Za’Darius Smith stood out among his peers in this year’s Shrine Game. (Photo: Kim Klement — USA Today Sports)
BBD Editor: Dan Hope
After a week of eye-opening practices in St. Petersburg, East-West Shrine Game week concluded Saturday with the game itself, as more than 100 senior prospects for the 2015 NFL draft got a chance to showcase their skills in front of league scouts.
The game is actually assigned less value than the practices, as the vast majority of NFL team representatives left town after Day 3 of practice on Wednesday, but it was one more opportunity for the players who participated this week to make an impression. So while we’re not doing a separate set for notes for gameday, the performances from Saturday’s contest have been factored into the following breakdown of the week’s best and worst.
The following rankings do not necessarily reflect how the players will actually be ranked on draft boards, but are indicative of which players did the most to make themselves money this week.
Note: All weigh-in numbers were acquired by Optimum Scouting.
Top Performer, West Defense: Xavier Williams, DT, Northern Iowa
There were at least five defensive linemen who made a real case for being the Shrine Game’s best player this week, but my vote goes to Northern Iowa defensive tackle Xavier Williams.
Williams stood out all week, both in practices and in Saturday’s game, for his quickness off the snap. He was consistently the first player into the backfield as he displayed a great first step and the acceleration to quickly close on a quarterback or running back. Combining that explosiveness with the power to drive a blocker back as well as solid use of hands, Williams consistently won his battles against opposing offensive linemen.
The only blemish on Williams this week, which also came back to bite him once for a penalty in the game, is that he has a tendency to go offsides because he regularly tries to jump the snap (h/t John Owning of Draft Breakdown for pointing this out). Nonetheless, Williams validated his skill set this week after a highly productive collegiate career. He has solidified himself as a potential third- or fourth-round draft pick.
(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas — USA Today Sports)
Top Performer, West Offense: B.J. Finney, C/G, Kansas State
Finney stood out in practices all week—especially on Day 2—for being the only offensive lineman on the West squad who could hold his own against the aforementioned Xavier Williams.
Finney, who came in bigger than expected this week at 6’4” and 324 pounds, exhibited consistent leverage, hand placement, footwork and strength all week as he played all three interior line spots and consistently won his matchups. While he was the only West blocker who won more than he lost in one-on-one pass-rushing drills, he also showed his ability to move defenders and open holes for running lanes.
In a draft class that is lacking in top interior offensive line talent, Finney should be drafted no later than the fourth round. According to Detroit Lions Draft’s Jeff Risdon, he was interviewed on Wednesday by the Buffalo Bills, who could absolutely use a player of Finney’s caliber as a competitor to start at guard and as a backup center.
Top Performer, East Defense: Za’Darius Smith, DE, Kentucky
A late addition to the Senior Bowl rosters, Kentucky defensive end Za’Darius Smith earned his opportunity to play in the premier all-star game by showing himself as one of the most complete players at this year’s Shrine Game.
While Smith is not as explosive as Alvin Dupree, the other Kentucky defensive end who he is replacing in Mobile, he has an impressive all-around skill set. A big defensive end at 6’5” and 273 pounds, Smith is strong with his hands and has good closing speed.
Smith consistently worked his way through his opponents this week in pass-rush situations, both in practice drills and in Saturday’s game, in which he recorded a sack and had numerous additional hurries. He also stood out as the best edge-setting run defender in the East practices.
Smith was named as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of Saturday’s game. With a strong week in Mobile, Smith should solidify himself as a Day 2 draft pick.
(Photo: Charles LeClaire — USA Today Sports)
Top Performer, East Offense: Tre McBride, WR, William and Mary
As noted by Justin Higdon of Draft Browns, the wide receivers in the East-West Shrine Game “really never stood a chance of impressing anyone” in Saturday’s game as a result of the quarterbacks they had to work with (more to come). One wide receiver who seemingly impressed everyone during the week of practices, however, was William and Mary wide receiver Tre McBride.
