that I and many others in the crowd could not miss him. He will be a prospect I will be watching much more of ahead of the 2025 edition of the draft.

Upton Stout, CB – Western Kentucky

Upton Stout was a force all week, and the final day of Senior Bowl practice was no different for the Western Kentucky cornerback.

He had even more great coverage on Thursday, locking down receivers that did their best to try to get open. You could argue that some tried a bit too much. Stout did not bite on any moves, tracking the hips of the wideout and making plays on the ball when the time was right.

What really popped was Stout’s run defense. The cornerback showed a willingness to get physical, attack downhill, and make tackles on ball carriers in space. For such a good cover corner, I was impressed by how physical he was in this area of his game.

Stout was a moneymaker in Mobile, and his day 3 of practice proved it. With his coverage skills and overall play style, he is a player every team should want to add to their roster.

Mason Taylor, TE – LSU

What is left to say about Mason Taylor in Mobile? Only that he is a stud on the offensive side of the ball.

Taylor once again showed that he is an absolute weapon in the passing game, no matter what is asked of him. He can utilize head fakes, double moves, and other moves as a route runner. He has the speed to run by defenders and the strength to make catches through contact.

Despite inconsistencies, Taylor showed that he can be an effective blocker too. He had some great reps on the line of scrimmage, including one in the red zone, where he initially let the pass rusher get home.

Taylor is going to make an NFL team very happy, especially with his versatility and ability to thrive in multiple areas of the game. He is a major winner from Mobile.

Jalen McLeod, LB – Auburn

I have highlighted Jalen McLeod’s pass rushing already, but the Auburn linebacker showed some nice coverage on day 3 of practice.

McLeod consistently stayed with running backs in a drill that gave them a huge advantage. He did not fall for stutter steps or headfakes; rather, he got his hands on them and stayed on their hip down the field. On an out route, McLeod showed an understanding of angles and the speed to make pass breakups.

Additionally, McLeod showcased some solid run defense, making decisive reads and flying downhill to make plays.

Showcasing a versatile skillset, McLeod seems like a player who can be different things to different teams. He can rush the passer, make plays against the run, or even make plays in coverage. Thanks to a great week in Mobile, the Auburn product should have plenty of NFL teams interested in drafting him.

Jack Bech, WR – TCU

Another practice, another dominant showing from TCU’s Jack Bech.

Bech displayed an impressive route running once again, winning cleanly on the vast majority of his routes. He then added contested catches and deep speed to his bag of tricks; Bech had a leaping grab in the end zone over the talented Jacob Parrish in 1-on-1s, and then won deep on a great play design and a nice throw from Jalen Milroe.

Like Mason Taylor, there is not much left to say about Bech from this week. He showed that he is a complete wide receiver, whether it is route running, good hands, or contested catches. He likely raised his stock a considerable amount at the Senior Bowl.

Honorable Mentions
  • Jack Kiser: He has been awesome all week and had another interception today. Another winner from this week.
  • Shemar James: Fast mover, great mover in coverage all week.
  • Mac McWilliams: Had some great coverage reps, including some pass breakups. Solid player.
  • Brashard Smith: Absolute dynamite as a pass catcher. Cannot wait to see more of him as a runner.
  • Smael Mondon Jr.: Great coverage, good run defense.
  • Jared Ivey: One of my favorite players from this week. Ivey plays awesome run defense and flashed as a pass rusher.
  • Sai’vion Jones: Underrated player this week. Jones flashed some versatility on the interior of the defensive line.
  • Jackson Hawes: Hawes flashed as a pass blocker, route runner, and pass catcher. Keep an eye on him going forward.
  • Demetrius Knight II: He plays like a psychopath on the field (complimentary). He is going to be a fun player in the NFL.
  • RJ Harvey: Looks like he has rocket boots on his feet as a pass catcher and runner. Going to be a real weapon in the right offense at the next level.

Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fairleigh Dickinson University in May 2023 with a Communications Degree, a concentration in Multimedia Journalism, and a minor in Broadcasting. Received an M.A. in Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University in May 2024. Wrote for Jets Insider for two years, previously hosted a Knicks podcast for Let's Talk Knicks, and contributed to Inside the Iggles. Currently a writer for Jets X-Factor. Avid movie watcher, gym goer, music listener, and MMA fan.

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