Blogging The Boys
Here are some names to keep an eye on in the Shrine Bowl.
With the end of the College Football Playoff and draft season getting ready to kickoff, we get the start of the All-Star season with the oldest bowl game in football history, the East-West Shrine Bowl. The game will be played Thursday night (8 PM ET) at AT&T Stadium on the NFL Network.
This yearly bowl game has led to some better NFL draft outcomes in recent years, attracting more talent each subsequent year. Eric Galko, the Shrine Bowl’s director of football operations, is confident that the talent pool for 2025 will exceed last year’s impressive draft results.
When it comes to the all-star games, the Dallas Cowboys always show keen interest and many players over the years have come from these bowl games. Last year’s sixth-round draft pick Ryan Flournoy and seventh-round picks, Nathan Thomas and Justin Rogers, were all Shrine bowl players that left a mark on the coaches. And in 2023, Jalen Cropper, Princeton Fant, Luke Schoonmaker, Earl Bostick Jr, Tyrus Wheat, and Eric Scott Jr. all stood out to become Cowboys players thanks to the Shrine bowl.
So who are the expected standouts this year the Cowboys will look to add late in the draft or post-draft? Here are ten names to keep an eye during practices this week and in the game.
Kansas
Mello Dotson could be an excellent fit for Dallas due to his versatile skill set and the fact that cornerback is a sneaky need right now for this defense. His ability to excel in both man and zone coverage makes him adaptable to various defensive schemes. His ball-hawking skills, evidenced by his interceptions, proves he could be a playmaker in the Cowboys’ secondary, providing the team with added turnover potential. His performance, including nine interceptions the last two seasons , suggests he could step in and contribute immediately, enhancing the Cowboys’ defense with his playmaking ability and adding some much needed depth.
Michigan
Talking about defensive linemen from Michigan is like cussing around Dallas. But always scout the player, not the logo. Grant is a mid-first-round prospect and has some traits that top fellow Michigan standout, Mason Graham, who is ranked as a top-10 prospect. Grant possesses a significant physical presence that makes him hard to move off the line. His sheer mass aids in halting single blocks and managing double-teams which showcases his potential as an elite run-stopper.
Despite his size, Grant demonstrates impressive athleticism for his position, including lateral agility and twitch off the snap. This combination of size and agility allows him to be disruptive on both run and pass plays. His ability to eat up space and two-gap in the middle of the line is notable.
Grant is a seriously compelling prospect for Dallas who are looking to bolster the defensive line, particularly against the run after last seasons issues and the potential loss of guys like...
