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By Michael Luciano | Jan 16 2020
The week of practices for the 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl have officially concluded, and NFL scouts now have books of info on some of the best prospects in the country ahead of Saturday's game. Several players saw their stocks tumble or remain right where they were after these last few days, but a select few dominated proceedings and have surely put themselves in line for boatloads of money at the pro level.
Winners
Nebraska DT Khalil Davis: Between Michigan State's Raequan Williams, Baylor's Bravvion Roy, and Arkansas' McTelvin Agim, defensive line was the best position group for this year's game. Davis reigned supreme this week, as NO ONE could handle the 308-pound lineman's rare combination of speed, power, and technique that helped him grab eight sacks in the Big Ten. Davis was the best and most consistent player in St. Petersburg, and it'll be a crime if he isn't picked by the end of the fifth round.
Ohio State WR Binjimen Victor: Competing with a loaded wide receiver group that included Juwan Johnson, Nick Westbrook, and Dezmon Patmon, Victor has shownoff the sticky hands, plus deep speed, and terrific route-running ability that made him one of Justin Fields' favorite targets at Ohio State. Provided the 6-4, 199-pound wideout can stay healthy, he'll make for an intriguing late-round pick or priority free agent.
FIU QB James Morgan: Mississippi State's Tommy Stevens was all over the place and Princeton's Kevin Davidson showed off his NFL arm, but Morgan was on another level. A prospect who started for parts of all four years at FIU, Morgan showed off one of the strongest arms in this draft class, with mobility, touch, and accuracy to all levels to boot. He also stayed late after practice to get extra reps in, checking some of the intangible boxes teams love to check off on QB prospects.
Charlotte EDGE Alex Highsmith: Highsmith just barely edged Michael Danna as the best pass rusher from this week. A guy who trailed only Chase Young in sacks going into the postseason, his stacked frame and relentless motor paired speed and refined technique made him unblockable for most tackles in his game. Don't be surprised if he's the highest-drafted player from this game after dominating in practice.
UCF CB Nevelle Clark: Clark, a 6-2, 190-pound corner originally from Miami, came into this week facing questions about how he would handle bigger receivers -- and he was excellent. At his size, there aren't many corners that showed his speed, ball skills, and ability to mirror on shorter routes. Clark was the best cornerback from either team, beating out players from schools like Michigan (Lavert Hill), Oklahoma (Parnell Motley) and Penn State (John Reid) for that honor.
TCU OG Cordell Iwagwu: Michigan's 362-pound Michael Onwenu came close, but Iwagwu was the best offensive lineman here. The likes of Roy, Davis, and Williams dominated most offensive lineman here, but Iwagwu was the only one to stand up to all of them. He could easily be a late-round selection after his week in St. Petersburg.
Illinois RB Reggie Corbin: Corbin was always going to draw a lot of attention, as the amount of former rugby stars with quads bigger than my waist that ripped off big run after big run despite a horrid passing offense in college are few and far between. Several big-name backs showed impressive explosion, but no one did it as consistently as Corbin. As an added bonus, he performed better than most expected he would in pass protection drills.
Berry WR Mason Kinsey: This game is a perfect chance for Division II guys to strut their stuff, and Kinsey earned high marks across the board. He showed versatility by playing outside as a receiver and returning punts, showcased sure hands, and was able to win 1v1 battles through consistently solid route-running and explosion. Berry College in Rome, Georgia isn't exactly UGA, but Kinsley showed enough to get his shot at the pros.
Some Good, Some Bad
Missouri QB Kelly Bryant: Bryant was the most hyped player at this game, and eventually shined through as the best of the West QBs. His arm strength, playmaking ability, and touch downfield were all pluses for him. However, his short-range accuracy wavered at times, and his elongated windup in his throwing motion needs to be tightened up before an NFL team can feel comfortable using a pick on him.
Oregon OG/OT Calvin Throckmorton: It was the best of times at guard for Throckmorton, and the worst of times at tackle. The former Duck simply couldn't handle any degree of speed on the outside, but his footwork, hand placement, and power shone at guard, where he was rarely, if ever, beaten in pass or run protection. The scouting community now has some clarity that Throckmorton, a first-team All-American according to some outlets, should only line up inside at the next level.
Fresno State LB Mykal Walker: 1v1 situations were embarrassing for Walker early on, as Reggie Corbin juking him out of his shoes was one of the hottest highlights of Day 1. Walker really turned things around, as the 6-3 linebacker that can play inside or outside was able to showcase the speed, ferocity, and nose for the football he was known for in college. Scouts weren't able to pull themselves away from Walker after Day 2.
