Tag: Shrine Bowl

ESPN analyst sees Kyle McCord and Kellen Moore as a ‘strong fit’ for Saints

Don’t like Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener? ESPN’s Dan Orvlosky sees Syracuse QB Kyle McCord and the Saints as a ‘strong fit’

At this point, it’s pretty safe to project Kellen Moore as the next head coach of the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans has to wait until after the Super Bowl to officially hire the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator, but they’ve told everyone else the race is more or less over.

As an offensive minded head coach, the first thought becomes what is he going to do at quarterback. A recent report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini suggested Moore was less than enthralled with the quarterback room, though he may have come around on the idea of working with them anyway.

Don’t like Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener? ESPN’s Dan Orvlosky believes Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord would be a “strong fit.”

Drafting a quarterback from the Senior Bowl has been a recent trend for New Orleans. Ian Book, Haener and Rattler all attended the Senior Bowl before getting picked in the fourth and fifth rounds. The Saints could switch it up under new leadership.

McCord attended the Shrine Bowl and was recognized as one of the top performers during practice. CBS Sports’ Emory Hunt said McCord “had a fantastic week throwing the football, just building on what he all season at Syracuse.”

In his lone season at Syracuse, McCord led the FBS in passing yards while also finishing top-five in passing touchdowns. This would mark the third year in a row the Saints drafted a quarterback in the middle of the draft, McCord’s likely range. As with Rattler and Haener, the commitment to a mid-round is low.

This could easily be Moore taking a chance for 2025 while keeping the door open to select a quarterback early in the 2026 NFL draft.

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Who were the offensive, defensive MVPs for the Shrine Bowl?

Arizona RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt and South Carolina CB O’Donnell Fortune were the MVPs of the East’s 25-0 win in the Shrine Bowl.

The 100th East-West Shrine Bowl was on Thursday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. It wasn’t much of a competitive game, as the East team beat the West 25-0.

There were a number of players, especially on the East, to stand out.

But only two could be chosen for the offensive and defensive MVPs of the game.

On the offensive side of the ball, Arizona running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was the MVP, rushing for 97 yards on 11 carries and scoring the only two offensive touchdowns of the game.

The defensive MVP was defensive back O’Donnell Fortune out of South Carolina, who had a tackle, two pass breakups and an interception he returned 65 yards for a touchdown.

Both surely made an impression on scouts and evaluators in attendance.

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Podcast: Breaking down the biggest winners from Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl

Need to catch up on all of the NFL draft all-star commotion? We’ve got you covered.

As the Cleveland Browns look to add young talent to their roster in the 2025 NFL draft, they have been paying close attention to the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is the obvious name from the Shrine Bowl, meeting with the Browns in Frisco, Texas (despite not participating in the practices). The Senior Bowl enters its last day of practices as well.

And the notable standouts were discussed on the Daft on Draft Podcast.

Names mentioned in the podcast from the Shrine Bowl include Maryland defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, Indiana defensive tackle CJ West, Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer, and Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant. Some Senior Bowl standouts mentioned include North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel, Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart, Western Kentucky cornerback Upton Stout, and many more.

The full episodes can be found on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.

You can find more NFL draft-related content at Daft on Draft and Draft Wire.

2025 NFL draft: 4 potential Chargers targets that stood out on Day 3 of East-West Shrine Bowl

Day 3 of the East-West Shrine Bowl offered plenty of standout players that should have caught the attention of the Los Angeles Chargers.

The 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl continued on Monday, marking the third day of the event. It offered a handful of draft prospects that stood out to NFL evaluators.

Here are four that could’ve garnered the attention of the Chargers.

DL Jordan Phillips, Maryland

The Maryland product, who is only 20 years old, has packed a punch (literally) this week. His domination carried over to today. The 320-pounder’s power profile and explosiveness made life difficult for blockers. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will be the first player from this all-star game selected, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the next is Phillips.

TE Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech

The Chargers must revamp the tight end position by adding capable pass catchers. Conyers was a problem for defenders, consistently getting open with excellent short-area quickness and catching everything thrown at him, showing off his ball skills. For being 6-foot-3 and 263 pounds, Conyers is athletic and moves well. He’s also willing as a blocker.

EDGE Tyler Batty, BYU

The Chargers would benefit from adding some pass-rush juice to the edge defender room. Batty has a great frame at 6-foot-5 and 269 pounds, and he uses it well by generating power to push blockers back. But today, Batty showed some finesse with a nice dip move to get underneath and around a tackle to get into the backfield.

OL Thomas Perry, Middlebury

It’s been a trend for a small-school offensive lineman to come to these all-star games and blow it up. This year, Perry is that guy. The Division III product is primarily a guard, but he’s lined up at center, a position he’s only been learning for a month. Perry was a brick wall in 1-on-1s, stymieing defenders with a strong anchor, technique, and athleticism. Perry is currently working with offensive line developer Duke Manyweather.