McBride, who measured in at 6’1” and 205 pounds, drew rave reviews from scouts and fellow media members alike this week for his clean routes and the catches he made. While he had some drops in the first couple days of practice, and had one in the game, he got better with each day and was winning just about all of his matchups in practice by Wednesday and Thursday.
While there is not one truly spectacular trait about McBride, he displayed a well-rounded game this week and stood out as the East’s best receiver. Building upon a Football Championship Subdivision in which he caught 196 passes for 2,653 yards and 19 touchdowns, McBride solidified himself as an early Day 3 pick in St. Petersburg.
Other Standouts
5. Derrick Lott, DT, Tennessee-Chattanooga
If we had actual trophies to give out to the Top Performer on each side, it would be tough not to give one to Derrick Lott as well.
The Tennessee-Chattanooga defensive tackle, who weighed in at 6’4” and 299 pounds this week, showed impressive quickness off the snap this week and was disruptive, both in practices and the game, as an interior penetrator. That burst really stood out on one play Saturday, on which he blew up North Dakota State running back John Crockett for a tackle for loss before Crockett could even get going with the handoff.
Perhaps even more impressively, Lott was the only big body to see consistent work on special teams this week. He even made a tackle on a kickoff return in Saturday’s game, showing his athleticism to get downfield.
Lott has emerged as a potential Day 2 draft pick.
6. Tyeler Davison, DT, Fresno State
Yet another defensive lineman who stood out this week was Fresno State’s Tyeler Davison. Davison did not have a huge performance in Saturday’s game, aside from one tackle at the line of scrimmage, but consistently won one-on-one matchups in practice this week.
Davison has an explosive inside swim move which he used throughout the week to blow by defenders off the snap, while he also has solid athleticism and power. Measuring in at 6’2” and 315 pounds this week, Davison projects best as a 4-3 defensive tackle, and is a likely third-round draft pick.
7. Greg Henderson, CB, Colorado
Detroit Lions Draft’s Paulo Figari raved about Greg Henderson and the foot skills the he showed all week. Throughout the week of practices, the Colorado cornerback was able to stick to his man in coverage as he kept his steps short and was able to quickly break with receivers to get his hands in and break up passes.
Henderson is a bit small for a cornerback, at just 5’11” and 181 pounds, but his quickness and ball skills are sure to get him some looks after this week as a nickel/dime cornerback prospect. While he was not a hyped talent going into Shrine Game week, he legitimized himself as a solid Day 3 pick in St. Petersburg.
8. John Crockett, RB, North Dakota State
Over the course of the week of practices, John Crockett stood out for multiple reasons. The North Dakota State running back showed speed, vision, was smooth in his cuts and consistently caught the ball in his hands. Additionally, Crockett brought energy to the field as he was consistently talkative and encouraging his teammates.
Crockett was not as impressive in the game, as he only rushed for eight yards on five carries, but the West offensive line gave its backs almost no running room. All in all, the highly productive back from NDSU solidified himself as a Day 3 draft pick this week.
9. Kasen Williams, WR, Washington
When Kasen Williams was at his best in this week’s practices, he looked to be the most talented player on the field. A 6’2”, 219-pound receiver with good speed, Williams ran strong routes and made some nice downfield catches out away from his body.
Williams let some catchable balls go, in part because he had trouble getting his head around to see the ball coming in (h/t Jeff Risdon for pointing that out). He doesn’t have much lateral quickness either, but he was utilized as the West’s lead kickoff returner in practice and on gameday.
An unproductive senior season at Washington torpedoed Williams’ draft stock, but he started to build it back up in Shrine Game practices this week. He looks well worth taking a chance on in the fourth round.
10. Jordan Taylor, WR, Rice
Over the course of the week of practices, Rice wide receiver Jordan Taylor must have made double-digit spinning and/or leaping catches. Forced to adjust to throws repeatedly due to the West’s inaccurate quarterbacks, Taylor put his body control on display.
