Lammey: 5 things Broncos Country learned from the 2018 Senior Bowl

The Houston Texans-coached South team beat the Denver Broncos-led North team by a score of 45-16 in the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl on Saturday, but in my 12 years of attending this event, I’ve learned the game doesn’t mean as much as the week of practice.

Some will take issue with the final score and how the Broncos-coached team was blown out, but it wasn’t what mattered most on Saturday.

Broncos general manager John Elway knows the whole Senior Bowl week helps the team in the evaluation process leading up to the NFL Draft in April.

“It helps. There is no question,” Elway said. “To be able to get into meeting rooms with them, get to know them as people, have the coaches be around them and see how they are in the meeting rooms — they learn a little bit about them as well as their football knowledge. It’s important. It’s definitely a plus to be around them for a week.”

Here are the five most important things Broncos Country learned from this year’s Senior Bowl.

Josh Allen is a gamer

To start the week of practice, Allen struggled mightily. The Wyoming quarterback had poor accuracy in college (56.2 career completion percentage) and it wasn’t outstanding to begin the week either.

However, during the week of practice, Allen improved his pass placement and accuracy.

Allen was especially effective when throwing touch passes in practice. That skill carried over to the game, where both of Allen’s touchdown throws came on touch passes to his receivers.

In his final football game with a Cowboys helmet on, Allen impressed, going 9-of-13 passing for 158 yards and two touchdowns.

Baker Mayfield could be top-10 pick

Mayfield entered the week considered a late-round pick by most in the scouting community. At the end of the week, Mayfield’s draft stock is climbing after a solid performance during practice.

The best thing Mayfield showed during practice was the ability to learn quickly. He’s just now learning how to drop back from under center and read the field. His footwork leaves a lot to be desired at this point, but Mayfield rarely made the same mistake twice. It appeared like he really understood the coaching and translated it onto the field quickly.

There is strong buzz building that Mayfield will be a top-10 pick in the draft.

In fact, if the Broncos don’t take Mayfield with the fifth-overall pick, the New York Jets might select him at No. 6.

Marcus Davenport is a wrecking ball

Arguably the best player at the Senior Bowl, Texas-San Antonio defensive end Marcus Davenport did not disappoint in practice or the game.

During practice, Davenport knocked down several passes when he didn’t get to the quarterback. He was able to get tons of pressure on opposing passers in practice and showed multiple moves to get after the quarterback.

In the game, Davenport had a scoop-and-score for the South defense in its rout. Even though it was against the rules, Davenport was getting chip-blocked by the North team since he was wreaking so much havoc as a pass rusher.

Kalen Ballage could be a value pick

Don’t get overly excited about Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage. Fans and media alike were excited about Ballage’s performance during practice, but some projections for the Sun Devils back went a little (or a lot) overboard.

The comparisons to Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell are, simply, inaccurate.

Ballage is a fine receiving back, a skill that he showed off in a big way during practice, but he lacks the burst out of his cuts that makes Bell a special player. When making cuts as a runner, Ballage needs to take a few steps on carries that Bell could make one cut and go.

He is a proven touchdown hog, as evidenced by the nose for the end zone he displayed in college. Ballage is a change-of-pace back with a powerful gait and ability to run through arm tackles.

Look for him to provide value to a team as a mid-round pick in the draft.

DaeSean Hamilton a sleeper at wide receiver

One of the players that turned the most heads in Mobile was Penn State wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton. He was a player I saw at both the Senior Bowl and the previous week at the 2018 East-West Shrine Game.

Against mostly late-round picks at the Shrine Game, Hamilton was a dominant player. He played against better competition last week at the Senior Bowl, and he continued showing his incredible skill set.

Hamilton’s game is all about suddenness. He can change direction quickly, and defenders are left to grasp air when attempting to cover him closely. With the ball in his hands, Hamilton’s suddenness (and speed) makes him a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

This isn’t a great wide receiver class in 2018, but Hamilton is a mid-round pick — and climbing — who could be a difference maker at the pro level.

Follow @CecilLammey