MOBILE, Alabama — Day one of Reese’s Senior Bowl practice is officially in the books!
We’ve watched these players throughout the season, and we’ve dug into the film, but now we get to see these players in person and up against some of the best talent in the country.
As they say, “The Draft Starts in Mobile.”
So, let’s dive in and see which offensive prospects impressed us on the first day of practice and who is making their stock rise before the NFL Draft.
Tyson Bagent, QB, Shepard University
Out of the seven quarterbacks invited to the senior bowl this year, Tyson Bagent was the only one throwing with something to prove.
He stayed poised in the pocket, delivered darts in traffic while under pressure and placed his passes incredibly well.
Princeton WR Andrei Iosivas hauls one in from Shepherd QB Tyson Bagent
Iosivas, who measured into the Senior Bowl at 6’2 7/8 and 212 pounds, could threaten the 4.2s in the forty in Indy
Track demigod pic.twitter.com/EQGNIrUmGO
— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) January 31, 2023
In the 2022 season, Bagent had 4,580 passing yards with 41 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He was awarded the 2022 AP Division II All-American Second Team, 2022 PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year, and 2022 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-American First Team.
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane
Tyjae Spears plays like he’s shot out of a cannon every time he touches the ball. Today, he was one of the best running backs on the field. He was taking clean handoffs, not hesitating when finding his lanes up the middle, and he caught screen passes in the open field with a fluid motion.
John Michael Schmitz on the move for this screen.
But look at Tyjae Spears 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZseC8yVNDO
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) January 31, 2023
Spears is a five-foot-9, 204-pound back who ended his 2022 season with 1,581 rushing yards, 19 touchdowns, 6.9 yards per carry. Over his last five games of the season, he rushed for over 100+ yards in four of them.
Nathaniel "Tank" Dell, WR, Houston
One of the best receivers of the day was Tank Dell. With his speed burst coming out of his release and sudden lateral movements throughout his routes, defenders weren’t coming close to him. He didn’t allow a single contested catch because of the stop-and-go speed coming out of his breaks.
👀 Tank Dell pic.twitter.com/uiyparpPmE
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) January 31, 2023
Dell defines explosiveness!
The only downside is his size. As he stands at five-foot-8, his size could be an issue at the next level. Some say he’s the next Tutu Atwell, but he looks to have better talent.
Dell ended the 2022 season with 1,398 receiving yards, 17 touchdowns and had six games of 100+ receiving yards. Despite his small stature, expect his stock to rise in the coming days.
Puka Nacua, WR, BYU
One of my favorite receivers of the day was Puka Nacua. All throughout the day he was making contested catches look easy, but also showing really good effort when passes were inaccurate.
In the second clip below, Nacua makes a sideline catch look easy. On a comeback route with a defender is closing-in, Nacua is able to get both feet in while falling out of bounds.
BYU WR Puka Nacua AGAIN pic.twitter.com/gVsT5Vbrn9
— Jarrett Bailey (@JBaileyNFL) January 31, 2023
No matter if the pass was a short route in traffic, a mesh route over the middle, or a sideline pass, Nacua was securing it.
Nacua had a down year in 2022 from 2021, going from 805 to 625 receiving yards. With his six-foot-2 frame and solid hands, expect teams to move him up the draft board if he continues to show out over the next couple days.
Brayden Willis, TE/FB, Oklahoma
There weren’t many tight ends who really blew anyone away on day one, but Willis showed some great catching during the one-on-ones and lead blocking on some run plays.
In the clip below, the defender was playing great blanket defense, yet Willis was still able to pull it in.
DeMarcco Hellams vs Brayden Willis pic.twitter.com/8ugl7VzX33
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 31, 2023
Then on one of the best runs of the day by Spears, Willis was the one leading the way for him.
Tyjae Spears is a Top 5-6 RB in this draft class. pic.twitter.com/B5VdTqzzif
— Alfredo Brown (@ThePretendGM) January 31, 2023
In the 2022 season, Willis had 456 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on only 35 receptions. In 2021 he was an Academic All-Big 12 second team nominee and was one of three 2022 recipients of program’s coveted Don Key Award (excellence on and off the field).