A good athlete for 6’4” and 204 pounds, Taylor looked good running short and intermediate routes this week, although he did seem to have more trouble than anyone with slipping out of his breaks on the poorly conditioned practice field at St. Petersburg High School.
He was not able to make a catch in Saturday’s game but nonetheless, Taylor’s combination of size, athleticism and ball skills makes him an intriguing outside target. He projects as a fourth- or fifth-round draft choice.
11. Josh Shaw, CB, USC
Best known for his hero-to-zero fall after his story about trying to save his drowning nephew was proven to be fabricated, USC cornerback Josh Shaw had a big week of redemption at the Shrine Game.
A big cornerback at 6’1” and 203 pounds, Shaw displayed his strength and physicality this week as he was dominant in press coverage while he held his own in downfield man-to-man matchups. He capped off an impressive showing on Saturday by breaking in front of Michigan wide receiver Devin Gardner to make an interception, in which he closed to the ball with speed and extended out away from his body, for a takeaway in the end zone.
Projected to be an early-round pick prior to his incident, which led to him being suspended for most of his senior year, Shaw earned his way onto the Senior Bowl rosters this week. A Day 2 talent, Shaw can continue rejuvenating his draft stock if he performs well in Mobile.
12. Anthony Chickillo, DE, Miami
Anthony Chickillo might have reason to gripe with Za’Darius Smith being named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of Saturday’s game, for the Miami defensive end was just as disruptive if not moreso as he brought consistent pressure into the backfield throughout the contest at Tropicana Field.
Chickillo put his burst and hand skills on display Saturday as he frequently beat his opponents off the edge and brought heat toward the quarterback as a pass-rusher, while he also showed edge-setting ability versus the run. He recorded a sack and forced multiple throwaways.
While Chickillo did not stand out in practices as much as he did in the game, he still won his fair share of one-on-one matchups and put his physical gifts on display. At 6’3” and 271 pounds, Chickillo is well-built to play 4-3 defensive end. He never had great production at Miami, but flashed potential for all four of his seasons there, and projects as a fourth-round draft pick.
13. Kyle Emanuel, DE, North Dakota State
It was a good week in St. Petersburg for both North Dakota State prospects. Among the many defensive linemen to stand out this week, Kyle Emanuel put an impressive array of pass-rushing moves on display as he worked his way past offensive tackles throughout the week.
There’s nothing special physically about Emanuel, who measured in at 6’3” and 250 pounds, but he showed this week that his motor never stops running. A player who wins on second effort, Emanuel maximizes his skill set and should make a productive career out of a Day 3 pick.
14. Daryl Waud, DE/DT, Western University (Ontario)
The two Canadian prospects at the Shrine Game each year are rarely among the game’s standouts, but Daryl Waud made a strong impression this week and could end up being a late-round pick in this year’s draft as a result.
A 6’5”, 294-pound defensive lineman from Western University of Ontario, Waud displayed a nice burst—including on one play in Saturday’s game that he blew up for a tackle for loss in the backfield—and active hands throughout the week.
Waud lacks the strength to be a run-stopping defensive tackle, while he lacks the bend of an edge defender, but he projects well as a 5-technique defensive end in a 3-4 scheme, or as a situational inside rusher on a 4-3 line, who can be disruptive as an interior pass-rusher.
15. Ryan Russell, DE, Purdue
Yet another defensive lineman who made a strong impression at the Shrine Game, Ryan Russell showed great acceleration off the edge this week as he was able to explode off the line of scrimmage and launch by offensive tackles with speed during pass-rushing drills and in Saturday’s game.
Russell was never an outstanding player at Purdue, and he didn’t display much in the way of pass-rushing moves to work off blockers this week. Yet at 6’5” and 267 pounds, Russell is an intriguing developmental prospect who a coach could look to make an edge rusher out of, given his impressive combination of length and burst, with a Day 3 draft pick.
See page 2 for the rest of the standouts as well as the week’s disappointments.
