All-Shrine Bowl standouts: Naming first and second-team performers
After four days of practice at the East-West Shrine Bowl, here are NFL Draft prospects who made the biggest statement in North Texas
All four East-West Shrine Bowl practices have come to a close as the 2025 NFL Draft pre-draft opener is winding down.
I’ve covered the first three days of practice with standouts and observations throughout the week. Those can be found below:
Now that the week of practices have come to an end, let’s talk about which players stood out the most in the presence of scouts and other NFL personnel. Here are the first-team, second-team, and honorable mentions from this week in North Texas:
QB Max Brosmer, Minnesota
While Kyle McCord was supposed to be the runaway best quarterback at the Shrine Bowl, that did not turn out to be the case. Minnesota’s Max Brosmer was accurate and decisive all week. He has plenty of arm talent to cross the necessary threshold and has all of the makings of a quarterback who can potentially provide valuable starts if needed.
Brosmer is my favorite Day 3 quarterback in the class.
RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Arizona
Coming into the week as a relative unknown after being ruled ineligible after one game at Arizona. This was due to some playing time questions during his time at Alabama State. Yet he came into the Shrine Bowl and was easily the best running back here.
Croskey-Merritt is explosive and fluid as a runner who is expected to leap to a 40-inch vertical this pre-draft process per a Shrine Bowl staffer. As a sixth-year player with only one Power Four game under his belt, it’s unlikely he will get an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine, but his pro day will draw eyes.
WR Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington
No player has had a faster rise this pre-draft process than Eastern Washington’s Efton Chism III. He stood out at the Hula Bowl and got the call-up to the East-West Shrine Bowl as a result.
While he is going to be exclusively a slot at the next level, but he’s a sharp route runner who has played through contact over the middle at a high level. He’s not going to impress with his 40-yard dash or explosiveness, but Chism III fits the hard hat scouting report you’ve read a million times before.
TE Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech
While Jalin Conyers only saw 40 targets this season with the Red Raiders, he has all of the makings of one of those rare players who has a better NFL career than college one. Not only was Conyers strong in every phase as a receiver, including after the catch, but he was a vocal leader as well.
You could hear Conyers all week directing the other tight ends who had questions about protections and play calls. He took the week seriously and it showed on the field. Not only is he one of the biggest tight ends in the class, but moves well at his size.
OT Dalton Cooper, Oklahoma State
There was not a smoother mover at the Shrine Bowl than Dalton Cooper. He protected his outside shoulder extremely well and was dominant in one-on-ones this week. Despite missing time this season (in his sixth season at the collegiate level) Cooper did not surrender a single sack and just six pressures.
Some team will get a discount on Cooper due to his age and injury history, and he may not be drafted to be more than a swing tackle, but Cooper has the talent to be a starting offensive tackle at the NFL level.
OG Bryce Cabeldue, Kansas
After playing left tackle for his senior season and right tackle for the rest of his career before that, Kansas’ Bryce Cabeldue played guard all week where he is getting the most NFL feedback to play at the next level. He performed at a high level despite his inexperience at the position.
His feet are fast, his base is balanced, and he showed stellar hand placement to protect against power through his chest. While he may have lost a rep or two this week, Cabeldue proved that learning how to protect his full frame instead of half-a-man is a task he can pick up quickly.
OC Joshua Gray, Oregon State
Oregon State’s Joshua Gray has been on NFL radars for years but finally got to play along the interior this season at Oregon State. Gray had higher Blesto grades coming into the 2023 season than his former teammate and first round pick Taliese Fuaga.
However, Gray is slender, and left tackle was not his natural position, kicking into guard this season for the Beavers. He played center most of the week at North Texas and was as dominant as could be, including a few complete stonewall reps in one-on-ones. His movement skills were put on full display and there may not have been a player whose stock rose more than Gray.
EDGE Tyler Baron, Miami
You could expect Tennessee transfer to Miami edge rusher Tyler Baron to be one of the better players at the Shrine Bowl, and he was. He displayed a bit of ability to take the outside shoulder but predominantly won how he does on tape: through the chest.
