The 2018 Senior Bowl is set to take place this Saturday, January 27. This is a great opportunity for NFL teams to get a first-hand look at some of these incoming prospects after receiving NFL coaching.
The North Squad will be coached by the Denver Broncos staff, and the South Squad will be coached by the Houston Texans staff. Both squads have some talented players, which is why I decided to break down each team and share with you some of the prospects who could be of interest to the Dallas Cowboys.
Today, I want to focus on the North Squad, coached by the Denver Broncos. Below are the participants who I will be watching extra closely.
#23 S Armani Watts, Texas A&M (5'11”, 205)
Armani Watts is a 2018 Senior Bowl participant I'm particularly looking forward to watching. He is a born-and-bred Texan, and had quite a career for himself at Texas A&M.
The Dallas Cowboys could be looking to upgrade their safety position, and Watts is a player who could be of interest to them.
He has the physicality to play around the line of scrimmage as a box safety, but also has the range and play-making ability to play deep.
#25 RB Akrum Wadley, Iowa (5'11”, 191)
The Dallas Cowboys will likely look long and hard at this running back draft class to provide some more depth behind Ezekiel Elliott in 2018, which is why Akrum Wadley makes this list of participants to watch at the 2018 Senior Bowl.
Wadley isn't the biggest or fastest RB in the 2018 draft class, but he has an intriguing skill set to make an immediate impact for the NFL team who drafts him.
He's a patient runner with good vision and runs with more power than his size would suggest. He looks natural catching the ball out of the backfield, and he's elusive with the ball in the open field.
#59 DE Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State (6'4″, 265)
With the exception of DeMarcus Lawrence, the Dallas Cowboys really don't have another proven defensive end on the roster. They have the bodies to play the position, but that likely won't keep them from drafting another DE at some point in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Tyquan Lewis was part of an impressive Ohio State defense the last few years, and has played on both the left and right side.
He has the size and power to stand up at the point of attack, and the athleticism and explosiveness to be an effective passer. But, he needs to work on his snap recognition, because sometimes he's the last one out of his stance when the ball is snapped.
#76 OG Will Hernandez, UTEP (6'3″, 330)
Although the Dallas Cowboys arguably have one of the best offensive lines in the entire NFL, they could stand to upgrade the left guard position.
Jonathan Cooper was serviceable in 2017, but he's not the long-term solution.
Will Hernandez is someone who I believe can be a plug-and-play starter for the Cowboys, and probably have a decade-long career in the NFL.
Despite what his size would indicate, I believe he can play in a power or zone blocking scheme. It'll be interesting to see how he stacks up against better competition at the Senior Bowl. Check out my fellow Staff Writer's [Kevin Brady] scouting report and Cowboys fit here.
#81 TE Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin (6'6″, 248)
The Dallas Cowboys might not be as interested in the 2018 tight end draft class as I am, but I'm watching the position closely.
Outside of Jason Witten, I don't like what the Cowboys currently have on the roster at the TE position, and even he's beginning to become a liability.
Troy Fumagalli is probably the most mentally prepared TE in the entire draft class. He's not going to blow teams away with this athleticism, but he is a technician as both a blocker and receiver.
It's unlikely he really stands out at the Senior Bowl, he's just not that kind of player, but he should be able to prove he is arguably the most well-rounded TE in the draft this year.
#84 WR Michael Gallup, Colorado State (6'1″, 200)
The Cowboys could be looking at upgrading the wide receiver position at some point this offseason, which means they will probably focus in on some of these WRs in the 2018 draft class.
One such receiver that fits their typical profile is Michael Gallup.
My fellow Staff Writer Kevin Brady, recently did a write-up on Michael Gallup and his fit with the Cowboys, and I agree with his assessment.
Gallup is a big physical receiver, with strong hands and a large catching radius. He's a good route runner and is fearless on the field.
How he performs in the Senior Bowl could help solidify his draft status as one of the better WRs in this draft class.
#88 TE Mike Gesicki, Penn State (6'6″, 252)
Again, I'm going to be watching this tight end draft class pretty closely because I think the Cowboys need to find their future starter. Mike Gesicki is definitely someone who could be of interest to the Cowboys.
Gesicki is more in line with the move/receiving type tight end that has become so popular in the NFL, but he has been used as an in-line blocker at Penn State.
He will probably show up in the passing game at some point in the Senior Bowl, but I want to see how he handles himself as an in-line blocker. He could really improve his draft stock with a good showing.
