MOBILE, Ala. -- With Panini Senior Bowl practices getting underway on Tuesday, 100-plus prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft are in the midst of a crucial job interview. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein and Eric Edholm provide a look at standouts from Day 1, as well as news and notes from the day's events.
Tune in for live coverage of Senior Bowl practice Wednesday and Thursday beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network and NFL+, and don't miss exclusive coverage Saturday of the Senior Bowl game at 2:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network and NFL+.
Five stars from Day 1 of Senior Bowl practice
Measuring 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, Fields is the most physically imposing wideout at the Senior Bowl. While he didn’t make highlight-reel catches on Tuesday (his American Team teammate Ted Hurst took care of that; more on him later), Fields did show off his ability to stack corners on vertical routes and body them out of contention on short/intermediate catches. He used his wide catch radius to pull in off-target throws, as well.
Fields is a boundary bully who struggles to uncover against tight man coverage. He needs a more limited route tree with fewer breaks and bends, but once he gets top positioning, he’s hard to beat. I’d like to see him continue to show he can make up for a lack of separation with contested catch wins in practice.
At a hair under 6-foot and just 224 pounds, Louis isn't built like the typical NFL linebacker. He operates as more of a nickel linebacker hybrid, taking downhill shots to make trouble for offenses as both a blitzer and gap-shooter.
His skills in coverage set him apart, though. In one-on-one drills against running backs, Louis basically ran the option route for the runner and nabbed the quarterback's pass with his quick hands. He was tight in coverage throughout that portion of the practice, showing why he should be a rising prospect in this draft.
Moore steamrolled Miami OT Markel Bell with a well-leveraged bull rush during the American Team practice. He flashed again as a run defender, using his length and play strength during a scrimmage.
Moore has average size, but he’s a momentum-based pass rusher who gets into tackles first with a long-arm move that loosens the tackle’s anchor and collapses the edge. He needs to play every snap with consistent urgency, but Tuesday’s practice was a good reminder of what he’s capable of in both phases.
There are some lingering concerns about Parker’s decline in production in 2025, but Tuesday’s practice was a win for the Clemson edge rusher. He unleashed his patented long-arm bull-rush move, which lifted Maryland’s Alan Herron off his feet. Parker also won a rush rep with a good inside counter that took him straight into the pocket.
Parker’s power rush is a known commodity. However, teams will want to see more diversity in his rush approach. It will be interesting to see if Parker adds a wrinkle to his rush in the days ahead after setting the tone on Tuesday with his bona fide power move.
Roush is the prototypical “Y” tight end with the big, well-defined frame of a five-year NFL veteran. His arms measured much shorter than expected (31 inches), but that didn’t keep him from doing his job as a run blocker in the practice reps I saw on Tuesday. He showed off good hand placement and consistent strain that will catch the eyes of evaluators when they watch the tape.
Roush can handle possession throws and zone-beaters underneath, but he’s not going to light up stat columns. He’s the best pure drive blocker among tight ends in this year’s draft, though. He needs to continue to prove it over the rest of the week to solidify his standing as a middle-round pick.
Four Senior Bowl takeaways from Tuesday
1) Strong start for Heisman runner-up. Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia is one of the bigger names at the Senior Bowl but also one of the shortest quarterback prospects in recent memory after measuring in at 5-9 7/8 and 198 pounds.
But Pavia stood tall with a good Day 1, even with a fumbled snap, delivering an impressive downfield strike to Baylor WR Josh Cameron.
After practice, he delivered a few memorable quotes during an interview with NFL Network. Asked who he modeled his game after, Pavia mentioned Johnny Manziel, while adding that Pavia meant Manziel's on-field work in college.
Pavia also mentioned looking up to Baker Mayfield, saying, "He ain't scared of s---, that's like who I am."
Pavia made waves with controversial comments after finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting to Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, and it appears he's still throwing verbal haymakers in his quest to make it in the NFL.
2) Sleeper WR makes play of the day. The highlight of Tuesday might have been a one-handed catch from Georgia State WR Ted Hurst. Lined up against Arkansas' Julian Neal, the 6-3, 207-pound Hurst stacked Neal then decelerated in the end zone to adjust to LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier's pass, snagging it with one hand.
Hurst said he told Jets coach Junior Taylor, who's working with the American Team receivers, that he wanted to run a 9-route in practice, and he rewarded Taylor's faith with a terrific grab.
"I wanted to get a good release, push it vertical and I feel like when the ball is in the air, when they call it a 50-50 ball, it's actually my ball," Hurst said. "I want to prove here I can be a deep threat, just like I was (in college)."
After two years at Valdosta State, Hurst moved to Georgia State and caught 127 passes for 1,967 yards and 15 TDs the past two seasons, passing up the chance to accept a NIL deal at one of the bigger schools that came calling for him after his breakout 2024 campaign.
Hurst doesn't regret his decision to stay with the Panthers and said he helped him earn a Senior Bowl invitation.
"Being surrounded by great people who had my best interest in mind," Hurst said. "They didn't always tell me what I wanted to hear, but it was what I needed to hear. That made me a better player."
3) Draft's CB1 emerging? Tennessee CB Colton Hood is one of the highest-rated prospects at this year's Senior Bowl, ranked as NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah's No. 16 overall prospect. And Hood was asked to prove it at the end of Tuesday's National Team practice.
The session ended with three one-on-one reps between pass catchers and defenders. Hood was tabbed to cover SMU WR Jordan Hudson, and the Vols corner stuck with Hudson step for step, located the fade pass over his inside shoulder and knocked the ball away -- a win for the defense. The offense won the next two reps, but Hood stood tall in his opportunity.
"I already knew I was gonna win beforehand, you know?" Hood told me. "I just knew I had to get my mind right, locked back in, because I know if I didn't win the first one, I wasn't gonna get a next one."
The 5-11 3/4, 188-pound Hood described his first practice here as "some good, some bad," losing a few one-on-one reps earlier in practice but also getting his hands on two passes during full-team work.
Asked what he thinks he most needs to prove to ensure a first-round landing spot -- Jeremiah has him going 12th to the Cowboys in his mock draft 1.0 -- Hood said he has to answer questions about his long speed and ability to recover, as well as experience, having shifted from Auburn to Colorado to Tennessee in his three college seasons.
"Not having as much film as a lot of the other guys," Hood said. "So that's why I came here, to get to showcase my talents in front of, you know, everybody."
Hood turns 21 years old on Feb. 23, which overlaps with the start of the NFL Scouting Combine.
"Gonna be a business trip, I guess," Hood said with a smile.
4) Young backing up the talk. Missouri edge rusher Zion Young said after Day 1 of the American Team practice that he was still knocking off the rust after not putting on pads for a month. His play and his trash talking, it appeared, were in midseason form.
Young had a strong all-around day, especially in one-on-ones, with victories against Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor and Boston College OT Jude Bowry. After beating Iheanachor, Young was more than happy to let the blocker know that he indeed won the rep.
That's nothing new for Young, who earned a reputation as one of college football's best talkers.
"I like to apply pressure, you know what I mean?" Young said when asked about his penchant for talking to opponents. "I'm the defensive side of the ball, just having fun, not worried about anything. It makes me free, and (when I talk) it means I'm just out here having fun flying around."
The 6-foot-5 1/4, 263-pound rusher measured in with 33 1/2-inch arms in Mobile after racking up 22 tackles for loss, nine sacks and two forced fumbles the past two seasons.
