Lammey: 2018 East-West Shrine Game practice report – Day 2
Jan 16, 2018, 8:24 PM
Practice for the 2018 East-West Shrine Game continued Tuesday in Tampa, Florida, as college prospects got their first chances to get to perform in front of NFL coaches, scouts, and executives for the second day in a row.
For 12 consecutive years, I’ve covered the Shrine Game with stops in Houston, Orlando, and, now, Tampa. I’ve seen some players come out of nowhere to become household names — Julius Thomas, Josh Norman, Jimmy Garoppolo, for example — and they all got their first chance to impress the NFL brass at the annual all-star game.
Here is the practice report for Day Two:
Position switch be damned
The quarterback play on Day One was not very good, but it did improve for one player specifically Tuesday. Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett threw with exceptional touch during team drills.
Barrett is athletic, and there are some who have suggested a position switch to running back might be in his professional future. While that’s possible — as Barrett is 6-foot-1-inch tall, weighs 220 pounds, and runs with authority — he has shown this week that quarterback might still be in his future.
At the weigh-in on Monday, Barrett’s hand size stood out when compared to other quarterbacks at this game. Barrett has 10-inch hands, which gives him the ability to hold onto the ball better and control his passes with greater ease.
It’s clear that Barrett has the athleticism to play in the NFL, but teams might want to take a longer look at him as a quarterback instead of moving him to a different position.
Shrine Game Day 2 MVP
Tuesday’s MVP came from the West squad, as Missouri defensive end Marcell Frazier was tough for opponents to deal with in the afternoon.
Frazier measured in at 6-foot-4 and 261 pounds during the weigh-in Monday. He has 32-inch arms, which help him disengage from blockers tasked with keeping him away from the quarterback.
His opponents didn’t do a very good job of that on Tuesday.
In fact, during both practices this week, Frazier dominated around the edge with his speed. He can get low and turn the corner as a pass rusher, and he shows good burst to the quarterback.
Last year, Florida Atlantic defensive end Trey Hendrickson had a great week of practice at the Shrine Game, and the New Orleans Saints selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. While I don’t see Frazier going that high in this year’s draft, he is a player to track, as he’s technically sound and a high-motor player.
On a side note, Monday’s MVP for practice Northern Iowa’s Daurice Fountain had another great day. It’s important that players who flash in their first practice continue with that consistency during the rest of the week. I’ve seen multiple players at these games show up one day and disappear the next.
Fountain looks like he’s here to stay and an intriguing prospect to monitor.
Scouting buzz
Many tight ends in the NFL today play like supersized wide receivers. Many of them used to play the position in high school or early in college then moved to tight end as they continued to grow.
Mississippi State wide receiver Jordan Thomas looks like a giant when lining up against cornerbacks on the practice field. Measuring in at 6-foot-5 and a whopping 280 pounds, Thomas is clearly tough to deal with as a receiver. He can outmuscle smaller opponents and basically box them out from getting the football.
His movement is quite fluid for a man that size, but Thomas is unlikely to play wide receiver in the pros, as he’s not fast or quick enough. However, some in the scouting community are considering what he could be as a tight end.
It’s all about creating mismatches in the NFL, and Thomas has a good size-speed combination for the tight end position. He needs to work on his technique as a blocker, but a team looking for a tight end to work the middle seam and in the red zone might consider him late in the draft.
