Tag: Shrine Bowl

Saints select a little-known offensive lineman with their final 2024 draft pick

The Saints spent their final pick in the 2024 draft on Eastern Kentucky OT Josiah Ezirim, who Jahri Evans coached at the East-West Shrine Bowl:

The New Orleans Saints spent their final pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Josiah Ezirim, an Eastern Kentucky offensive lineman, who they selected at No. 239 overall. That’s the pick they got back from the Denver Broncos in exchange for Wil Lutz last year. So what’s his story?

Ezirim turns 23 in May, and he played a lot of snaps at Eastern Kentucky over  the last two years while starting at right tackle. Pro Football Focus charting found that he allowed just two sacks during that time, and he was nearly perfect on a career-high 490 snaps in pass protection last season. The Colonels ran with zone-blocking schemes on 81.4% of their rushing attempts the last two years, so he has a good feel for what the Saints are looking to do offensively.

He also has a clear connection to the Saints. Ezirim was one of the players Jahri Evans coached at the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier this offseason, giving him a hands-on look at the future pro. And Ezirim hits many of the athletic thresholds the Saints value. He weighed in at 6-foot-5 and 328 pounds with 35-inch arms. His 8.50 Relative Athletic Score lines up well with the Saints’ preferences. We’ll see if he stays on the right side (the same side that first-round draft pick Taliese Fuaga will be playing) or if the Saints envision him at a different spot. But he checks all of their boxes. It makes sense to stack depth given Ryan Ramczyk’s health concerns.

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Saints schedule one of their first draft visits with Trevor Penning’s old teammate

The Saints scheduled one of their first pre-draft visits with Trevor Penning’s old teammate: Northern Iowa defensive tackle Khristian Boyd.

The New Orleans Saints have one of their first top-30 prospect visits lined up, as they will meet with Northern Iowa defensive tackle Khristian Boyd, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Boyd, a former college teammate of Saints offensive lineman Trevor Penning, didn’t get invited to the NFL combine last week but did have a nice showing at the East-West Shrine Bowl (where he weighed in at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds) to start his pre-draft process. His scouting report carries many of the same talking-points as Penning did after during the process, such as bringing a lot of energy and aggression off the snap.

The interior lineman looks like someone that could be a powerful run defender in the NFL, but he’s disruptive with 10.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss, plus 89 quarterback pressures in his college career per Pro Football Focus charting. If the Saints like what they get out of him in this interview and private workout, expect him to be either a late-round pick or priority undrafted free agent target.

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Panthers 2024 post-combine meetings tracker

Does anybody need a list of 2024 draft prospects the Panthers have spoken with thus far? We got you.

The 2024 scouting combine is now in the books. 40s have been dashed, 20s have been shuttled, benches have been pressed and vertical and broads have been jumped.

Oh, and there were plenty of talks to be had.

Among the annual activities at the combine are the meetings between prospects and potentially interested teams. And as far as the Carolina Panthers are concerned, we may have to pay a bit more attention to who they’re talking to since their first pick doesn’t pop up until the second round.

So, we’ll help you out.

Here are all the known players—whether they were at the combine, Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl or even the College Gridiron Showcase—the Panthers have spoken with to this point:

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Shrine Bowl sees Caedan Wallace’s NFL draft stock on the rise

Penn State’s Caedan Wallace was recognized as one of the top performers at the Shrine Bowl.

Penn State is expected to see one member of its offensive line be a lock for a first-round draft pick this spring with Olu Fashanu potentially going in the first 10 picks of the draft. But another member of the offensive line turned in a solid week in the East-West Shrine Bowl to see his chances of being drafted become more and more solid.

[autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] was a standout winner from this week’s Shrine Bowl according to some scouts and analysts attending the college football all-star game in Texas this week. Wallace was featured in some very positive highlights making the rounds on social media and he was singled out among 15 top performers from the week by Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic.

