Thursday’s Senior Bowl practices at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, AL, featured classic Senior Bowl weather, with cloudy skies and temperatures dipping into the 50s. The competition ramped up in both the National and American Team practices, with some skill players shining and more impressive work in the trenches.

Here are Pewter Report’s observations from day three in Mobile:

Some Top Performers From Senior Bowl Week Sit Out Thursday

Some of the standouts from the first two days of Senior Bowl practice didn’t suit up on Thursday. Linebackers Dee Winters (TCU), Marte Mapu (Sacramento State) and Dorian Williams (Tulane) were among those who were in street clothes during practice.

Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (Miami) and wide receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell (Houston) were also not practicing for the American Team. On the National Team side, offensive tackle Dawand Jones (Ohio State) looked on after a couple of dominant performances on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Day 3 Standouts: Offense

Quarterback

The Senior Bowl quarterbacks haven’t had the best week, but Fresno State’s Jake Haener put together a pretty nice day on Thursday. He impressed with his ability to sell play-action, move out of the pocket, and put a nice touch on his throws. And on one play, he did well to withstand pressure from the edges to get a throw-off to Illinois running back Chase Brown:

Running Back

For a third consecutive day, Tulane running back Tyjae Spears stole the show during the American Team’s practice. His quickness and ability to change directions were on full display once again, especially during one of the bigger plays of the day:

Spears also showcased his tough running style by the goal line when the offense and defense got into their 11-on-11 period later in Thursday’s Senior Bowl practice. The 5-foot-9, 204-pound back has incredible vision and did wonders for his draft stock this week in Mobile.

Georgia RB Kenny McIntosh – Photo by: USA Today

Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh did pretty well on Thursday, too, making a great cutback on one run during 11-on-11s while showcasing his impressive receiving ability as well. He strung together a couple of good practices on Wednesday and Thursday after leaving day one early with a cramp.

Wide Receiver

Nebraska’s Trey Palmer displayed his quickness during Thursday’s practice in both the 1-on-1 and 11-on-11 periods. He had a particularly good rep against Iowa cornerback Riley Moss:

Earlier this week, Moss told Pewter Report that Palmer was the one guy he was most looking forward to going toe-to-toe with during Senior Bowl practices due to the fact that the Nebraska standout put up nine catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the Cornhuskers’ 24-17 win over the Hawkeyes back in November.

“My boy Trey at Nebraska,” Moss said. “He got after us during the regular season. They ended up beating us. It’s good fun to go against him, and it’s good competition.”

As it turns out, Palmer was excited about that matchup coming into Senior Bowl Week himself, as he told Pewter Report after Thursday’s practice.

“Really, that was the matchup I was looking for, too, coming into this week,” Palmer said. “Really, just going up against him, each and every time I go up [against him], I want to win.”

Charlotte wide receiver Grant Dubose was another receiver who had a good day for the National Team, making a spectacular catch in the corner of the end zone on a pass from BYU quarterback Jaren Hall:

Tight End

Thursday was a great day to be a tight end at the Senior Bowl.

Purdue’s Payne Durham was one of the top performers, making several big plays – including one down the field in a situational 11-on-11 drill near the end of practice. Despite only averaging 10 yards per catch at Purdue, he showed that he could stretch the field pretty well.

He made some tough contested catches that showed great body control and hands. Durham is a mid-to-late-round option in a deep tight-end class with high-end talent, but he has some upside.

Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave is the fastest tight end – running 20 mph at 6-foot-6 – in Mobile this week, and it helped him create some impressive separation on Thursday. His size and speed make him a mismatch waiting to happen, which was apparent on Thursday. On one play, he got by LSU safety Jay Ward for a touchdown:

Cincinnati’s Josh Whyle had another good showing on Thursday. His moment of the day came after a standard catch and run when he lowered his shoulder into Illinois safety Sydney Brown, flattening him near the sideline.

Offensive Line

Ole Miss OLB Tavius Robinson and Alabama OL Tyler Steen – Photo by: USA Today

Alabama offensive tackle Tyler Steen has been the lineman of the week. He has been a treat to watch in 1-on-1s during the American Team practices. He has lined up at both the tackle and guard positions in Mobile, and transitions pretty seamlessly between both. At 6-foot-5, 325 pounds, he plays with a lot of power and doesn’t let anyone get by him without having a tough test.

Syracuse’s Matt Bergeron has consistently shown out this week, especially in 1-on-1s. He might’ve had the rep of the day, laying out his opponent with a thunderous block.

The 6-foot-4, 323-pounder moves well and shows good body control. He plays the tackle position well, but some might project him as a guy who can potentially move inside to guard at the next level.

Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz has also been impressive this week, standing out consistently along with Steen and Bergeron. He handles the interior extremely well. The former college teammate of Bucs tight end Ko Kieft, Schmitz uses his hands well and plays with an edge to him as a tough midwestern guy.

Day 3 Standouts: Defense

Defensive Line

While a bit undersized for a defensive tackle at 6-foot-1, 284 pounds, Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore impressed in the trenches on Thursday, showing great physicality against the offensive linemen he matched up with.

He told Pewter Report after practice that one guy he’s watched a lot of is Rams All-Pro Aaron Donald. Adebawore is very similar in size to Donald (6-foot-1, 280) and hopes his strength can be his key trait at the next level. Overall, he had an impressive week and raised his draft stock with his showing.

Edge Rusher

Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey has raised his draft stock in Mobile. Foskey clocked in with the fastest speed at 18.73 mph among players listed as defensive linemen at the Senior Bowl. As the Bucs look to boost their pass rush, he might be someone well worth keeping an eye on. Foskey flashed every day this week, and he’s sure to be one of the more highly touted edge rushers as the pre-draft process rolls on.

Cornerback

Though he may not have flashed as much on Thursday as he did on the first two days in Mobile, Stanford’s Kyu Blu Kelly had another solid day. He had a few pass breakups and didn’t give up much, though in some friendly fire, Michael Wilson – his Stanford teammate – beat him in the end zone on one play.

South Carolina cornerback Darius Rush was a bit of a mixed bag on Thursday. He had an early interception, but SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice for a touchdown later beat him on a rep. At 6-foot-1, Rush has some length to him that he uses well. His ball skills and work in zone coverage are pluses.

Safety

Florida State’s Jammie Robinson was strong in coverage on Thursday, notably on Miami tight end Will Musgrave down by the goal line:

Robinson fits the mold for a Bucs safety, standing at just over 5-foot-10. He may need to put on a little more weight at the next level, but he’s an overall solid player.

Friday will consist of shorts-and-helmet practices for the National and American Teams before the Senior Bowl game on Saturday afternoon, which kicks off at 2:30 p.m. (ET) on NFL Network.

Pewter Report’s Adam Slivon contributed to this story.