The Senior Bowl has wrapped up in Mobile, and with the NFL Combine just a few weeks away, teams like the New Orleans Saints are deep into the evaluation process, reshaping draft boards and rethinking priorities. While plenty of prospects boosted their stock with strong performances, not everyone left Alabama on a high note.
Let’s take a closer look at four players whose stock took a hit during Senior Bowl week. It’s important to remember: the draft process is far from over.
The Combine, pro days, and team visits still offer plenty of chances for these players to rebound. But for now, these are the names that left scouts with more questions than answers.
Jude Bowry, OT, Boston College
There’s no sugarcoating it-Jude Bowry had a rough week.
In a setting designed to showcase one-on-one matchups, Bowry struggled to keep pace with the edge rushers in Mobile. The practices exposed his limitations in pass protection, particularly when isolated against speed and finesse.
And when the game rolled around, things didn’t get much better.
Bowry has the frame and physicality to play in the NFL, but his foot speed and hand placement weren’t up to par against the kind of athletic edge defenders he’ll face every Sunday. The takeaway?
Teams may need to project him inside. A move to guard could give Bowry a better chance to maximize his power and limit the exposure to quicker pass rushers off the edge.
He’ll still be on draft boards, but his path to starting at tackle just got a lot murkier.
Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, USC
Ja’Kobi Lane came into the Senior Bowl with top-10 receiver buzz in some circles, but his week in Mobile didn’t support that kind of hype. The athleticism is there-he’s got the size and straight-line speed that make scouts take notice-but the concerns about his ability to separate showed up in a big way.
Lane struggled to create space in drills and didn’t make much of an impact during the game. In a week where other receivers were turning heads and climbing boards, Lane was largely a non-factor. He’s still intriguing as a developmental option-there’s enough raw talent to keep teams interested-but he’s now looking more like a Day 3 pick than a Day 2 lock.
Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State
This one’s tough.
Nicholas Singleton came into the week with something to prove after a down year at Penn State, and the Senior Bowl was supposed to be his chance to remind scouts of his upside. Unfortunately, a broken foot cut that opportunity short.
Singleton didn’t get the chance to show much before the injury, and now he’s likely out for the Combine as well. That’s a big blow for a running back who needed to reestablish his value. He’s still a talented player with a strong college résumé, but durability concerns and missed evaluation windows could push him into the late rounds come April.
Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt
Diego Pavia’s Senior Bowl week started with a number that raised eyebrows: 5’9 ⅞”, 198 pounds. That’s extremely undersized for a quarterback at the NFL level, and while Pavia didn’t perform poorly during practices or the game, the measurables alone cast serious doubt on his long-term future under center.
He showed flashes of athleticism and competitiveness, but NFL decision-makers are going to question whether his frame can hold up in a league that’s bigger, faster, and more punishing than ever. A position switch might be the best path forward-tight end or even fullback could allow Pavia to leverage his toughness and mobility in a different role. It’s not the outcome he hoped for, but it might be the one that gives him the best shot at sticking on a roster.
Final Thoughts
The Senior Bowl is just one piece of the pre-draft puzzle, but it’s a critical one.
For these four players, the week didn’t go as planned. Whether it was due to performance, injury, or physical limitations, their paths to the NFL just got a little more complicated.
But the journey’s not over. The Combine and pro days still offer chances to rebound, and all it takes is one team to believe in the upside.
For now, though, these are names to watch as the draft process unfolds-with more to prove and a little less margin for error.