5 Players to Watch in the Senior Bowl

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The Senior Bowl is Saturday, January 30th at 2:30 pm and will air on NFL Network. Here are 5 players the Jaguars could be interested in.

By Jordan de Lugo

PRESENTED BY

Deion Jones
​Deion Jones, the outside linebacker from Louisiana State, had a strong senior season tallying 88 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, and 5 sacks, but prior to his senior season he played in a reserve role. To some this one year wonder is troublesome as he could not earn playing time until his senior season, but others see this as a year to build off of. Regardless of your stance on that matter, he does possess a trait that is simply undeniable — SPEED — Jones runs a 4.5 forty and can absolutely fly to the ball. He is undersized at 6’1’’ and 220 pounds, but he shows fantastic instinct and incredible burst. There is a clear drop off in talent from player like Myles Jack and Jaylon Smith as Jones sometimes gets eaten up by big offensive lineman. But, if Jones is available in round 2 or 3, he could be a target for the Jags. Jones will wear #0 in the Senior Bowl.

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Darian Thompson
Darian Thompson is the clear favorite to be the first safety off the board (if you consider Jalen Ramsey a corner back), but it seems likely that he could last until the second round in which case the Jaguars might jump at the chance to add him to their secondary. Thompson possesses good speed and size. He runs a 4.5 forty, stands at 6’2’’, and weighs in at 216 pounds. While at Boise, Thompson posted a Mountain West career record of 17 interceptions including a senior year in which he recorded 5 interceptions, 63 tackles, and 7.5 tackles for loss en route to being a Jim Thorpe award finalist. Thompson shows good instincts and plays fast. His extreme self confidence can get him into trouble, but overall he is a solid prospect that any team would be happy to add. Thompson will wear #4 in the Senior Bowl.

DeAndre Houston-Carson
​If the Jaguars miss out on Jalen Ramsey and Darian Thompson then DeAndre Houston-Carson would be a great consolation prize. Houston-Carson is a small school prospect out of William and Mary and did what small school prospects must do to be taken seriously — Dominate. Houston-Carson played both cornerback and free safety in college and dominated both positions throughout his four year career racking up 293 tackles, 10 interceptions, and 9 blocked kicks (Yes, 9!!). Standing over 6 feet tall and weighing in at 200 pounds, he has good enough size and with a 4.5 forty, he could become a quality starting safety or cornerback. The biggest criticisms of Houston-Carson is his level of completion and his inability to wrap up. Houston-Carson will wear #36 in the Senior Bowl.

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Shawn Oakman
​Based on appearance alone, one would think Shawn Oakman, the defensive end out of Baylor, would go in the top 10. Standing at 6’8’’ and weighing in at 270 pounds, Oakman is a physical freak. The problem for Oakman is that he has a checkered past and inconsistent play on the field. Oakman tends to get lost after his first move and will always have pad level issues, but he did get in the backfield quite a bit though out his career, recording 17.5 sacks and 46.5 tackles for loss in his career. Oakman will likely be available in round 3 or beyond despite being perhaps the most impressive physical specimen in the draft. If the Jaguars see the potential in Oakman they may snag him in the third or fourth round as a developmental guy. Oakman will wear #2 in the Senior Bowl.

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Noah Spence
​Spence has the talent to go in the top 5 overall, but due to off the field issues, the uber talented pass rusher, could drop out of the first round. Spence started his career at Ohio State, where he recorded 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss as a sophomore, but was kicked out because of failed drug tests. Spence has all the talent in the world, but will have to prove to teams that he can stay out of trouble off the field. Standing at 6’3’’ and weighing in at 254 pounds, Spence has the size and physical tools to be an immediate impact on the next level. With a 4.6 forty and incredible bend and quickness Spence will likely wreak havoc in the NFL for years to come, if he can stay out of trouble. If Spence is available at the end of the first round the Jags might look to move up for him, he is that talented. Spence will wear #97 in the Senior Bowl.

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