East West Shrine Game Prospects

As the junior class continues to grab all the headlines with their early entries for the 2009 Draft, NFL scouts and executives will flock to Houston, Texas this week for the first senior All-Star game of the season. With the deletion of the Hula Bowl this year, the East West Shrine game has attracted some of the top mid-round prospects in the nation and has both rosters loaded with draftable prospects. Wes Bunting of the National Football Post breaks down each player in this years contest with a projection of his current draft grade.

EAST TEAM

Quarterbacks

Hunter Cantwell: Louisville (6-5, 236) Projection: 5^th Round

Possesses a big frame with the arm strength to make all the throws in the NFL. Needs more time to develop, but has all the tools to really climb up the draft boards.

Chase Daniel: Missouri (6-0, 225) Projection: Free Agent

An undersized quarterback prospect that lacks the arm strength to make all the throws. Displays good accuracy, but will struggle finding throwing windows at the next level.

Brian Hoyer: Michigan State (6-3, 215) Projection: 7^th Round/Free Agent

Isn’t a real accurate passer and lacks the athletic ability to buy time in the pocket. Is smart with the football, but lacks the tools of a big time prospect.

Running Backs

Tyrell Sutton: Northwestern (5-9, 190) Projection: 6^th Round

An instinctive runner with good vision and burst through the hole. Showcases some wiggle at the second level, but lacks the size to take the consistent pounding of being a workhorse back.

Kory Sheets: Purdue (6-0, 206) Projection: 7^th Round

A high cut runner with smooth footwork and an explosive first step. Isn’t a real shifty back, but has the vision to see the cutback lane and attack up field

Javarris Williams: Tennessee State (5-11, 220) Projection: 7^th round/ Free Agent

A solid, well built back that runs behind his pads and can wear down opposing front sevens. Lacks great speed, but has the quickness to make a man miss and accelerate into space.

Full Backs

Collin Mooney: Army (5-10, 247) Projection:  Free Agent

A thick, physical full back with the ability to push the pile and drive for tough yards. Displays good power and has the mindset to sell his soul week in and week out as a lead blocker.

Wide Receiver

Deon Butler: Penn State (5-10, 168) Projection: 6^th Round

A frail looking receiver with an explosive first step and the ability to get vertical. Shows good ball skills down the field and will be able to create big plays from the slot.

Greg Orton: Purdue (6-3, 199) Projection: 7^th Round

A big, well built receiver with good body control and awareness on the outside. Isn’t going to run by anyone, but uses his body to shield defenders well in traffic.

Darius Passmore: Marshall (6-3, 188) Projection: 4^th Round

A tall, athletically gifted receiver with good burst and body control in and out of his breaks. Is a smooth route runner that showcases the ability to get down the field.

Aaron Kelly: Clemson (6-5, 190) Projection: 6^th Round

A finished product that combines size, length and body control on the outside. Lacks any type of explosion to his game and will need to be a possession type receiver at the next level.

Tight Ends

Brian Mandeville: Northeastern (6-7, 253) Projection: 5^th Round

A small-school tight end that possesses a nice sized frame and good athletic ability for his size. Is a smooth route runner that displays the strength to hold his own in the blocking game as well.

Anthony Hill: NC State (6-6, 265) Projection: Free Agent

Has struggled with injuries throughout his career (knee, chest), but has the size and frame to at least attract some attention in later rounds. Is a coordinated route runner with good body control, but his knee injuries have really caused him to lose a lot of his explosion.

David Johnson: Arkansas State (6-2, 270) Projection: Free Agent

A natural athlete with good ball skills and fluidity in the passing game. Lacks the size of a typical tight end, but has the versatility to line up at full back and H-back as well.

Offensive Linemen

Alex Boone: Ohio State (6-8, 312) Projection: 4^th Round

A former five-star prospect out of high school, has never really lived up to expectations. Is a bit tight hipped and struggles with his lateral mobility, a right sided player only.

Ryan Durand: Syracuse (6-5, 303) Projection: Free Agent

A tall, natural bender inside with a quick first step and good athleticism in space. Lacks strength and doesn’t showcase much power or drive in any aspect of his game.

Ramon Foster: Tennessee (6-8, 325) Projection: 7^th Round

A massive right sided prospect that lacks flexibility and isn’t real nimble in space. Showcases good length and when he gets his hands on defensive lineman, the battle is over.

Andy Kemp: Wisconsin (6-6, 316) Projection: 6^th Round

A tall, blue-collar offensive lineman who plays with good grit and power inside. Isn’t the most fluid of athletes, but gets by with his technique and toughness.

