Garrett Nussmeier, LSU Athletics
With the East-West Shrine Bowl officially in the books, it’s now time to turn our attention to the Panini Senior Bowl! Over the past several years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had all hands on deck scouting the event and haven’t been shy about adding attending prospects to their roster in April. With 12 projected draft picks and five of those being top-100 selections, this regime led by Mike McCarthy and his new coaching staff has a lot of resources at its disposal.
Today, we’ll take a look at five prospects that are worth keeping an eye on throughout this week of practices. For one reason or another, there’s a legitimate pathway for all of these players to seriously improve their draft stock with a strong showing. Here we go.
WR Ted Hurst (Georgia State)
The film reigns supreme, but these All-Star games matter more for players like Hurst who come from smaller programs and now get the chance to show off their talent versus better competition. His resume includes nearly 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns, with most of his receptions coming on the vertical plane. Standing over 6-foot-3 with over 33-inch arms, he gives you a big catch radius with plus body control for contested catch situations, while tracking that ball as well as anyone else in this class. His game is eerily similar to Cowboys wideout George Pickens, and if he catches the ball cleanly and consistently this week in Mobile, his stock will rise.
Georgia State Panthers wide receiver Ted Hurst (16) runs after a catch against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field on Aug. 31, 2024. — Brett Davis / Imagn ImagesCredit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
DT Caleb Banks (Florida)
A foot injury wiped away all but three games of his 2025 campaign, but the LSU/Ole Miss matchups from the prior season showed us a rare talent worthy of early-first-round consideration. Banks has two plus traits at his disposal, both of which make for easy translations to the next level: raw power to forklift blockers backwards and a detailed understanding of how to rush the passer. As a run defender, he’s capable of deconstructing blocks at the point of attack or swimming into the backfield to make plays away from his gap assignment. For a player without a ton of production, it’s imperative for him to look like the same physical specimen we saw last season.
Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) is pressured by Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks (88) during the third quarter of an NCAA football game Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Georgia defeated Florida 43-20. — Corey Perrine / Imagn ImagesCredit: Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
QB Garrett Nussmeier (LSU)
Like a bunch of his upperclassmen peers at his position, there’s no denying that Nussmeier had a really rough final season at LSU, but someone has to be QB3 in this class. You can tell that he’s the son of a coach—his father, Doug, was on Mike McCarthy’s staff in Dallas. There’s a noticeable amount of polish to his game, from how he handles the pre-snap operation and controlled footwork that allows him to navigate through muddy pockets and post-snap processing to get to the backside of the progression. Without the ideal physical tools to fall back on, Nussmeier has to prove he’s capable of being consistently accurate and a good enough decision maker to earn the trust of NFL evaluators. The Senior Bowl will give him a chance to do just that.
Garrett Nussmeier. Gus Stark / LSU Athletics
CB Chris Johnson (San Diego State)
The “safe” prospect moniker often comes with a negative connotation for some reason, but it’s difficult to see a path aside from injury that leads to Johnson not sticking in the league for a long time. He’s comfortable in a variety of alignments/techniques: the click and close ability in off-coverage is there, he displays patient footwork in press and his eyes are always looking for work in zone coverage. The coverage numbers are great (9 PBUs, 5 INTs, and 2 TDs allowed per PFF), but he’s also an incredibly reliable tackler in space and a monster on special teams. Johnson checks so many boxes for what the league looks for in cornerbacks, so don’t be surprised when his game starts creating more buzz.
FS Genesis Smith (Arizona)
If you’re a team in the market for a free safety that can help keep a lid on explosive plays while simultaneously creating splash plays, Smith is your guy. His range is rare for a number of reasons: he diagnoses route combinations at an advanced level, has the ability to effortlessly flip his hips to make seamless transitions, and has pretty good top-end speed as well. He’s also someone that you can trust in man coverage, with the change of direction skills to mirror wide receivers and length to combat move tight ends. Smith isn’t the most complete player, though. The run defense needs a good amount of work in regard to physicality, taking appropriate angles, and tackling technique. However, this kind of range and playmaking isn’t found every year and will be highly coveted by teams that major in single-high.
Mentioned In This Article: 2026 NFL Draft Caleb Banks Chris Johnson Garrett Nussmeier Genesis Smith Senior Bowl Steelers Ted Hurst top