Senior Bowl: Matthew Bergeron and Will McDonald among day 2 standouts

The Senior Bowl continued on day two with the offensive linemen stealing the show which is good news for the Los Angeles Rams. Matthew Bergeron and Cody Mauch both showed off their versatility while a new player entered the fold and showed off his versatility as well. That player being Curtis McClendon.

After a strong first day, Dawand Jones didn’t participate on Wednesday. According to Director Jim Nagy, Jonese hasn’t pulled out of the game and is being evaluated to see if he’s healthy enough to return this week.

If you missed my standouts from Day 1, you can check them out here. Let’s get into the standouts from Day 2!

OT Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse

It would not be surprising in the case that the Rams trade back from 36 for them to take Matthew Bergeron from Syracuse. With the Orange, Bergeron primarily played left tackle. However, there’s a chance teams may want to start him inside at the next level.

That’s not a problem for Bergeron. He moved inside and played left guard on Wednesday and looked really good while doing it. Bergeron was getting to the getting to the second level in the run game. On the play above, he does a nice job picking up a stunt in pass protection. Bergeron has my attention.

iOL Cody Mauch, North Dakota State

On Tuesday, it was nice to see Cody Mauch hold his own against higher level talent than he faced at North Dakota State. To add to that, it was nice to see him transition inside to guard with no real hiccups.

On Wednesday, Mauch took some snaps at center, and again, looked comfortable. As a reminder, he was strictly a left tackle with the Bison. Over the past two days, he’s played left guard and center. That versatility and willingness to play where he’s needed won’t go unnoticed.

iOL McClendon Curtis, Chattanooga

Last year, it was Cole Strange who had a really good Senior Bowl from Chattanooga and worked his way into the first round. On Wednesday, Curtis was the talk of the day. He had plays in the run game like the one below and also looked good in pass protection.

While the play above he’s at left guard, he also took some snaps on the right side and at left tackle. Curtis, like Bergeron and Mauch, showed off his versatility. That’s valuable when it comes to offensive linemen.

TE Payne Durham, Purdue

The Rams need a blocking tight end to pair alongside Tyler Higbee. Look no further than Payne Durham from Purdue. He had some really nice moments blocking in the run game on Wednesday. On the play below, he seals off Isaiah Foskey, one of the top edge rushers in Mobile.

Luke Musgrave got a lot of attention in the receiving game on Wednesday. However, he leaves a lot to be desired as a blocker. It’s clear that Musgrave and Durham are the top tight ends in Mobile. However, Durham looked good as a blocker and is someone to watch.

EDGE Will McDonald IV, Iowa State

Isaiah Foskey is the best edge rusher in Mobile, however, don’t overlook Will McDonald IV. McDonald is an absolute athlete and had a really good second day at the Senior Bowl.

McDonald looked good in team drills, getting a couple of pressures on the quarterbacks. In one-on-ones, as shown in the play above, he also shined. Going up against Tennessee’s Darnell Wright, he showed off his explosiveness and agility with a nice spin move. With his length and athleticism, he’s been a fun player to watch.

CB Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford

I made sure to watch the cornerbacks more closely on Wednesday and it paid off. Kyu Blu Kelly from Stanford had a really good day. He ended up with a pick six in team drills and was constantly jumping routes and getting his hands on balls.

Kelly is someone who plays with a lot of confidence and is very sticky in coverage. He had a really good day two and it will be interesting to see if he can keep the momentum going into the final day of practice.

CB Tyrique Stevenson, Miami

Kelly might have made the most flashy plays on Wednesday. However, my favorite cornerback to watch was Tyrique Stevenson. It’s really easy to see the potential that’s there with him. He’s been one of the fastest players in Mobile, but also plays physical.

On Wednesday, he had some fun battles going up against Princeton’s Andrei Iosivas. He’s going to be a really good player when he puts it all together which makes him an intriguing prospect in the second round.

Honorable Mentions

• DL Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
• CB Sydney Brown, Illinois
• RB Tyjae Sharp, Tulane
• DL Nesta Jade Silvera, Arizona State
• iOL John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota

John Michael Schmitz had another really good day in Mobile. He’s simply not in the players above just because it was worth talking about Curtis McClendon’s day. I continue to be impressed with Schmitz.

On the other side of the ball, Nesta Jade Silvera continues to be a huge disrupter. He’s shown off his power and has lived in the backfield. This is the type of player that you want on the defensive line.