The Senior Bowl is in the books after a dramatic last-gasp win for the American Team on Saturday.
For evaluation purposes, the practices are the main event, and the San Francisco 49ers should have been able to glean plenty from what they saw on both sides of the ball.
Which players likely caught their attention on the offensive side? Here we look at five prospects who should be on their radar after the week in Mobile.
Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
Unquestionably the best tight end during the week of practice, Arroyo demonstrated route-running prowess, impressive athletic ability going downfield and, perhaps most importantly from a 49ers perspective, a willingness to do the dirty work in open-field blocking.
Tight end is not a primary need for San Francisco, but the 49ers’ offense would have useful additional flexibility if they had a second tight end behind George Kittle who defenses had to respect as both a receiver and a blocker. This week provided some positive signs Arroyo could fit the bill.
Josh Conerly Jr, OT, Oregon
Conerly was on the receiving end of one the highlights of the week when he was decleated by a bull rush from Marshall edge rusher Mike Green.
However, he was voted top offensive lineman by the National Team defensive linemen and linebackers and, more pertinently for the 49ers, looked comfortable when asked to shift to the right tackle spot having played his entire career at Oregon on the left.
For a 49ers team that will eventually need a successor to Trent Williams at left tackle but likely won’t want to spend a high pick on a linemen they don’t believe can start right away, Conerly looking perfectly at home on the right is a big deal and should keep him in the mix to be a San Francisco draft pick.
Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
Clearly the top lineman on show in Mobile, Zabel should be very high up the 49ers’ list of options to improve their offensive line, which has a looming hole at left guard and would benefit from an improvement at center.
Zabel has played every position on the O-Line in his career and, regardless of whether he was aligned at guard or center, dominated essentially every pass protection rep he took in practice this week.
Also displaying an ability to climb to the second level in a hurry, Zabel projects as an outstanding fit for the 49ers with his talents in pass protection and physical traits that should translate well to a rushing attack built heavily around zone blocking.
Emery Jones, OT, LSU
While Conerly could be in play for the 49ers as a starting right tackle, Jones would be a plug-and-play option who has vast experience playing that position in the SEC.
The polish Jones has a result of his 37 starts for LSU was apparent throughout the week in Mobile as he displayed tremendous composure in putting together a string of strong practices.
Jones’ calm is complemented by a mean streak that was also evident in his play during one-on-ones, with his three successive reps against Barryn Sorrell during the compete period on day two two serving as a highlight for the entire week. John Lynch watched those duels at close quarters and it would be no surprise if the Niners decide Jones is the man to threaten to take the starting right tackle job from Colton McKivitz.
Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan
You should never rule out Kyle Shanahan taking a running back, even after trading up for Isaac Guerendo last year.
But backs typically struggle to get on the field for Shanahan if they cannot make an impact in the passing game either as a receiver or through pass protection.
Edwards, a home-run hitter who excelled at ripping off big gains during a fine career with the Wolverines, demonstrated his receiving upside by consistently and emphatically winning his one-on-ones against linebackers.
The advantage in such drills is considerably tilted towards the pass-catcher, but Edwards complemented his success in overcoming coverage by holding up very well in pass protection.
There’s a case to be made that Edwards is too similar of a back to Guerendo for the 49ers to consider taking him. However, with the all-round skill set he possesses, Edwards would be a strong fit to join a 49er backfield featuring two players (Elijah Mitchell and Patrick Taylor Jr.) who are unrestricted free agents this year.