Good Morning Faithful,
Here are the top 49ers headlines for Thursday, January 28.
New and Notable
10 Players to Watch at the 2021 Senior Bowl
Talent evaluators from all 32 teams have descended upon Mobile, Ala. for the post-season college football all-star game featuring some of the top talent primed for the NFL Draft. This year's Senior Bowl takes on more importance with the changes and challenges to collegiate scouting due to the effects of COVID-19.
In each of the past two drafts, the Senior Bowl has produced 93 total draft picks, including 40 in the first three rounds. The 186 total players represent 37 percent of the past two draft classes, including 49ers like Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw, Brandon Aiyuk and Javon Kinlaw.
In preparation for Saturday's game, here are 10 prospects to keep an eye out on.
What the 2020 Senior Bowl Told Us About the 2021 NFL Season
Pro Football Focus looked back at the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl to see if any standout performances offered a glimpse into the future for the incoming rookies, including future 49ers first-round pick Javon Kinlaw. Here's what the analytics site had to say about Kinlaw's Senior Bowl performance:
"First-round pick Javon Kinlaw won 57% of his reps at the Senior Bowl, 12th-highest during the practices. He started for the San Francisco 49ers and looked good at times as a pass-rusher, recording a win percentage over 10% in five games and ending the season with 19 total pressures."
Quick Hits
Curious about all the NFL candidates heading into the Senior Bowl, combine and draft? Check out Pro Football Focus' NFL Draft Big Board for three-year player grades, combine measurables, position rankings and in-depth player analysis for all of the top draft prospects.
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Following the second day of the Senior Bowl practices, NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah reviewed five players who stood out from the rest.
