Tag: Antwaun Powell-Ryland

2025 NFL draft: 5 potential Chargers targets that stood out on Day 1 of East-West Shrine Bowl

Day 1 of the East-West Shrine Bowl offered plenty of standout players that should have caught the attention of the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers and 31 other teams began watching to see which NFL draft prospects stand out at the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl as the event got underway on Saturday in Frisco, TX.

Here are five potential targets that caught my attention.

CB Cobee Bryant, Kansas

Asante Samuel Jr. and Kristian Fulton are slated for free agency. Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still proved their worth in the starting role, but the Chargers could benefit from more talent in the positional room. Bryant is on the lighter side at 171 pounds, but his play mitigates the measurements. Bryant made life difficult for the receivers he lined up across. He stayed glued to their hips and broke up several passes, using his physicality, athleticism and length to make plays on the football.

OL Drew Kendall, Boston College

The Chargers need a center and right guard this offseason. They should be in the market to fill them in free agency, but the draft offers plenty of intriguing options in the middle to late rounds. Kendall is among the crop. Lining up at center and guard in 1-on-1s and team period, Kendall held rushers at bay with his strong anchor and excellent hand placement. In 2024, Kendall was an All-ACC first-team honoree.

DL CJ West, Indiana

Poona Ford and Teair Tart are both free agents. I expect them to be prioritized for re-signing, but this position group still needs more juice. West was dominant in every one of his reps during the 1-on-1 period, shocking blockers with power and catching them off guard with some slick pass-rush moves. Arguably one of this class’ best run-defending interior defenders, West was integral in Indiana’s run to the college football playoffs.

EDGE Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr., Virginia Tech

Like the interior defensive line, the edge defender group needs more juice, regardless of whether Khalil Mack or Joey Bosa are back. Powell-Ryland is on the smaller side but has the traits of a solid designated pass rusher. One of his many winning strategies is an inside spin move, which he showed off on his first rep of 1-on-1s. Powell-Ryland also looked quick and his power popped plenty. He finished third in the FBS in sacks this year with 16.0.

RB Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech

J.K. Dobbins is set to become a free agent. Gus Edwards is still under contract, but he struggled to stay healthy this season and could be a cut candidate. The jury is still out on Kimani Vidal. Therefore, the Chargers could use on their picks on a running back. Brooks, the 5-foot-9 and 229-pounder, had a few good reps, displaying his excellent vision, patience, and powerful running style between the tackles. Brooks finished his career with 4,557 yards rushing, now the Texas Tech school record.

Shrine Bowl: Standouts from the first day of practices

Shrine Bowl: Standouts from the first day of practices

The 100th annual East-West Shrine Bowl kicked off today at the indoor facility at the University of North Texas. The first practice went to the East roster and then the West roster followed. Some players that didn’t participate in practice between both squads were the following:

  • Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
  • Colorado DB Shilo Sanders
  • Michigan IDL Kenneth Grant

We do know that Shedeur Sanders opted out from participating and will be using the Shrine Bowl to only interview with teams. He was on the field supporting his teammates from the West roster. It was reported from Art Stapleton that Sheduer met with the Giants and Titans yesterday.

As for the players that did practice, there were plenty of standouts between both teams. Let’s dive into some of the players that caught my eye from the first day of practice.

Pittsburgh WR Konata Mumpfield 

Nobody made a bigger impression on day one than Pittsburgh receiver Konata Mumpfield. He checked in at 5’10” and 188 pounds and was by far the most fluid receiver on the field. Often targeted from Missouri quarterback Brady Cook, Mumpfield was able to win deep and over the middle of the field. One particular rep stood out where Mumpfield ran a post route and made a tough grab with a safety coming downhill at him. If he’s able to put together multiple good days at practice, we could see a potential riser for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Virginia Tech EDGE Antwaun Powell-Ryland

Speaking of draft risers that impressed on day one, there may not have been a better pass rusher than Powell-Ryland from Virginia Tech. He checked into the Shrine Bowl at 6’2″ and 253 pounds but he’ll certainly get knocked for his lack of arm length. He only had 31 1/8″ arms so creating separation on a consistent basis will be tough. Especially when playing against the run. However, Powell-Ryland was impressive with his quick get-off and his spin move was put on display today. Over the last two seasons for the Holies, he’s compiled 34 tackles for loss and 25.5 sacks.

Eastern Washington WR Efton Chism 

It was short notice for Chism to be part of the Shrine Bowl practices but he flashed consistently on the first day of practice. Checking in at 5’10” and 195 pounds, there were no size or movement concerns for the Eagles standout receiver. Chism was fluid in and out of his breaks and was able to create separation multiple times during the 1-on-1 portions of practice.

Last week, Chism participated in the Hula Bowl and immediately stood out and that’s part of the reason to why he earned an invite to the Shrine Bowl. Throughout his five year career, he recorded 346 receptions for 3852 yards and 37 touchdowns. Last season, he went off for 120 receptions, 1311 yards and 13 touchdowns. Keep tabs on him during the second and third day of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Miami (FL) EDGE Tyler Baron

One of the first players that caught my eye was Tyler Baron from the Hurricanes. Measuring in at 6’4″ and 262 pounds with 32 7/8″ arms is plenty good for NFL teams. Sure, the arm length is somewhat concerning but Baron plays with a good blend of power and speed. He’ll need to work on his hand placement for when he attempts his pass rush moves. Teams looking for a defensive end that can play in a 4i-technique, 5-technique or wider will roll the dice on a player like Baron.

