For the New Orleans Saints, a new season often starts in Mobile, Ala. The annual Panini Senior Bowl has become more than just a scouting event — it's a proven talent pipeline that has shaped the modern identity of the franchise.
The proof is in the roster, both past and present. Tight end Jimmy Graham (2010, third-round pick), edge rusher Cameron Jordan (2011, first round), left tackle Terron Armstead (2013, third round), center Erik McCoy (2019, second round), cornerback Alontae Taylor (2022, second round), right tackle Taliese Fuaga (2024, first round) and quarterback Tyler Shough (2025, second round) are among the players that were drafted by New Orleans after playing in the Senior Bowl.
Senior Bowl practices this year will take place Jan. 27-29, and the game will be played Jan. 31 at Hancock Whitney Stadium, on the campus of the University of South Alabama.
The experience generally proves as valuable for the players as for the franchise, and several have been recognized for their participation and performances. Both Jordan and Armstead are members of the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame, while Graham is a member of the 75th Anniversary Team.
"I didn't originally get invited to the Senior Bowl," said Armstead, a Saint from 2013-21 who was an All-Pro in 2018 and three-time Pro Bowler in New Orleans. "I was in the East-West Shrine Game (played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.) and about a week after playing in the East-West Shrine Game, I got invited to the Senior Bowl.
"So I drove from Pensacola, where I was training, over to the Senior Bowl. And it was extremely influential, and I would say monumental, for me in my process to get drafted. Because my big question was, Can I play against the top-level competition? Once I got to the Senior Bowl, I saw the guys from Georgia, LSU, Alabama... and I was able to answer a lot of those questions."
Armstead, who starred at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, started the last 91 games he played as a Saint. He had no idea, from his Senior Bowl experience, that the franchise was interested.
"I didn't have any conversation with the Saints at the Senior Bowl," he said. "I had one visit to the Saints, and it was a group visit so it was, like, 20 players or so. And I didn't feel like those guys were interested in me at all. I had a meeting with the O-line coach for about an hour, I shook hands with (Coach) Sean Payton – literally, 30 seconds – and that was it. So, I didn't think I was on the Saints' radar at all."
Turns out, New Orleans saw all it needed to see despite an abbreviated week in which Armstead missed team meetings, practices and meetings with coaches due to the late invitation. He said he had one real practice, then played in the Senior Bowl.
"Just looking back at the process and how everything played out, I know for a fact that the Senior Bowl was huge for me, being a small-school guy," said Armstead, said.
"I'm forever grateful. The Senior Bowl is great. Played a huge part in my career and me being drafted. I strongly believe that, so I'm an advocate for them."
We continue to use the Senior Bowl as a very valuable and significant resource throughout our college evaluation process. Senior Vice President/Assistant General Manager-College Personnel, Jeff Ireland
Additionally this year, five Saints coaches headline the American team staff: Running backs coach Joel Thomas (head coach), linebackers coach Peter Sirmon (defensive coordinator), quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien (offensive coordinator), assistant special teams coordinator Kyle Wilber (special teams coordinator) and defensive assistant Robert Blanton (defensive backs) will gain a level of access that will be helpful to the franchise during this year's draft process.
"We continue to use the Senior Bowl as a very valuable and significant resource throughout our college evaluation process," said Saints Senior Vice President/Assistant General Manager-College Personnel Jeff Ireland. "This year we are excited to have five coaches coaching the American team. These coaches will have hands-on experience with these players, which has proven to be invaluable additional information to our evaluations. We are excited to be in Mobile for the week and seeing all this unfold."
Check out photos of past and present New Orleans Saints players who participated in the annual Senior Bowl and later joined the Black and Gold via the NFL Draft.
Jimmy Graham of the South team during practice for the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama on January 28, 2010.
New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (80) during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, in New Orleans.
North squad defensive lineman Cameron Jordan (97) of California gives pursuit during Senior Bowl football practice in Mobile, Ala., Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011.
Cam Jordan #94 of the New Orleans Saints warming up before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in New Orleans, La., Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025.
Senior Bowl South Squad offensive lineman Terron Armstead of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (71) runs on to the field before the Senior Bowl College football game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013.
New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead (72) lines up for a play in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Chicago Bears in New Orleans, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021.
