MOBILE, Ala. -- Editor's note: Our analysts are constantly talking to NFL and college sources about prospects for the 2018 NFL Draft. This week, NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein shares some of what he's hearing from NFL folks while he's on the scene at the Reese's Senior Bowl.
NFL Network will have exclusive coverage of the Senior Bowl on Jan. 27 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
The scoop: "He's been hit or miss, but I still love the talent. There just aren't many guys who play in the league who are his size and throw it like he does. They just go early." -- NFC executive on Wyoming QB Josh Allen
The skinny: At 6-foot-4 7/8 and 237 pounds with 10 1/8-inch hands, Allen hits all the physical benchmarks teams look for in an early first-round quarterback. However, Allen also failed to hit the 60-percent completion mark in both of his seasons as the Cowboys' starter. He hasn't alleviated those concerns this week, as he's been sporadic with his accuracy here at the Senior Bowl. Rarely do you hear an NFL evaluator or coach say that arm strength is more important than accuracy, and yet it is starting to feel like there will be an NFL team willing to push their chips in on Allen's outstanding arm talent while overlooking his accuracy flaws.
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The scoop: "He's having a Senior Bowl like Zay Jones did last year with the way he's getting open and catching everything. Zay was a little more dynamic, but this kid has helped himself." -- AFC coach on Penn State WR DaeSean Hamilton
The skinny: This wasn't the only time I heard someone compare Hamilton's Senior Bowl practices to former East Carolina and current Buffalo Bills wideout Zay Jones' practices from last season. On tape, it was obvious that route running was a strength for Hamilton, but he lacked the deep speed of an early round talent. Jones ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and tested well in just about every workout. I'm not expecting Hamilton to have the same workout as Jones at the combine, but he'll be a solid slot option at some point on Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) of the draft.
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The scoop: "The guy I'm really impressed with is (Will) Hernandez. He carries his 340 (pounds) really well and he's strong as an ox. He's a short-armed guy, but I haven't really seen it show up as a problem so far. I think he's probably opening some eyes." -- NFC coach on the UTEP guard
The skinny: Hernandez is one of my favorite guards in this draft. He's a thick, powerful blocker, but he's also a good athlete for his size. He did get beat badly on a one-on-one drill by Ohio State's Jalyn Holmes on Wednesday, but for the most part, he's been very good all week. I'm projecting Hernandez to be a Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) pick. He will be a longtime NFL starter.
Follow Lance Zierlein on Twitter @LanceZierlein.