“He was consistently one of the quickest tackles off the snap in run drills early in the week with pads on, and while he’ll occasionally lunge or fall off a block in the run game, there’s a ton to like here,” Baumgardner said of Wallace in a story on The Athletic (subscription required). “Wallace measured in with 33 5/8-inch arms and 10 1/2-inch hands and showed the second-highest max acceleration GPS number of any offensive lineman.”

Wallace may not have proven to be an early-round draft pick off this one week, but the projected late-round pick may have helped solidify his chances of being drafted rather than risk floating into the undrafted free-agent pool.

Of course, Wallace will still have to prove himself a bit to cement himself as a draft pick this spring. He will get a chance to showcase his skills one more time at Penn State’s pro day, and potentially at the NFL Combine if he is fortunate to receive an invite to the NFL’s top scouting event leading up to the draft.

Wallace was used as right guard in the Shrine Bowl this week, perhaps an indication of where he will be desired at the next level, although that can change at any time. Penn State used Wallace at the tackle position, but these types of events tend to find the more suitable spots for players in the NFL with NFL coaches running the show.

Wallace was on the East roster with Chicago Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower serving as head coach, Arizona Cardinals passing game coordinator Drew Terrrell acting as the offensive coordinator, and New York Jets offensive line coach Ben Wilkerson and Tennessee Titans offensive assistant Luke Stocker serving as offensive line coaches.

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USC’s Tahj Washington improves NFL draft stock in East-West Shrine Bowl

Tahj Washington had an absolutely fantastic week at the Shrine Bowl. He made himself some money.

The 99th annual East-West Shrine Bowl unfolded Thursday night. It featured three 2023 USC Trojans who are getting ready for the 2024 NFL Draft. Tahj Washington stole the show.

USC edge rusher Solomon Byrd and cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace joined Washington as the USC representatives in the game. Washington made a big play on Thursday and was able to sustain momentum from a great week of Shrine Bowl practices. He clearly improved his draft stock this week in Texas. Washington was one of the best players all week in practice and had a solid game Thursday night. I expect him to go in the middle of Day 3, probably in the fifth round of the draft.

The game also featured former USC QB Kedon Slovis, who transferred to BYU.

Team West defeated Team East 26-11. The game was played at Ford Center at the Star, the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility, in Frisco, Texas.

Tulane cornerback Jarius Moore won defensive MVP. The offensive MVP was Southern Miss running back Frank Gore Jr.

Last year, 45 participants from the East-West Shrine Bowl were selected in the 2023 NFL draft, including quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

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How to watch 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl: Schedule, kickoff, TV

The Shrine Bowl is Thursday night in Frisco, TV.

In the NFL, there is no football game this week, but there are two important college all-star bowls for the 2024 NFL draft. The first is the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Along with the Senior Bowl, which will be played later this weekend, NFL teams have the opportunity to see NFL draft hopefuls compete against each other, rather than the level of competition they face with their college teams.

The game has been played since 1925. It is the 99th annual Shrine Bowl.

Below is the information for the game on Thursday.

2024 Shrine Bowl schedule, TV

What: The 99th Annual East-West Shrine Bowl

Where: Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, TX

Kickoff time: 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. Arizona time)

TV: NFL Network

Streaming: NFL+ app, FuboTV (Watch for free)

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Former Wisconsin linebacker impressing at Shrine Bowl practice

Former Wisconsin linebacker impressing at Shrine Bowl practice

Former Wisconsin linebacker Maema Njongmeta is off to a strong start at Shrine Bowl practice.

The two-year starter in Madison intercepted former Kentucky and NC State quarterback Devin Leary during a practice session earlier this week, that right after recovering a fumble on the previous play.

Njongmeta is currently projected to go undrafted, though his stock has risen quite a bit since the 2023 season concluded.

The inside linebacker is hoping to make the next level after appearing in 28 games during his Wisconsin career, during which he recorded 158 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and one interception.

He and former Wisconsin and Louisville running back Isaac Guerendo are the two former Badgers at the Shrine Bowl this year.

