The 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl announced the Shrine 1000 list, detailing every player eligible for the all-star game circuit prior to the 2024 NFL Draft. The exhaustive breakdown of talent gave our team the opportunity to review the best players from across the country. After examining the list, our three-person scouting team held a roundtable about the Shrine 1000 list.
Shrine Bowl 1000 Roundtable
Our PFN scouting department is made up of three individuals who have been assigned specific conferences to scout during the season. Each answered their question with their conferences in mind.
NFL Scouting Director Ian Valentino will be handling the Big 12, Pac 12, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, and the Mountain West. Scouting assistant Ian Cummings is responsible for the ACC, Big Ten, American, Independents, and Sun Belt. Scouting assistant Dalton Miller has the SEC.
1) The Shrine 1000 list had a remarkable number of quality senior quarterbacks. Who are 2 sleepers who you’ll be keeping your eye on at the position?
Cummings: The sheer volume of QB options on the Shrine Bowl 1000 represents the overwhelming depth of the QB group in the 2024 NFL Draft. But two passers, in particular, I’ll be keeping an eye on in the sleeper ranks are Tulane’s Michael Pratt and Northern Iowa’s Theo Day.
Pratt is a steely competitor who’s been one of the most efficient signal-callers in college football for three years running. He has an NFL frame, the functional mobility to extend plays, and enough arm talent to buoy a potential NFL career.
Day used to be rostered at Michigan State but transferred to Northern Iowa in 2021. He immediately earned starting reps there and took major strides in 2022, completing 210 of 323 passes (65%) for 3,121 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.
The 6’5”, 225-pound Day has legitimate high-end arm strength and velocity, and he’s not afraid to use it. But it’s even more exciting to see his efficiency and accuracy trending up.
Valentino: There are several good options in the conferences I cover, but two who might be sliding more under the radar than I’d prefer are Texas Tech’s Tyler Shough and UTEP’s Gavin Hardison.
Shough has struggled with injuries but certainly looks the part of an NFL quarterback. His 6’5” frame and rushing ability give him the unique blend of size, playmaking, and physical traits that teams will want to develop. He has to stay on the field this fall and continue improving his pocket mobility, but he has the talent to be drafted.
At 6’3” and 205 pounds, Hardison is built more like modern passers, but his stats are quite poor after dealing with a number of drops, completing under 55.5% in all four seasons played. That being said, Hardison’s earned a draftable grade from professional scouting services because he has plus athleticism and good arm strength. In this crowded group, he has to continue improving in order to stand out, regardless of whether his surrounding cast is struggling to haul in passes.
Miller: It’s difficult to fly under the radar as a quarterback in the SEC. But with so many seniors eyeing starting jobs in the conference this season, a few do stand out. In the modern game, it’s hard to become a starting NFL QB without the athletic ability to create when things break down. LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Arkansas’s KJ Jefferson can both do just that.
Calling Jefferson a sleeper may be cheating a bit because he’s regarded as one of the top 10 or so quarterbacks in an upcoming class that looks loaded. But Jefferson has the size, athleticism, and arm talent to really help his draft stock in 2023.
He’s a massive dual-threat QB standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing around 240 pounds. He possesses a strong arm and has shown some nice touch when attacking down the field. Showing he can manage a more complex offense and consistently make the right decisions will be the deciding factor in Jefferson’s draft stock come April.
Daniels is a springy athlete with some good agility and acceleration to make defenders miss. After a few down years at Arizona State after starting hot as a freshman, the senior found a comfortable landing spot at LSU. Although he’s still inconsistent when creating, Daniels has the flexibility in his arm to deliver passes from compromised platforms.
2) Every year, we see a late-blooming prospect who has been hiding in plain sight. Who on the Shrine 1000 list do you expect to rise this fall and through the draft process?
Cummings: I have a few prospects in mind – a couple each from the ACC and the Big Ten. There are many other candidates, but these few stand out as players who’ve already shown plenty but could be due for increased buzz in 2023.
In the ACC, Duke DT DeWayne Carter and Wake Forest CB Caelen Carson come to mind. Carter is a low-to-the-ground but high-energy lineman who amassed 5.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2022.
