Draft Notes from Shrine Practice: Day 1

[datruth55]

Day one of Shrine practice is in the books. Here’s the latest buzz from the field and the players hotel.

– Scouts say had Florida State junior cornerback Marquez White declared for the draft as teammate Jalen Ramsey did, he would’ve been no worse than a third round pick. They also believe good pro-day workouts could push senior safety Lamarcus Brutus into the last day of the draft. Brutus, a fifth year senior, was not graded by scouts entering the season.

– Had Cam Sutton of Tennessee entered the draft he would’ve been a top 42 choice and he had a real chance of sliding into the late part of round one according to scouts in St Pete. Sutton would’ve been ranked at a top 42 prospect for his return skills as well as his cornerback ability.

– Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson spent a lot of time scouting the linebackers during the first Shrine practice today. And while he’s not in attendance at the Shrine Game, sources tell me the team really likes Mississippi State junior Beniquez Brown, whom I grade as a third round choice.

– North Carolina State offensive lineman Joe Thuney looked terrific today and despite not being classified as a good athlete at the position the belief is he will test well at the combine and/or pro-day workouts.

– There are a number of teams at the Shrine Game who grade Kevin Dodd ahead of his Clemson teammate, Shaq Lawson. Lawson is universally considered a mid-first round pick while I claimed Dodd was a second day pick last month. The consensus is Lawson is being overrated while Dodd is underrated.

– Likewise there are several teams here in St Pete who believe cornerback LeShaun Sims will be a better NFL player than his much more heralded teammate, safety Miles Killebrew. The belief is Sims, who looked terrific at Shrine practice on Monday, is a plug and play cornerback while Killebrew, who’ll be at the Senior Bowl next week, is more a product of size and speed.

– I was told defensive lineman Jabari Hunt disappeared from the Georgia Tech team after being suspended for a game. People I spoke with are unsure about his plans or if he’ll workout for NFL teams

http://www.draftinsider.net/blog/?p=11203

 

[Geforce]

2016 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's East Team Practice Report

Along the lines, one of the players who showed some tools to work with was Penn State defensive lineman Anthony Zettel. In the one-on-ones, and during the team scrimmage, Zettel was constantly breaking into the backfield. He showed off powerful hands with functional strength to slap blockers hands off of him and shed the block. However, after getting free of his blocker, he was getting shoved into the ground easily and that kept him from finishing plays. Throughout the practice Zettel was losing his feet consistently, he has a thin lower body and needs to add some strength to his base. As a pro, he could be a work in progress that develops into a nice player after a year or two. Zettel (6-4, 284) could be a 3-4 defensive end. In a 4-3 he's a bit of tweener who could be an end on run downs and rushes from the inside in passing situations.

Florida State linebacker Terrance Smith had a nice day. He was fast, flying around the field and was physical with offensive players. He had a pass broken up with some nice coverage defending tight ends and backs in the flat.


A sleeper prospect to watch on this team is Stony Brook defensive end Victor Ochi. His first-step quickness was impressive as he exploded off the snap with a great get-off. Ochi (6-2, 255) still is very raw and needs development. He looks too undersized for a 4-3 defense to be anything more than a situational pass-rusher. A better fit could come as a 3-4 outside linebacker.


South Carolina offensive tackle Brandon Shell had a strong start to the week. The 6-foot-6, 328-pounder certainly has size for the next level. Shell was strong but needs further work on technique and his pad level. In the pass-rushing one-on-ones, Shell showed some brute strength as he easily pounded Notre Dame defensive end Romeo Okwara into the turf. Last year, Shell played left tackle, but he will need to move to guard or right tackle in the NFL.

http://walterfootball.com/eastwest2016practice1.php