Every chance to impress someone matters. Even though the College Football Playoff has taken a toll on the rest of the college football postseason, including the Senior Bowl, that does not mean the glorified exhibition down in Mobile, Alabama is no longer important. In fact, it is quite the contrary... This year, Georgia is sending three guys to Mobile: Daylen Everette, Beau Gardner and Brett Thorson.
Although two of the three Senior Bowl attendees from the Georgia ranks are specialists, it is all about one thing upon going there: Improving one's draft stock. Everette may firmly be a day-two prospect in the secondary, but he could get himself into the second-round territory with a tremendous week in Mobile. As for Gardner and Thorson, it is all about getting drafted as a long snapper and as a punter...
One thing that is very important to understand here is players who attend the Senior Bowl are almost locks to be drafted. Something like 99 percent of all attendees end up hearing their names called. Everette is a lock to do so. One could argue Thorson is about as close to a lock of getting drafted as well. Although Gardner was phenomenal in his role at Georgia, long snappers are rarely drafted now...
What else about the Senior Bowl should prospective draftees like the Georgia guys be excited about?
3 former Georgia Bulldogs stars are on their way to the Senior Bowl
What is very important to understand is every NFL team will have coaches and front-office executives in attendance for this game. Yes, teams who have coaches doing the heavy-lifting and leading these young men in this game may have the leg up over the competition. They are effectively getting a week to see how well these prospects take to coaching. If any are available, they get picked!
As for franchises who do not have as much skin in the game when it comes to coaching these players up, they can evaluate them from a distance. They can see first-hand how well they respond to new coaching and how quickly they can come together on an entirely new team and whatnot. It is all about adaptability at the next level. These players were chosen for the game for a reason. They are coveted.
Overall, as long as Everette plays like he can, he should be a day-two pick. Assuming Gardner and Thorson get to work in tandem again in Mobile, that should help both draft prospects hear their names called in the first seven rounds. Special teams can win and lose games at the next level. Some teams did not make the playoffs or lost in them because of lackluster special teams play this season.
May Everette, Gardner, and Thorson achieve everything they were hoping for out of the Senior Bowl!