2026 NFL Draft: Matchups to watch at the Panini Senior Bowl

• OT Gennings Dunker vs. Edge TJ Parker: Dunker was dominant as Iowa’s right tackle the past two seasons, earning an elite PFF grade of 90.0 during that span, highlighted by a run-blocking grade of 89.8. Parker finished the season with a PFF grade of 80.7 and a pressure of 41 and has been consistently productive throughout his three years at Clemson.

• WR Ja’Kobi Lane vs. CB Malik Muhammad: Lane may be the best wide receiver attending the Senior Bowl after posting a PFF grade of 81.8 as a junior at USC. The projected second-round pick has prototypical size at 6-foot-1 and has netted 22 of his 46 contested targets over the past two seasons. Meanwhile, Mohammed has a strong PFF grade of 79.5 in zone coverage, but that grade drops to 68.9 in man coverage. His ability to mirror receivers and perform isolated reps during Senior Bowl practices could play a major role in determining whether he can climb draft boards.

• Everything you need to prepare for the trekking season: The PFF Senior bowl aid allows fans to view and compare participating players using their full 2025 PFF grades, wins above average (WAA) and measurements, while 2026 Big sign And Great sign builder enable users to assess the concept landscape and shape their own evaluations. Fans who want to apply these evaluations can then explore the results via the PFF Mock Draft Simulator while the concept image begins to take shape.

It’s officially Senior Bowl week – one of the most important checkpoints on the NFL draft calendar and a crucial opportunity for prospects to differentiate themselves from decision makers across the league.

More than 130 draft-eligible prospects are in Mobile, Alabama, taking part in a full week of workouts where one-on-one reps are often more important than the game itself. For many players, strong showings here could reshape their draft range before the combine even starts.

Here are three of the best one-on-one matchups to watch in practice this week.

OT Gennings Dunker vs. Edge TJ Parker

Dunker will be one to watch in Mobile as he is expected to take reps at both tackle and guard, giving scouts a clearer picture of where his long-term home could be at the next level. The projected top-40 pick was dominant as Iowa’s right tackle the past two seasons, yielding an elite PFF grade of 90.0 during that span, highlighted by a run-blocking grade of 89.8.

While Clemson endured a disappointing 2025 season, Parker remained a bright spot on the Tigers’ defense. He finished the season with a PFF grade of 80.7 and a pressure of 41 and has been consistently productive over his three years in the program. Parker has a PFF grade of 89.9, including over 85 points as a pass rusher and run defender. A strong week at the Senior Bowl could be enough to solidify his status as a first-round pick in April.

IOL Jake Slaughter vs. DI Caleb Banks

Slaughter and Banks have faced each other in practice in Florida for the past three years, but that battle takes center stage this week in Mobile.

Slaughter has been the model of consistency as Florida’s starting center during that span. Since 2023, his PFF grade of 87.0 ranks second among all FBS centers, behind only Jackson Powers-Johnson. He leads that group with a run-blocking grade of 90.1 and also ranks 10th in pass-blocking at 86.8. Currently projected as a third-round pick, Slaughter could increase his stock significantly with a strong Senior Bowl showing.

Banks could be viewed as a potential first-round pick, but he still has a lot to prove in this setting after appearing in just three games in 2025 due to a foot injury. When healthy, he was a disruptive force along Florida’s defensive line, collecting 56 pressures over the past three seasons. A productive week of one-on-one reps would go a long way toward reaffirming his case from the first round.

WR Ja’Kobi Lane vs. CB Malik Muhammad

Lane may be the best wide receiver attending the Senior Bowl after posting a PFF grade of 81.8 as a junior at USC. The projected second-round pick has prototypical size at 6-foot-1 and has netted 22 of his 46 contested targets over the past two seasons. However, there are real questions about his ability to break up in one-on-one situations, as his 44.7% open target rate since 2024 ranks in the 12th percentile. How consistently Lane can create space in Mobile will be key to his evaluation.

Mohammed starts the week with similar questions from the other side of the game. The projected third-round pick has a strong PFF grade of 79.5 in zone coverage, but that grade drops to 68.9 in man coverage. His ability to mirror receivers and perform isolated reps during Senior Bowl practices could play a major role in determining whether he can climb draft boards.