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East-West Shrine Game (Orlando, FL) |
I know that after my detailed coverage of all the bowl games you would probably expect me to give you a report on the every player in the East-West Shrine Game (and later, the Senior Bowl), but I'm not going to do that. Everyone in these games is draft eligible, so our scouting eyes should be on everyone. Now, the Shrine Game does not get the attention of the Senior Bowl and rightly so. There are no projected first round picks in this game, but it's still worth checking out.
The West team is coached by former Vikings Head Coach and Eagles Offensive Coordinator Brad Childress. He runs a Bill Walsh style west cost offense, so that might put us at a very slight disadvatage when looking at his offensive prospects, but I won't worry too much about i. His team has a number of prospects we've covered here before. CBs Shaun Prater (Iowa) and Keith Tandy (West Virginia), DL Tyrone Crawford (Boise State), LBs Jerry Franklin (Arkansas) and Tank Carder (TCU), OT Matt Reynolds (BYU), S Aaron Henry (Wisconsin), TEs George Bryan (NC St) and David Paulson (Oregon), WRs Jarius Wright (Arkansas), WR Greg Childs (Arkansas) and Junior Hemingway (Michigan). The top prospect in all that is Jarius Wright (3rd round) and I'm interested to see his old teammate Childs go to work as well. Childs needs a big week to reclaim his once vaunted status. Aaron Henry is still a depth guy a S I like and I'm convinced George Bryan will be a good red zone threat in the NFL. Tank Carder has to use this chance that he's more than just a hustler if he wants to start at LB in the NFL. The West also has Fresno State WR Devon Wylie on the team. Rumors say that the Chargers have been watching and talking to him. The National Football Post also printed that he'd be a good fit for the Bolts as a slot WR.
The East team is coached by former Chargers Head Coach Bobby Ross. That might be enough to give some of you a rooting interest in this game. However, his team doesn't seem to have the same kind of NFL talent. The only guys from his team that we've covered are DE Kyle Wilber (Wake Forest), DE/LB Brandon Lindsay (Pitt) and WRs B.J. Cunningham (Michigan St), A.J Jenkins (Illinois) and LaRon Byrd (Miami). At least those guys are at positions we're interested in. LaRon Byrd seems like an interesting one to me. Miami is a team that could best be described as dysfunctional so it'll be good to get him out of that environment.
I'll give you the scouting reports for the players I've mentioned after the jump. If you're looking for the team needs chart, it'll be there as well.
| Team Needs | |||
| Starter | Starter Competition | Depth | Projects |
| Current starter is FA next year and has no surefire understudy | Current starter is FA next year and has understudy or current starter is inexperienced | One or more backups are FAs next year | May need a new starter or backup after 2012 season |
| S, FB, C, DT | S, ILB, WR, C, DT, OLB, OG |
S, ILB, WR, RB, TE, CB, OT |
QB, K, OLB, DT, DE, TE |
| BFTB Scouting Targets: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
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Jarius Wright |
Arkansas | WR | Sr. | 5'9 | 178 lbs |
| He's fast, but he's small. He projects as a run after the catch guy and possible deep threat. The upside here would something like a Jacoby Ford or DeSean Jackson although that's just something to dream on, otherwise he'd be projected to go in the first round. Still, he's having a great senior season and has turned from a sleeper prospect into someone that could contribute at the next level. (3rd Round) | |||||
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Brandon Lindsey |
Pittsburgh | DE | Sr. | 6'2 | 253 lbs |
| An effective pass rusher with experience at OLB. He'd be a natural fit to move to 3-4 OLB in the NFL. Shows agility to drop into coverage. Last year ex-teammate Jabaal Sheard made the switch from DE to 3-4 OLB and was productive for the Browns. Shows a good array of pass rush moves. Speed to power, swim and rim, good hand usage to fight off blockers. Closing speed is only somewhat above average and second effort could be more consistent. (3rd round) | |||||
| B.J Cunningham | Michigan State | WR | Sr. | 6'2 | 227 lbs |
| Good WR size, but not great speed. He runs good routes, but he also doesn't show the burst needed to get consistent separation and he sometimes lets the ball get to his frame instead of catching with his hands. He's shifty and could be useful when trying to get some YAC. He got suspended for getting involved in a brawl with a fraternity in 2009 where he also accepted a guilty plea for misdemeanor assault and battery. (3rd round) | |||||
| Matt Reynolds | BYU | OT | Sr. | 6'4 | 307 lbs |
| Last year at bowl time I talked about Reynolds not being able to handle LT if he came out then. Nothing much has changed. He's still not able to handle the speed rush well, but does a decent job anchoring against the power rushes. Doesn't really have the speed or athleticism to react to defenders in space. Might even be best suited for a guard position, but would be a liability if he had to pull. High character guy, two year team captain, son of a coach. (3rd round) | |||||
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Kyle Wilber |
Wake Forest |
DE | Sr. | 6'3 | 240 lbs |
| Definitely on the thin side for a defensive end but his frame looks like one that can put on weight. His strong suit is rushing thew passer and can get around the corner or use his hands and moves to get by blockers. Not as strong in the run game where he can get washed up or lose a runner when changing directions. Pass rush specialist? (4th round) | |||||
