Oregon defensive back added to Senior Bowl roster

Oregon Ducks defensive back Verone McKinley III has been added to the Reese’s Senior Bowl roster, executive director Jim Nagy said on Twitter.

McKinley just finished up his redshirt junior season at Oregon, marking his fourth year of college and opted to enter the NCAA Draft rather than use any additional eligibility.

After bursting onto the scene in 2019 as a redshirt freshman, McKinley turned in his best season to date for Oregon in 2021. He registered 77 total tackles (44 solo stops), one forced fumble and six interceptions, which is tied for the nation’s lead with JT Woods of Baylor and Ji’Ayir Brown of Penn State. McKinley became just the 10th consensus All-American in Oregon history, and he was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back.

His 2019 campaign showed glimpses of what he was capable of achieving in the Ducks’ secondary, as McKinley finished with 46 total tackles (29 solo stops), four interceptions and two passes defended. McKinley was the only Oregon player to register a two-interception game in 2019, and he was eventually named to the FWAA Freshman All-America team and The Athletic’s Freshman All-America second team.

McKinley, a native of Carrollton, TX, committed to Oregon as a four-star recruit according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. His On3 Consensus rating made him the No. 47 cornerback in the 2018 recruiting class, as well as the No. 59 recruit in the state of Texas.

Five questions scouts have entering Senior Bowl week following McKinley’s entry

With the 2021 college football season in the books, collegiate players who have exhausted their eligibility and declared for the 2022 NFL Draft will have another chance to boost their stock on Saturday in the Reese’s Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

Heading into Senior Bowl week, NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread spoke to three NFL scouts – two from the AFC and one from the NFC – and asked what the biggest questions were regarding the prospects participating in the game. He then broke down the top-five questions he gathered.

Here’s a look at the top-five questions from NFL.com.

1.) “Can anyone in the quarterback field break out of the pack?”

The Senior Bowl’s quarterback room is loaded with talent, as North Carolina’s Sam Howell, Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder, Nevada’s Carson Strong and Liberty’s Malik Willis will all be competing on Saturday. Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe – who set single-season FBS passing records in 2021 – will also be participating in Mobile. Multiple NFL teams are in need of a quarterback, so scouts will have the chance to see plenty in action in Mobile.

2.) “How will Sam Howell respond to adversity?”

Sam Howell put together a standout career as North Carolina’s quarterback, throwing for 10,283 yards and 92 touchdowns while rushing for 1,009 yards and 17 more scores over his three years in Chapel Hill. While Howell has been a successful quarterback, scouts say that he “has a tendency to get flustered and press after a mistake,” so that will be an area scouts focus on while evaluating him at the Senior Bowl.

3.) “Just how big is Daniel Faalele, and is he a tackle or a guard?”

Standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing 380 pounds, Minnesota offensive lineman Daniel Faalele could play at either the tackle or guard position in the NFL – and that’s what scouts will be trying to figure out while watching him at the Senior Bowl.

4.) “How will Malik Willis look in an RPO-less offense?”

Malik Willis excelled as Liberty’s quarterback, totaling 5,117 passing yards and 1,822 rushing yards with 74 total touchdowns over his two seasons with the Flames. While Willis operated with an RPO offensive scheme at Liberty, there’s a good chance that he’ll be limited to a pro-style offense at the Senior Bowl – and scouts will be watching to see how he adjusts to it.

5.) “What can Jermaine Johnson II prove in one-on-one pass-rush drills?”

Jermaine Johnson II was a standout at Florida State, making 34 solo tackles, 12 sacks and forcing two fumbles last season to be named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, but scouts want to see what he can prove in one-on-one pass-rush drills at the Senior Bowl.