East/West Shrine Game

Sebastian Vollmer, RT, Houston- Vollmer was a guy I really didn’t know anything about before this game and I left very impressed with his play. He’s one of the few true RT prospects in this draft, and he’s still very raw (he is originally from Germany, so he hasn’t been playing organized football as long as most college Seniors). He’s tall, has good size, is a good pass blocker, and is a very good run blocker. He’s going to need some work and some patience while he still develops his technique full, but he reminds me a lot of Michael Roos of the Titans who fell into this same kind of category going in to the draft. He’s now one of the better LT’s in the AFC, but is still widely unknown. I think when it’s all said and done, we may see Vollmer going as high as the third or fourth round based on potential at a position where we mostly see LTs who are too slow being moved over.

Tom Brandstater, QB, Fresno St- Same as before, great arm, ZERO accuracy. He’s so inconsistent that he should not warrant a draftable grade, but someone will fall for his size and arm and will draft him late to try and develop him. Good luck to that team.

Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona- I have to say that I didn’t know much about Thomas prior to the bow game, and I’m getting more and more impressed with him the more I see him play. He’s very quick, and he uses this quickness to get off the jam, which is key since he’s undersized. Being undersized will hurt him, but I don’t think it should hurt him as much seeing as he does not struggle with the jam. He can return kicks too, so I see his stock steadily rising and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him come off in the late second or early third.

Fenuki Tupou, OT, Oregon- He played LT in this game as well, but I’m still convinced he’s strictly a RT in the pros. Very good run blocker and an acceptable pass blocker.

Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri- This was Daniel’s chance to show to shine one last time, and he blew it. All the bad things he showed at Mizzou showed up even brighter on this stage. I do not think Daniel is draftable.

Gartrell Johnson, RB, Colorado St- He’s always getting positive yards, and he hits the hole very hard. I love his effort, and think he’s going to be a very good situational back if used right. He’s not a feature back by any means, but he could play a good number of years as a short yardage back.

Lawrence Sidbury, DE, Richmond- Sidbury is a promising prospect for 1AA Richmond. He has good speed, chases plays hard and gives top effort at all times, but he’s undersized and struggles to anchor against the run. He might be able to play OLB in a 3-4, but he might not be agile enough to make that change either. He’d be a nice fit as a 4th rounder or so for a team like the Bears that likes undersized DEs.

Javarris Williams, RB, Tennessee St- I like what I saw in this game from Williams. He was the most impressive small school prospect, and one of the guys who I felt really stood out in this game. He has great speed and good wiggle to get out of blocks and get positive yards. He’s a very nice sleeper pick.

Roy Miller, DT, Texas- The best thing about Miller is he’s consistent. He gives maximum effort on every play, and I like that. He may not be the biggest or fastest guy at his position, but he’s the hardest worker. I could see Miller sneaking into the late second round because that’s where I feel his value is slotted. He could probably play DE in a 3-4, but he’s a very active and quick undertackle for some 4-3 defense that is willing to pick him before someone else does.

Tyrell Sutton, RB, Northwestern- He runs really hard, but his injury history and the depth at this position in the draft will kill him.

Deon Butler, WR, Penn State- I think Butler is really underrated aside to his teammate Derrick Williams. Butler always comes to play, and he makes catches every time I see him. He runs precise routes and has good hands, but he’s small. He may have to play exclusively in the slot, but I think he could be very good from that position as well.

Marlon Lucky, RB, Nebraska- Lucky looked like the running back I saw last year and liked. He was explosive, quick first step, with good burst out of his cuts. He’s inconsistent though and struggles to stay healthy, but he looks like an ideal fit for a zone running team.

Ramon Foster, OT, Tennessee- Foster is an ideal RT prospect, but I just don’t see the consistency. His pass pro needs serious work before he’s ready to play in the pros. Might be worth a late round stab though.

Dannell Ellerbe, MLB, Georgia- His lack of size really shows in a game like this. He is good against the run, but very poor against the pass. He’s a later rounder at best.

Alex Boone, OT, Ohio State- I’m starting to really not like Boone at all! He spends more time running around looking for a block than just hitting who is closest to him.

Bear Pascoe, TE, Fresno State- Pascoe proved my earlier estimations about him a bit wrong. He’s a better pass catcher than I thought. He’s a very good blocker too. I don’t know why people aren’t as high on him as they are on Pettigrew because they are fairly similar players.

Jarrett Dillard, WR, Rice- I don’t see as much good in him as others. He flashes deep ball potential, but he doesn’t look like an every down WR.

Brian Hoyer, QB, Michigan State- Same thing as before, questionable arm but good accuracy. Strictly a west coast offense QB.

Jamon Meredith, OT/OG, South Carolina- Meredith was the best prospect in this game. He might be the best true RT in the draft, but he could also be a Pro Bowl caliber guard. He’s definitely a second round caliber prospect, and an early one at that. I like Meredith a lot and I think he’s going to be one of the top 10 OL to come out of this draft when we look back five years down the road.

Tyler Slauson, OG, Nebraska- Slauson played very well in this game, and he continues to impress me. He’s a solid two-way guard prospect with good upside. He could probably be had in the late 4th round or so, and that would be a very good value.

Stephen McGee, QB, Texas A&M- McGee was the only prospect at the position that really showed up at this all-star game. He’s an intriguing guy who lost his starting spot due to injury and never got it back. But he looks to have the physical tools to be a decent QB in the league. He may be the top Senior QB in the draft, but that’s really not saying much, as I don’t see him being anything more than a 5th rounder.