2025 NFL draft: 4 potential Chargers targets that stood out on Day 2 of East-West Shrine Bowl

Day 2 of the East-West Shrine Bowl offered plenty of standout players that should have caught the attention of the Los Angeles Chargers.

The East-West Shrine Bowl continued Sunday in Frisco, TX, with the second practice session leading up to Thursday’s game.

Here are four players who made positive impressions.

TE Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse

The Chargers need more production from their tight ends in the passing game. Gadsden brings a wide receiver skillset to the tight end position. For his size, at 6-foot-2 and 247 pounds, he is a smooth mover with good foot quickness and explosive in and out of his routes. Gadsden caught everything thrown at him, reeling in the football with his long wingspan and strong hands. He led all tight ends nationally with 969 yards receiving.

DL Zeek Biggers, Georgia Tech

This year’s draft class is filled with polarizing defensive tackles. Biggers is among the crop that could be an option for the Chargers on Day 3. Hulking at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds with 35-inch arms, Biggers caused fits for blockers in 1-on-1s and team drills with his length, burst, and power at the point of attack. He also showed the ability to split double teams.

WR Jackson Meeks, Syracuse

The wide receiver room needs some retooling this offseason. The Chargers should look to add a true No. 1 wideout, but additional depth is also a must. Meeks raised eyebrows by consistently getting open with sharpness in his routes and playing physical. He made a nice catch through a defensive pass interference penalty deep down the sideline. Meeks only had 10 catches for 131 yards during his time with Georgia, and amassed 78 catches for 1,021 yards, and seven catches in one season with Syracuse.

S Shamari Simmons, Arizona State

I mentioned Simmons in my players to watch at this event, highlighting his versatility. While he is likely best suited as big Nickel in the NFL, Simmons showed his ability to play the single-high safety, as he made an impressive, backward lunging pick off a deep ball. His physicality and violent style of play would be good on special teams.

Huskers alum shining at Shrine Bowl practices

Nash Hutmacher is turning heads.

Former Nebraska defensive lineman Nash Hutmacher is performing at a high level in Shrine Bowl practices. NFL analyst Tony Pauline called him out for his stellar play on Saturday.

This is no surprise to Nebraska fans, as Hutmacher has a strong 2024 season overall. He had 24 combined tackles and two sacks on the season. Overall, he had a very successful Nebraska career, as he played in 49 games. He recorded 79 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks on the season.

Hutmacher formed a dynamic duo with fellow defensive lineman Ty Robinson. They were able to hold down the defensive line together and were a significant part of the unit’s success.

Now, it appears he is turning heads on a national level. The Shrine Bowl will be a tremendous chance to boost his stock. We have seen this happen before with Huskers players, with Trey Palmer being a prime example. A continued strong week could do him wonders.

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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.

Shedeur Sanders meets with the Titans at Shrine Bowl, won’t participate in practices

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders meets with the Titans at Shrine Bowl, won’t participate in practices

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is using the Shrine Bowl to make his case to the Tennessee Titans to make him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders is only doing it off the field, however.

As Saturday’s practices kicked off the Shrine Bowl week, Sanders was in street clothes with the West team. While it’s not uncommon for top-level prospects to eschew on-field practices, both the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl made noise about not allowing that for this year’s editions of the most significant all-star games.

Sanders did meet with the Titans on Friday, the first day of in-person official meetings for players with teams.

From ESPN’s Turron Davenport,

 

Sanders is also scheduled to meet with the QB-needy Cleveland Browns, who have the No. 2 pick in the draft.

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Brian Callahan on Shedeur Sanders: ‘He knows how to handle himself’

The Tennessee Titans sent a delegation to Texas ahead of the Shrine Bowl, and Brian Callahan spoke at length with Shedeur Sanders.

On January 30th, the best players in college football will meet in the 2025 Shrine Bowl. Players began arriving earlier this week and the Tennessee Titans sent a delegation of their own to North Texas University to get eyes on the talent.

It didn’t take long for Callahan to spot one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders, and to introduce himself. That turned into a 15-minute conversation that left Titans executives impressed with Sanders.

“You can tell he’s been raised right,” Callahan said. “He’s mature, he has a really poised way about him, and he seems like a really good kid. I enjoyed talking to him. And, you could tell he’s a guy who has been in the spotlight. He knows how to handle himself, he’s been paid money, so he has a financial perspective. It was a really good first impression.”

Callahan also mentioned Sanders’ toughness, how he took shots and kept rolling. And he strangely had this comment as well:

A financial perspective? That’s definitely an interesting comment about an incoming player, especially since Sanders certainly isn’t the only college player to be paid in 2024.

Sanders is considered the second-best quarterback in the 2025 draft class behind Miami’s Cam Ward, but Ward isn’t in Texas and won’t be in Alabama for the Senior Bowl either, giving Sanders an opportunity to get ahead of the game.

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