The first practice of the East team in the East-West Shrine was held in St. Petersburg, Florida inside Tropicana Field.
The West team did not have as noteworthy of a practice as the East. With lots of time devoted to install and special teams, there were not as many players who stood out on the West squad.
Each team at the East-West Shrine Bowl looks like it has one legit quarterback prospect, and on the West squad, that signal-caller is North Texas’ Mason Fine. Fine is an undersized quarterback, but he has enough arm strength with some athleticism. Possesssing a gritty style of play, Fine battles and really competes to move the ball. Team sources have said Fine has the potential to be a Case Keenum-type backup quarterback in the NFL. He had a solid start to the week on Monday.
One player who really struggled was Boise State wide receiver John Hightower. Early in the practice, Hightower got open deep down the field for a long gain but then dropped an over-the-shoulder reception. Later, he had another ugly drop on a short curl route. The second drop came during install without a defense there to defend him. Hightower will need to perform much better on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Ohio State wide receiver Binjimen Victor had a good start to his week, practicing well for the West squad. Victor ran some polished routes, generating separation and catching the ball well with his hands. He had a good session in the receiver-versus-cornerback one-on-ones.
The East-West Shrine does not have as high of profile prospects as the Senior Bowl, but it has been a great environment for some small-school players to show they can play against prospects from bigger schools. Some small-school players who have impressed here in recent years include Akiem Hicks, Josh Norman and John Brown. On the current West squad, a small-school prospect to watch is Alberta offensive tackle Carter O’Donnell. While O’Donnell needs development with technique, he has good size to him at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds. O’Donnell also showed some feet and movement skills to go with his large stature on the edge. If O’Donnell has a good week, he could become a developmental backup and potentially a third-day pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Oregon guard Calvin Throckmorton moved around and was a versatile blocker in his time with the Ducks. He showed nice technique and polish in the opening practice for the West squad. Throckmorton does not have overwhelming size, strength, quickness or athleticism, but he is able to find a way to be aggressive and is a scrappy blocker. Team sources say the best position for Throckmorton in the NFL would be right guard, but he could also be cross-trained at center and tackle. Throckmorton could be a mid-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft who is a valuable game-day backup to start out his career.
WalterFootball.com will have more recaps from the East-West Shrine practices on Tuesday and Wednesday along with a run-down of the post-practice team interviews. Follow @walterfootball for updates.