Louisville defensive end Sheldon Rankins (98) runs through drills during NCAA college football practice for the Senior Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016, at Fairhope Municipal Stadium, in Fairhope, Ala.
New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (98) during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in New Orleans.
South squad inside linebacker Alex Anzalone of Florida (34) runs during the first half of the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala.
New Orleans Saints middle linebacker Alex Anzalone (47) between plays in the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans in New Orleans, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. The Saints won 30-28.
In this Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, file photo, South Squad defensive end Marcus Davenport, of UTSA, runs drills during the South's practice in Mobile, Ala., for Saturday's Senior Bowl NCAA college football game. The 6-foot-6, 259-pounder is one of the top NFL prospects at the Senior Bowl this week, rated as a potential first-rounder and maybe even a Top 10 pick.
New Orleans Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport (92) in action in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 7, 2022.
South Squad wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith of Central Florida (4) in action during South team's practice for Saturday's Senior Bowl college football game in Mobile, Ala.,Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018.
New Orleans Saints' Tre'Quan Smith runs a route against the Houston Texans during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Houston.
North center Erik McCoy of Texas A&M (78) during the second half of the Senior Bowl college football game, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019, in Mobile, Ala.
New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy (78) waits to snap the ball during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sep. 7, 2024, in New Orleans.
South defensive end Carl Granderson of Wyoming (91) during practice for Saturday's Senior Bowl college football game, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, in Mobile, Ala.
New Orleans Saints defensive end Carl Granderson (96) celebrates an interception during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Atlanta.
North tight end Adam Trautman of Dayton s during practice for the Senior Bowl Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, in Mobile, Ala.
New Orleans Saints tight end Adam Trautman (82) warms up before an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, in Pittsburgh, PA.
North outside linebacker Zack Baun of Wisconsin (56) during the first half of the Senior Bowl college football game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Mobile, Ala.
New Orleans Saints linebacker Zack Baun (53) sprints down the field during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in Indianapolis.
Oregon offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton (54) blocks against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, in Stanford, Calif. Oregon won 21-6.
New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Calvin Throckmorton (76) during an NFL preseason football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023, in New Orleans.
Defensive lineman Payton Turner of Houston (98) warms up during the American team practice for the NCAA college football Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021.
New Orleans Saints defensive end Payton Turner (98) defends during an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New Orleans.
National Team offensive lineman Zion Johnson of Boston College (77) and National Team offensive lineman Trevor Penning of Northern Iowa (70) run through drills during practice for the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in Mobile, Ala.
New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning (70) lines up in the first half during an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in New Orleans.
American Team cornerback Alontae Taylor of Tennessee (6) runs through drills during practice for the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in Mobile, Ala.
New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) plays during an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C.
Appalachian State Mountaineers linebacker D'Marco Jackson (52) eyes the ball during an NCAA football game against Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Huntington, W.VA.
Linebacker D'Marco Jackson #53 of the New Orleans Saints during the NFL Week 10 regular season football game against the Atlanta Falcons in New Orleans, La., during the 2024 season.
National quarterback Jake Haener of Fresno State (9) rolls out to pass during the first half of the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Mobile, Ala..
Quarterback Jake Haener #3 of the New Orleans Saints in the second-half of the NFL preseason football game against the Denver Broncos in New Orleans, La., Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025.
National defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey of Notre Dame (7) runs drills during practice for the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, in Mobile, Ala..
New Orleans Saints defensive end Isaiah Foskey (55) defends during an NFL preseason football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in New Orleans, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2024.
American offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri of Old Dominion (59) during the first half of the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Mobile, Ala..
New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Nick Saldiveri (64) blocks for quarterback Jake Haener (14) in the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Houston Texans in New Orleans, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023.
Oregon State offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga follows a play during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Washington State, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Pullman, Wash. Fuaga has been selected to The Associated Press midseason All-America team, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023.
New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga (75) lines up during an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in New Orleans.
American quarterback Spencer Rattler of South Carolina runs through drills during practice for the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Mobile, Ala.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (2) throws a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in New Orleans.
Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford (41) celebrates a sack against Alabama during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Austin, Texas. Alabama defeated Texas 20-19.
New Orleans Saints linebacker Jaylan Ford (53) works during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Atlanta.
