The second practice of the West team in the East-West Shrine was held in St. Petersburg, Florida inside Tropicana Field. The players practicing in full pads.
The East-West Shrine is not known for being an All-Star game that has good quarterback talent, and the 2019 group won’t change that reputation. That being said, the best quarterback this week has been Boise State’s Brett Rypien. While he does not have a skill set that will blow anybody away, Rypien has executed well. Through both practices, Rypien has done a nice job of locating his passes, throwing a very catchable pass, while showing some timing and rhythm. He made a beautiful throw down the field to LSU running back Nick Brossette, who made an over-the-shoulder reception with Wyoming safety Andrew Wingard trailing behind him. In the seven-on-seven and team scrimmage, Rypien completed passes to move the chains while distributing the football. Rypien may not have the skill set to be a starter as a pro, but he could develop into a backup.
One quarterback who struggled on Tuesday was North Dakota State’s Easton Stick. He had some poor ball placement on a number of throws. A few were very bad, and Stick was fortunate that he had an interception dropped by Northwestern cornerback Montre Hartage. Later in the team scrimmage, Stick showed bad field vision as he threw pass right to Wingard, as if Wingard was the intended receiver. Wingard was sitting in zone coverage without a receiver near him, so it was not clear what Stick was trying to do on that throw. Stick is coming from a big jump in competition, so he could need more developmental time.
While Hartage dropped that one interception, he came back to make a nice pick-off in a one-on-one drill. At the top of the route, Hartage was able to break free from Toledo wide receiver Cody Thompson to undercut a pass for an interception. Hartage had a good practice overall. He is a gritty defender who is smart and physical. As a mid- to late-rounder, Hartage could be a backup corner and special teams player who eventually earns his some playing time.
Missouri tight end Kendall Blanton is an intriguing player. He is a well-balanced tight end with a big body that he uses to his advantage as a run blocker and receiver. Blanton had a bad dropped pass downfield during the team install, but he came back to run a great route to get open against UCLA safety Adarius Pickett to get a one-on-one win for a completion down the seam. Blanton could be a day-three pick who ends up making a team as a backup tight end.
San Diego State offensive tackle Ryan Pope had a strong start on Monday and was able to follow that up with a quality day on Tuesday. He came up with a crucial one-on-one win showing quick feet to get depth in his drop and ride a speed rush from Sam Houston State’s Derick Roberson around the outside. That win from Pope got a lot of cheers from his offensive teammates.
Fresno State wide receiver KeeSean Johnson made the prettiest catch of the East-West Shrine with a beautiful one-handed grab over his shoulder with a few defensive backs trailing. Johnson showed excellent concentration and soft hands on the play.
Texas A&M defensive tackle Daylon Mack had his second straight good practice and he was swarmed by scouts after the session. In the pass rushing one-on-ones, Mack used his explosive quickness to get into blockers and then his strength to push them aside. Mack has helped himself on the field this week, but his interviews are very important because teams have a lot of concerns about his work ethic.
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.
