The first notable event of the new draft season took place on Tuesday. It was the East-West Shrine Bowl, which is a game for college prospects to showcase their talents to scouts, in an attempt to improve their stock ahead of the NFL Draft. While the tier of players is typically lower than what you see in the Senior Bowl, the Shrine Bowl often does produce players that become productive in the NFL. It is a good chance, early on in the process, to identify potential diamonds in the rough. This was my first exposure to all of these players, and below are some of the ones who caught my eye.
DE, Mason Reiger
School: Wisconsin
Reiger was the best player on either side in the Shrine Bowl. He was a constant threat around the edge, showing speed and bend, which helped him get into the backfield. Reiger got home for three sacks, one of which was a strip sack that was recovered by the defence in the end zone. His stock saw a nice boost by the end of the game.
WR, Kaden Wetjen
School: Iowa
Being my first time watching these guys, I’m not going to draw any definitive conclusions at this point. But Wetjen doesn’t strike me as being the most polished guy. However, his speed was on full display whenever he touched the ball, and he was most notable in the return game. It is tough to come up with a draft projection this early in the process, but if he ends up being a mid round guy, teams looking for a boost on special teams and someone with developmental traits might end up considering him.
LB, Shad Banks
School: UTSA
Banks was another defensive player who boosted his stock, and coaches will like that he showed promise in all three phases – vs the pass, the run, and on special teams. He made multiple plays on special teams, which is important for guys who are in this game. But he also made a nice pass breakup in the end zone to prevent a TD, and stuffed a couple of runs, as well.
OT/G, Garrett DiGiorgio
School: UCLA
DiGiorgio was arguably the best offensive lineman in the Shrine Bowl. Like special teams is important for defensive players, showing versatility is important for offensive linemen in these games. He played both OT and G, and did well in both spots. His combination of size and mobility led to some dominating reps as a run blocker, and he was also good in pass protection.
QB, Mark Gronowski
School: Iowa
As an overager, you would expect that Gronowski is further along mentally than your typical prospect. This looked to be the case. He was calm in the pocket, processed things well, and extended the play when he had to. Generally, his passes were accurate and there was enough zip on them for him to do what was required. I thought he was the best QB in the game.