Jamon Meredith: South Carolina (6-5, 301) Projection: 4^th Round

A natural athlete with good bend and body control in space. Isn’t real explosive and lacks girth. Is more of a finesse blocker who might be best suited to play inside.

Cecil Newton: Tennessee State (6-3, 300) Projection: 5^th Round

A physical, small-school center with good athleticism and power in the run game. Needs to become a little more polished, but has the natural tools to become a starter at the next level.

Seth Olsen: Iowa (6-5, 305) Projection: 6^th Round

A typical Iowa offensive lineman that displays good technique and hand placement inside. A natural bender with good athletic ability, but needs to add more girth and strength to his base.

Augustus Parrish: Kent State (6-5, 305) Projection: 4^th Round

Has the skill set and athletic ability to play left tackle in the NFL. Is still very raw and needs to polish his technique, but is one of the most athletically gifted tackles in the draft.

A.Q. Shipley: Penn State (6-1, 297) Projection: 5^th Round

A technician inside that plays with good hand placement and understands angles. Lacks size but plays with good leverage and lower body strength off the snap.

Jamie Thomas: Maryland (6-4, 330) Projection: 6^th Round

A thick, squatty guard with impressive lower body drive and power in the run game. Displays good length and has created big holes in the run game all year for Maryland.

Defensive Linemen

Lawrence Sidbury: Richmond (6-4, 265) Projection: 6^th Round

A long limbed defensive end that exhibits the body control and suddenness to disengage from blockers. Lacks great burst around the corner, but re-directs and slips blocks well in space.

Stryker Sulak: Missouri (6-5, 250) Projection: 6^th round

An undersized pass rusher with good closing speed, but lacks natural flexibility and burst out of his stance. Plays with an impressive motor, but isn’t the kind of athlete his 40 time (4.65) would indicate.

Ron Brace: Boston College (6-3, 324) Projection: 4^th Round

A big, physical tackle with good body control and agility inside. Displays the ability too not only hold the point of attack in the run game, but slip blocks vs. the pass as well.

Terrance Taylor: Michigan (6-0, 319) Projection: 5^th Round

A girthy nose tackle that plays with good leverage and power inside. Tough to move inside, but is limited as a pass rusher and is no more than a two down lineman.

Etienne Legare: Laval (6-4, 265) Projection: Free Agent

The Canadian standout is a tough, blue-collar defender that uses his hands well to make up for his average athleticism.

Orion Martin: Virginia Tech (6-2, 252) Projection: 5^th Round

Played both defensive end and linebacker at Virginia Tech, but looks best suited to play in a three point stance. Has an explosive first step with the ability to get after the quarterback.

Sammie Lee Hill: Stillman (6-4, 329) Projection: 7^th Round

A developmental prospect with great size and athletic ability inside. He displays a quick first step with the ability to eat up blockers inside. Will need to adjust to playing at a higher level.

Matt Shaughnessy: Wisconsin (6-6, 252) Projection: 3rd Round

A tall, athletic defensive end that coils up well in his stance and can fire off the edge. Isn’t real laterally gifted and lacks power but has the closing speed to turn the corner.

Darryl Richard: Georgia Tech (6-4, 290) Projection: 5^th Round

A smart, hard working tackle that combines average size with good athleticism and technique.

Linebackers

DeAndre Levy: Wisconsin (6-3, 228) Projection: 6^th round

An athletic sideline-to-sideline backer that chases the ball well in pursuit. Showcases good re-direction skills and coverage, but lacks consistent power inside the box.

Dannell Ellerbe: Georgia (6-1, 232) Projection: 4^th Round

An undersized mike linebacker with good range and fluidity in coverage. Lacks great size and is washed out too easy on plays right at him.

Mortty Ivy: West Virginia (6-3, 236) Projection: 4^th Round

A strong, explosive linebacker that flies all over the field and makes plays with reckless abandon. Needs to become a bit more instinctive, but has the tools and attitude to fill a variety of roles at the next level.

Jasper Brinkley: South Carolina (6-2, 275) Projection: 5^th Round

A massive inside linebacker with good body control and power inside. Is a powerful tackler with natural pass rush ability. May be best suited to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

Robert Francois: Boston College (6-2, 235) Projection: 7^th Round/Free Agent

A typical tough, instinctive Boston College linebacker with good athleticism and burst in space. Is a bit stiff, but has some upside and displays the ability to get after the passer off the edge.

