NFL Draft: 11 risers from the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl

Which prospects helped themselves the most in the 2023 NFL Draft at the East-West Shrine Bowl?

The East-West Shrine Bowl brought some of the most underrated senior talent in the 2023 NFL Draft together for a week in Las Vegas. With the East team being run by the Atlanta Falcons staff and the West by the New England Patriots staff, NFL front offices and coaches descended upon Sin City to put these prospects under the microscope.

Every Shrine Bowl produces NFL talent, but Eric Galko, the director of football operations and player personnel for the all-star game, has really given it some extra oomph in recent years. Not only has the Shrine Bowl relocated from St. Petersburg, Florida (where they played at Tropicana Field) to Vegas to play at Allegiant Stadium, but there’s also been an influx of talent.

Last year’s Shrine Bowl produced several top-150 picks and a couple of draft steals taken after the fifth-round in NFL rookie sensations like Kansas City Chiefs running back Isaiah Pacheco, Detroit Lions pass rusher James Houston, and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

This year’s crop came into the week with even more hype than last years and it didn’t disappoint. Well over 10 prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft helped their stock, including Boston College’s Zay Flowers despite only participating in practice on Sunday, and it’s a shame to leave names like Stephen F. Austin’s BJ Thompson, Michigan’s Jake Moody, and Texas’ D’Shawn Jamison off the list, but these are the prospects who helped themselves the most in Vegas.

Kei’Trel Clark, CB, Louisville (5-10, 179)

Hands down the best player at the Shrine Bowl was Kei’Trel Clark. That shouldn’t come as a surprise considering he entered the week as one of the Top 5 prospects in attendance. The craziest part was he seemed to get better with every practice.

In one-on-one Clark was smothering receivers with his physicality and showed crisp feet with his click and close when attacking the football. His technique and feistiness really stood out when pressing, he was naturally mirroring receivers.

One of the best plays of the week came when he was covering Fresno State’s Jalen Cropper (arguably the second-best receiver of the week) on a vertical and not only stuck to his hip pocket downfield but managed to get his head around to find the ball in phase for the interception.

He might have been even better in the team portion of practice where he came away with multiple PBUs. In one practice he volleyed a pass to another defensive back for an interception and then later sniffed out a screen pre-snap and blew it up immediately.

Clark entered the week with early to mid-Day 3 buzz, but this type of week should garner Day 2 attention in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Wake Forest pass catchers: AT Perry (6-3, 195)/Blake Whiteheart (6-4, 249)

The best wide receiver and tight end at the Shrine Bowl both came from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. With Flowers not participating much, AT Perry took advantage and looked like the most gifted receiver on the field while Blake Whiteheart managed to put together one of the most complete weeks of any prospect.

Perry was just moving at another speed compared to every prospect not named Kei’Trel Clark. The fluidity and suddenness he possesses for a receiver of his size is jaw-dropping and it gave cornerbacks all kinds of issues. Maybe the most impressive part of his week was the nuance he showed with his release repertoire and route running; he proved he’s more than just a ball-winning X-receiver.

His biggest moment came on a vertical where he slow-played his release, stacked the cornerback, and tracked the ball to perfection before hauling it in for a touchdown. He looked every bit the part of a top-100 pick.

As for Whiteheart, he didn’t come into the Shrine Bowl with the hype his college teammate did, nor was he even the consensus top tight end in attendance. But it didn’t take long to see he was the most well-rounded tight end in Vegas.

Whiteheart showed more than enough willingness as a blocker and played with strong hands and leg drive to move defenders in the run game. Despite not being the biggest tight end, he made up for it by playing with good leverage and sustaining blocks.

As a pass catcher, Whiteheart kept creating separation with his frame and stem work and showed natural ball skills. He wasn’t the most explosive athlete but showed a good understanding of how to create space. This type of performance could put him in the conversation to be a top-15 tight end.

Juice Scruggs, C, Penn State (6-3, 308)

The best part of practice during All-Star games is when the offensive and defensive line go one-on-one, nothing like watching the hog mollies smash. Nobody looked better in the trenches in Vegas than Penn State center Juice Scruggs.

From the hop, Scruggs stood out with his impressive balance and anchor in pass protection. He frequently handled powerful defensive tackles with ease by playing with a strong base and when he faced speed he was able to corral it with his lateral quickness and footwork.

Working in the team portion of practice, Scruggs’ movement skills translated to the run game where he looked comfortable working in space and climbing to the second level. He also consistently created push by playing with good leverage and strong hand placement.

Hands down the best offensive lineman of the week, Scruggs did wonders for his stock in a weak center class. He could be the first center selected on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty (5-8, 175)

With a strong group of receivers at the Shrine Bowl, Flowers and Perry had most of the clout heading into the week, but a few put together good-looking weeks that will help their NFL Draft stock. Chief among them was Liberty’s Demario Douglas.

Douglas was putting cornerbacks on the West roster through the wringer all week with his suddenness, speed, and route running. Not surprisingly, he thrived in one-on-ones where players of his skill set tend to, but the amount of separation he consistently created was what was so impressive.

Not only did he flash his athleticism as a route runner, but he also showed nuance and understanding of pacing a route and mixing up his release; which is especially important for smaller receivers. The most impressive part of the week though for Douglas was his ability to track the ball and finish plays.

Coming into the week Douglas was a late Day 3 prospect, or even a priority undrafted free agent, but should get looks early to mid-Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft with the way the NFL has valued players like him recently.

