Biggest Senior Bowl Winners: Offense
Josh Frey
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The 2023 Senior Bowl has officially come to an end after another entertaining week of over 100 NFL Draft prospects putting their talents to use one more time before draft. With the event over, here are some of the biggest Senior Bowl winners on the offensive side of the ball.
Fresno State QB Jake Haener
We’ve talked a lot about Jake Haener over the past few days, and for good reason. He and BYU QB Jaren Hall came into the event as the consensus top quarterbacks, and by the end, it was clear that Haener had taken the top spot.
Haener consistently played with poise in the pocket, firing accurate passes all over the field. Will this week make him a first-round pick? Probably not, but don’t be surprised if he’s taken some time in the second day of the draft.
Tulane RB Tyjae Spears
From Tuesday onward, Tajae Spears displayed some of the best speed we’re going to see out of this draft class. He’s going to run one of the fastest 40s when the combine rolls around, but that’s not all to like about him. Spears showcased some crazy routes as well throughout the week, and he is a threat to be a pass-catcher out of the backfield in the NFL. Again, don’t bank on him being going in the top 50 picks, but top 100 is certainly possible.
Stanford WR Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson has great speed as a wide receiver, but what I really liked about him this week was his awareness on the field. Even on his touchdown reception during the actual game, he had to come back to an underthrown ball while double-teamed, make a defender miss, and then find the goal line. Athletic wide receivers are great, but smart wide receivers are the biggest difference makers.
Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave
Musgrave isn’t going to be much in terms of a blocker, but all week long, it would have been easy to mistake him for a wide receiver because of how fluid he is running routes. Pair that with some reliable hands, and he has all the makings of a pass-catching tight end in the NFL. The Oregon State tight end went into this week needing to prove that he could be that type of player, and he did just that.
Ohio State OT Dawand Jones
We unfortunately only got to see Dawand Jones for one day of practice, but that’s really all we needed to see out of him. He measured in with some ridiculous size and length, even at the tackle position, and then he put every bit of it to use in Tuesday’s practice session. He dominated just about every matchup that was put in front of him. If there’s a guy from the Senior Bowl that could go in the first round, it might be Jones.
North Dakota State OL Cody Mauch
Let’s wrap up the offensive side of the ball by talking about the feel-good story of the Senior Bowl. Every year, there’s an offensive lineman from a smaller school that showcases some terrific talent, and this year, that player is Cody Mauch. Not only did he hang with some of the better edge rushers, but he played every position of the offensive line well. He hopped in at tackle before transitioning seamlessly to both guard and center, even during the game. Mauch is worth a Day Two pick from someone needing depth on the offensive line.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.