Kingsley Enagbare and the Senior Bowl standouts the Carolina Panthers can’t overlook
Racing through a constant punishment of rain following the end of Wednesday’s Senior Bowl practice, I fled out of Hancock Whitney Stadium toward the parking lot.
It was awful football weather. But that did not stop both Senior Bowl teams from practicing for two hours apiece.
Strapped with a damp notebook of valuable self-obtained information, I made it to my Kia Soul Rent-A-Car and dove in the back seat.
Time to write.
Before entering the zone, that annoying Slack ping announced itself. It was my editor asking for quotes from Kingsley Enagbare and ZaQuandre White.
“Kingsley,” I said to myself. “Why does that name sound familiar?
First actor Ben Kingsley came to my mind. (I’ve recently watched Iron Man 3 — for the 12th time — and Stan for his portrayal of The Mandarin.)
Then I opened my wet notes hoping to jolt a memory.
Success.
Written in dark pen under the headline “Early standouts” were the words “Kingsley — Impressive edge guy. Holy smokes.”
Forgive me for not immediately recognizing a top South Carolina player; I’m a Minnesota native still getting familiar with the Carolinas.
Enagbare is projected as a Day 2 draft prospect but is making enough noise to be in consideration for a late first-round pick.
The Panthers’ top needs in the first round are a left tackle and a quarterback. Regardless, he’s performed like a player they should not overlook. If Carolina trades back or somehow acquires a second-round pick, they should have their due diligence on Enagbare done.
Here are four players the Panthers should not overlook two days into the Senior Bowl, starting with Enagbare.
DL Kingsley Enagbare (6-foot-4, 260 pounds) — South Carolina
Watching two linemen battle in the trenches is like seeing a couple of WWE championship wrestlers lock holds in the center ring.
Enagbare won his one-on-one matchups with a variety of straight arm power, counter moves and speed. He displayed an impressive assortment of moves while consistently mashing opposing tackles.
During one-on-ones, Enagbare flushed tight end Daniel Bellinger (San Diego State) 10 yards back and out of the drill. There isn’t a tight end in Mobile, Alabama, that can block him.
He’s certainly impressing scouts and should continue to practice well. A splash play in Saturday’s game would put an exclamation point on his week.
LB Damone Clark (6-4, 245 pounds) — LSU
Clark had a nice practice on Wednesday, standing out in the inside-run portion of practice.
He usually stayed near the football, accurately identifying his keys and attacking the line of scrimmage. His run fits well and showcased his downhill style by sticking running backs in the hole a few times.
There were a few reps where Clark did not fight off his block well. That may suggest he struggles to detach from second-level blocks. He’s built like an old-school linebacker but looked fast for his listed weight. What time he runs at the NFL combine next month will be important.
The Panthers need help at linebacker. Clark plugs in as an off-ball backer with valuable upside.
RB Dameon Pierce (5-10, 215 pounds) — Florida
I’m confident everyone at Hancock Whitney Stadium noticed Pierce on Wednesday. Early in practice, he sprung a touchdown run during an inside session.
Pierce accurately read his left guard, cut off his left hip and sliced across the defense on a quick-hitting zone run. It was beautiful. The play went so well that someone in the stands let out a cheerful shout as he raced toward midfield.
Pierce looks thicker than his 215-pound weight suggests. I’m not disputing his weigh-in, rather his mass appears to be spread to advantageous spots of his body for a running back.
His thighs are thick. His shoulders look heavy. He runs fiercely yet plays in control. Every time he touched the ball, I prepared for a big play. He’ll have to improve as a pass-catcher. The rain did him no favors but he’s a stiff route runner and seemed unprepared for some targets.
Carolina would like to improve its short-yardage running success. If his Senior Bowl coach Duce Staley needed a yard, Pierce would’ve gained five.
WR Calvin Austin III (5-7, 173 pounds) — Memphis
I heard Tyreek Hill comparisons made about Memphis receiver Calvin Austin III. That’s usually a red flag for me to not buy into the hype.
And to be clear, I’m not saying Austin is or can become Hill. But there is something about his game that pops. Yes, he’s small, but only vertically. His body looks strong and he is one of the more fit prospects in Mobile. Combine that with his freakish quickness and it starts to make sense why he could work in the NFL.
Austin caught two long touchdowns during one-on-ones. He’s shifty at the line of scrimmage and once he’s at the top of his route, he’ll burn a defensive back who lost a step.
Austin won’t ever be an outside target (Hill is) but can he be a smaller Curtis Samuel? I think so.
This story was originally published February 3, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Kingsley Enagbare and the Senior Bowl standouts the Carolina Panthers can’t overlook."
