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Players to watch Thursday in Las Vegas
On Thursday, January 30, at 8:00pm ET the East-West Shrine Bowl will celebrate it’s 100th year of a game that benefits Shriners Children’s. It is one of the first stops for college prospects on their road to the NFL and this year features a lot of talented players. A few of the prospects from last year’s game that made an impact this season are Tarheeb Still, Isaac Guerendo, Edgerrin Cooper, and Tyrone Tracy. The Commanders’ brass selected Dominique Hampton from last year’s game and recently signed Anim Dankwah to a reserve/future contract.
Below are a few prospects to watch in this year’s game that could improve the Commanders’ roster. The roster for both teams can be found here. Feel free to share your thoughts on these players in the comments and mention additional prospects that you are looking forward to seeing in the game.
If you’re interested in a big bruiser at running back, consider Rocket Sanders. The 6’, 224 lb Gamecock is a load to bring down because of his size and how hard he runs. He doesn’t have the most burst of acceleration, but his feet are quick and he has subtle movements to get through the hole. For his size, the long speed is impressive. Sanders is most effective when he doesn’t have to stop his feet or change direction quickly.
Although his teammate Tai Felton - a Senior Bowl invite - is considered the higher-ranked prospect, Kaden Prather has qualities teams look for at receiver. He’s a bigger target at 6’3”, 209 lbs, but does well getting open at that size despite not being a polished route runner. In contested catch situations, he easily adjusts to the ball and shows off good body control. Unfortunately, that body control isn’t on display as a runner after the catch as he often goes down at first contact and seems to lose balance easily.
There are a few similarities between Theo Wease, Jr. and Kaden Prather. Wease, Jr. also has a teammate at receiver who is considered a better prospect - Luther Burden III. They are similar sizes with Wease, Jr. being a little smaller than Prather at 6’2”, 202 lbs. Their play style is similar with both finding ways to get open at that size. Wease, Jr. is a bit more polished at running routes, a little more sudden in his movements and offers a little more after the catch.
The East Team has large wideouts with Thornton, Jr. being the biggest. The 6’5”, 214 lb (not Shrine Bowl official measurements), Volunteer doesn’t have the biggest route tree, but he is effective running in-breaking routes and using his frame to shield defenders from the ball. He also uses that size to win contested catches downfield and win in...
