Aidan Hutchinson, Jordan Davis passing on Senior Bowl

A few surprising names skipping the game.

This year’s Senior Bowl is being touted as one of the best collections of draft talent in the history of the game.

Almost every player who received an invite will attend, which hasn’t always been the case. Which is leading to increased anticipation for the workouts, which are led by NFL coaching staffs.

The coaches of the New York Jets, who own the fourth and tenth pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, will lead the National Team. The coaches from the Detroit Lions will coach the American Team.

However, in a recent interview with a Lions podcast, Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said only four players declined an invitation to this year’s Senior Bowl.

Potential No. 1 overall pick, Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, passed on participating. Hutchinson was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He won the Lombardi Trophy (nation’s best player), the Ted Hendricks Award (top defensive end) and the Lott IMPACT Trophy (best defensive player).

Jordan Davis, the enormous, game-wrecking defensive tackle from national champion Georgia, also declined. Davis won the Chuck Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year) and the Outland Trophy (Best Interior Lineman).

The other two — receiver Chris Olave and offensive lineman Thayer Munford — are from Ohio State. Olave is regarded as one of the top receivers in a very good, deep draft class. Munford is likely a Day Two option for teams looking for a tackle/guard.

The 73rd annual Reese’s Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday February 5, 2022, at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama. The game will air on NFL Network.

You can view the updated rosters for the game here.