West Virginia CB Keith Washington II: Unlike Walker, Washington's week got worse as it progressed. He started Day 1 with three terrific pass breakups in drills, perhaps showing off his ball skills, but the likes of Victor and Missouri's Johnathan Johnson quickly beat up on him, toasting him on double moves for some big gains over the next few days. Hopefully the scouts who left after Day 1 took a shine to him.
Navy WR Malcolm Perry: The former running back and triple-option quarterback has many of the finer points of wide receiver down already, as he is quick, gets open frequently, and can do downfield fairly well. However, he still struggles with catching the football. I don't need to tell you that dropping three passes in somewhat quick succession on Day 2 isn't going to earn you too high a grade from the scouts in attendance.
Losers
Utah QB Tyler Huntley: Huntley was probably the worst of the six quarterbacks here given his performance during the week. When he had time to step up, he made some nice throws. However, his arm strength is still lacking, his deep accuracy came and went, and he seemed to look for the checkdown more often than he ripped it down field. At 6-0 and 195, Huntley could have used a better week.
San Diego State CB Luq Barcoo: Who would have guessed the NCAA leader in interceptions would struggle? Too small to play safety at 175 pounds, Barcoo appeared much too slow to play corner, as Victor and Boise State's John Hightower ate him for lunch, constantly torching him on deep throws down the field. His speed will be key for his stock. If he fails to impress out wide, adding 20 pounds and going to safety might be his only option.
West Georgia DT Auzoyah Alufohai: The Division II star impressed on Day 1 after he bulldozed players with raw power, but his lack of refinement showed up after lineman finally wised up to his style of play. With no pass rush move or first step quickness to fall back on, Alufohai rarely ended up in the backfield as a pass rusher. The tools are there, but he'll need a LOT of fine-tuning before he's ready for the pros.
Arizona State OG Cohl Cabral: Cabral was outgunned for most of the week in St. Petersburg. Lacking length or any degree of strength to anchor in pass protection, the stronger defensive lineman (and, quite frankly, even the less strong ones) ate up the former Sun Devil, who should head straight to the gym and beef up if he wants any chance of sticking around on a pro team in any capacity.
www.12up.com
The week of practices for the 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl have officially concluded, and NFL scouts now have books of info on some of the best prospects in the country ahead of Saturday's game. Several players saw their stocks tumble or remain right where they were after these last few days, but a select few dominated proceedings and have surely put themselves in line for boatloads of money at the pro level.
Winners
Nebraska DT Khalil Davis: Between Michigan State's Raequan Williams, Baylor's Bravvion Roy, and Arkansas' McTelvin Agim, defensive line was the best position group for this year's game. Davis reigned supreme this week, as NO ONE could handle the 308-pound lineman's rare combination of speed, power, and technique that helped him grab eight sacks in the Big Ten. Davis was the best and most consistent player in St. Petersburg, and it'll be a crime if he isn't picked by the end of the fifth round.
Ohio State WR Binjimen Victor: Competing with a loaded wide receiver group that included Juwan Johnson, Nick Westbrook, and Dezmon Patmon, Victor has shownoff the sticky hands, plus deep speed, and terrific route-running ability that made him one of Justin Fields' favorite targets at Ohio State. Provided the 6-4, 199-pound wideout can stay healthy, he'll make for an intriguing late-round pick or priority free agent.
FIU QB James Morgan: Mississippi State's Tommy Stevens was all over the place and Princeton's Kevin Davidson showed off his NFL arm, but Morgan was on another level. A prospect who started for parts of all four years at FIU, Morgan showed off one of the strongest arms in this draft class, with mobility, touch, and accuracy to all levels to boot. He also stayed late after practice to get extra reps in, checking some of the intangible boxes teams love to check off on QB prospects.
Charlotte EDGE Alex Highsmith: Highsmith just barely edged Michael Danna as the best pass rusher from this week. A guy who trailed only Chase Young in sacks going into the postseason, his stacked frame and relentless motor paired speed and refined technique made him unblockable for most tackles in his game. Don't be surprised if he's the highest-drafted player from this game after dominating in practice.
UCF CB Nevelle Clark: Clark, a 6-2, 190-pound corner originally from Miami, came into this week facing questions about how he would handle bigger receivers -- and he was excellent. At his size, there aren't many corners that showed his speed, ball skills, and ability to mirror on shorter routes. Clark was the best cornerback from either team, beating out players from schools like Michigan (Lavert Hill), Oklahoma (Parnell Motley) and Penn State (John Reid) for that honor.