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Greg Childs |
Arkansas | WR | Sr. | 6'3 | 211 lbs |
| Childs probably would have been a regular last year in the BFTB scouting reports, but he tore his patella tendon, which knocked him out for the rest of the season. This year he's back and he's been showing off those some of those great ball skills he's blessed with, but still the recovery process has knocked down his draft grade a little. He's a good pass catcher going deep, over the middle or executing some catch and run. However, his top end speed and elusiveness are two of the biggest questions. His route running also isn't anything special and he can't use his speed to get separation. He is a big body receiver and can throw his weight around to get open. (4th round) | |||||
| Keith Tandy | West Virginia | CB | Sr. | 5'10 | 200 lbs |
| Good ball skills, instincts, recognition and run support, but lacks some of the athleticism, quick twitch and strength to really excel as a starting CB. Covers punt returns. (4th round) | |||||
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Tank Carder |
TCU |
OLB |
Sr. | 6'2 | 224 lbs |
| Potentially a weakside LB in the 4-3 or an ILB in the 3-4. Interesting story about how he was nearly paralyzed in a a crash, but in his junior season of high school finally got to play football. That shows some dedication to the game. Needs discipline in holding his gaps, but he's an aggressive (sometimes wreckless) defender that can chase down plays that don't come his way. Good, sound tackler. Most of this scouting report would imply that he'd be a keeper on special teams at the least. (4th round) | |||||
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Aaron Henry |
Wisconsin |
S |
Sr. | 5'11 | 208 lbs |
| The top safety prospect in the game, but as of right now he's not looking like someone that can start in the NFL right away. He's got the fluid hips that you look for in the position and he's rangey enough to cover the deep routes. He'll need film room study to get his route recognitions up to par. He also hasn't shown much of an ability to be a playmaker, but the same good be said of 2011 Chargers draft pick Marcus Gilchrist. (Mid rounds) |
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A.J. Jenkins |
Illinois |
WR |
Sr. | 6'0' | 182 lbs |
| Not tall, but not short, but certainly a little small even for his size. Slender, if you will. Can work the underneath zones, but doesn't show much as a deep threat. Needs some work on route running. Good hands, including when he gets extension. (Mid rounds) | |||||
| Jerry Franklin | Arkansas | ILB | Sr. | 6'1 | 243 lbs |
| A little small, but has a solid build and some speed. His tackling skills might be the envy of some Chargers as he's a wrap up tackler who shows good fundamentals in that area. The speed of the game at the next level will be his challenge. It will be a big test for his recognition skills and how well he can survive in coverage. Still, there's a good set of skills there and he'll probably be a good special teameer. (Mid rounds) | |||||
| Tyrone Crawford |
Boise State |
DE |
Sr. | 6'4 | 279 lbs |
| Crawford has the prototypical size, strength and athletic ability you look for. He combines that with good movement, balance and body control. Hard pursuer and has some range. He can be a little late off the snap. Needs to become more quick-handed and develop counters. Smart, coachable, hardworking prospect. He projects better as a 4-3 DE, but has the frame to be a 3-4 DE for a team looking for a project. (Mid rounds) | |||||
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Shaun Prater |
Iowa | CB |
Sr. | 5'9 |
181 lbs |
| Small CB that doesn't have stand out speed or cover skills. He does have good ball skills and is okay against the run. He's also missed time with injuries. He gets the job done in college, but the matchups in the NFL are a totally different beast. (Mid rounds) | |||||
| David Paulson | Oregon | TE | Sr. | 6'3 | 243 lbs |
| In typical Oregon style, he's not the biggest or fastest but he gets the job done and has a penchant for making big plays. His hands are good, but is blocking is not so good. He's a bit of project since he's lined up out wide often and didn't get the reps playing on the line and blocking defenders. (Mid rounds) | |||||
| George Bryan | North Carolina St. | TE | Sr. | 6'5 | 268 lbs |
| Bryan was on our scouting radar last year, but opted to return to school. It wasn't a great decision since he was thought to have a chance to be a 3rd round pick last year. This year he's slipped a little. He's still a big red zone target who possesses good hands. He's also an excellent blocker that provides plenty of pop. He definitely has value as a 2nd or 3rd TE who excels at the goal line. (Mid to late rounds) | |||||
| Junior Hemingway | Michigan | WR | Sr. | 6'1 | 227 lbs |
| Bulky, injury prone and fiery WR. As with most mid round prospects he has his flaws. A little inconsistent catching the ball. His size is an advantage along with his speed and he can be a downfield threat by getting past a jam and quickly getting deep. (Mid to late rounds) | |||||
| Laron Byrd | Miami | WR | Sr. | 6'3 | 216 lbs |
| Has prototypical WR size. He's also got much better hands and can be counted on to make tough catches. Also, has good body technique to help make those catches. Speed and burst are question marks and he'll need to prove he can get open at the next level (late rounds) | |||||
| Sleeper Prospects: | |||||
| Everyone Else | |||||