2014 NFL Draft Stock Report: East-West Shrine Game
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell
2014 NFL Draft Stock Up
Matt Hazel, WR, Coastal Carolina Of all the players at the East-West Shrine, Hazel probably helped himself the most. Hazel really impressed scouts, as they compared the Coast Carolina wideout to Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Cecil Shorts in his ability to make plays. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder showed nice quickness and route-running for a receiver with size.
He had 70 receptions for 990 yards and nine touchdowns in 2013. If Hazel runs well at the Combine, he could end up being a second-day selection.
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois Garoppolo had a solid week of practice. He didn’t dominate the competition, but he consistently threw the ball well. Garoppolo has a good arm and throwing motion. He’s showed some nice field vision with the ability to look off safeties to help open up his receivers. Garoppolo (6-3, 222) isn’t as big as his listed measurements, but he has enough size to be viable in the NFL.
Garoppolo has a quick release and a compact delivery. He will have to improve his feet and operating under three-, five- and seven-step drops. He threw for 5,050 yards with 53 touchdown passes and nine interceptions while completing 66 percent of his passes in 2013. Garoppolo will play in the Senior Bowl, and that is a nice opportunity for him to continue to impress NFL scouts. If Garoppolo can do well in Mobile, he could be selected on the second day of the draft. Walt currently has Garoppolo slotted in the third round of his 2014 NFL Mock Draft.
Rajion Neal, RB, Tennessee The running back who really showed well this week was Tennessee’s Rajion Neal. Neal had strong performances on Monday and Wednesday. Neal made some nice cuts in the hole to break off chunk runs in the nine-on-nine and 11-on-11 scrimmage. Scouts said they liked Neal’s feet and quickness.
Neal carried the Tennessee offense this past season. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry for 1,124 yards with 12 touchdowns on the ground. He snagged 27 receptions for 108 yards as a receiver as well. Neal is a physical runner with some speed. They felt he could be a third-day sleeper who would prove to be a nice value.
Chandler Jones, WR, San Jose State Hazel was the wide receiver who stood out for the East team, but Jones was the most consistent. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder used his quickness to get separation and also showed some real competitiveness to outfight defensive backs for receptions. Jones could be a slot receiver candidate in the NFL.
Jones caught 79 receptions for 1,356 yards with 15 touchdowns in 2013. He was the top receiver for David Fales. He showed enough ability to warrant third-day consideration.
Dakota Dozier, G, Furman Of all the offensive linemen at the East-West Shrine, Dozier had the best performance. He showed some power to open up holes in the ground game and some athleticism to be a pass blocker in the NFL. Dozier continued his impressive week with a strong performance in the game on Saturday.
Dozier played offensive tackle in college, but his home in the NFL will be at guard. The 6-foot-4, 312-pounder has a body type that fits better on the inside. He could fit in a man power or zone scheme. There are some that believe that Dozier could end up being a second-day pick.
Will Clarke, DE, West Virginia All week, Clarke was disruptive, and he showed that in the East-West Shrine Game on Saturday. Clarke had a sack in the second quarter after beating USC right tackle Graf to get a sack of Tommy Rees with a speed rush off the edge. Clarke beat Graf off the snap, and his get0off was impressive all week.
Clarke had six sacks, 49 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, three passes batted and one forced fumble in 2013. Clarke (6-7, 273) looks like he would be a potential 3-4 end with some pass rush ability. This week will definitely help Clarke to be selected on the third day of the draft.
Jordan Najvar, TE, Baylor The East-West Shrine always features some small-school prospects and players from Canadian schools who are able to take advantage of this opportunity. Even though Najvar went to Baylor, he needed this week to get on the radar of scouts, as Najvar had only 10 receptions for 85 yards as a senior with Baylor’s offense not featuring the tight end.
Najvar had a phenomenal week of practice in St. Petersburg. He was dominant Monday, as he made a lot of catches downfield. Najvar (6-6, 255) has good size and body control to go for receptions. He has surprising quickness with some athleticism. When asked who was impressive to him this week, coach Romeo Crennel picked Najvar before anyone else. Najvar is a sleeper tight end prospect that could be a steal on the third day of the draft.
Keith Wenning, QB, Ball State The other quarterback prospects at the East-West Shrine were more high-profile, but Wenning showed that he had a better skill set than most of them. Wenning has a strong arm and fired some fastballs into tight windows. He isn’t a dual-threat quarterback, but Wenning threw the ball with great velocity. Wenning completed 64 percent of his passes for 4.148 yards with 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2013.
Wenning will need more time in practice for the NFL. He has an arm but he needs to improve his feet and adjust to the big jump in competition. Wenning may not end up getting drafted, but he showed that he could be a priority free agent signing and a nice developmental prospect as a third quarterback.
2014 NFL Draft Stock Down
Daniel Sorensen, S, BYU The BYU safety has some size to him and doesn’t look bad in the eyeball test, but Sorensen (6-2, 208) looked too stiff athletically to cover NFL receivers. In practice, Sorensen had a hard time running with wideouts and they consistently got separation from him. Sorensen looks like an undrafted player who would have to hope that he can catch on as a practice-squad player.
James Stone, C/G, Tennessee In the NFL, backup interior offensive linemen are expected to have the flexibility to play guard or center. Stone didn’t have a good practice week at center and struggled at guard in the East-West Shrine game. He was beaten by some power and speed rushes during the week, and Stone didn’t play as well as he did on typical Saturday’s in SEC action. At guard, Stone struggled in the game with Michigan State linebacker Max Bullough and Wisconsin defensive tackle Beau Allen. Stone looks more like a late-rounder rather than a mid-round pick.
2014 East-West Shrine Game Recap - 1/18
2014 NFL Draft Stock: East-West Shrine Game - 1/18
2014 NFL Draft Prospect Meetings by Team - 1/18
2014 NFL Draft Prospect Meetings by Prospect - 1/18
Mike Mayock Interview at East-West Shrine Game - 1/18
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's West Team Practice Report - 1/15
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's West Team Interviews - 1/15
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's East Team Practice Report - 1/15
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's East Team Interviews - 1/15
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's West Team Practice Report - 1/14
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's West Team Interviews - 1/14
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's East Team Practice Report - 1/14
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's East Team Interviews - 1/14
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's East Team Practice Report - 1/13
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's West Team Practice Report - 1/13
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's East Team Interviews - 1/13
2014 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's West Team Interviews - 1/13
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 16
NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22
Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19
NFL Picks - Feb. 12
