Former Temple football offensive lineman Matt Hennessy competed in the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. on Saturday afternoon.
The Senior Bowl allows former college players to compete in three days of practice before playing in a game at the end of the week in front of NFL scouts, general managers and media members in the hopes of improving their NFL draft positions.
Hennessy competed on the North team, which won the game 34-17. Hennessy made a block midway through the third quarter, helping to spring former University of Baylor running back JaMycal Hasty for a touchdown.
Hennessy created some buzz among the media members in attendance with his performances during practice.
“Hennessy was strong at center all week,” Matt Valdovinos of Pro Football Network told the Temple News. “However, when coaches asked [Hennessy] to play guard, he struggled. Overall, the Temple product had a solid Senior Bowl and his stock was fortified because of it.”
Hennessy went against former Ohio State University defensive tackle Davon Hamilton on one-on-one drills. Hennessy won the rep by using quick feet to prevent Hamilton from running around him or pushing him over.
Hennessy was known for being a good pass protector while in college. The former Owl allowed zero sacks and only two quarterback pressures in 2018, according to Pro Football Focus.
In 2019, Hennessy was graded as the nation’s top overall center, according to Pro Football Focus.
During a scrimmage period in practice, Hennessy made a seal block allowing former University of California Los Angeles running back Joshua Kelley to score a touchdown.
Hennessy could be selected late on the second day of the NFL draft, tweeted Jordan Reid, who is a senior draft analyst from The Draft Network. The Draft Network has Hennessy ranked as the 64th best player in the 2020 draft class.
Jonah Tuls, a senior draft analyst for The Draft Network, tweeted that he believes Hennessy is a top-three player at his position group.
The Chicago Bears “gathered intel” on Hennessy after practices ended, NBCSports Chicago reported.
Last season, Temple had two former players compete in the Senior Bowl who were later drafted. Former cornerback Rock Ya-Sin was drafted 34th overall by the Indianapolis Colts and former running back Ryquell Armstead was drafted 140th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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