East-West Shrine Game 4ET NFL Network

Just thought I'd open a thread for opinions on the game and the players in it. Here's a little primer:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1926957-east-west-shrine-game-2014-a-full-draft-scouting-guide

Looking forward to seeing East QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Not much on the Steeler radar but I've read alot of hype surrounding him so it will be interesting to see how he looks.

Debatably the top prospect at the game is MSU LB Max Bullough. I have him in the LB mix as possible future Steelers.

Hopefully we will see a few kids impress today.

 

I was just posting this, but got called away. Jimmy G and Mathews will be interesting to watch. A couple CB's to watch-

Pierre Desir, CB, Lindenwood

Listed as taller and heavier, he measured at 6'1 197 according to a scout I follow. He was praised all week for his ball awareness, and he's tall and physical.

Andre Hal, CB, Vanderbilt

A very fluid mover who's pretty good in coverage. Had 14 passes broken up and registered 40 tackles.

I've got to step away for a few more minutes, but I'll post a few more guys to keep an eye on.

 

A couple of quick notes I made in the 1st half:

- Jordan Lynch just looks like another Dan Lefevour type of QB. Great mobility and very productive in college but just won't translate to the NFL.

- While not overly productive in college, West Virginia DE Will Clarke looks like he can be disruptive. At 6'7 275, he could be worth a look as a 3-4 DE.

- Eastern Illinois QB Jimmy Garoppolo's game really does look like Tony Romo. He is getting the ball out incredibly quick, is pretty accurate and can move around in the pocket. He really could be moving up boards in the next week.

- I was impressed with the poise of Ball St QB Keith Wenning. He had a productive college career and really looks the part. Great awareness and has a good arm.

- As a Canadian it was great to see a couple of kids from Canadian colleges. Always curious to see how they stack up against their American counterparts.

Looking forward to the 2nd half!

 

I agree with the first 3. Pretty much spot on. Lynch looks like he's a little out of his league, while Jimmy G looks like he could transition fairly easily to the NFL. He's sharp. Quick hands, quick feet. Clarke was on my list of guys to mention earlier. I wish I had before he had a sack lol. WVU's defense kind of sucked this year, but he was a bright spot. I'd like to see more of a him, and he'd have to hit the weight room and cafeteria hard, but he could make a case for himself somewhere in the middle rounds. I didn't really see much of Wenning, and I don't know much about him.

Other guys of note:
Zach Bauman, RB, No Arizona. Good cutter who can be explosive.
Matt Hazel WR, Coastal Carolina. Great hands. Appears to be a swiss army knife of a receiver.
Justin Ellis La Tech NT. A bowling ball of a man who can wreck the middle at times. Short though.
Nate Dreiling, LB, Pittsburg State. Underweight, but said to be a film room junkie and very impressive instincts. Finds the ball.
Chandler Jones, WR, San Jose State. Impressive route runner and catches the tough throws.

 

Hal is a sleeper.

Alden Darby is a ball hawk today. He's a guy that I have no clue about.

 

Justin Ellis with the tipped pass.

 

I agree.

 

Switch it over to ESPN2. The NFLPA Bowl is on.

 

Some guys to watch:

Asa Watson, TE, NC State


Ja’Ronn Hamm, WR, Louisiana Monroe


Anthony Wilkerson RB Stanford


Demetrius Wright, S, Southern Cal


Roy Finch, RB, Oklahoma

 

Yup, he looked really good. He has good size at 6'0 190 and had 12 career INTs. I also liked Nevin Lawson. Always seemed to be in the action, although as Mayock pointed out, he has a consistent resume of holding the WR which went uncalled today.

As TTF mentioned, Alden Darby had a great day with 2 INTs. The second pick was exceptionally nice. It was a poor throw but Darby had to cover some ground to get there and made a nice hands INT. He definitely plays with emotion too. 10 career picks and possible 4.4 speed is going to bode well for him.

Another guy TTF pointed out above was CB Pierre Desir from Lindenwood. I thought on a couple of plays he failed to locate the ball which put him out of position. But when he was locked in he looked really good. At 6'2 210, he has the measurables that the Steelers covet in CBs. I know his competition level wasn't very strong but 25 career INTs speaks volumes.

Another guy that kept flashing was Larry Webster from Bloomsburg. A former basketball player at 6'7 240, I'm not really sure where he fits, but just someone you would like to have on your roster. He is an incredible athlete.

 

QB J. Garoppolo, OL G. Ikard, DL J. Ellis, DL W. Clarke, DB P. Desir, DB N. Lawson and DB J. Thomas all received Senior Bowl invites after today's game.

 

Yeah, Webster is athletic. I'm not sure how he'd fit on the Steelers roster. I did read that a lot of teams were approaching him about the possibility of switching to TE.

 

Mayock brought up the idea as well, and maybe that is ultimately where he ends up. All I think that he would ever be on defense is a situational pass rusher, probably more suited as a 4-3 DE. I'm sure a lot of scouts will be watching his Combine with interest. Will be interesting to see if he sticks with the DL or if he switches to TE.

 

Nunley didn't play in the East-West game. While productive, his height and speed are big question marks. We already have 1 short safety in Thomas, I don't think we would add another.