Georgia Tech IDL Zeek Biggers 

If you’re looking for a player that won the day just off measurements alone, then look no further. Biggers checked into the Shrine Bowl at 6’5″ and 320 pounds with 35″ arms. Teams will love that type of size for any spot along their defensive line but I’d expect him to play over guards and centers more often than not. During the first day of practice for the East squad, Biggers had multiple reps that caught the eyes of scouts. He displayed powerful hands and good burst on multiple reps. Keep tabs on him during each day of practice at the Shrine Bowl.

Other scouting notes: 
  • The Oregon State offensive line combination of Joshua Gray and Gerad Christian-Lichtenhand flashed quite a bit. Starting with Gray, he’s experienced at tackle and guard, but it appears that he’ll be moving to center in the NFL. He took plenty of snaps today and looked like the best center prospect on the field. As for Christian-Lichtenhand, he was fluid at tackle with clean weight transfer between his post foot and set foot during pass protection.
  • Syracuse TE Orande Gadsen is probably the tight end prospect you haven’t heard much about, but that should change after this week. He’s got a terrific frame at 6’4″ and 247 pounds, and there’s much to be desired with his ability to run vertically and adjust at the catch point.
  • North Carolina CB Alijah Huzzie is fluid and had an impressive rep against Colorado’s Jimmy Horn. This rep occurred during the 1-on-1 portion of practice between defensive backs and receivers. Listed at 5’9″ and 194 pounds, there’s much to be desired with his skill set due to his fluidity and ability to cover slot receivers.
  • North Dakota State QB Cam Miller appeared to be the best quarterback on the field from what I saw up to this point. He looked comfortable throwing to all areas of the field and was even able to fit a few passes into some tight windows. He’s only 6’0″ and 210 pounds but teams looking for a backup quarterback could be intrigued by him.

 

7 potential Chargers draft targets on defense to watch at the East-West Shrine Bowl

The Chargers need to upgrade a few positions on the defensive side of the ball, so here are seven players that they could have on their radar.

Draft season kicks into high gear, with the East-West Shrine Bowl set to start this week. This event is the beginning of the pre-draft process for NFL teams as they continue their evaluations of prospects.

Here are seven defensive players to watch for the Chargers in Frisco, TX.

DL Kenneth Grant, Michigan

The Chargers need to upgrade the interior part of the defensive line, and they could do so as early as the first round with Grant, who is familiar with head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. A member of The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s Freak List, Grant offers the overall size, strength, explosiveness, and disruptiveness to wreak havoc in opposing backfields.

DL Jordan Phillips, Maryland

Another member of the Freak List, Phillips is a trench-bound nightmare for offensive centers and guards, possessing the power and heavy hands that enable him to knock blockers back and the anchor strength when defending the run, as he is not easily moved off the ball. At only 20 years of age, his best football is still ahead of him.

EDGE Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr., Virginia Tech

The future of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack with the Chargers remains to be seen. But regardless of whether they’re back or not, the team needs to add more pass-rush juice to the positional room. Powell finished this season with 16 sacks (second-most in the nation) and three forced fumbles after 9.5 sacks and three fumbles in 2023. Despite being a little undersized at 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, he is explosive off the snap with an excellent first step, great bend, and active hands.

EDGE Johnny Walker, Missouri

Walker was a standout for the Tigers this season, finishing the season with 42 quarterback pressures, 9.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Walker’s explosiveness off the ball is what stands out. He has good bend and flexibility, allowing him to get around tackles and to the quarterback. He has the makings of a solid designated pass rusher for the Chargers early in his career.

CB Zy Alexander, LSU

Asante Samuel Jr. and Kristian Fulton are both set to be free agents. Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still (who attended last year’s East-West Shrine Bowl) showed they could be starters, but the position room would benefit from depth behind them. At 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds, Alexander possesses great size and length, ball skills, long speed, and physicality in run support that is coveted at the position. During his college career, Alexander intercepted 13 passes.

CB Mello Dotson, Kansas

Kansas has two cornerbacks attending the Shrine Bowl, and it’s been Dotson’s teammate, Cobee Bryant, who’s earned more of the attention. But Dotson should not be slept on. Dotson is the first AP All-American defensive back from Kansas since Aqib Talib. An experienced player, Dotson started 46 games for the Jayhawks. A ballhawk in the secondary with great anticipatory instincts, he totaled 12 career interceptions, four of which were returned for touchdowns, and 25 passes defended.

S Shamari Simmons, Arizona State

The Chargers’ safety group was one of their strongest positions this past season. But with Elijah Molden slated to hit the free agency market and Alohi Gilman’s contract expiring at the end of next season, they could afford to add more playmakers on the back end. Simmons was the Sun Devils’ Nickel in 2024, but he has plenty of experience playing the deep parts of the field, too. Simmons can make plays all over with his FBI/instincts, twitch, and violent demeanor.