How Did BC Prospects Fare in East-West Shrine Bowl, Senior Bowl?
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Publisher
The pre-draft process this winter is strikingly similar to what it was three years ago for Boston College NFL prospects. A former Eagles offensive lineman might have just played his way into the first round with a head-turning Senior Bowl week. Another BC tight end could hear his name called on Day Three. And, while they might not go nearly as high in the draft, a few Eagles defensive players could come off the board, too.
The parallels were easier to see after this past week, which featured the two major pre-draft all-star games: the East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas and the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
So, without further ado, here’s how BC’s four participating players performed:
East-West Shrine Bowl
Date: Thursday Feb. 3Final Score: 25-24 West
Offensive MVP: Brown QB EJ Perry (East)
Defensive MVP: Navy LB Diego Fagot (East)
C ALEC LINDSTROM
Lindstrom is the second-highest rated BC player in this year’s draft class, according to ESPN, which has him 210th overall on its prospect rankings board. That’s perhaps the biggest distinction between this Eagles group and the 2019 class that saw offensive guard Chris Lindstrom (Alec’s older brother), defensive end Zach Allen, strong safety Will Harris and tight end Tommy Sweeney get drafted. This year’s crop features a pair of touted offensive linemen—and two more (Tyler Vrabel and Ben Petrula) who are vying for a shot at the next level. The last time BC had two or more O-Linemen go in the same draft was 2015.
Lindstrom, who posted a 87.3 Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade since 2019—first among ACC centers—was pushed back into the pocket a bit during the practice week but bounced back in the actual game. That said, he did have some snap exchange issues, which, of course, haunted him the last few years at BC. The mistimed snap at Clemson comes to mind, but he also, notably, soared a snap past quarterback Phil Jurkovec against Notre Dame in 2020 (when BC was driving with under two minutes left in the first half while trailing, 24-16).
What stands out about Lindstrom, however, is his athleticism and his bully-like blocking. He can climb to the second level, as seen on this screen pass from Perry to South Dakota State running back Pierre Strong Jr. that went for a touchdown. And he finishes defenders to the ground, blocking to the whistle and freeing up gaps for his ball carriers. Lindstrom is a two-time first-team All-ACC selection and a Rimington Trophy finalist for a reason.
CB BRANDON SEBASTIAN
Sebastian was a four-year starter at BC. Sometimes he found himself at the right place at the right time, like when he scooped a Travis Etienne fumble and ran it back 97 yards at Clemson in 2020, or when he returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown against Cincinnati in the Birmingham Bowl the year before. But Sebastian also made things happen himself, starting with a critical third-quarter interception near the sideline at Virginia Tech that helped the Eagles lock up “College GameDay.” Then there was this past season when he played off instincts in overtime against Missouri, bailing out of zone coverage to sniff out a deep shot from quarterback Connor Bazelak—he boxed out 6-foot-5 wideout Keke Chism and came down with the game-clinching interception.
Sebastian’s ball skills were on full display in the East-West Shrine Bowl. Here, he disrupts a pass to Western Kentucky wide receiver Jerreth Sterns. Sebastian, who is great at the high point, leaps to get both hands on the ball and isn’t far off from making the pick. He allowed just one reception in this game while playing 67 snaps and registering a 64.6 PFF coverage grade.
Perhaps his most impressive play, though, came in run defense. On 2nd-and-Goal, Sebastian shot off the edge and went low on Florida State running back Jashaun Corbin. Sebastian’s hit stopped Corbin in his tracks, and the FSU prospect proceeded to be gang tackled to the ground by the East team. It was a good week in Vegas for Sebastian, who also excelled in 1-on-1 drills during practice.
Senior Bowl
Date: Saturday, Feb. 5Final Score: 20-10 (National)
MVP: Oklahoma DT Perrion Winfrey (National)
OL ZION JOHNSON
Johnson can do it all, apparently. Versatility is preached and practiced up front at BC. The last few offseasons, Johnson has taken snaps at center, guard and tackle in spring ball and fall camp. He started a full season at left tackle in 2020 but established himself as a prospect on the interior. He decided to come back for one final season last winter, returned to left guard (yet still wound up playing 75 snaps at left tackle) and posted career-best PFF marks. Across the board. Johnson allowed just six pressures, was penalized only once and recorded an 84.4 run blocking grade and an 81.6 pass blocking grade. But he hadn’t played center in a game. Not until this past weekend in Mobile.
And, in front of a horde of NFL scouts and coaches, he more than held his own at the position against one of the most stacked defensive line classes in recent memory. Johnson, who was voted Senior Bowl Practice Player of the Week by his peers, spent time after hours working on his shotgun snaps, even in Wednesday’s pouring rain. He wasn’t perfect. At times, Oklahoma’s Perrion Winfrey and UConn’s Travis Jones got the best of him in drills.
That said, Johnson did enough to demonstrate his ability to play center at the next level. He made a significant difference in the National team’s success on the ground. The former Davidson-turned-BC O-Lineman played 27 snaps, allowed zero pressures and logged a 79.2 pass blocking PFF grade, although he did commit one false start penalty.
Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy compared Johnson to Arizona Cardinals center Rodney Hudson—who also was primarily a guard in college—and ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay agreed. McShay pegs Johnson as an early second-round pick but wouldn’t be surprised if a team takes a run at him on Day One.
“Johnson was not only the best interior lineman this week,” McShay wrote. “In my eyes, he was the best player. I watched some elite pass-rush prospects bull-rush linemen and drive them back. Then they would try the same moves on Johnson, and it wasn’t working. His tape is outstanding, and he was terrific in Mobile.”
TE TRAE BARRY
Barry was a late addition to the National team. He actually played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl the weekend prior, during which he got to show off his improved blocking—the weakest area of his game before he got to BC. The 6-foot-6 tight end notched a 76.4 pass blocking PFF grade in Pasadena.
Then, he went to Mobile and, despite only playing nine snaps, per PFF, boasted a 65.6 run blocking grade. To put that in perspective, he had just two games with the Eagles this past season where he registered a higher run blocking grade. Barry had three receiving snaps in the Senior Bowl yet wasn’t targeted.
For Barry, the blocking reps were probably more important considering he racked up 100 career receptions at Jacksonville State before tacking on 21 more at BC, four of which went for touchdowns. Learning on the fly this week like he did will surely impress some NFL teams.
“I got one really good day of practice,” Barry told Al.com. “I got the playbook probably 30 minutes before practice. I was familiar with the formations. The verbiage and the terminology were a little different, but I picked up on it quick. The tight ends that weren’t going in at that time, they took me under their wing. They were helping me out, letting me know the details of each play, what was going on, so I was thankful for those guys.”