How to watch the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl: Four Penn State players set to play

Curtis Jacobs and Daequan Hardy among four Nittany Lions participating in 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl on Thursday night. Here is how to watch.

One of college football’s longest-running all-star games, the East-West Shrine Bowl, will offer a chance for many college football players to suit up one last time and perform in front of NFL draft scouts ahead of the NFL draft. This year’s game will feature a handful of Penn State players from the 2023 team after putting on some impressive performances in practices this week.

Penn State linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] have shown off their speed and been viewed quite favorably by those watching practices this week in Texas. Center [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag] has also seemingly helped his draft profile with good one-on-one matchups in drills this week. Offensive tackle [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] is also participating in the game this year as he looks to improve his draft outlook.

The Shrine Bowl is considered the second-most attractive college football all-star game behind the Senior Bowl, which will be played this weekend, but the Shrine Bowl is certainly not lacking in NFL draft talent. In addition to the Nittany Lions playing in the game, this year’s Shrine Bowl will feature Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary, Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, and BYU quarterback Kedon Slovis. Unfortunately, a few solid draft prospects have been sidelined and unable to participate in practices this week like Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis, Miami defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, and Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.

The East0-West Shrine Bowl has been played in multiple locations since first being played in San Francisco in 1925. After being played the past two years in Paradise, Nevada, the game has moved to Frisco, Texas this season.

Fun Fact: Former Penn State cornerback Nick Sukay was named the defensive MVP of the 2012 Shrine Bowl.

Here is how to watch the 2024 Shrine Bowl on Thursday evening.

  • Date: Thursday, Feb. 1
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Location: Ford Center at The Star (Frisco, TX)
  • TV: NFL Network

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Daequan Hardy shows off speed at Shrine Bowl practices

NFL scouts are impressed wiht the speed of Penn State CB Daequan Hardy at the Shrine Bowl.

Penn State sent a handful of players to this year’s Shrine Bowl and the early results have been encouraging for the Nittany Lions looking to land a job in the NFL. Among the standouts this week leading up to Thursday night’s Shrine Bowl has been cornerback [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag].

Penn State fans were always aware of the kind of speed Hardy could bring to the field, and that was on full display with a big game on special teams with two punt returns for touchdowns against UMass last October. But Hardy impressed with his speed in front of the scouts gathered in Texas for this week’s Shrine Bowl practices. According to multiple scouts and reports coming out of Frisco, Texas, Hardy was the fifth-fastest player at the Shrine Bowl this week.

Hardy received second-team All-American honors from CBS Sports as a punt returner this past season, and he also received All-Big Ten honors for his special teams work from the conference’s coaches and media. His performance on special teams helps boost Hardy’s value at the next level, but he is clearly hoping to land a roster spot in the NFL with his defensive skills. Speed is one thing, but scouts will be playing close attention to how he matches sup with other speedy receivers in the open field. There have been a few discouraging posts on social media about Hardy’s performance in this area, but that is just a small sample of the week and his overall assessment.

Hardy is viewed as a late-round draft prospect at the moment, putting him at risk of being an undrafted free agent. This is where the special teams will help boost his value for some NFL teams, although most teams are not going to be interested in a special teams-only player with a draft pick. So showing off a good performance in coverage will be essential for Hardy in the Shrine Bowl and perhaps later on at the NFL combine or Penn State pro day.

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4 offensive standouts from the East-West Shrine Bowl practices

Both offenses improved each day at East-West Shrine Bowl practices. Who were the 4 standouts on offense?

The New Orleans Saints were busy scouting prospects at the East-West Shrine Bowl, and over the course of the week the offenses for both teams slowly improved. Both the West and East offenses had a very successful red zone period on Monday. The offensive success grew as the offensive line’s chemistry grew.

Due to the nature of one-on-ones, receivers tended to shine over the course of four practices. The defense defended receivers better in team, but there were still a few receivers who still got open consistently. Here are my standouts after observing Shrine Bowl practices: