The NFL Draft does not wait for the postseason to come to a close. With Conference Championships headlining the weekend, draft-eligible prospects were in Frisco, Texas, for Shrine Bowl practices. Last season, the Los Angeles Rams found Konata Mumpfield at the Shrine Bowl with Kobie Turner coming from there as well. The game itself takes place on Tuesday evening as the Senior Bowl kicks off later this week. Here are my seven standouts after watching all of the Shrine Bowl practices.
1. DL Darrell Jackson, FSU
There may not have been a better player at the Shrine Bowl than Darrell Jackson. He was dominant on all three days during the 1-on-1s and consistently in the backfield during team drills. It’s unlikely that the Rams will draft a defensive lineman inside the top-100, but Jackson is a run-stopper and simply violent at the point of attack. If the Rams were to continue investing in the defensive line, adding another player from the Florida State pipeline wouldn’t be a bad idea.
2. iOL Brian Parker, Duke
Overall, the offensive line play was rough in Frisco, Texas over the weekend. With that said, one player that consistently stood out was Duke’s Brian Parker. Given how the Rams have valued the center position, it’s hard to see them taking Parker where they would need to. With that said, he’s someone that could start at center down the line and give them immediate interior depth. Parker showed NFL teams that he could move inside after playing the majority of his career at right tackle. This is a similar path to Graham Barton who played at left tackle before moving to center in the NFL. At the Shrine Bowl, Parker lined up all along the interior and consistently caught my eye.
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As an honorable mention, Texas’ DJ Campbell is worth shouting out. He was slightly more inconsistent, but overall looked good at guard. Again, the offensive line play was rough, but Notre Dame’s Aamil Wagner had some strong moments at tackle as did Wake Forest’s Fa’alili Fa’amoe.
3. CB Avery Smith, Toledo
There may not have been a player this week who improved their draft stock more than Toledo’s Avery Smith. Smith was a player that wasn’t initially on my radar, but consistently jumped off the tape an d caught my attention. Smith was sticky in coverage and played very physical all weekend. He isn’t at the level of Quinyon Mitchell, but he can hold his own and showed out in Frisco. Some may want to move him inside to nickel at the next level. With that said, Smith showed he can compete anywhere this week and put himself on NFL teams’ radars. I will also throw NC State’s Devon Marshall here as an honorable mention. Marshall is bigger than Smith at 5’11, 197 pounds and had an impressive weekend.
4. DL Landon Robertson, Navy
It was difficult to gauge the defensive line play all weekend because the offensive line play was so inconsistent. However, one player who stood out on all three days of practice was Navy’s Landon Robertson. He’s only 5’11, but that’s something he uses to his advantage playing along the defensive line. Robertson was extremely explosive and during team drills on Day 3, he was in the backfield on nearly every play. The Navy defensive lineman was simply disruptive throughout the entire weekend.
5. WR Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
Kaden Wetjen is going to need to be in the right offensive system for a team to take advantage of his skill set. He’s only 5’9, but he’s slippery in space. During team drills on Day 3, he was a consistent target for the quarterbacks. In a 15-play sample, he may have had five or six catches. The intriguing aspect of Wetjen’s game is his upside as a returner. The Rams need to place more focus on special teams. Wetjen had three punt return touchdowns last year and led the nation in punt return yards while playing in the Big Ten. He may be somewhat limited as a receiver because of his size. However, if an offensive coach can find ways to get Wetjen the ball in space, he’s electric. As a late Day 3 pick, Wetjen makes sense.
6. S Cole Wisniewski, Texas Tech
The Rams have done well in the past when drafting safeties late on Day 3 and developing them. Cole Wisniewski would make a lot of sense as the next in line for that. Wisniewski was a former linebacker at North Dakota State and those instincts were very obvious in run fits and when he played close to the line of scrimmage. With Chris Shula, the Rams have used a third safety almost as a linebacker, especially in dime. That player has typically been Jaylen McCollough. Wisniewski’s size at 6’3 and 214 pounds makes him intriguing for that type of role.
7. TE Dallen Bentley, Utah
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rams continue to add to the tight end position given how they moved to more 13 personnel this season. Tyler Higbee is a free agent and may not be back. Continuing to add here with Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen in contract years makes a lot of sense. Bentley can block and has some upside as a receiver. This is someone that the Rams could pair with Terrance Ferguson down the line.
