COSTA MESA, Calif. -- This year’s Senior Bowl was pretty entertaining, with several impressive performances on Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.
Among them were a couple players I wrote about earlier this week who could make some sense for the Los Angeles Chargers, including USC linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, UTEP guard Will Hernandez and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Wyoming signal-caller Josh Allen also played well, as did the Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage and Colorado State receiver Michael Gallup.
University Oregon long-snapper Tanner Carew also made his mark, with two special-teams tackles and two punts downed inside the 20-yard line. I mention that because the Chargers signed long-snapper Anthony Kukwa to a reserve/future contract in January.
Along with those players, here are seven prospects I thought performed well and could make sense for the Chargers as they prepare for the NFL combine in February.
Kyle Lauletta, QB, Richmond: At 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, Lauletta showed good footwork and movement skills inside the pocket. He also threw the ball well on the run, showed decisiveness in his reads and had good ball placement. Lauletta completed 8 of 12 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns, earning the Most Outstanding Player of the game award. I like Lauletta as a Day 3 developmental prospect in this year’s draft and believe he would be a good fit for the Chargers’ offense.
Mike White, QB, Western Kentucky: A two-time, second-team Conference USA performer, White was impressive in the first half, finishing 8-of-11 for 128 yards and a touchdown pass.
D.J. Chark, WR, LSU: Chark played in a run-heavy offense at LSU but showed impressive play speed, making some explosive plays in the passing game. Chark finished with five receptions for 160 yards and also had a tackle on kickoff coverage. While I like Chark’s speed, at 6-2 and 196 pounds his size could be an issue.
Darrel Williams, RB, LSU: Voted by his teammates as MVP at LSU, Williams is a one-cut, downhill runner who knows how to finish runs. At 5-11 and 229 pounds, Williams reminds me of another LSU product who had some success in the NFL in Spencer Ware.
Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State: Penny’s home run, playmaking ability was on display in Saturday’s game, as he recorded a 73-yard reception for a score and also had a 34-yard run in posting 137 total yards from scrimmage. Penny also seems to have a nose for the end zone. His running style reminds me of former Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander.
Mike McCray, MLB, Michigan: McCray made a nice play in coverage, getting a pass deflection on a bootleg and also stripped a receiver of the ball on another play. McCray recorded a tackle on special teams. At 6-1 and 241 pounds, you’d like a player with a little more length inside. It will be interesting to see how McCray runs at the combine.
Darius Leonard, LB, South Carolina State: An athletic, run-and-chase linebacker who finished with a game-high 14 tackles, Leonard has been compared to Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith.