Minnesota Vikings draft notes: 2017 Senior Bowl practice, day one
By Jordan Reid
- Coming into the Senior Bowl, the prospect who received the most hype was Western Kentucky offensive tackle Forrest Lamp. He lived up to the billing in his first practice session, showing what scouts raved about on film. Lamp showed his ability to gain natural leverage on defenders, his agile feet, combined with tremendous power.
- LSU center Ethan Pocic got into a scuffle with Tulane defensive tackle Tanzel Smart during a offensive/defensive line one-on-one session. An edge and competitiveness that many scouts enjoyed seeing from players at those positions. Pocic had a very nice day, and many firmly believe he’s a day-one starter.
- In my opinion, arguably the biggest winner from both teams was Indiana guard Dan Feeney. You rarely see an offensive lineman dominate his competition the way the former AP All-American did during today’s practice. Showing his very strong anchor, he shutdown Iowa defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson, who is considered the best interior defensive lineman at the Senior Bowl
- A small school prospect many scouts wanted to see was Bucknell offensive tackle Julie’n Davenport. The former FCS standout struggled in his first taste of better competition. His strength and footwork looked a step below the rest. The team that drafts Davenport must understand that he’s raw and his technique needs a bit of work.
- Outside of Dan Feeney and Forrest Lamp, another player who had an impressive practice is Western Michigan offensive tackle Taylor Moton. What was most impressive about Moton was his overpowering strength. Repeatedly stopping his matchup in their tracks and eventually knocking them to the ground.
- Troy offensive tackle Antonio Garcia did not live up to the monumental hype he had leading up to the Senior Bowl. He proved to be a little lighter (293 pounds) than expected and he was inconsistent throughout the day. The biggest issue from Garcia was the ease of defensive lineman to get into his chest. He never swatted their hands down and recovered. They repeatedly continued to push him off of his spots causing him to struggle.