Senior Bowl 2017: Time, TV schedule, and news

The Browns and Bears coaching staffs got more than 100 draft prospects ready for Saturday’s game.

Jan 28, 2017, 1:00 PM UTC

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Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Every year, the Reese’s Senior Bowl draws interest from scouts and coaches throughout the NFL. It’s one of the last events before hundreds of draft hopefuls make their way to Indianapolis for the combine or back home to prep for their pro-day workouts.

More than 100 of the best graduating college players will put everything on the line as they embark on a week-long training session, culminating in a North vs. South battle. Split by region, the Chicago Bears coaching staff is in charge of the North team while the South is led by Hue Jackson and the Cleveland Browns.

One of the top quarterbacks heading into this draft cycle is national champion Deshaun Watson. The Clemson product was invited to participate in the Senior Bowl but declined, passing on a lot of one-on-one attention he would have received from the Browns, who own the No. 1 and No. 12 picks in the draft.

“There are going to be other guys that are not participating either, so I won’t hold it against him,” head coach Hue Jackson told cleveland.com. “I don’t think that’s the right thing to do. He’s still a draftable player. There’s still a process we have to go through to evaluate him and see if he can fit here with the Cleveland Browns.”

Despite Watson’s absence, there still will be plenty of talent under center for the South team, which will rely on Josh Dobbs (Tennessee), Davis Webb (Cal) and Jamaal Williams (BYU) to get it through the contest. This will be an important game for some of the under-the-radar players who are looking to replicate what Dak Prescott was able to do last year in front of his now-coach, Jason Garrett.

Coaching staffs will have a little extra help this year, as the Senior Bowl has partnered with Pro Football Focus to obtain additional stats and information about the 100-plus prospects. This additional analytic data will provide another level to the scouting reports made available to teams.

A few of the other notable players to participate Saturday include TE Jeremy Sprinkle (Arkansas), TE O.J. Howard (Alabama), RB Donnel Pumphrey (SD State), and G Forrest Lamp (W. Kentucky) on the offensive side of the ball.

Pumphrey, who is undersized at just 5’8, 169 pounds, told SB Nation earlier this week, “I don’t really care what people think. I have heart, a big heart, and that’s what got me this far.”

On defense, teams will be paying attention to players like CB Desmond King (Iowa) and ILB Ben Boulware (Clemson). LSU’s Tre’Davious White was one of several talented cornerbacks trying to show off his skills this weekend, but he’ll sit out due to an ankle injury.

Ahead of the game, fans who made the trip to Mobile had the opportunity to meet some of the players and get autographs and photos. Fans also competed in a tailgate competition and participated in other free events leading up to the big game. The NFL Network covered practices throughout the week, giving fans at home an inside look at how the NFL prospects are shaping up ahead of the matchup.