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It's here, it's finally here: the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl.
That's right, while the game may be nothing more than an exhibition and technically isn't even the first post-college All-Star game of the year, what with the East-West Shrine Bowl kicking off a few days earlier in Arlington, Texas, all eyes will inevitably fall on Mobile to help decide on the NFL's next great stars. That's right, even the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, who have a Super Bowl coming in just over a week, will have a heavy presence at the Senior Bowl, with the next Brandon Graham, Bo Nix, or even Jalen Hurts potentially taking the practice field.
NFL Draft fans, this one thing is clear: the Senior Bowl is the start of draft season, and that is a beautiful thing.
Now granted, for big-time draft fans, this game is nothing more than a semantic walkthrough, as the real drama comes at practice, when the stocks of players go up or down based on their individual drills and work in walkthroughs, but what about NFL-only fans who don't actually watch much, if any NCAA football? Which players should those fans keep an eye on in order to be well informed heading into the NFL Draft Combine, when most players will have their draft cards further filled out and either elevated or dinged based on performance-based testing prerequisites?
Well, with over 100 players set to duke it out in Mobile, the task of figuring out who to watch can be daunting, but there are a few players who could see their stock skyrocket by nailing the landing, especially if they continue to make strides over the next few months.
1. Senior Bowl player to watch: Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Heading into the Senior Bowl, there were two players in an echelon of their own competing for the top spot in the 2025 NFL Draft: Shadeur Sanders and Cam Ward.
But who was QB3? While Sanders and Ward earned all of the headlines, someone has to slot in behind the duo, right? Even if they may not have a first-round grade? Well, that would belong to Jaxson Dart, the 21-year-old pass slinger out of Ole Miss who came to Mobile after a fantastic final season with the Rebels.
After beginning his career at USC, Dart turned in three increasingly successful seasons at Ole Miss, capping things off with a 10-3 season where he led the SEC in passing yards at 4,279 and completion percentage at 69.3 on 398 attempts. Arriving in Mobile with a new collection of playmakers to throw to, fans, pundits, and scouts alike were impressed with his poise, effectiveness, and demeanor, with NFL Draft Analyst Todd McShay reporting that some quarterbacks have him as their QB2 on his namesake podcast.
Now granted, that would be one heck of a jump for Dart to go from QB3 to QB2, as that would mean he could come off the board as high as two in a draft without a true top signal-caller, but even on his initial big board, where Dart was placed 41st, Daniel Jeremiah still considered the Ole Miss product a very intriguing prospect with NFL starting traits.
“Dart has slightly below-average height and a thick/sturdy frame. He’s an excellent athlete and was very productive in Lane Kiffin’s offensive system,” Jeremiah wrote for NFL.com. “I love his athleticism and competitiveness as a runner. He can create off-script and execute on designed QB runs. Overall, Dart is still a work in progress, but he possesses starter traits, and his competitiveness will endear him to his teammates.”
With an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl, followed up by quality interviews with NFL personnel, and a grand showing at the NFL Draft, could Dart find himself drafted in the same range as Nix, Michael Penix Jr., and JJ McCarthy last season, going to the New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders who do not have a top-2 pick? Only time will tell, but at this point, his stock is pointing straight up.
Jackson Hawes pass pro pic.twitter.com/vDGCIpsD5f
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 30, 2025
2. Senior Bowl player to watch: Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech
Going from a player who could be running an NFL offense to a player tasked with making him look really good, Jackson Hawes is a player to watch heading into the Senior Bowl who may not come off the board until Day 3 but has the potential to become an instant contributor for his NFL team.
A Yale product who transferred to Georgia Tech, Hawes is a certified blocker who has contributed as much to the Yellow Jackets' run game as he did as a passer, whether utilized as an inline blocker, deployed as a move tight end, or even utilized as a modern-day H-back.
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While Hawes didn't do much as a receiver over his college career, amassing just 51 receptions over 41 games played for 566 yards and six touchdowns, Hawes noted to Texas Wire at the Senior Bowl that he does believe he can contribute in multiple ways at the NFL level.
“I guess the first one that comes to mind is I had like a 41-yard seem-read against Louisville late in the game. We were down; it was like two-minute offense, and I had tweaked my ankle, you know, a couple of plays before and decided to stay into the game,” Hayes told Texans Wire. “I guess, not to be a braggart or anything, but that’s a testament to my toughness and my willingness to compete for my team. And you know, I was out for a couple weeks after that, but I’m glad I stayed in because it gave me the opportunity to show a big play.”
Will Hawes be for every team? No, but if he lands on a team like the Philadelphia Eagles or the Baltimore Ravens, watch out, as he could be the sort of dynamic run-game specialist who sets up huge plays for Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry.
3. Senior Bowl player to watch: Tez Johnson, Oregon
Last but not least, if you run an NFL team that really needs some speed on the outside, few players can match the sheer speed of Eugene's favorite burner, Tez Johnson.
A three-star recruit out of Birmingham, Alabama, Troy began his career at Troy before transferring to Oregon for his final two seasons of college eligibility. While he may be one of the smallest players in the 2025 NFL Draft, standing just 5-foot-9, 156 pounds, his speed, agility, and ball skills made him an instant favorite in Oregon, amassing 169 receptions for 2,080 and 20 touchdowns over his 26 games with the Ducks.
And according to NFL Rookie Warch on social media, Johnson is absolutely blowing up in Mobile, making plays in his home state as a speedy chess piece.
“Tez Johnson has reportedly been “unguardable” and the best WR at the Senior Bowl so far. Johnson has reportedly been cooking DB’s in 1-on-1’s and has been getting open consistently during team periods,” NFL Rookie Watch wrote on social media. “Many NFL scouts reportedly believed Johnson’s game to be a “mix” of Ladd McConkey and Tank Dell before the Senior Bowl. Johnson had his way against Azareye’h Thomas (FSU CB) multiple times, who is a potential first-round CB in this year’s draft. The Oregon WR’s stock is being BOOSTED by the second in Mobile.”
Are there teams who will opt against drafting Johnson because of his size? Yes, especially after watching the similarly sized Tank Dell suffer a brutal injury this season, but you can't teach speed, you can't teach Johnson's awareness, and you can't teach his game-changing abilities. Johnson will be drafted on Day 2, and the other three teams in his future division will be very disappointed by that fact.
Tez Johnson has reportedly been “unguardable” and the best WR at the Senior Bowl so far.
Johnson has reportedly been cooking DB’s in 1-on-1’s and has been getting open consistently during team periods.
Many NFL scouts reportedly believed Johnson’s game to be a “mix” of Ladd… pic.twitter.com/y08WCjaHF9
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) January 28, 2025