TCU OG Cordell Iwagwu: Michigan's 362-pound Michael Onwenu came close, but Iwagwu was the best offensive lineman here. The likes of Roy, Davis, and Williams dominated most offensive lineman here, but Iwagwu was the only one to stand up to all of them. He could easily be a late-round selection after his week in St. Petersburg.
Illinois RB Reggie Corbin: Corbin was always going to draw a lot of attention, as the amount of former rugby stars with quads bigger than my waist that ripped off big run after big run despite a horrid passing offense in college are few and far between. Several big-name backs showed impressive explosion, but no one did it as consistently as Corbin. As an added bonus, he performed better than most expected he would in pass protection drills.
Berry WR Mason Kinsey: This game is a perfect chance for Division II guys to strut their stuff, and Kinsey earned high marks across the board. He showed versatility by playing outside as a receiver and returning punts, showcased sure hands, and was able to win 1v1 battles through consistently solid route-running and explosion. Berry College in Rome, Georgia isn't exactly UGA, but Kinsley showed enough to get his shot at the pros.
Some Good, Some Bad
Missouri QB Kelly Bryant: Bryant was the most hyped player at this game, and eventually shined through as the best of the West QBs. His arm strength, playmaking ability, and touch downfield were all pluses for him. However, his short-range accuracy wavered at times, and his elongated windup in his throwing motion needs to be tightened up before an NFL team can feel comfortable using a pick on him.
Oregon OG/OT Calvin Throckmorton: It was the best of times at guard for Throckmorton, and the worst of times at tackle. The former Duck simply couldn't handle any degree of speed on the outside, but his footwork, hand placement, and power shone at guard, where he was rarely, if ever, beaten in pass or run protection. The scouting community now has some clarity that Throckmorton, a first-team All-American according to some outlets, should only line up inside at the next level.
Fresno State LB Mykal Walker: 1v1 situations were embarrassing for Walker early on, as Reggie Corbin juking him out of his shoes was one of the hottest highlights of Day 1. Walker really turned things around, as the 6-3 linebacker that can play inside or outside was able to showcase the speed, ferocity, and nose for the football he was known for in college. Scouts weren't able to pull themselves away from Walker after Day 2.
West Virginia CB Keith Washington II: Unlike Walker, Washington's week got worse as it progressed. He started Day 1 with three terrific pass breakups in drills, perhaps showing off his ball skills, but the likes of Victor and Missouri's Johnathan Johnson quickly beat up on him, toasting him on double moves for some big gains over the next few days. Hopefully the scouts who left after Day 1 took a shine to him.
Navy WR Malcolm Perry: The former running back and triple-option quarterback has many of the finer points of wide receiver down already, as he is quick, gets open frequently, and can do downfield fairly well. However, he still struggles with catching the football. I don't need to tell you that dropping three passes in somewhat quick succession on Day 2 isn't going to earn you too high a grade from the scouts in attendance.
Losers
Utah QB Tyler Huntley: Huntley was probably the worst of the six quarterbacks here given his performance during the week. When he had time to step up, he made some nice throws. However, his arm strength is still lacking, his deep accuracy came and went, and he seemed to look for the checkdown more often than he ripped it down field. At 6-0 and 195, Huntley could have used a better week.
San Diego State CB Luq Barcoo: Who would have guessed the NCAA leader in interceptions would struggle? Too small to play safety at 175 pounds, Barcoo appeared much too slow to play corner, as Victor and Boise State's John Hightower ate him for lunch, constantly torching him on deep throws down the field. His speed will be key for his stock. If he fails to impress out wide, adding 20 pounds and going to safety might be his only option.
West Georgia DT Auzoyah Alufohai: The Division II star impressed on Day 1 after he bulldozed players with raw power, but his lack of refinement showed up after lineman finally wised up to his style of play. With no pass rush move or first step quickness to fall back on, Alufohai rarely ended up in the backfield as a pass rusher. The tools are there, but he'll need a LOT of fine-tuning before he's ready for the pros.
Arizona State OG Cohl Cabral: Cabral was outgunned for most of the week in St. Petersburg. Lacking length or any degree of strength to anchor in pass protection, the stronger defensive lineman (and, quite frankly, even the less strong ones) ate up the former Sun Devil, who should head straight to the gym and beef up if he wants any chance of sticking around on a pro team in any capacity.
Winners And Losers After 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl Practices
The 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl Winners and losers from the week of practice, including stars from Nebraska, Ohio State, and Michigan
www.12up.com
