Senior Bowl: How to watch, 10 prospects for Giants, more

The college football all-star circuit continues with the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which has become the preeminent off-season scouting opportunity ahead of the NFL Draft. Unlike some of the games that have been played in recent weeks, like the East-West Shrine Game, the Senior Bowl is strictly for players who have completed their college eligibility. 

The full week consists of weigh-ins, interviews, and three days of practice which are all televised on both NFL Network and ESPN. This year, Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy (American team) and Las Vegas Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham (National team) will serve as head coaches and the game will be played on the campus of the University of South Alabama.

How to Watch:

• Date: Saturday, February 4th 
• Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
• Channel: NFL Network

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So when the game kicks off on Saturday afternoon, who should Giants fans be watching? 

Players to Watch

Tyjae Spears, RB Tulane

I mentioned in my prospects to watch at the East-West Shrine Game, that the Giants could be in the market for a mid-round running back to replace Matt Breida as Saquon Barkley’s backup and potential future replacement. Spears has clear juice and picks up speed instantly. While he wasn’t a major part of Tulane’s offense his first three seasons, he exploded this year for 1,581 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. At the Senior Bowl, he impressed in pass-blocking and receiving drills and also measured in at 204 pounds after playing in the 190s during the season, which is great for him considering he didn’t lose any speed. 

Tulane RB Tyjae Spears’ explosion has been dropping jaws at the #SeniorBowl.

Here’s one of my favorite runs from his CFB career.

He’s unfair in the open field — cuts are so sudden, and his decisions are so resolute at high speeds… a natural.

pic.twitter.com/r8AhXRHF00

— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) February 1, 2023

Rashee Rice, WR SMU

The Giants are likely to draft multiple receivers this year, and there are many to track in Mobile, but Rashee Rice was one of the top receiving options coming into the Senior Bowl. While he hasn’t garnered the headlines that others like Jayden Reed and Tank Dell have, part of that isn’t simply because people expected Rice to be good. He plays with good physicality and has solid hands to go up and pluck passes in traffic. He caught 96 passes for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns this year and would be a great outside boundary receiver for the Giants.

Luke Musgrave, TE Oregon State

Musgrave may be a name that surprises people because he has only 633 TOTAL receiving yards through his four years at Oregon State, but he is getting major buzz for his performance at the Senior Bowl. He registered a mid-4.4 40-yard dash, which is tremendous for his 6’5″ and 255-pound frame, while also possessing 35 5/8” arms and a dominating wingspan. Given Musgrave’s impressive athletic profile, there is a strong chance that he puts together a much better professional career than college career. In fact, watching him at these passes I’m not sure why Oregon State wasn’t dialing up more plays for him. 

Nice throw from Max Duggan to Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave, who makes an equally impressive catch. #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/4ikDqGHJPl

— Kevin Knight (@FalcoholicKevin) February 2, 2023

Daiyan Henley, LB Washington State

Henley has really impressed during the practices at the Senior Bowl, making plays both in pass coverage and in the run game. Henley is definitely on my radar now, a really solid player. Henley also plays with clear confidence and aggression that he’s the best player on the field, which may stem from his days as a wide receiver. That also helps him in coverage, where he can stick with running backs if need be and has shown the ability to make a play on the ball. He could be a true three-down player at the next level. 

Cyrus O’Torrence, IOL Florida 

The Giants can use some help in the interior of their offensive line, and there are a few prospects in Mobile who could be of interest. Torrence would likely need to be the selection at 25th overall, but it’s also not a given that he drops that far. He’s been impressed as both a run blocker and in pass blocker in Senior Bowl practices and is a massive human at 6’5″ 337 pounds. As one would assume, he has tremendous strength and has stonewalled pretty much every bull rusher attempt. He may not be able to pull as well as smaller guards, but he is built for power blocking. 

O’Cyrus Torrence is too strong out here at the Senior Bowl! The @GatorsFB OG has been dominant today in 1-on-1 drills 💪 pic.twitter.com/s3Wtk01IBt

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) February 1, 2023

John Michael Schmitz, IOL Minnesota 

Potentially one of the top centers in the draft, Schmitz has emerged as the top center at the Senior Bowl by quite a bit. During his career at Minnesota, he allowed just one sack over nearly 2,500 career snaps. He is another interior blocker with tremendous strength and the ability to anchor and utilize his short-area quickness to beat smaller defenders as well. He possesses a clear combination of power, balance, and football intelligence which have led to his success thus far. 

Cody Mauch, IOL North Dakota State

Mauch has a lot of fans online because how can you not love a guy whose bio photograph looks like this? However, the former tight end as a freshman in playing himself into the first-round conversation. While he was an offensive tackle at North Dakota State, he has looked good at both guard and center in Senior Bowl practices. He has impressive quickness for his size and plays with a violent streak. He’s been one of the real stars of these early practices. 

Former #NDSU Al-American Cody Mauch was all over NFL Network today. A montage of his highlights, including some work at center: pic.twitter.com/CTinb437PM

— Dom Izzo (@DomIzzoWDAY) February 1, 2023

Will McDonald IV, EDGE Iowa State

McDonald is another player that has likely earned himself a lot of money this week. He’s lined up both as an edge rusher and dropped into coverage, and he’s excelled at both. He is incredibly quick and has the long arms to keep blockers off of him. He can also chase down running backs with seeming ease and has shown a pretty solid array of pass-rush moves during practices. His ability to bend around the edge and the versatility to drop into coverage make him a unique weapon for the next level. 

Kyu Blu Kelly, CB Stanford

Kelly has been everywhere in drills in Mobile, intercepting multiple passes throughout practices and breaking up even more. He’s shown the ability to play in the flat in zone coverage and also go toe-to-toe in man. As the son for a former NFL player, he plays with solid instincts and clearly can go make a play on the ball. He also has a clear aggression and ability in himself that teams like the Giants will love: “I just went in there and ripped it out. When I get a chance, I will make a play.”

Riley Moss, CB Iowa

Lastly, we’ll end with Riley Moss, who I’ve covered a few times before. Moss registered as the fastest defensive back at the Senior Bowl, which should quiet the concerns about his need to move to safety. At Iowa, Moss had 11 interceptions, 37 passes defended, and three defensive touchdowns over his career and has good size at 6’0″ 192 pounds. He is versatile enough to play in a variety of coverages and smart enough to limit his mistakes, so the only real knock on him has been his health concerns while at Iowa.

For more NFL Draft coverage, like this Senior Bowl article, visit amNY Sports