Carson is a feisty, physical coverage defender with the searing short-area agility and foot speed to blanket receivers in man. Both players have already produced on the stat sheet and produced high-quality film, but just need more eyes to flock their way to earn the proper respect.
In the Big Ten, two wide receivers pique my interest within this lens: Wisconsin’s Chimere Dike and Michigan’s Cornelius Johnson.
Johnson is a quietly complete WR with speed, burst, and legitimate route-running chops at 6’3”, 208 pounds. Dike is an explosive intermediate artist with superb catching instincts, who could benefit from the arrival of Luke Fickell and QB Tanner Mordecai.
Valentino: Starting in the Big 12, there are a couple of very physically gifted tight ends who have yet to earn much love. At this time, we’re mainly focusing on guys with NFL athleticism and size, regardless of their production. Two Big 12 tight ends who fit that mold are Texas Tech’s Baylor Cupp and TCU’s Jared Wiley.
Cupp and Wiley both stand out as receivers with enough burst to excel from the slot or as an inline player. Cupp had fewer opportunities to catch the ball, totaling 12 receptions over three years with Texas A&M and Texas Tech, but expect those numbers to grow significantly this fall. Meanwhile, Wiley hasn’t been as hidden, which isn’t shocking considering he’s 6’7” and played in a more pass-friendly attack last year with Max Duggan.
The Pac 12 and other conferences I have also boast some intriguing risers. UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu has earned high marks thanks to his athleticism and NFL-ready build. I’m also closely watching Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who is projected to run a low 4.4 40-yard dash at 6’0″ and 200 pounds to go with quality coverage film.
Miller: In the SEC, the first name that comes to mind in the entire conference is Texas A&M DT McKinnley Jackson. The behemoth that mans the middle of the Aggies’ defense was a captain season ago, and it was astonishingly clear how much the run game suffered when he was forced off the field by an injury. McKinnley was the top player in Mississippi leaving high school, and that makes sense considering how explosive he can be for his size.
Safety play is usually bemoaned by scouts because of how often there simply isn’t much going on a down-to-down basis that is translatable. Good safety play often makes it boring, but it’s often a difference-maker defensively.
Texas A&M safety Demani Richardson is that kind of player. He has outstanding size for the position, along with good downhill instincts and a strong desire to not get beat vertically. While that desire hinders his playmaking ability at times, it often keeps the big play from happening.
Buffalo Bills WR Justin Shorter stole the show after the NFL Draft when folks saw his carved-from-steel frame, but he was out-produced by Arizona State transfer Ricky Pearsall a season ago. Pearsall averaged over 20 yards per catch a season ago for the Gators. With another strong season, the senior receiver could sneak himself into Day 3.
3) Which Shrine 1000 players could become first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft?
Cummings: Penn State OT Olu Fashanu and Florida State EDGE Jared Verse are about as close to first-round locks as you can get at this point. Beyond them, Clemson DT Ruke Orhorhoro, Duke OL Graham Barton, and Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton also have top-32 aspirations within reach.
Fashanu grades out as a blue-chip prospect and OT1 for me in the preliminary round. Verse is also the top prospect at his position. Barton’s projection may depend on what position teams prefer him at. Personally, I think he could eventually be the top guard in the class with his frame, elite athleticism, and leg drive.
Past those primary candidates, there are more fringe non-QBs who could surprise and enter Round 1 with career years. Those players include Illinois CB Tahveon Nicholson (though he’s an older prospect), Maryland S Beau Brade, Michigan DT Kris Jenkins, Pittsburgh OT Matt Goncalves, and Wake Forest’s Carson.
At quarterback, Duke’s Riley Leonard and Florida State’s Jordan Travis both have outcomes where they work into Round 1. Neither has quantifiably elite arm strength, but Leonard is an exceptional field general with mobility and flashes of rare precision. Travis, meanwhile, is one of the most dynamic creators we’ve seen at QB in years.
A first-round wild card at QB is Nebraska’s Jeff Sims. The story is far from written for Sims, but he’s getting a fresh start with Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers. At 6’4”, 220 pounds, Sims is one of the most tools-rich prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, with high-energy athleticism and a loose, elastic, pace-generating arm. Now that he has the proper support and stability, he could break out.