Defensive Backs

Curtis Taylor: LSU (6-3, 204) Projection: 5th Round

Has the ideal build of an NFL safety with good straight-line speed and power at the line of scrimmage. Will bite on play fakes and needs to do a better job wrapping up in space.

Brandon Underwood: Cincinnati (6-1, 190) Projection: 7^th Round

A natural cover safety with the frame and build of a corner. Is fluid in man coverage and has the ability to line up over the slot. A versatile athlete in the Cincinnati secondary.

Otis Wiley: Michigan State (6-2, 210) Projection: 5^th Round

A physical, well-built safety with good instincts and ball skills in coverage. Loves to attack downhill, but has a tendency to over run plays and not take proper angles.

Trent Morgan: Michigan (6-1, 188) Projection: 6^th Round

A tall corner with decent technique but lacks burst and explosion in and out of his breaks. Will really struggle in man coverage at the next level and is best suited for a cover two scheme, where he can use his instincts.

Jahi Word-Daniels: Georgia Tech (6-0 194) Projection: 5^th Round

A tall, lean corner that showcases good bend and a fluid backpedal. Has the ability to go up at the highest point and break on balls. Is at his best in press coverage.

Courtney Greene: Rutgers (6-2, 215) Projection: 3^rd Round

A well-built safety with good power at the line of scrimmage and straight-line speed in the secondary.  A bit “leggy” and struggles re-directing in space.

Specialists

Jake Richardson: Miami (6-1, 208) Projection: Free Agent

A strong legged punter who averaged 45.3 yards per punt in 2008.

Graham Gano: Florida State (6-1, 193) Projection: 5^th Round

The Lou Groza Award winner was 24/26 on field goal opportunities and also averaged 43.6 yards per punt in 2008.

West Team

Quarterbacks

Tom Brandstater: Fresno State (6-5, 225) Projection: 6^th Round

Showcases the prototypical build for the quarterback position with good arm strength and touch down the field. A lacking athlete that didn’t have the type of year many expected.

Mike Reilly: Central Washington (6-3, 212) Projection: 6^th Round

A dominant small-school prospect that is a dual run/pass threat. Showcases good accuracy on the move and has the ability to buy time in the pocket.

Stephen McGee: Texas A&M (6-3, 207) Projection: 7^th Round/ Free Agent

Displays a very intriguing skill set, he just needs time to develop. A good athlete with the arm strength to make all the throws, has some Tony Romo in him.

Running Backs

Ian Johnson: Boise State (6-0, 196) Projection: 7^th Round

An instinctive runner with good lateral mobility and body control. Lacks a second gear and doesn’t showcase any kind of explosion to his game.

Gartrell Johnson: Colorado State (5-11, 230) Projection: 7^th Round

A thickly built back with a powerful lower half and good “wiggle” for his size. Showcases good vision and lateral mobility at the line of scrimmage, but lacks the speed to out run anyone at the second level.

Aaron Brown: TCU (6-1, 196) Projection: 7^th Round/ Free Agent

A tall, high cut runner with decent power and agility for his size. Has the ability to step out of tackles, but lacks body control and isn’t real sharp cutter.

Full Backs

Jorvorskie Lane: Texas A&M (6-0, 285) Projection: 7^th Round/ Free Agent

A massive, thick framed full back that exhibits very nimble feet for his size. A natural runner, but needs to learn to become a more consistent lead blocker.

Wide Receivers

Ramses Barden: Cal Poly (6-6, 227) Projection: 3^rd Round

A king sized wide out with good body control and hands over the middle of the field. However, he is a strider with below average deep speed, but showcases good suddenness out of his breaks.

Jarrett Dillard: Rice (5-11, 185) Projection: 5^th Round

A frail receiver prospect with excellent hand eye coordination. Displays the ability to consistently go up and pluck the ball at the highest point.  However, he will struggle big time with bump coverage in the NFL.

Marko Mitchell: Nevada (6-3, 210) Projection: 5^th Round

A physically imposing receiver with good burst and body control in and out of his breaks. Isn’t a burner, but shows some explosion and can separate on all levels of the field.

Mike Thomas: Arizona (5-8, 195) Projection: 6^th Round

An undersized slot guy with good agility and acceleration in the open field. Is more quick than fast, but has the ability to uncover down the field.

Sammie Stroughter: Oregon State (6-0, 186) Projection: 4^th Round

A bit frail framed, but showcases good footwork and burst in and out of his breaks. Displays an explosive first step and knows how to separate on all levels of the field.

H-Backs/Tight Ends

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