Sorry for the delay in getting this report filed, but it seems that once the 2022 Shrine concluded, the lights were turned off and everyone associated with the game went home. While checking around for mail and such on my laptop Saturday, I decided to try one more look at the Shrine website. Lo and behold, what popped up but a post-game Box Score. So, now armed with a little data to back up my scouting observations, I can now proceed to give you my observations on some the more impressive prospects participating in this game.
Or maybe not… since one of the top prospects on the roster never took the field on Saturday for actual game action. All week long during practices, WR KYLE PHILIPS from UCLA stood out. Dispatches, on a daily basis, poured out of Shrine Bowl practices praising the route running, catches, and yards after catch ability of Phillips. I read multiple reports of media members proclaiming him to be the next Hunter Renfrow, the RAIDERS slot man extraordinaire. But right about Thursday, or maybe late Wednesday, PHILIPS agent received a call from Senior Bowl officials inviting him to hop a plane and come join them in Mobile. It sounded as if PHILIPS attempted to do so but ran afoul of the weather and airline schedules. He did not head to Mobile, nor did he play in the Shrine Bowl game. Our loss in the Draftnik community. We will all have to wait and hope that he does a full workout at the Combine in a couple of weeks. He has been in my Top 100 list since declaring for the Draft and looks like a 2nd Round Prospect right now. I can’t wait to see his times for the speed and agility drills in Indy. Can he run a sub-4.40/40…. no wait… can he run a GPS timed 22.00+ mph at the Combine?
But all was not lost. We might get a chance to look at quite a few late Day 2, and much of the Round 4 & 5 players action. The West won a tight 25-24 contest, with the East coming on strong in the 4th Quarter to challenge for a comeback win. Let’s go with an alphabetical listing of my top prospects coming off this game action.
TY CHANDLER RB UNC (Tennessee transfer) 5’11/203 #19 West CHANDLER served as the replacement for WILLIAMS/CARTER, 2 NFL draftees. He showed his versatility in this game, just as he had all season long for the Tar Heels. He’s a hard runner with enough speed to get outside and enough power to run between the tackles, with good contact balance. Best of all, he is a solid receiving threat, with good run after catch ability. In this game, he ran for 69 yards, at 6.3 ypc. He also caught 1 pass. I think some NFL team gets a solid contributor to their RB room with a 4th Round Pick used on Chandler. He should test well at the Combine.
JACK COAN QB Notre Dame (Wisconsin transfer) 6’3/217 #17 West COAN was the starter for the West and got them out to a solid lead. He was 10/13- 77%- 91 yd- 1 TD. He got excellent protection, and used that time in the pocket to pick apart the East secondary. He can move a bit to extend plays, but he is indeed an old-fashioned Pocket QB. Under pressure, the sacks and INT’s start to appear. When the East rallied in the second half, COAN was not on the field. He might get drafted late on Day 3. Invited to Combine.
JASHAUN CORBIN RB Florida St (Texas A&M transfer) 5’11/205 #5 West Surprised me with his good speed and juice running thru traffic. He ran for 50 yards- 6.3 ypc, 1 TD. He also chipped in with 2 receptions. I was pleasantly surprised with his overall running ability. He carried the load for the Seminoles in the second half of their 2021 season. Great balance, good field vision and big time leg drive got him lots of yards-after-contact. Not unlike guys like COOK and AKERS who preceded him in Tallahassee. He could be highly coveted as Round 4 begins if he follows this up with good numbers in Indy.
DIEGO FAGOT LB Navy 6’2/237 #54 East Seems like we are now seeing young men from the military schools showing up as legit NFL prospects every season. I have 2 Midshipmen and 1 Air Force player graded in my Top 300 this year. FAGOT was the Defensive Player of the Game for the SHRINE BOWL. He has high FBI, and is an above average athlete. That combination of attributes allows him to make plays all game long. He is more than adequate in coverage assignments and excels in pursuit to the ball. His stat sheet showed his versatility. He recorded 7 tackles, 6 of them solo, including 1 TFL. He was also credited with 1 Pass Defensed. He is not currently scheduled to attend the NFL Combine, but should show up at someone’s Pro Day workouts.
