With draft season firmly underway, practices are kicking off today at the East-West Shrine Game. This is the first of two significant offseason games designed to showcase college seniors for NFL scouts ahead of the draft. The Senior Bowl is traditionally the main event, so this game attracts small-school players and individuals who had smaller roles on major teams. By taking place before the Senior Bowl happens, the Shrine game creates a chance for standout players to be invited to the bigger prize after a good week. As the week of practice begins, here are the names to know at this year’s game:
1. Ejuan Price, ER, Pittsburgh
Price is the best pass rusher coming into the Shrine game, though he’ll stand out for his short stature (listed somewhere between 5’11” and 6’2”). He freelances his technique a little bit, but his athletic ability is good enough to play the position in the NFL.
2. Zach Terrell, QB, Western Michigan
There aren’t many good senior quarterbacks in the nation, period. Follow that conjecture, and you could conclude that there aren’t really going to be any standouts at this year’s game. Terrell is probably the best one, having thrown 62 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in the last two seasons. Of course, he had Corey Davis to throw to, making things a little easier.
3. Xavier Woods, S, Louisiana Tech
Woods wore several hats last season, covering in the slot, as a center fielder, and in the box. His versatility will appeal to some teams.
4. Eric Saubert, TE, Drake
The FCS tight end was an outstanding receiver in his college career, with a 56/776/10 slash this year and 48/506/6 last season. He stands 6’5” and 250 pounds.
5. Elijah McGuire, RB, Louisiana Lafayette
McGuire is a bit undersized at 5’9” 205, but was a consistent producer for the Ragin’ Cajuns in the past few years.
6. Jalen Robinette, WR, Air Force
At 6’4” 215, Robinette has enviable size for the position. His speed is pretty nice as well. Playing for an offense with a lot of triple option elements will give him a significant learning curve in the NFL, but if he has the right attributes he can contribute as a red zone option.
7. Dan Skipper, OT, Arkansas
Skipper comes from the road-grading Arkansas offense, and at 6’10” and 325 pounds, his massive size will stand out on the practice field. He may actually be too tall to play the offensive line with any real leverage, but his technique and effort is pretty solid in spite of that height.
8. Austin Carr, WR, Northwestern
The 6’1” 200 pound Carr has been an effective slot receiver for the Wildcats, collecting 90 passes for 1247 yards and 12 touchdowns.
9. Channing Stribling, CB, Michigan
Stribling was an effective member of the excellent Wolverine defense this past season. At 6’2” 175 pounds, his height and length is appealing, but the lack of bulk is not. He broke up 13 passes and intercepted four of them this season.
10. Javancy Jones, LB/DE, Jackson State
Jones is an Arthur Moats-type player from the NAIA conference. He picked up 18.5 TFL, four sacks, and 82 tackles this season switching between linebacker and defensive end. At 6’2” 245 pounds, he could feasibly play anywhere from middle linebacker to wide nine.