MOBILE, Ala. -- With Panini Senior Bowl practices in full swing on Wednesday, 100-plus prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft are in the midst of a crucial job interview. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein and Eric Edholm provide a look at standouts from Day 2, as well as news and notes from the day's events.
Tune in for live coverage of Senior Bowl practice on Thursday beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network and NFL+, and don't miss exclusive coverage Saturday of the Senior Bowl game at 2:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network and NFL+.
Five stars from Day 2 of Senior Bowl practice
James’ father, Blake, was a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 1995 and spent nine seasons in the NFL. If Wednesday’s practice was any indication of what is to come, James will become the next Brockermeyer to have a long pro career.
Despite checking in at 297 pounds (tied for the lightest O-lineman at this year’s Senior Bowl), Brockermeyer was up to the task against every defensive lineman he faced in one-on-one drills. He displayed plus core strength, strong hands and a balanced base. It’s rare for any offensive lineman to consistently outperform his defensive counterparts in one-on-one pass pro drills, but it’s even more rare for a center to do it. Brockermeyer was lights-out throughout the day and made himself money.
Cameron is built like a running back playing wide receiver and his jersey number (34) seems appropriate. On tape he’s an absolute bully in the catch space, imposing his size (6-foot-1, 223 pounds) on cornerbacks and delivering 19 touchdown catches over the past two seasons.
On Wednesday, Cameron was on-brand throughout the team and one-on-on sessions. On multiple occasions he fought through cornerbacks looking to impede his route and simply overpowered them to the spot for the catch. He was able to outwork tight man coverage for 50/50 balls that typically turn into incompletions. He’s strong, has top-flight hands and is a plus ball tracker. My draft grade for Cameron will be getting a bump after what he’s shown here in Mobile.
In a draft light on quarterback headliners beyond Fernando Mendoza, Green should be garnering buzz thanks to his rare physical attributes and skill set.
At 6-foot-6 and with a wingspan of nearly seven feet, his long arms create a longer release and his accuracy is spotty. He has the arm strength to make explosive throws and can gobble up yards outside the pocket with his long strides. The ups and downs from his game tape were present in practice on Wednesday, but the ups are highly intriguing. With a strong finish to the week, he has a chance to position himself as a likely late Day 2 pick.
If you are looking for the small-school standout of the Senior Bowl, it’s clearly been Montgomery. He was a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster after impressing at the American Bowl last week. I can’t wait to dig into his tape after what I’ve seen over the last two days.
The former LSU basketball walk-on has been hard to guard thanks to his agility and short-area burst. Montgomery had the highlight catch of the early practice with an acrobatic grab over the head of talented San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson on a one-on-one deep ball. That play was emblematic of the athletic ability and competitiveness that has put Montgomery firmly on the radar for NFL scouts.
In this year’s draft there won’t be many running backs who offer the blend of size and top-end speed that Washington brings to the table. At 6-foot and 228 pounds, the former Razorbacks star has a chiseled, athletic frame and is rarely caught by chasers once he hits the open field.
Washington popped at practice on Tuesday with a quick, downhill cut that led to a long gain on an outside zone run. On Wednesday he had a few of those runs again, but he also made explosive plays as a pass catcher in one-on-one drills. He’s built some momentum at the outset of draft season.
Four Senior Bowl takeaways from Wednesday
1) Rodriguez rising. Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez won just about every college football award available to a defensive player last season, including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (top defensive player), the Butkus Award (top linebacker), the Lombardi Award (top lineman or linebacker) and the Chuck Bednarik Award (top defensive player). So, it was no surprise when Rodriguez led the National Team defense during Wednesday's practice with two takeaways.
Rodriguez stripped the ball from Clemson RB Adam Randall during a team session, and he hauled in a diving interception to close out the team portion of practice.
"That's what he does: take the football away," Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire, who attended Wednesday's practice, told me. "Just special instincts and elite football IQ, man."
Over the past two seasons for the Red Raiders, Rodriguez forced 10 fumbles and intercepted five passes. Not bad for a player who only switched over from offense at Virginia after the 2021 season. McGuire said he believes Rodriguez can play both Mike and Will linebacker in the league and reminds him of the Bills' Terrel Bernard.
The 6-1, 233-pound Rodriguez isn't massive, and his speed will be scrutinized leading up to the draft. But NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said during Wednesday's broadcast that based on what he's heard from NFL teams that there's a firm belief Rodriguez will be a productive pro player.
Rodriguez's stock appears to be on the rise after two days in Mobile.
2) Potential first-rounder provides health update. Florida DT Caleb Banks suffered a foot injury that disrupted his final season of college, but he's performing at the Senior Bowl with a chance to crack the first round.
On Tuesday, Banks -- Jeremiah's No. 39 overall prospect -- was a bit quiet in practice, but on Wednesday he made some noise. Banks was strong in one-on-one drills, flashing nice power in wins against his college teammate, Jake Slaughter, and Arkansas' Fernando Carmona Jr. In team drills, Banks would have had a tackle for loss had there been full tackling.
Banks declared himself 100 percent healthy on Wednesday. He suffered a foot injury in fall camp, then re-injured it against LSU in the third game of the season. It was a foot fracture, and it wouldn't have been stunning had he opted out of the remainder of the season. But Banks returned late in the season and made an impact for the Gators, starting the final two games.
"I came back to support my teammates and to finish my (college) career off right, broken foot or not," Banks said. "They needed me out there."
Asked what he needs to show scouts to secure an early draft slot, Banks said: "Definitely my consistency, play to play. Been asked about that. I'm trying to show I can be (more consistent) here."
3) No rest for title winner. It has been virtually non-stop for Indiana RB Kaelon Black since August camp, playing 16 games this season for the national-champion Hoosiers, who beat Miami for the title only nine days ago. Yet, there was Black, lining up at the Senior Bowl the first two days of practice.
Black had several key runs in the title game and led the Hoosiers with 10 rushing TDs, finishing just behind teammate Roman Hemby in carries and yards. Black said he barely had time to celebrate IU's first national title. Did he consider opting out of the Senior Bowl considering how long his college season lasted?
"I was waiting to see after the game how my body felt, and it felt great, so I just decided to come and show what I could do," he said.
Black had an up-and-down Wednesday practice, with some quality runs but also a fumble and a dropped pass that ended up an interception.
"Definitely a below-average day for myself," he said. "I'm planning to get with the quarterbacks and work on that mesh and just iron out the details for (Thursday) so everything is right."
More work for one of the hardest-working players at this year's game.
4) Roster update. Two new players were added to the Senior Bowl roster: Florida State DT Darrell Jackson Jr. and LSU WR Chris Hilton Jr. Both arrived on Tuesday night after performing at the East-West Shrine Bowl and were on the field for Wednesday's practice.
Jackson wasted no time getting acclimated. In one dominant one-on-one rep against Iowa's Beau Stephens, Jackson bowled the 310-pound Stephens over. Although Stephens battled back for a win on the next rep, Jackson made his presence felt.
"I had a really good get-off," Jackson told me. "That allowed me to get my speed to power and shock him in the chest."
The 6-5, 328-pound Jackson measured in with 11-inch hands and 35-inch arms during his strong week at the Shrine Bowl. He said he's thrilled to get more chances to showcase his skill set.
"The more scouts that see me do what I do, the better," Jackson said. "I'm thrilled to be here. It's more football, and I love it."
