Daily Norseman
Should the Vikings Tag Sam Darnold?
The East West Shrine Bowl practices are underway.
2025 NFL Draft: 10 players who stood out in East-West Shrine Bowl practices
Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech (5-foot-9 1/4, 229 pounds)
You wouldn’t think the 5-9 Brooks weighs almost 230 pounds based on the quickness he showed on the practice field (and during his career at Texas Tech). His plus elusiveness and balance for his size were on full display, whether receiving a handoff or grabbing a pass out of the backfield. Brooks somehow manages to be patient and decisive at the same time, picking out a hole after seeing his blocking unfold but also attacking a crease with utter abandon and lowering his pads to shrink his strike zone. With his combination of agility and power through contact, Brooks stands out, even in a very deep group of running backs poised to go in the third through fifth rounds of the upcoming draft.
Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas (5-11, 171)
CB Renardo Green showed his ultra-competitive and physical nature at last year’s Shrine Bowl practices, ultimately helping to make him a second-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers. Bryant’s making a similar case for a top-64 selection this time around. He’s been a nagging presence in man coverage, knocking away passes and forcing turnovers. Like Green a year ago, Bryant has drawn a number of flags from the referees on hand at practice, but NFL teams know aggressive play is a must in today’s league. Bryant doesn’t present the most fluid hips in transition, weighs just 171 pounds and has small hands (8 7/8”). That said, he offers solid length (31 7/8-inch arms) and off-the-charts confidence — two key ingredients for a starting corner.
Jordan Phillips, DT, Maryland (6-1 1/4, 318)
Phillips isn’t as tall or long (32 1/4-inch arms) as many nose tackles, but the 318-pounder carries a large share of his weight between his belt and ankles. That low center of gravity made him tough to move by one or two blockers on run plays this past weekend and allowed him to bull-rush strong linemen like N.C. State’s Tim McKay into the backfield in pass-protection drills. Phillips surprised Boston College C Drew Kendall with a spin move to rush the passer during team work on Monday, but his bread and butter on Sundays will be to maintain the line of scrimmage and disengage to stop run plays.
Gareth Warren, OL, Lindenwood (6-5 1/8, 330)
*Over the past two seasons, Warren started at left tackle for the Division II Lindenwood Lions. He was a two-time all-conference pick at guard in 2021 and ‘22, however, and looked at home inside during Shrine practices. The native of Hawai’i possesses the length to play outside (33 5/8-inch arms), which was helpful to hold off all comers in pass-protection drills and live play. His anchor is as strong as you’d expect at 6-5, 330 pounds, and the mobility is also there to pull and trap. Warren showed no...
