Best of Day 1 at the Senior Bowl: Which draft prospects turned the most heads on Tuesday?

Tuesday was the first of three days of Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Alabama, with more than 100 top prospects working out in front of coaches, scouts and personnel from all 32 NFL teams.

The Senior Bowl is an invite-only showcase of upperclassmen prospects and an important step toward forming a plan for the 2026 NFL draft. You can check out practice coverage Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN App, and then at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU/ESPN App. Thursday's practices will air at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU/ESPN App, and then at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNNews. (There will be a re-airing on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. ET.) The Senior Bowl game kicks off on Saturday in Mobile (2:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network).

NFL draft analysts Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates are on hand. What are the biggest takeaways from Tuesday's session? Which quarterbacks made a move up the board, and who else stood out? We answered these questions off each practice and sized up how some of the top names in college football fared. (Reid also gave his assessment of Shrine Bowl practices late last week.)

Let's take a look at Tuesday's action.

Jump to:
Day 1: Takeaway | QBs | Risers | Notes
Shrine Bowl observations

Tuesday's biggest takeaway

The defensive line class stood out on Day 1. With many of the perceived top players at the position not participating in the Senior Bowl -- only two players (Zion Young, Lee Hunter) in my overall my top 32 are here -- there's an opportunity for risers to and increase their draft stock, as there are fewer elite prospects to distract scouts. That's the case for this deep group of defensive linemen.

On Tuesday, Young, Hunter, Caleb Banks (Florida) and T.J. Parker (Clemson) all looked like top-40 players in a class with average talent. But the 2026 class is lacking overall, which could put that foursome closer to the overall top 25 given their standout play in the first practice session. Hunter was the best player I saw on the field throughout two practices (more on that later), but Parker and Young both won consistently with power and length while using speed to close on the ball in team sessions. And Banks, who is returning from a season-ending foot injury, was as impactful as expected. You're going to hear a lot about this defensive line class in the next three months. Tuesday was a great introduction of it. -- Miller

Tuesday's best quarterback performance

Tuesday's top performance belonged to Cole Payton (North Dakota State). The lefty passer had two of the most impressive throws of the day, the best coming off a bootleg on a deep ball to Caleb Douglas (Texas Tech). Having played in under-center at North Dakota State, Payton looked comfortable taking snaps and making throws from multiple pre-snap platforms. Even though he has a bit of an elongated and loopy throwing motion, it didn't have a negative effect on his timing.

Payton displayed his accuracy and mobility in multiple sessions. Payton suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand during the Bison's loss in the FCS playoffs. He showed no signs of that injury. Payton carries grades as early as Round 4, as he's a big athlete that some teams have mentioned as a project worth selecting on Day 3. -- Reid

Day 1 standout prospects

Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

All eyes were on Hood, my top-ranked player at the Senior Bowl, and he stepped up Tuesday. He showed patience and confidence in one-on-one settings, turning and running with opposing receivers with ease while not being beaten once. The 5-foot-11, 188-pound junior was my No. 18-ranked player entering the week and solidified his status as the best player in Mobile throughout position drills and team settings. The Buccaneers, Jets and Lions all look like strong landing spots for him in the middle of Round 1. -- Miller

Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech

I'm always looking for that "wow" first impression at all-star games and Hunter delivered it during team drills Tuesday. Lining up as a 1-technique, Hunter absolutely demolished an interior offensive lineman with his first-step power, rocking back the blocker's shoulders and easily gaining ground. That backs up what we saw on tape during Texas Tech's run to the CFP this season. The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Hunter currently ranks No. 29 on my board and boosted his stock even more on Tuesday. -- Miller

Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State

Given that he played at a small school, this week provides a unique opportunity for Hurst. The lengthy wideout (6-foot-3, 207 pounds) made one of the better highlights of the day with a one-handed sideline grab. Hurst's fluidity for a player of his size has scouts intrigued, as he's a natural run-after-catch player, too. Wit a strong pre-draft process, Hurst could move up into the third round from his current stock, which I view as early on Day 3. -- Yates

