Stock risers at every position from Day 1 of 2026 Senior Bowl practices

The first day of the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl practices took place on Tuesday afternoon at Hancock-Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. As expected, when throwing together this many players from different backgrounds, there were a few speed bumps on Day 1. But some cream rose to the top, too.

Several members from the Las Vegas Raiders' scouting staff, and a few executives as well, were in attendance to watch the entirety of the event. They were treated to standout performances from players of all positions who, in turn, boosted their stock for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Offensive standouts from Day 1 of 2026 Senior Bowl

QB: Cole Payton, NDSU

Payton had a few early miscues as he adjusted to a new center, but he bounced back from every mistake. He looked the best of any quarterback during the scrimmage periods, and Payton uncorked a deep ball to Texas Tech wide receiver Caleb Douglas for one of the plays of the day.

RB: Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas

Washington is as big as he looks on tape, and his speed showed up on Tuesday. Guys aren't tackling people to the ground, but Washington's vision and quickness were on full display. He also made a nice catch coming out of the backfield and immediately turned upfield for more yards.

WR: Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech

Douglas had the aforementioned big play on a pass from Payton, but he stood out in several other ways as well. He's a big and physical receiver who got through press coverage well, has a wide catch radius, and Douglas turned on the burners more than once on Tuesday.

WR: Malachi Fields, Notre Dame

After a bad drop in the drills, Fields recovered to have arguably the best day for the American Team offense. He was constantly open, whether it be shaking defenders for would-be touchdowns on better throws or finding soft spots in the zone. Fields is just massive and kept making plays.

TE: Sam Roush, Stanford

Roush is really smooth for his size, and he has soft hands. He constantly made plays by finding soft spots in the zone, and his fluidity helped him shake free from linebackers. Roush looked faster than those in his group on Tuesday, as he quickly adjusted to the setting. He also blocked incredibly well.

OL: Logan Taylor

I'm not sure if Taylor lost a single rep on Tuesday. Taylor, a versatile offensive line piece, moves incredibly well for his size (over 6-foot-6). He anchored well and showed his power on a number of reps, whether he lined up at tackle or guard.

OT: Gennings Dunker

Dunker is just a maniac on the offensive line, as he plays with such aggression and power. His base is as strong as they come, but he did lose a rep to T.J. Parker. However, so did everyone on Tuesday. Dunker plays with a legitimate mean streak. He really stood out to observers at Hancock-Whitney.

OT: Kage Casey

Casey wasn't perfect on Tuesday, as he got caught lunging on a rep, but he was really the lone offensive lineman who got the better of T.J. Parker at any point. He moves incredibly well for his size and had an impressive pancake block.

OG: Keylan Rutledge

Rutledge had to be hemmed in by the staff for being too physical. That's the kind of player he is. He arrived late to Mobile due to the weather, but Rutledge brought it on every rep. Rutledge had a pancake of his own, and his strength showed up on every play. He should be flying up boards.

C: Sam Hecht, Kansas State

Hecht lost one rep on Tuesday, but he was a brick wall otherwise. He held up firm against Lee Hunter, who was a force, and Hecht showed how solid his base is and how much upper body strength he has on a handful of other plays.

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Defensive standouts from Day 1 of 2026 Senior Bowl

DE/EDGE: Gabe Jacas, Illinois

Jacas looked like he was shot out of a cannon. His bend is incredible, he's relentless, and he dominated Miami offensive tackle Markel Bell. Jacas got in trouble for making contact with the quarterback, but he did get a strip sack, for what it's worth.

DE/EDGE: Derrick Moore, Michigan

Moore had the highlight of the day, also getting the best of Bell, bulldozing him in a one-on-one rep. It was one of those eye-popping bulldozer moments where you just saw a glimpse of a productive NFL pass-rusher.

DE/EDGE: T.J. Parker, Clemson

Parker might've had the highest billing entering the event, and he lived up to it. His long arms were a problem for pretty much every offensive lineman he faced, but even more impressive was that Parker played with such a high motor. He was unstoppable at times, and his teammates fed off that.

DE/EDGE: Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan

Tucker, unlike Parker, didn't enter the week with much hype surrounding his name, especially in a deep class of edge rushers. But he absolutely cooked his offensive line counterpart on a handful of reps, using speed to zoom into the backfield. He should certainly be on more radars after Tuesday.

DT: Lee Hunter, Texas Tech

Hunter is simply massive. While he wasn't perfect and certainly had his share of miscues, he destroyed a few double teams. He also plays with such a high motor, and Hunter proved that he's not just a powerful player, as he showed plenty of pass-rush moves and counters on Tuesday.

DT: Zane Durant, Penn State

Durant might have had the fastest get-off of any defensive lineman on Tuesday. He's so fast and basically just sprinted into the backfield on several occasions. He may need to gain weight to play defensive tackle in the NFL, or he is making a great case to be an edge rusher.

LB: Keyshaun Elliott, Arizona State

Elliott had more juice than anyone on the field during either of Tuesday's practices. He looked smooth in coverage and showed some good ball skills, and he was just incredibly physical against the run. Elliott displayed his high football IQ, and his run fits were seemingly perfect on every play.

LB: Bryce Boettcher, Oregon

Boettcher looked particularly good in space, as he was sticky in coverage and closed fast on running backs in drills. He also mauled Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton in a one-on-one drill where Boettcher was blitzing.

CB: Colton Hood, Tennessee

I didn't watch the defensive backs much, but Hood had a very quiet day, and that is a good thing for a cornerback. His speed is evident, and his technique looks incredibly sound. Hood is one of the best players at the event, and he really got beat on just one route on Tuesday.

SAF: Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina

Again, without an in-depth look at the secondary, Kilgore stood out by making a really nice pass breakup. It's hard to evaluate safeties in a setting like this, but Kilgore never let anyone get behind him, and he looks impressive.

Specialist: Ryan Eckley, P, Michigan State

Eckley absolutely booted the ball on Tuesday. He'll need to refine some of his directional punting, but the leg strength is clearly there for the Big 10 Punter of the Year.