On Day 2 of the 2023 Senior Bowl, the Stanford Cardinal had a pair of draft hopefuls showcase their abilities in receiver Michael Wilson and nook Kyu Blu Kelly.
MOBILE, Ala. — On a day when receivers had been dominant, Michael Wilson stood out.
Wilson, a 6-foot-1, 216-pounder out of Stanford, dazzled throughout apply with the National Team, catching balls from an underwhelming group of quarterbacks.
With Wilson, there’s no singular trait that instantly grabs an onlooker. He has good dimension, respectable velocity, and sufficient hops, but it surely’s all the bundle put collectively that works when factoring in high quality route operating. In 1-v-1 drills, Wilson persistently labored himself open towards overmatched defensive backs, profitable on each brief and longer patterns.
At Stanford, Wilson performed 5 years however solely appeared in 36 video games, largely due to COVID reducing one season brief, and a foot injury that lingered for 11 months. When wholesome, Wilson caught a career-best 56 passes for 672 yards as a sophomore in 2019.
For NFL scouts and normal managers, Wilson is probably going value a Day 3 decide with upside. If he reveals effectively on the Scouting Combine subsequent month, his mixture dimension and route tree may intrigue somebody to take him within the mid-rounds.
Wilson’s teammate, cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, had probably the greatest days of anyone in Mobile. At 6-foot and 193 kilos, Kelly contested all through the afternoon, highlighted by a terrific interception and subsequent return for a landing. He persistently blanketed receivers in each crew and particular person drills, displaying glorious fluidity and ball abilities.
While Kelly received’t be seen as a first-round decide in a yr with ample corners worthy of a top-30 selection, he ought to match properly into the Day 2 dialog. With the respectable dimension and good traits, operating effectively at Indy may bump his inventory even additional after begin right here in Mobile.
Rough day for quarterback play
If your crew is searching for a beginning quarterback come 2023, look someplace aside from Mobile.
The expertise amassed by director Jim Nagy and his crew is as soon as once more terrific, however it is a weaker crop of quarterbacks. There’s actually not a Daniel Jones, Kenny Pickett, or Justin Herbert on this group. The closest factor could be Fresno State’s Jake Haener, however he’s in want of polish. Max Duggan of TCU is an athlete, however he’s inconsistent and infrequently late on throws.
Both Haener and Duggan are value a draft decide, however no one may moderately anticipate any of those quarterbacks to play within the subsequent yr on the NFL stage and have success.
Other receivers who deserve some highlight
While Wilson was excellent, he wasn’t alone.
While the National Team was on the sphere, Nebraska’s Trey Palmer put a ridiculous double-move on tape, leaving the defensive again stumbling whereas Palmer scored a straightforward landing. There was additionally Michigan State’s Jayden Reed, who twice did an exceptional job of monitoring deep balls into the nook for scores.
On the American aspect, Tank Dell has been spectacular for 2 days. Nobody has gotten open extra persistently with an array of jukes and strikes, displaying the quick-twitch burst which makes him such a particular athlete.
Dell is small at 5-foot-8 and 163 kilos, however the Houston product has been a power in Mobile. With the Cougars, he totaled 190 catches, 2,727 receiving yards, and 29 touchdowns over the previous two seasons. Few receivers at any stage of faculty soccer can rival such productiveness.
If a crew can recover from Dell’s dimension, he’d make a perfect Day 2 decide, giving a franchise worth the receiving and return sport.
