10 prospects to know from Senior Bowl week

Who stood out during the Senior Bowl that might have caught the Carolina Panthers eye?

The Carolina Panthers have a lot of holes to fill and have 9 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft to help fill them. While they won’t make any selections until April, the Senior Bowl acts as the unofficial kick-off of draft season, so Dan Morgan and Dave Canales made their way to Mobile, Alabama to get eyes on all the potential Panthers taking the field this week.

Here are 10 players that might have caught their attention:

Mike Green, Edge, Marshall

While he may be a bit undersized by traditional standards, at 6’3 and 251lbs, Green has the explosiveness and production that more than makes up for it. Green’s 17 sacks this season led the FBS but the strength of competition was a question heading into the Senior Bowl. Green only needed two practices to prove he was legit and decided to withdraw from the rest of the week. Keep an eye on Green as a potential option for the 8th overall pick.

Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M

With an elite size/athleticism combination, the knock on Stewart is his limited production during his time at Texas A&M – he only had 6 sacks in 3 years. If he wanted to boost his draft stock he needed to have an outstanding Senior Bowl – and that’s what he did. Like Green, Stewart only needed a couple practices to prove he could be a top prospect in this draft class.

David Walker, Edge, Central Arkansas

An edge rusher from a small school and on the smaller side at just 6’0 and 267lbs, Walker had to have a productive week in both practice and the Senior Bowl game itself to prove to NFL staff in attendance his 37 sacks in college weren’t a fluke. For all intents and purposes, it looks like a mission accomplished for Walker, who consistently had standout plays during the week. Walker could be a target on Day 2 or even Day 3 of the NFL draft depending on how the rest of the loaded Edge class goes off the board in April.

Darius Alexander, IDL, Toledo

Alexander didn’t enter the week as a top name to watch for most, but when the dust settled he was named the top DL during practice on the National squad. The 6’3, 304lb lineman with 34 inch arms made a splash that almost certainly boosted his draft stock. Before this week, Alexander might have been a safe target for the Panthers 2nd round pick but now he may not even last that long. Time will tell, but Alexander is surely one to watch going forward.

Sai’vion Jones, Edge, LSU

Jones was listed as an Edge but his 6’5, 289lb frame and athleticism gives him some versatility to move around the line. Jones made a handful of big plays during the game and held his own during practice. While Jones is currently ranked 157 on the consensus big board, this week might push him much higher. Still, the Panthers could find a gem late Day 2 or early Day 3 of the draft if Jones is still on the board.

Cody Lindenberg, LB, Minnesota

The Panthers shuffled through near double digit inside linebackers last season while they struggled to fill the gap left by Shaq Thompson’s injury. Lindenberg has prototypical size for a linebacker at 6’2, 240lbs and showed some strong flashes in coverage due to good instincts and top-tier speed for a LB. Not a perfect prospect, but he may be a player you can swing for on Day 3 that more than returns that value.

Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State

Thomas excelled in press coverage during the Senior Bowl practices which does not typically have it’s players dropping into zones like the Panthers frequently asked of their DBs last year. Still, the Panthers may fall in love with Thomas’ frame and attitude and look to scoop up the 6’1, 191lb corner in the second round, if available.

Mason Taylor, TE, LSU

Son of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, the LSU tight end may not have dazzled attendees by creating massive amounts of separation, but he still looked fluid and showed some of the best ball skills of any pass catcher at Mobile. With prototypical size for a tight end at 6’4 and 250lbs, the Panthers could be targeting Taylor with their 3rd round pick or later to replenish the cupboard at tight end, especially if Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble leave in free agency.

Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon

First things first, the Oregon wideout is undersized. As in, he measured in as 5’9 and 156lbs – one of the smallest wide receivers to attend the Senior Bowl, ever. Johnson still put on a show and looked uncoverable at times during the week which was reminiscent of Tank Dell’s performance a couple years earlier. While you would think that his size would disqualify him from the Panthers sights, Morgan and Canales were both around the Seahawks when they targeted undersized receivers Tyler Lockett and Paul Richardson on Day 2 – so I wouldn’t be quick to rule Johnson out.

Jack Bech, WR, TCU

Bech may have been the story of the Senior Bowl for his performance but also due to the sudden and tragic loss of his brother in the New Orleans tragedy just over a month ago. He was the main wide receiver standout during the practice and he followed it up with an MVP performance in the game itself. Bech is 6’1 and 214lbs but is probably destined for a power-slot role in the NFL, although he could develop into a productive outside receiver. Bech is likely gone between the Panthers 1st and 2nd rounds picks as they currently stand, but if there are some trade shenanigans during Day 2 of the draft, Bech’s production, traits and mentality might have Morgan and Canales too intrigued to pass up