Mase: Which players stood out at Wednesday’s Senior Bowl practice?

MOBILE, Ala. — After concentrating on the trenches Tuesday, I turned the focus of my telephoto lens to the defensive backs and skill-position players for Wednesday’s Senior Bowl practices, which took place under conditions far more conducive to work than the cold, windy weather that greeted the players for their first day of on-field work.

The wide receivers, in particular, didn’t disappoint.

ANTONIO GANDY-GOLDEN, LIBERTY

I came to Mobile with some questions about him, specifically on his ability to make plays in traffic — something the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder didn’t have to do often for the Flames, who played an independent schedule that was heavy on low-level programs. (For example, Liberty played a single-season home-and-home series against New Mexico State.) With the catches he’s made, those questions faded away.

On this clip, note how he sets up the defender with the stutter-steps two yards beyond the line of scrimmage, then accelerates into fifth gear, racing upfield. He has to slow a bit to grab the pass, but again quickly reaches full speed to reach the goal line 10 yards after the catch. This quick acceleration not only serves him well on go routes, but it will allow him to generate separation on intermediate crosses.

He doesn’t exactly fit the skill set the Broncos need at wide receiver, as they must find a vertical-speed threat, but … if the Broncos want to add their receiver after pick No. 15, Gandy-Golden could be a perfect addition if he’s still on the board when the Broncos make their Round 2 selection.

DENZEL MIMS, BAYLOR

Mims flourishes when he gets a clean release, but even when he’s jammed at the line of scrimmage, he easily capitalizes, bouncing to the outside and using his long stride to stay a step ahead of the defender.

While he isn’t able to get separation against one of the best cornerbacks here, Notre Dame’s Troy Pride, he is able to maintain his speed while keeping his eyes on the football and bringing it in. His concentration on the ball in flight despite Pride being on his hip made for one of the best individual plays of the week.

K.J. HILL, OHIO STATE

Two breaks on this route allow him to get four yards of separation, leaving the defender flailing even after giving a 5-yard cushion to start the route. This is Hill’s strength. He doesn’t have the stretch-the-field ability of receivers like Gandy-Golden and Mims, which means his most likely outcome is as a slot receiver, where he can play to his route-running strength.

Day 3 is the sweet spot for slot receivers, and a fourth- or fifth-round pick used on Hill should be a selection well-spent.

Gandy-Golden, Mims and Hill all play for the North team, which has the superior receivers in the game, but in general, the inferior quarterbacks, with Washington State’s Anthony Gordon and Michigan’s Shea Patterson backing up Utah State’s Jordan Love. While Love delivers some high-level throws and has a quick-fire delivery, he missed some makeable throws for a second consecutive day. Gordon had one incompletion in the team period that wasn’t even close to intended target Chase Claypool. Patterson appears to be No. 6 among the six quarterbacks in Mobile.

OTHERS WHO LEAPED INTO THE NOTEBOOK

North Carolina DL Jason Strowbridge (North) had another strong day in one-on-one drills, but the play I liked most from him came when he swatted two passes in the line of scrimmage during the team period of practice. Broncos defensive-line coach Bill Kollar emphasizes getting the hands up as a way to have an impact even if it isn’t possible to generate a hurry or a sack.

One of his deflections forced an incompletion from Patterson despite the fact that Patterson delivered the pass in just 1.65 seconds after the snap.

South Carolina punter Joseph Charlton (South) provided service for the punt-return team during a special-teams period, alternating punts with the JUGS machine. With the line of scrimmage at his own 24-yard line, he had seven punts that ranged from a low of 40 to a long of 67, good for a gross average of 53.7 yards. Five of his seven punts traveled at least 50 yards. His average hang time was 4.37 seconds, a figure that was skewed by a 3.53-second hang time on his third punt. None of his six other punts ha a hang time below 4.35 seconds.

Memphis RB Antonio Gibson (South) is a 224-pound grenade. His credentials as a receiving back are arguably the best in this year’s draft class, largely because he was primarily a wide receiver at Memphis. His ability to break tackles and make defenders miss allowed him to average 19.3 yards per reception on 38 catches last season. But he also averaged 11.2 yards on his 33 rushing attempts — no, that’s not a misprint — and his ability to read lanes as they develop belies his relative lack of experience in the backfield.

His size and straight-ahead burst say “running back.” His skill set screams “chess piece.” He needs to find the right offensive coordinator who can maximize his skill set, but Gibson has the traits to be a unique and dangerous weapon.

South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw and LSU center Lloyd Cushenberry III, both of the South team, continued their duels into the second day of practice. I could watch these two battle in practice every day and never get bored. Cushenberry is able to keep his balance while moving laterally, rarely falling on his heels despite Kinlaw’s best efforts.

These guys are why I love covering Senior Bowl practices.