Moro Ojomo, DL, Texas (6-3, 293)

A few different defensive linemen had their moments during the week in Vegas, but Texas’ Moro Ojomo put together the most consistent and impactful week of practice. A tweener, Ojomo spent most of the week lining up inside at 3-Tech.

His combo of quickness and strength created all sorts of problems for guards in pass pro during the week. With his first-step explosion, Ojomo tended to have the jump on the offensive linemen, but it was his pass rush repertoire that stood out so much.

Ojomo showed he can generate power as a rusher against bigger interior offensive linemen by utilizing his speed, leverage, and hand placement; on one rep he perfectly showed it as he walked by Earl Bostick Jr. He also showed he’s capable of supplementing that power by using his hands (he broke out a club-rip move).

Despite giving up 10 to 30 pounds against most linemen, Ojomo held strong as a run defender too by beating blockers with his hand and getting them inside before discarding them.

With the interior defensive line class lacking depth, Ojomo should see a boost to his stock and is trending toward being a top-150 pick.

Nic Jones, CB, Ball State (6-0, 191)

Nobody improved more as the week went on than Nic Jones. After a solid first day of practice at the Shrine Bowl, he was one of the best defensive prospects on the field during the next two practices and capped it off with a brilliant performance in the actual game (multiple PBUs and an interception).

What stood out most with Jones was how comfortable he looked in press coverage. His footwork was impeccable and his ability to mirror receivers in one-on-ones made him a lot of money in Vegas.

With patients at the line of scrimmage, Jones rarely took a false step and brought physicality to jam receivers and throw off timing on throws. Most importantly, he continually disrupted the catch point and broke up passes showing impressive ball skills, which translated over into the game.

Although it’s a deep cornerback class, this type of showing from Jones will help him push towards being the first Group of Fiver corner selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Atonio Mafi, OG, UCLA (6-3, 338)

Quietly one of the best weeks at the Shrine Bowl came for UCLA’s Atonio Mafi. He wasn’t even the highest profile player from his own school there with Dorian Thompson-Robinson quarterbacking the West, but Mafi looked like one of the five most pro-ready offensive prospects in Vegas.

A massive mauler, Mafi excelled in one-on-one pass rush with a violent punch and strong base. It felt like every rep he’d immediately defeat the defensive tackles first move with his hands and then just anchor down and it would be game over.

He was even better in team drills and run drills where his strength and leverage kept popping off the tape. Mafi is a power merchant and tone-setter in the run game at left guard; teams will love the edge he plays with too.

Fit for a gap scheme, Mafi’s leverage and power make him a menace as a down blocker and puller but he does have enough athleticism to reach the second level and seal off linebackers when needed. Given how this offensive line class looks, Mafi could be an early Day 3 selection.

Dante Stills, DL, West Virginia (6-4, 289)

The best player during the first day of Shrine Bowl practice was Dante Stills. The interior defensive lineman out of West Virginia was just a complete mismatch with his fluidity as a pass rusher and short-area quickness. That continued through the week and into the game where he blew up multiple run plays.

Despite being slightly undersized, Stills made up for it with his quick twitch athleticism and pass rush repertoire. Lining up predominantly at 3-Tech, he’d take advantage of linemen oversetting to deal with his quickness by countering inside with a club swim… and when they wouldn’t overset he’d beat them outside with a dip-n-rip.

His intensity and athleticism translated over to the run game too where he frequently shot gaps and relied on his patented club swim to beat linemen and get into the backfield. One of his most impressive reps actually came in a one-on-one run drill where he took on Grand Valley’s Quinton Barrow and just threw him to the ground.

Again, it’s a weaker interior defensive line class and this type of dominant week-long performance from Stills should help him fight toward being a top-15 player at his position in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Drake Thomas, LB, North Carolina State (5-11, 228)

All-star games don’t lend all that well to showcasing running backs and linebackers compared to other positions, but despite that fact, Drake Thomas stood out. The best way for a linebacker to make noise in this setting is to show out in coverage and that’s exactly what the Wolfpack captain did in Vegas.

A heat-seeking missile of a run defender and one of the best blitzing off-ball linebackers in the class, Thomas’ two biggest concerns as a prospect are his size and how he’ll look in coverage at the next level. Well, all week he showcased ridiculous change of direction skills in one-on-one coverage against running backs.

He was the only linebacker who could consistently cover UCLA’s Kazmeir Allen, one of the best athletes at the Shrine, and was step-for-step with him. Thomas’ best play came against Allen where he mirrored him to perfection on a whip route and undercut it for the interception.

Throughout the week Thomas’ take on skills and instincts were flashing in team drills but answering the question about coverage was the biggest thing he could do for his stock. Size remains a concern but he looks like one of the most interesting Day 3 linebacker prospects.

Mark Evans, OL, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6-2, 293)

For small school prospects, a week of practice at an all-star game can be the catalyst they need to get themselves drafted or shoot way up the board if they look like they belong with the Power Five talent. Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Mark Evans certainly looked like he belonged as he went toe-to-toe with all-conference players from the FBS.

While Evans was a left tackle in college, due to his size he was playing inside at the Shrine Bowl. Taking snaps at both guard and center, Evans looked right at home in pass pro with his foot quickness helping him mirror more athletic pass rushers and his balance and base helping him hold up against power.

In the run game, he played with an angry demeanor and despite giving up a lot of size, he played with a natural bend that allowed him to get under defensive tackles and out-leverage them.

The best HBCU offensive lineman in the 2023 NFL Draft, Evans is a developmental prospect, but he showed he has the tools to be worth an early to mid-Day 3 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.