Senior Bowl 2024: Edge rushers Austin Booker and Darius Robinson stand out on Day 2

MOBILE, Ala. — While a handful of talented offensive linemen were the stars on the first day of Senior Bowl practice, the second day at South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney Stadium featured dominant displays from two pass rushers: Missouri’s Darius Robinson and Kansas’ Austin Booker.

Robinson, who plays several positions along the defensive line, won Wednesday as both an interior and outside pass rusher during the American team’s practice. Booker showcased his athletic profile, winning with speed and a devastating spin move during the National team’s workout.

Here’s a look at some other standouts from the day. The Senior Bowl will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday (NFL Network).

Rutgers defensive back Max Melton used his patience and quick transitions out of his backpedal to provide tight coverage during the wide receiver and defensive back one-on-one session. Melton, whose brother, Bo, was a seventh-round pick as a receiver by the Green Bay Packers in 2023, has the ability to play outside corner and slot corner at the next level.

» READ MORE: Senior Bowl 2024: Offensive linemen Tyler Guyton, Jackson Powers-Johnson among Day 1 standouts

He gave up a few catches in the session but was still in position to rally and make a tackle, a testament to his awareness in coverage. The Scarlet Knights standout finished his 2023 season with three interceptions, six pass breakups, and four tackles for losses, showcasing not only his ball skills but willingness to tackle in the open field.

Relying on his quickness as an undersized defensive tackle, Ohio State’s Michael Hall put together an excellent second practice, generating several quick wins from the three technique position. Hall continued to give interior offensive linemen issues with his speed and a reliable spin move to keep his matchups off balance.

His best rep came during the team period, when he used a swim move to create pressure on Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman.

Booker has less than 600 career snaps but really emerged on Day 2 in a talented pass-rush group. Using his speed to put pressure on offensive tackles, Booker flashed in a rep in which he knocked Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan into the feet of Oregon quarterback Bo Nix during the team drills.

After winning on the outside track a handful of times, Booker used a spin to generate a quick win and a sack later in that period. Although he is one of the more inexperienced pass rushers in Mobile, Booker has shown the high-level traits that landed him a Senior Bowl invite as an underclassman.

Reminiscent of South Carolina’s Darius Rush in last year’s Senior Bowl, Louisville defensive back Jarvis Brownlee was taking away underneath routes during the one-on-one sessions. Brownlee undercut Georgia wideout Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint’s dig route, then did the same thing against Tulane’s Jha’Quan Jackson later in the same session. On the second rep, Brownlee nearly intercepted the pass.

Even on a rep when he lost to South Carolina’s Xavier Legette, Brownlee was still in position to make a play on the football, nearly ripping the ball from Legette’s hands. The 5-foot-10 defensive back has a chance to raise his draft stock if he continues to flash like he did Wednesday.

Known for his power as a run-blocking guard, UConn’s Christian Haynes has been one of the most consistent pass protectors among the American team’s offensive linemen. A stoutly built interior offensive lineman, Haynes played at a high level, taking snaps at both guard and center during the second day of practice, even though he played solely at guard throughout his college career.

With strong hands to latch onto defensive linemen, Haynes’ most impressive rep came while matched up against LSU’s Jordan Jefferson, stymieing his pass rush and winning in resounding fashion. His lower-body strength against powerful defensive linemen is one of the most impressive parts of his game.

No player had a better day at the Senior Bowl than the versatile Robinson. Possessing nearly 35-inch arms, Robinson had a number of wins, including an excellent rep against a Day 1 winner, Oklahoma right tackle Tyler Guyton, in which he used a swim move to prevail. Robinson also beat Oklahoma interior offensive lineman Andrew Raym with the same swim move.