JAMES HOUSTON LB Jackson State (Florida transfer) 6’1/242 #41 East HOUSTON first got my attention for his play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl just prior to the Shrine. He was credited with 1 tackle that game, but raised an eyebrow from me with 2 PBU’s. He had gotten the Shrine scouts attention garnering him an early invite. Despite his solid effort in Pasadena, he reported to LasVegas for Shrine action. He made his presence known at the Shrine venue, culminating in a solid gameday with 4 tackles, 2 solo, and 1 TFL. His length is impressive with 341/4″ arms and an 82 1/8″ wingspan at only 6’1″. He may be a bit raw, but the talent and physical tools are undeniable. Some pro team that has the patience, and teaching staff to work with him could get an eventual starter with a Day 3 Pick usage on him. Just don’t wait too long to draft him if you luv him. He might be gone sooner than many think. Not invited to Combine as I write this.
ALEC LINDSTROM OC Boston College 6’3/294 #72 East Not a hulking strong man, but an above average athlete for an OC. Coming out of B.C. you just know he’s fundamentally sound. He may be one of 3 OL to get drafted from B.C. this year. LINDSTROM started in this game and handled the IOL with savvy. He had no problem getting to second level blocks. He has adequate functional strength, tho he may struggle at the next level against the premier Nose Tackles, who just bully their way to the ball like ROBINSON/Rams & READER/Bengals. That is why he’s a ROUND 3/4 prospect. Combine will be illuminating with him.
TAY MARTIN WR Oklahoma State (Washington State transfer) 6’2/188 #81 West I remember this guy out in the Pac-12 before he moved on to Okie St. He has a slight frame, and maybe that helps him slip thru tight places in a crowded secondary, but man, he just gets open and his hands are like glue. That is a bit surprising because his hands measured 9 3/8″ at the weigh-in , which aren’t tiny, but are not big-boy 10+-inchers. He is also pretty slippery in the open field. For the game, he was targeted 5 times, and caught 4 of them, for 47 yards, or 11.8 per catch. I feel he’s a solid Day 3 Pick who could evolve into a Receiver 3/4 in time. Not invited to the Combine. A serious injustice.
GEORGE MOORE OG Oregon 6’6/305 #57 East He did a solid job for the Ducks on the outside at OT. The coaching staff may have done him a big favor by doing so, given his arm length of 33 3/8″. And at 6’5, his wingspan just topped 80″ by 1/8″. In general, NFL teams like 35″ or more for their outside blockers. MOORE looked solid in the game. He slid around nicely with smooth footwork, in general. I have him in my second hundred group and think he was slighted not getting invited to the Combine. IMO, he’s draftable, late. Might be able to back up 3 or 4 spots on game day.
E.J. PERRY QB Brown (BC transfer) 6’2/212 #4 East The man who led the East to a big rally, that almost won the game. And he did so with his arm and his legs. He gave up on the rinky-dink BC offense and tore up the Ivy League. He rushed 4 times for 14 yards and a 2-point conversion. However, he really went to town with his arm going 13/18- 72%- 241 yards- 3 TD’s- 0 INT’s. He spread the field and bought time extending plays with his legs. He was voted the outstanding Offensive Player. He is scheduled to participate in the Combine, and could be that sleeper QB prospect we have all been waiting for to emerge in an iffy QB group overall, compared to recent draft years. He certainly stole the show in the 4th Quarter of this game.