Valentino: This is an impressive senior class because it’s usually underclassmen who dominate the first-round talk. Oregon QB Bo Nix is the most obvious candidate after he showed massive growth in 2022. But I’ll be watching several other Shrine Bowl watch list players with a chance to break into the top-32 this fall, and it starts with great blockers.
Houston’s Patrick Paul and Arizona’s Jordan Morgan are two of my favorite LTs in the country. Paul is more of a power blocker who fits the traditional mold of a mauler, whereas Morgan is coming off a torn ACL but possessed elite athleticism. Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe also deserves to be taken in Round 1 as a fantastic Day 1 starter.
A few others who will have a chance include Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley and cornerbacks Josh Newton (TCU) and my favorite sleeper, Decorian Patterson (UCF). Patterson was dominant at Middle Tennessee State, leading the country in interceptions last year and showing very good athleticism in his big matchup against Miami.
Texas DT T’Vondre Sweat can also enter the conversation with a more productive season as a pass rusher, as his 6’4”, 346-pound frame will be coveted if he can prove to be a three-down player.
Miller: If you’re dominant enough in the SEC to be considered a first-round talent, you’re probably not going to make it all the way to your senior season anymore. In the days before immediate eligibility through transfers, it was more common. But now, guys aren’t waiting around behind elder statesmen. That said, there are still a few names that could sneak into Round 1 in the SEC.
Texas A&M cornerback Tony Grimes is the most obvious candidate. He possesses all the tools necessary to be a Round 1 cornerback for the Aggies. The North Carolina transfer will face more than enough competition to prove definitively whether or not he can go on Day 1. But Grimes is a smooth athlete with NFL size and length that could end up sneaking past a few underclassmen in April.
There will be other breakout players that pop up throughout the season, but most of the top senior talent appears to be in other conferences.
4) Which playmakers do you think would shine at the Shrine Bowl drills and why?
Cummings: Given the nature of Shrine Bowl drills, where both raw tools and attention to detail can help prospects stand out, there are two who come to mind for me.
The first is Illinois WR Isaiah Williams. Williams is one of the shiftiest, most chaotic athletes on the collegiate stage, and his suddenness, change of direction, and burst out of transitions could have DBs fighting for their lives in 1-on-1 drills.
The second is Yale OT Kiran Amegadjie. Though he needs to continue cleaning up his technique, half of winning the 1-on-1 battle is being more explosive and proficient at channeling power off the snap than your opponent. Amegadjie can win in both of those departments, and his raw tools would win over evaluators in a confined setting.
Valentino: I’m looking for the physical freaks to dominate in 1-on-1s, which certainly includes some of the guys I’ve already named. But others who can either exploit their opponents with great traits include Oregon State receiver and return-man extraordinaire Anthony Gould, Iowa State CB T.J. Tampa, and Jerry Rice’s nephew, Brenden Rice (USC).
At 5’8” and 170 pounds, Gould is an absolute speedster. Arguably the most electric special-teamer in the country, Gould can have a Tank Dell-like all-star circuit and rise.
Tampa is one of several big, athletic cornerbacks in the Big 12. He’s the most polished of the bunch as a 6’1”, 200-pounder with the straight-line speed to run with almost any receiver in the nation. He may find himself in the second-round range with more ball production.
Rice is the least-heralded player of the group, but at 6’3” and projected to run in the low 4.5 range, he can use his huge frame to create space from defenders and leave them diving at his heels as he hauls in receptions.
Miller: It’s tough to know for sure who will shine in individual and 1-on-1 drills. But the process tends to favor smaller, quicker players at their given positions to a certain point. Being too small on the edge will get a rusher sent flying, but shifty receivers and explosive interior defenders usually shine here.
Texas A&M’s Ainias Smith seems like a prime candidate for an explosive showing. He’s listed as an RB in the Shrine 1000 but a WR in other scouting services. Smith has played primarily as a receiver at A&M, but he could end up going the Tony Pollard route as a pro. If that’s to be the case, Smith should make linebackers look silly in receiving drills.
Part of what makes Kentucky WR Tayvion Grimes so much fun is the impressive contact balance he has for his size. However, Grimes’ lateral agility, creativity, and vision with the ball in his hands are what make him so dangerous. If he can prove that footwork aids him as a route runner as well, it could go a long way toward getting him drafted.
