For the last time in their college football careers, Riley Leonard, Jack Kiser, and RJ Oben wore a Notre Dame helmet when they suited up for this year's Senior Bowl.

Photo via Notre Dame Football
After helping lead Notre Dame to a National Championship appearance, the three teammates headed to Mobile Alabama, about 30 minutes away from Leonard's hometown of Fairhope, in hopes of increasing their stock in the eyes of those who will be responsible for evaluating them at the next level. They may have not entered the game as the biggest names at their positions, but all three did some good things and proved they belonged.
Riley Leonard
Leonard came out as the starter for the American Team and carried over some of the momentum from his excellent playoff run. As we have seen throughout his college career, when he was able to flip his hips and hit his first read, he was extremely accurate. He showed poise in the pocket, standing in the face of pressure and delivering a first down strike while throwing from a different arm angle, which is a big plus. He did take some snaps from under center, which is not something he is used to doing, and you can tell the comfort level was not 100% there. Even when handing the ball off from under center, it did not look as smooth for him, and it is something he will have to work on - because in the NFL, he will not be working exclusively from Shotgun. In the second quarter, the pocket started to collapse on third and long, and Leonard missed his checkdown read in the flat, taking a sack on the play. Everything will be sped up at the next level, and he'll have to learn to take what the defense gives him. His snaps were limited, only attempting seven passes, but he made the most of his opportunity completing six of them for 54 yards, and putting evaluators on notice.
NFL Outlook
I don't expect Leonard to come off the board earlier than the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft, but if he lands with the right team, he can still carve out a nice role for himself. Based on his college career and film, I would love to see him land with a team that utilizes half-field reads for their QBs. One of Leonard's main issues that plagued him at times was his footwork breaking down when working through whole-field progressions, leading to inaccurate passes. I think a team like the Philadelphia Eagles would be perfect for him, as the way they use their QBs highlights all of Leonard's strengths, and would grant him the time to learn in a backup role.

Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off.
Jack Kiser
After a week of Senior Bowl practices, Kiser was named Top Linebacker of the American Team, as voted on by his teammates. This should come as no shock to Irish fans who watched Kiser grow into a true leader throughout his college career, not just of the defense, but the whole team. During the game, Kiser got plenty of snaps at linebacker, and maybe more surprisingly, at safety as well. He also got a bunch of special teams reps on both coverage and protection units, showing the type of versatility that earns roster spots at the next level. It was a bit of a mixed bag for Kiser in terms of how he looked vs the run. On the first drive, he went one-on-one in the hole with a tight end and lost at the point of attack, getting knocked out of his lane. His ability to shed blocks will certainly be a question mark for scouting personnel. He needs to key run vs pass a little quicker, as he also bit hard on a play-action and got way out of position. On the flip side, his motor is elite, and finds himself around the ball more times than not because of his backside pursuit. He's better as a drop zone defender than he is in traditional man coverage. Early in the game, Kiser did a great job splitting the two tight ends to his side while dropping in zone, then closing on the underneath TE to make a tackle for a minimal game. On 4th and 1 late in the fourth quarter, Kiser made an excellent play, reading play-action, getting to his spot in the zone, and playing through the tight end's hands to force an incomplete pass in what should have been a turnover on downs (the drive was extended due to a Roughing the Passer penalty on someone else).
NFL Outlook
For me, Kiser projects out as a weak-side linebacker in a base 4-3 look. He will primarily be a two-down backer early on, and come out on sub packages until he increases his coverage ability. Kiser will really need to improve on stacking and shedding blockers, and I think the majority of his contributions early on in his career will come via special teams. Due to his motor and pursuit, he has all the makings of an excellent gunner, and because of that I think he will stick on someone's roster after being taken later on in the draft.
RJ Oben
The American coaches had Oben come out in a wide-9 look, which is more for pure speed rushers and doesn't really play to his strengths. During the game, Oben did not show off-the-ball explosiveness and he lacks elite bend. He showed a good club and rip move on outside rushes, but other than that, he did not display a pass rush plan. Where I thought Oben did very well was vs the run. He pursued a toss play from the backside to make a tackle along with none other than Jack Kiser. I also thought that he showed he could hold the point of attack vs double teams. He displayed an excellent shoulder dip multiple times to work inside the tight end and make plays down the LOS. On 4th and 2, on an important drive late in the game, the National Team opted to try to run the ball. Oben dipped his shoulder and got inside leverage on the TE, and was able to get to the ball carrier for a tackle for loss and give the ball back to his offense. Plays like that in the biggest moments of games will stick in the minds of those evaluating him against his peers when they are more or less evenly graded.
NFL Outlook
I believe on film, Oben screams 7-technique defensive end. He is a run-stopper first, and a pass-rusher second. I think he has the ability to set the edge, and teams looking to bulk up their run defense and defensive line depth could opt for Oben anywhere from the 5th to the 7th round. As he builds a bigger variety of moves in his pass rush package, he will start to see the field more and more. He is a plug-and-play type of player in obvious running situations and near the goal line.
Next up for these three players, will be the NFL Combine later this month. It will be another chance to showcase their strengths and give teams more data points to work with by the time the draft rolls around in April. They will be joined by fellow teammates such as Xavier Watts, Benjamin Morrison, and Rylie Mills, just to name a few, who did not participate in the Senior Bowl. This group moving on to the professional level helped Notre Dame secure one of the greatest seasons in recent memory, and Irish fans will not soon forget what they brought to South Bend.

Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun
Comments