JACK SANBORN LB Wisconsin 6’2/239 #57 West As you might expect, based on his career at UW, this guy is everywhere, all the time for his Defense. He is a better overall athlete than advertised and he does a solid job in pass coverage. He had 7 tackles, all of them solo jobs, and had a fumble recovery, again indicative of his nose for the ball and action. It felt like just about every time I looked up SANBORN was in on a play. SANBORN was my East Defensive Star of the game. He’s not getting drafted until Day 3, but he will play Special Teams and situational defense for some NFL team. No, he will not excel in the numbers game at the Combine, but he’s a real football player. Originally a walk-on at Wisconsin, by the way.
PIERRE STRONG RB South Dakota St 5’11/202 #20 East STRONG did not put up big numbers nor have a lot of touches in this game, 2 to be exact, but you should have seen all you needed to see from him late in the 3rd Quarter when he took a screen pass and worked his way seemingly thru the entire West Defense for a 65-yard catch and run, for a TD, that served to inspire the, until then, sluggish West Offense. This FCS standout is headed to the Combine with a chance to show out against some big name prospects from big time programs. To me, his max production out of only 2 touches in this game demonstrate what he can bring to an NFL RB room, and as a Special Teamer. Another legit Day 3, small schooler.
CORDELL VOLSON OL North Dakota St 6’6/319 #67 West Another FCS player from just north of the border from where Strong excels. I actually felt like VOLSON would get a Senior Bowl invite, but at least he will be in Indy for the Combine. VOLSON, like Moore above, though not short, rates a bit below the NFL ideal, so he played inside at OG and was steady all night long. He really led the way creating holes in the run game for the West early. The West totaled 151 yards rushing, as a team, which is a large number for an All-Star game. And it looked to me like a good amount of those inside gains were triggered by VOLSON pushing defenders aside on seal-off blocks. Deservedly, VOLSON is headed to the Combine and I think will show out well. He may yet crack his way into my Top 100.
CARSON WELLS DE/OB Colorado 6’3/250 #26 East This guy plays even longer than his 6’3 height would indicate. And he definitely picks up pursuit speed with long legs. He seemed to find cracks along the OL and made himself skinny to slip through them. He recorded one TFL, among his 4 tackles overall. I would describe him as fluid and he was a sack leader among the Buffalo defenders. Add him to my snub list for not getting an invite to Indy. In the Shrine Bowl, he looked like one of those guys that forced the opposing team to run away from his side whenever possible, and still managed to get into more than his share of action.
JELANI WOODS TE Virginia (Oklahoma State transfer) 6’7/259 #89 West He spent most of his early career blocking for the Cowboys run game. But once he went to Virginia, their coaching staff saw him as much more than just a blocker. And sure enough, this guy with the huge target radius, turned into a solid target option in a more balanced attack at UVA. His height combined with an 82 1/8″ wingspan and 34″+ arm length create an enticing target, especially in the red zone. He was targeted 5 times, for 3 catches, including 1 TD in the game. He displays good, not great hands. I doubt we will see him break 4.50/40 at the Combine, but if he catches the ball in stride, his long legs churn yardage in big chunks. And that blocking… he is not a TRAVIS KELCE, but I do compare him to MARCEDES LEWIS, currently in Green Bay. By Day 3, he should start to draw some serious interest. The Combine will play a major role in determining when his name is called on Draft weekend.
There were some very solid Draft Prospects on these two squads. But I am not sure moving the game to Vegas, on a Thursday night, and putting most of your practice schedule directly opposite the Senior Bowl was a smart move for the game itself. I notice attendance was announced as being below 15,000. If the NFL moves the Pro Bowl to another city next year, will they ask the Shriners to move the game again? There are some serious reasons to tie the game to the NFL, but the League (i.e. the Owners) is primarily concerned about revenue streams for themselves. Be cautious Shrine officials.
That’s about it for the 2022 SHRINE BOWL for this Draftnik, although I will save the recording I made of the game and watch it several more times, especially during the time period from post-Combine until the actual Draft. Enjoy Draft Season y’all.
Cheers
Pigskin
