NFL Network Goes Forgotten 5 Crazy At The 2017 Senior Bowl
We at Forgotten 5 have a love/hate relationship at best with NFL commentator Mike Mayock. He doesn’t always give our players as much love as we fell they deserve and will always be a slave to the P5 narrative. In other words, he is just like every other expert that ends up seeing much more tape from the power conferences while largely ignoring the G5, FCS, Division II, Division III and beyond.
One of the few times each year that Mayock really takes a hard look at the Forgotten 5 is the week of the yearly Senior Bowl. This year, he got the chance to look at 36 prospects for an entire week with Grambling wide receiver Chad Williams accepting a late invitation to the game.
To the surprise of some, Mayock and company really took to the Forgotten 5 at this game and handed out several awards to the little guys after a week of practice with NFL coaching staffs.
- Player who made the most money: Haason Reddick, Temple.
- Player who competed at highest level: Damontae Kazee, San Diego State.
- Best small school player: Julie’n Davenport, Bucknell.
- Most intriguing player: Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova.
- My favorite player: Obi Melifonwu, Connecticut.
In addition to Mayock giving five of his six award to Forgotten 5 players, the entire network got in on the action with multiple players getting love. St. Francis safety Lorenzo James, coming off of a national title win and impressive performance in the NFLPA game, had two interceptions and a forced fumble in the game. His knack for finding the ball and creating turnovers was not lost in the broadcast.
As someone who has been speaking his praises for quite a while, it was nice to see Zay Jones of East Carolina get some love during the broadcast. The single season and career receptions leader caught six passes for 58 yards and a score. He nearly pulled in a diving attempt that would have been for a score and had another touchdown grab negated due to a penalty earlier in the game. Safe to say, Jones is officially on the radar of multiple NFL teams.
In addition, the network fell in love with Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The FCS player immediately proved to the NFL staffs that he could play well versus quality competition and is a player to watch at the combine and NFL Draft.
NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter put up his list of top 15 prospects to play in the Senior Bowl with many likely to go in the first three rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft.
- 15. Gerald Everett, South Alabama
- 13. Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
- 8. Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova
- 5. Antonio Garcia, Troy
- 2. Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky
Not only did these five players make the top 15 list, but several others made an impact in front of multiple NFL scouts. The 2017 draft looks to be one of the most lucrative drafts for Forgotten 5 programs in a very long time.