The path to the NFL draft begins when postseason all-star games start, marking the 90-day sprint toward the first round each year. The draft begins in Mobile with the Panini Senior Bowl, the first opportunity for scouts, coaches, executives, and all 32 teams to continue tracking future NFL stars.
The players began practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama campus in Mobile, Alabama, on Monday, giving scouts, media members, and draft fans their first chance to see more than 133 draft prospects. Key players are available in every draft round, making events such as the Senior Bowl essential for NFL teams.
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With Saturday’s game fast approaching, we’re looking at five running back prospects to watch.
RB Kaytron Allen – Penn State
The Nittany Lions all-time leading rusher, Allen was a dependable star, logging a program-record 4,180 rushing yards, breaking Evan Royster’s mark with a 160-yard performance against Nebraska last November. In a down season for his team, Allen had a career year with 1,303 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, logging 836 yards on 140 carries in his final six games.
RB Kejon Owens – Florida International
Owens set the FIU single-season record for rushing yards by a running back with 1,334, while leading the team with 11 rushing touchdowns, the second-most in a single season in program history. Owens recorded five 100-yard rushing performances and earned Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year honors, becoming the first Panther to receive the award in league history.
RB Kaelon Black – Indiana
The sixth-year senior followed Cignetti from James Madison, where he spent four seasons. Black primarily served as a backup for the Hoosiers in 2024 but became a go-to rusher in his final season in 2025. Black set career highs in carries (157), rushing yards (898), and touchdowns (eight) this season.
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RB Mike Washington Jr. – Arkansas
Washington Jr. is a physical and athletic runner who started all 12 games this past season. He rushed for 1,070 yards on 167 attempts, scoring eight touchdowns, and also caught 28 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown. He became the 16th player in the program’s history to achieve a 1,000-yard rushing season.
RB Jaydn Ott – Oklahoma
A talented but oft-injured running back, Ott, played 561 snaps his first year at Cal, then 637, and 440 last season. Ott ran for 897 yards and eight touchdowns as a true freshman in 2022, where he also caught 46 passes for 345 yards and three scores. The following season, he led the Pac-12 in rushing with 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns on 246 carries, with an additional 169 yards and two scores on 25 receptions. He also had a kickoff return for a touchdown in 2023.
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His lone season in Norman was injured-filled and he finished with 21 carries for 68 yards.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: 2026 Senior Bowl: 5 RB prospects for the Philadelphia Eagles to watch
