The third practice of the West team in the East-West Shrine was held in St. Petersburg, Florida inside Tropicana Field.
The final practice of the East-West Shrine that team evaluators attend had a much smaller crowd as many scouts were already leaving St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, the caliber of talent at this year’s East-West was down compared to past years and there will probably be far fewer players drafted from it then there were in 2019.
One player who could get selected on Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft is Ohio State Binjimen Victor, who had a quality session to end his solid week. Victor (6-4, 199) has shown quality route-running to generate separation with some quickness to go along with size. If Victor can play well on special teams, he could make a roster as a backup receiver.
Washington State wide receiver Dezmon Patmon also played well on Wednesday. He was really doing a nice job on out routes, getting open along the sideline and showing strong hands. Patmon (6-4, 223) could be a red-zone contributor who also plays on special teams.
Boise State wide receiver John Hightower struggled early in the week before playing better over the final two practices. Hightower made one of the best catches of the week with a beautiful over-the-shoulder one-handed catch in the back corner of the end zone with a defender close by. The official blew the call, saying Hightower was out of bounds, but I was standing a few feet away and Hightower made a miraculous catch. The other players and coaches said a review would have changed it, and they were right. Hightower could be an undrafted free agent who is competitive for a practice squad spot, but he needs to show more consistent hands rather than being a feast-or-famine producer.
Missouri offensive tackle Yasir Durant had a good session on Wednesday. He showed the ability to mirror edge rushers using his size, length, and some foot quickness. He had an impressive win in the one-on-ones against North Texas defensive end Ladarius Hamilton. Durant has some ability with a combination of size, quickness and athleticism, but team sources have had concerns about his weight and work ethic. Durant will need to show those worries are a thing of the past in order to stick on a NFL roster.
Baylor defensive tackle Bravvion Roy had a good practice on Tuesday, and his Wednesday session was solid, but not as impressive. He had a nice win using a swim move to get past Washington offensive lineman Jared Hilbers in the one-on-ones, but there were other plays on which Roy was stonewalled. For the NFL, Roy (6-1, 333) needs to improve his conditioning given how he looked fatigued at times on Wednesday. Roy may not get drafted, but he could compete for a roster spot as a backup nose tackle.
Michigan State safety David Dowell did not have a big presence this week, but he made a superb play on Wednesday with a diving interception in the team scrimmage. Dowell flew over from zone coverage to get the pick and give his defense a stop to negate a field goal opportunity in the 2-minute scrimmage. Dowell will have to star on special teams to stick in the NFL.
Stanford linebacker Casey Toohill had a really good practice on Tuesday, displaying his versatility, and while he wasn’t as good on Wednesday, he did have some pressures in the team scrimmage that showed his speed off the edge. Toohill needs to get stronger for the NFL, which would help him to take on and shed blocks. He gets in trouble when offensive linemen are able to get a hold of him. For the NFL, Toohill would fit best as a 3-4 outside linebacker who has the help of a five-technique end to help keep tackles off of him. In that scheme, Toohill could be a backup edge rusher, special teams contributor, and possibly work into a rotational pass-rusher role.
WalterFootball.com will have more recaps from the East-West Shrine practices on Wednesday along with a run-down of the post-practice team interviews. Follow @walterfootball for updates.