T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson

Viewed as one of the nation's top defenders entering the season, Parker didn't have the season many envisioned, with his sack total falling from 11 in 2024 to five last season. Parker took a positive step towards reviving his draft stock on the first day of practice Tuesday, as the 6-foot-3, 265-pounder displayed lots of power in his hands. That strength was present throughout multiple periods of practice. Scouts view Parker as a top-40 prospect who could sneak into the back end of Round 1. -- Reid

Keylan Rutledge, IOL, Georgia Tech

After playing guard exclusively during his career at Georgia Tech, the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Rutledge took snaps at center throughout practice on Tuesday. Rutledge showed comfort with snapping the ball and that he can play any spot along the interior, answering one of the biggest questions scouts had about him entering the Senior Bowl. -- Reid

Quick-hitters from Day 1

Miller:

• Offensive linemen usually start Senior Bowl week slowly while defensive linemen explode onto the scene with speed and power. It's best to allow offensive linemen to settle in, and that's what happened with Beau Stephens (Iowa). The guard prospect had a rough rep against Hunter early before settling down and winning with leverage and power against Zane Durant (Penn State) and others in one-on-ones. Stephens is Day 3 prospect but showed impressive poise Tuesday.

• Speaking of Durant, I must single him out for his Day 1 performance. The 6-foot-1, 290-pound defensive tackle won consistently at 3-technique with quickness and leverage throughout the practice against a good group of interior linemen. Durant currently sits as an early Day 3 player on my board but looked more like a top-100 prospect in his initial practice.

Reid:

• Edge rusher Nadame Tucker (Western Michigan) caught my eye multiple times on Tuesday. Opportunities like this are important for small-school prospects because they present major tests against high-level competition. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Tucker entered the week as one of the event's lesser-known names but opened many eyes during the first day of practice. He could interest teams looking for a midround pass rusher.

• Wide receiver Malachi Fields (Notre Dame) was the best offensive player on the American team on Day 1. Officially measuring at 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, Fields used his frame well. He was challenged multiple times at the line of scrimmage during one-on-ones against the corners. His physicality showed up, and he successfully was able to fight through jam attempts prior to making strong catches. Fields carries a mixture of mid-to-late Day 2 grades as a prospect who continues to trend upward.

• Wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. (Missouri) quietly had a strong first day. A well-traveled prospect, he started his career at Jackson State (2022) before transferring to Louisville (2023) and Mississippi State (2024) before landing at Missouri. Coleman is a smooth route runner who spent time on the outside and in the slot during practice. He also looked comfortable fielding punts on a chilly and windy day. In speaking to scouts, Coleman primarily viewed as an early-to-mid Day 3 prospect, which is where I also have him currently graded.

Yates:

• Edge rusher Zion Young (Missouri) brought ferocious energy to the one-on-ones, as he showed the power that made him a great college player. Young wins with knock-back power and length as a rusher, which he utilized to land an offensive tackle on his back in a 1-on-1 rep. I believe Young will go early in Round 2.

• Gennings Dunker is the next in a long line of talented Iowa offensive linemen and I liked what I saw from him in pass protection on Tuesday. Dunker showed good lateral agility and the length to ward off edge rushers, plus a toughness and finish on his reps (as well as an off-the-charts mullet). He's another Day 2 prospect for me.

Shrine Bowl observations

I spent three days at the Shrine Bowl last week and the talent didn't disappoint. Cornerback Avery Smith (Toledo) was the week's biggest winner. He had no problem with the bump in competition, showing that he was capable of playing press man and in zone coverage. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Smith was the prospect scouts were buzzing about the most and might have played his way into the top 100.

Offensive lineman Brian Parker II (Duke) also stood out. After spending last season at left tackle, the 6-foot-5, 300-pound Parker played center at Shrine Bowl practices, showing strong hands and a balanced base. He was viewed as a Day 3 prospect entering the event but boosted his stock and could go as early as Round 3.

On the quarterback front, Cade Klubnik (Clemson) recovered from a subpar Day 1 and had a strong final two days of practice. A streaky thrower, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Klubnik had multiple excellent throws during the team portions of practice. He showed plenty of emotion after each impressive throw and certainly helped his stock. Opinions remained mixed on where Klubnik will go. Some scouts had third-round grades on him, but there were others who saw him as a mid-Day 3 passer. -- Reid