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Small-school players impress at Senior Bowl


The first day of practices at the Reese's Senior Bowl wrapped up Tuesday in Mobile, Alabama.


Vikings.com highlighted Day 1 with 10 noteworthy tweets from Ladd-Peebles Stadium.


Draft analyst Dane Brugler, who writes for The Athletic, is on the scene and also offered his insight on what he saw Tuesday.


Brugler wrote that a handful of small-school players caught his eye.


From a scouting perspective, that is one of the main reasons the Senior Bowl is so important — to see if "small school" players can play big on the same field as prospects from Alabama, Ohio State and other powerhouse programs.


And during Tuesday's practices, prospects from each level (FCS, Division II and Division III) showed they belong.


Brugler wrote that Dayton TE Adam Trautman, who hails from the FCS level, performed well on Tuesday.


Starting with the early-morning weigh-ins, Trautman put together a solid day for the draft's highest-ranked senior tight end. Measuring at 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds with 32 1/2-inch arms and 9 5/8-inch hands, he was physical with the football during practice, relying on his frame and toughness to finish catches. Trautman isn't overly sudden, but he is very smooth at the top of his routes, holding defenders just enough to give the quarterback a workable passing window. He showed why he is considered a top-75 prospect in this class.


Brugler noted that Division II safety Kyle Dugger, who played at Lenoir-Rhyne, also turned heads.


Regardless of background or school, Dugger was one of the best players on the field. He controls his feet very well in coverage to mirror backs or tight ends, flashing some burst out of his plant-and-drive. Dugger is rarely out of phase due to his timing and instincts. In the run game, he showed bent knees and long arms (32 3/4 inches) to take on and dispose of blockers, quickly finding the ball-carrier to make a play. With his play recognition and natural twitch, Dugger could start at safety or linebacker at the next level.


Practices continue Wednesday and Thursday before the Senior Bowl kicks off Saturday at 1:30 p.m. (CT).