Baron will have some medicals to overcome as he likely heads to the combine next, but there is no doubt the talent he has when he’s on the field.
DT Jordan Phillips, Maryland
Jordan Phillips was the best player at the East-West Shrine Bowl. I came in extremely high on Phillips, with a top-75 grade, and he lived up to that.
Phillips is lethally explosive through the chest and impossible to dig out as a run defender. Taking a page out of the Bill Belichick book of scouting of just looking at a player’s lower half, Phillips is what they look like. And he’s just 20 years old.
At this point (especially after the combine) Phillips may hear his name called in the top 64 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
LB Chris Paul, Ole Miss
While Ole Miss’ Chris Paul is undersized at the linebacker position, he has no fear in stacking and shedding blockers. He is a highly instinctive player who proved to be a problem in coverage.
In one-on-one drills, he had no issues sinking into the hip and carrying running backs and tight ends, and in team drills made a handful of savvy plays to disguise himself and get his hands on the football.
A firm tackler, a great athlete, and a leader, Paul is going to stick around the NFL.
CB Cobee Bryant, Kansas
What’s the deal with the football players at the Shrine Bowl with the names of future NBA Hall of Famers?
Anyway, Cobee Bryant is named after Kobe Bryant. That was confirmed by him. And he put that mamba mentality on full display. While Bryant caught a stomach bug on the last two days and did not practice, he formed his own No Fly Zone over the first two days of practice.
There is at least one team that has a top-64 grade on Bryant despite his slender 171-pound frame. He has an explosive trigger, gobs of ball production to his name over four years in Lawrence, and has proven to at least be a proven tackler.
Bryant has the goods.
S Shamari Simmons, Arizona State
Shamari Simmons had the most impressive interception at the Shrine Bowl. He carried a tight end deep down the field before high-pointing the football and reeling it in with soft hands. He had a strong week.
A former FCS player from Austin Peay, Simmons stepped right in under Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State. Not only did he make a living behind the line of scrimmage with nine tackles for loss in 2024, but he led the nation in forced fumbles with four.
It’s time to turn his tape on.
First-Team All-Shrine Bowl:
QB: Max Brosmer, Minnesota
RB: Jacory Croskey-Meritt, Arizona
WR: Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington
TE: Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech
OT: Dalton Cooper, Oklahoma State
OG: Bryce Cabeldue, Kansas
OC: Joshua Gray, Oregon State
EDGE: Tyler Baron, Miami
DT: Jordan Phillips, Maryland
LB: Chris Paul, Ole Miss
CB: Cobee Bryant, Kansas
S: Shamari Simmons, Arizona State
Second-Team All-Shrine Bowl
QB: Kyle McCord, Syracuse
RB: Rocket Sanders, South Carolina
WR: Keandre Lambert-Smith, Auburn
TE: Oronde Gadsden, Syracuse
OT: John Williams, Cincinnati
OG: Marcus Wehr, Montana State
OC: Thomas Perry, Middlebury
EDGE: Tyler Batty, BYU
DT: CJ West, Indiana
LB: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Kentucky
CB: Alijah Huzzie, North Carolina
S: RJ Mickens, Clemson
Honorable Mentions:
North Dakota State QB Cam Miller, Cal Poly EDGE Elijah Ponder, Syracuse EDGE Fadil Diggs, Georgia Tech DT Zeek Biggers, Boston College DT Cam Horsley, Ole Miss DT J.J. Pegues, Cal LB Teddye Buchanan, Cincinnati RB Corey Kiner, Colorado WR LaJohntay Wester, Colorado WR Jimmie Horn Jr., Pitt WR Konata Mumpfield, Ole Miss WR Juice Wells, Auburn TE Rivaldo Fairweather, Boston College OC Drew Kendall
Ok I’m confused. How is Will Sheppard not on this list and how r the Colorado receivers not higher. Sounds like some hate