It was the first day of practice from Mobile. As such, the players were not in full pads and therefore a lot of guys that stood out were more the skill players. They had more of a chance to show off what they could do with limited contact allowed. Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor and his South team were up first, following by Lions Head Coach Matt Patricia and the North team later on in the afternoon.
Here are a few guys that stood out from each.
South Team
QB Justin Herbert, Oregon – Herbert has been touted as maybe the most talented quarterback here in Mobile and I wouldn't argue with you otherwise. He had a couple of beautiful deep balls down the sideline, showing off his arm strength. Overall, he looked comfortable and decisive when going through his progressions.
CB Darnay Holmes, UCLA – He had a super physical tackle in team drills where he knocked the ball out the instant it hit the receiver's hands. It was perfectly timed by Holmes. His teammates hyped him up following the play and you can bet those in the stands watching took notice.
RB Eno Benjamin, ASU – There may be a slight bit of bias involved here, but not much more than that. Benjamin is a guy that's hard to bring down. He'd routinely bounce off or barrel through first contact throughout practice. He always keeps his feet moving too, which is a plus.
RB Lamichal Perine, Florida – Another running back who impressed that I'm sure many Bucs fans will know is the Florida product. With the help of a fullback and a couple great blocks by the offensive line, Perine took full advantage in team drills, escaping up the middle for a huge gain.
LB Anfernee Jennings, Alabama – I'm a little confused to who this guy is and where his best fit would be but Jennings did well in coverage, sticking with his man all the way down the field.
North Team
S Jalen Elliott, Notre Dame – He looked like he was having a ball out there. In between plays he was dancing and getting his teammates hyped up. Both Elliott and teammate Alohi Gilman (also a safety) really flashed in the first practice of the week.
QB Jordan Love, Utah State – Love looked the most comfortable of any quarterback on the North team. If you're looking well, for looks, Love has them. He also has the skill though. He threw a beautiful pass to wide receiver James Proche from SMU, who caught it on the run without breaking stride for a big gain in seven-on-seven drills. Proche absolutely snatched it out of the air.
CB Michael Ojemudia, Iowa – He had a good pass breakup in the same seven on seven drills and looked super physical on each guy he lined up with. Later in practice during team drills, Ojemudia almost had a pick. It was just out of his reach, but he showed some good ball awareness while still covering his man.
RB Darius Anderson, TCU – He showed off his quickness in the North's first practice. He had a great run where he cut to the outside and scurried up the sideline that had a lot of scouts in the crowd taking notice.
RB Jamycal Hasty, Baylor – This guy fought through traffic all day. He's definitely a bowling ball of a running back, barreling through defenders and showing off his physicality between the tackles.
OL Josh Jones, Houston – He looks every bit the part of an NFL tackle, standing 6'7, 310 pounds. He had solid reps of the ones I saw in practice during one-on-ones. Seems to stand his ground well and fend off defenders.
OL Charlie Heck, UNC – We talked about Heck last week at the East-West Shrine Bowl. His performance was good enough to earn him an invite to the Senior Bowl this week, too. He noticed the competition is elevated, just from the first day of practice, but he comes from an offensive line pedigree and has been holding his own. Exhibit A below.
