Practices at the East-West Shrine Game took place in Florida this week with several prospects looking to boost their stock leading up to the 2016 NFL Draft.
2016 Shrine Game: 5 players who improved their NFL Draft stock
Practices at the East-West Shrine Game are complete, and here’s who those in attendance are buzzing about.
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The Shrine Game has a solid history of producing NFL talent. Buffalo Bills guard John Miller and Green Bay Packers linebacker Jake Ryan were among the better players in last year's game. Other recent alums of note include Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns and Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman.
Suffice to say, the Shrine Game can be a place for teams to find some good under-the-radar players. The game itself takes place at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday on NFL Network, but a week of practices hold far more importance. Those practices were covered by a number of media members and here’s the players who helped themselves the most based on reports:
Dean Lowry, DE, Northwestern: Throughout the week Lowry received positive reviews by most in attendance. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound defensive end should stand out in a practice setting merely because of his size, but some in attendance were touting his explosion and effort.
EW Shrine day 2 - NW DE Dean Lowry a lunch pail guy... All day sucker.... Goes to work every snap !
— Mike Mayock (@MikeMayock) January 19, 2016 Some Shrine Game players end up getting a late invite to next week's Senior Bowl, and don't be surprised if Lowry ends up being one of them. A scout told Yahoo's Charles Robinson that Lowry plays with good pad level, which can often be an issue for players of his size. Lowry, whose best position is five-technique in the NFL, was also praised for his power. Here it is on display:
Javon Hargrave, DT, South Carolina State: This is a player I’ll have to go back and do homework on, but the people are buzzing about him following the Shrine practices. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah called Hargrave the best player during practices. Hargrave may be 315 pounds, but Dane Brugler of CBS Sports noted his quickness and to go along with power and his natural leverage at 6-foot-2. This season, Hargrave had 59 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. Those are incredible numbers for a defensive tackle, and Hargrave appears to have lived up to them at the Shrine practices.
Graham Glasgow, C, Michigan: For anyone who says draft stock can't change this time of the year, think again. Glasgow played so well at the Shrine practices that he got an invitation to the Senior Bowl. If he looks good at the Senior Bowl, it's likely he went from being a possible late pick in the draft, to a potential middle-round selection. Glasgow, who can play guard and center, was singled out for his athleticism in space and a quick first move, an essential trait for a center.
Josh Ferguson, RB, Illinois: Many of the players at the Shrine Game are most likely late-round picks or priority free agents. For many of them, that means they have to be versatile. That's what Ferguson provides, and what he showed during practices. During his career at Illinois, Ferguson had more than 150 receptions, and ran for more than 2,500 yards. Jeff Risdon of RealGM noted Ferguson's speed to get to the edge and to break runs in the open field.
Victor Ochi, DE, Stony Brook: This is another player I’ll need to do more work on. Just about everyone who covered the Shrine Game has been gushing about Ochi for his speed and first step. As Brugler points out, Ochi makes up for his 6-foot-1 height with long arms and hand use to shed blocks. Sources told Risdon that Ochi could be a third-round pick.
Stoney Brook DE Victor Ochi made a lasting impression on third day of East Shrine practice. Gets the outside shoulder easily. #ShrineGame
— Eric Galko (@OptimumScouting) January 20, 2016 See More:
