The 2016 Senior Bowl, a showcase for the best NFL Draft prospects to complete four years of college, will take place next Saturday, January 30, at 2:30 p.m. ET. With practices scheduled to begin next week, the official rosters have been published.
Linked here are the rosters for the North squad, coached by the Dallas Cowboys, and the South, coached by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Senior Bowl is going all-out on its media blitz this year, inviting Pro Football Focus to collect data (of some sort) during practices and deliver reports on the participants, and allowing ESPNU to televise the Wednesday and Thursday practices, in case you wanted to hear Bill Polian's hot takes on the upcoming draft class.
As has been the case since the Senior Bowl committee elected to allow graduating redshirt juniors to participate in the event, the rosters for the game are chock-full of talented players. To help you narrow your focus, we've collected a list of players at each position who should catch your interest leading up to next Saturday.
QB
Carson Wentz, North Dakota State (North)
Wentz will have every scout watching him closely next week. He's been a rapid riser, and people are eager to see him playing against stronger competition.
Jacoby Brissett, North Carolina State (South)
He has size and is very tough to bring down in the pocket, but can he make good decisions quickly?
RB
Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech (North)
Dixon is a big play machine, ranking second all-time with 87 career touchdowns from scrimmage (Navy's Keenan Reynolds set the record with his 88th this year).
Jonathan Williams, Arkansas (South)
A foot injury cost Williams his senior season, yet he still ranked tenth all-time on Arkansas' career rushing list without playing in 2015. If healed, this is his big chance to knock off rust for the scouts.
TE/FB
Henry Krieger-Coble, Iowa (North)
He's a strong blocker, but word is that NFL scouts also believe Krieger-Coble can be a useful receiver in the middle of the field, too.
Jake McGee, Florida (South)
A former All-ACC tight end at Virginia, McGee was a graduate transfer to Florida, then broke his leg at the start of the 2014 season and redshirted. He had solid production as a sixth-year senior, and could secure a mid-round grade with good blocking and receiving drills.
WR
Braxton Miller, Ohio State (North)
Leontee Carroo of Rutgers might be the best receiver on this team, but the wild card is Miller, who was an electrifying quarterback for the Buckeyes before shoulder surgery led to a position change. Scouts will run Miller through a gauntlet of receiving drills to see if he's unlocked hidden potential.
Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma (South)
Expect to hear Shepard's name come up a lot in practice reports. He might be the best route runner in the draft, and in one-on-one drills he'll burn most of the cornerbacks present.
OT
Jason Spriggs, Indiana (North)
Reportedly a great athlete, I'm very interested to see if Spriggs also has solid technique when he plays in one-on-ones.
Vadal Alexander, LSU (South)
One of the biggest linemen in the class, scouts are wondering what his exact height-weight measurements will reveal. I also wonder if he will be used inside at all, as some teams consider him a potential guard conversion.
OG
Nick Martin, Notre Dame (North)
The brother of Dallas left guard Zack, Martin was the center for the Fighting Irish, but it appears he's being moved to guard. We'll see if he takes any reps at center during practices.
Cody Whitehair, Kansas State (South)
Another conversion project, Whitehair was a left tackle, but now he's playing inside.
C
Jack Allen, Michigan State (North)
Allen was a strong anchor for an excellent offensive line at Michigan State.
Graham Glasgow, Michigan (South)
Glasgow has had such a strong week at the East-West Shrine game this week that he's earned an invite to the higher-prestige Senior Bowl.
DT
Matt Ioannidis, Temple (North)
Ioannidis has been a consistent source of pressure on Temple's disruptive defense, collecting 30 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in the last three years.
Sheldon Rankins, Louisville (South)
Every year it seems that there's a defensive lineman who's just unable to be stopped, whether it's dominant anchor strength (Danny Shelton last year) or incredible speed and fluidity (Aaron Donald the year before). Could Rankins be the guy giving guards fits in one-on-ones this year?
DE
Carl Nassib, Penn State (North)
Nassib led the FBS with a remarkable 15.5 sacks, a year after only tallying a single one. Gaining 15 pounds after his junior year may have helped; is the 6'7" defender's ultimate destination setting the edge on the defensive line?
Jarran Reed, Alabama (South)
Finally freed from his status as the third or fourth man on Alabama's super-talented defensive line, this could be Reed's chance to shine as an individual.
ER
Kyler Fackrell, Utah State (North)
Two years ago, Fackrell looked like a potential first-round pick. Then he tore his ACL at the start of his junior season, and his senior season was often rusty. Will he flash the athleticism and nuance that had him looking so dangerous?
Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky (South)
Spence was a former star at Ohio State, but after a drug-related dismissal, a transfer, and rehab, he's looking to show scouts that he's clean - and that he hasn't lost a step on the field.
LB
Joe Schobert, Wisconsin (North)
How will the Cowboys coaching staff use him? He's only 236 pounds, yet was at his most effective when the Badgers used him as an edge rusher that could move around formations.
Eric Striker, Oklahoma (South)
Same question, different player. Striker isn't even listed at 225 pounds, but is best known for blowing up Alabama's offensive line as a freshman outside linebacker.
CB
Kevin Peterson, Oklahoma State (North)
Athletic and reads plays well, but he often plays with borderline pass interference. Will coaches find a role that works for him?
Cyrus Jones, Alabama (South)
Jones has always been a playmaker, and in 2015 he added punt returning to his resumé with four return touchdowns.
S
Miles Killebrew, Southern Utah (North)
Scouts love looking at small school, big-time athletes, and the 6'3", 230-pound Killebrew will have some teams excited if he brings speed along with that bulk now that he is playing on a bigger stage.
Jeremy Cash, Duke (South)
An obvious playmaker at Duke, but Cash needs to show off his coverage ability in traditional safety roles to prove to teams that he can be a first-round selection.