This game generally features the second tier of senior talent, most will be day three Draft picks (rounds four to seven) or even go undrafted. The top prospects will be in Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl (28 January). The Shrine Game committee have still put together two talented rosters and also added some interesting small school talent.
The Top Prospects
The West roster has a few more top prospects than the East. The West offensive line particularly has some fine players. Iowa’s Markus Zusevics played right tackle for the Hawkeyes, but will be tried at guard here. He lacks top athletic ability to stay outside at tackle, but has excellent technique and he could well be one of the stars of the week. Brigham Young’s Matt Reynolds was rated as a first round pick by many a year ago. He returned for his senior year only to see his stock fall and he missed out on a Senior Bowl invite. He’s not the best athlete, but looks powerful and will suit a team like the Steelers. Colorado’s Ryan Miller mostly played at right guard in college, but at 6’7” is always going to struggle to get low enough against shorter defensive tackles. He will be tried outside at tackle this week, which seems like a logical fit. He will need to show enough athletic ability against edge speed to prevent his stock from falling.
The West also has two good cornerbacks. Both are more suited to zone systems, thus their value isn’t as high in Draft terms and they missed out on the Senior Bowl. Iowa’s Shaun Prater doesn’t always appear to have a natural feel for the game, but he’s one of the best special teams players in this class. Keith Tandy is a very similar player to Prater and also had his problems breaking on the ball. Both will need to show they can do this better than they did at times in season.
Continuing with the West, two of three talented senior Arkansas receivers are in attendance. Greg Childs was rated very highly but suffered a serious injury midway through his junior year. He returned this year, but did not look like the same explosive player and indeed missed the Vanderbilt game due to a problem with his knee. His Combine medical will be the biggest moment of the Draft process for him, if clear it could see his stock rise. But certainly a solid week here will also help him. Jarius Wright was far more productive than his more heralded team mate this year, including a fantastic game against Texas A&M. He’s very good at finding the soft spots in zone coverage but, like all smaller receivers, will need to show he can get off press coverage.
Finally for the West, two fine defensive players. TCU’s linebacker Tank Carder struggled at times getting off blocks, but he reads the game well and has nice quickness in short areas. Watch out for San Jose State’s strong safety Duke Ihenacho, he gets downhill very quickly and delivers some huge hits. If he can show he can cover man to man, his stock will only rise in a weak overall safety class.
The best prospect on the East roster is Pittsburgh’s defensive end Brandon Lindsey. He burst onto the scene in 2010 replacing the injured Greg Romeus. His production was down somewhat this season, but he did finish with a positive Bowl game performance against SMU. Some pro teams may want to see him stood up as a linebacker as at 250 lbs he will interest 3-4 teams.
Not far behind Lindsey, is Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins. He put together a career year, but in a very deep receiver class he has missed out on the more prestigious Senior Bowl. He’s a natural hands catcher with good speed and he should have interesting battles in the game with Tandy and Prater. Another receiver, Michigan State’s B.J. Cunningham, had a very productive senior year. However, when matched up against Nebraska’s Alfonzo Dennard (considered a first round pick) he struggled to separate. He’s a bigger receiver who will need to show he has enough quickness in his routes to get open consistently against top cornerbacks.
Finally, Temple’s tight end/half back Evan Rodriguez is another good prospect. He’s not the biggest (6’2” 250 lbs), but looks natural catching the ball and can seal the edge as a blocker. He projects either as a move tight end/half back or possibly at full back as a pro.
The Quarterbacks
The six quarterbacks on show are all rated as later round picks or undrafted free agents at this stage, but clearly this is a great chance for them to move up boards.
The East has the stronger group on paper. John Brantley never quite put it together at Florida, with his senior year better than a poor junior year in an offense that didn’t suit him, but still with poor outings (the Florida State game for example). He teases with some really nice throws and if he can have a consistent week of practice he will only help his stock. B.J. Coleman (Tennessee-Chattanooga) is a Tennessee transfer who missed some time with a shoulder injury this year. He has excellent arm strength, but accuracy has been a problem. Finally for the East, Southern Mississippi’s Austin Davis could be a real sleeper. He’s a spread system conversion project, but he’s very calm in the pocket and his accuracy is good. He doesn’t have a top arm like Coleman, but his arm strength is certainly good enough. The key for him will be the ability to read defenses correctly and make solid decisions with the ball.
The West has one very good prospect in Northern Illinois’ Chandler Harnish. He ran the zone read and put up some big rushing numbers. If Denver commit to Tim Tebow, then they may have some interest in Harnish as a backup. It is worth noting that he showed some nice touch at times, so certainly down the road he could be more than just a zone read quarterback. Dan Persa (Northwestern) and Tyler Hansen (Colorado) and both undersized signal callers who are likely undrafted free agents as a result. Persa (5’11”) was the more productive college passer, but will need to adjust from a spread system to a pro style offense. Hansen (6’0”) had his struggles, but was playing on a team that went 3-10. With greater talent around him, he must take advantage with a good week.
Small School Prospects
Scouting small school talent is always difficult as scouts always have the level of competition question in their minds. This game gives several small school prospects the chance to match up against FBS prospects. Those that hold their own can expect to gain interest at varying points of day three.
B.J. Coleman is the pick of the bunch, but a number of other prospects are also intriguing. California (PA) has two representatives at the game. Guard Rishaw Johnson started his career at Missisippi, but was kicked off the team. Scouts will want to talk to him as much as watch him play, he has some power but does need technique work. Wide receiver Thomas Mayo is someone who is a popular sleeper pick in scouting circles. He put up big numbers at Concord, before transferring to California for his senior year and again put up big numbers. He has good size, the speed to get deep and solid hands.
During practice Mayo will be up against three corners with real potential. Scouts will have taken note of Hampton’s Micah Pellerin last year when scouting big Kenrick Ellis who is now with the Jets. He has good size and shows a nice break out of his backpedal. Coastal Carolina’s Josh Norman and Presbyterian’s Justin Bethel are also in contention for late round slots.
South Dakota’s Tom Compton is an offensive tackle who may be better suited inside at guard at the next level as he lacks the athletic ability to hold up against NFL edge speed. However, he’s an aggressive blocker who will appeal to power teams.
As mentioned above, the overall safety class is weak so South Carolina State’s Christian Thompson could be a big beneficiary of a solid week. If he can show he is comfortable in man coverage particularly, he should fly up Draft boards.
Five ‘Sleepers’ to Watch
Bobby Rainey (running back – Western Kentucky) isn’t real big and isn’t super fast, but he has been highly productive. He’s a reliable receiver out of the backfield, but is limited in pass protection because of his size.
Lance Lewis (wide receiver – East Carolina) is a bigger receiver who will need to show he can get off press coverage more effectively. He has good hands though and could be one of several receivers who end up as good value in the later rounds because of the deep class.
Brandon Brooks (guard – Miami (Ohio)) is a big man at 344 lbs, but he carries his weight very well. Has excellent technique and certainly passed his toughest test of the year against Cincinnati’s Derek Wolfe.
Vaughn Meatoga (defensive tackle – Hawaii) just naturally seems to get under blockers to drive them into the backfield. He struggled some later in the season, but early in the year he was tough to block.
Kyle Wilber (defensive end/outside linebacker – Wake Forest) projects to pro linebacker. He has a nice frame, but does need to get a little stronger. Has some pass rush ability and a high motor.
Rosters Source: East-West Shrine Game Official website
Paul Emery - Paul Emery has been following the NFL Draft since the mid 80's and watches over 250 games a year in order to pick out the best ...
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