The Senior Bowl would be the extra in style scouting enviornment, however the Jets and several other NFL groups additionally use the East-West Shrine Bowl as a technique to safe some underrated expertise for his or her franchises.
Since 1925, the East-West Shrine Bowl has been in place to offer high school gamers an opportunity to showcase their skills to NFL scouts and a nationwide tv viewers. Gamers like Tom Brady, Walter Payton, Lawrence Taylor, and John Elway have used the Shrine bowl to make a primary impression with the league’s high scouts.
For the New York Jets, they could not have the identical success in choosing Shrine Bowl recipients as against the Senior Bowl (4 of the seven 2022 draft picks got here from the Senior Bowl), however there’s nonetheless loads of expertise in Thursday’s contest to tip the scales in total significance.
Let’s check out the highest 5 names making ready for Thursday’s contest.
Zay Flowers – WR, Boston School
You might not suppose the Jets want a large receiver on their roster, however you’ll be able to by no means have too many weapons. Flowers could be the highest participant presently within the Shrine Bowl and will definitely assist any workforce of their passing assault. Ranked nineteenth total in lots of prospect rankings, the BC standout shocked many when he took half in workouts this week for the Shrine Bowl, He might not even play in Thursday’s recreation, however he clearly has helped himself all through this course of.
Flowers may very well be going within the first spherical within the 2023 NFL Draft if he continues to impress as a lot as he’s completed. It’s uncertain the Jets would take Flowers on the thirteenth total choice however should Flowers fall, it could be straightforward to see how New York might strike right here.
Dante Stills – DL, West Virgina
If Flowers was the very best offensive participant within the Shrine Bowl, Stills was the very best on protection. The inside lineman gained one-on-one battles all week and has impressed a number of scouts along with his velocity. The Jets, once more, have loads of defensive position expertise, however depth is all the time one thing to maintain a watch on as a grueling NFL season injures increasingly gamers.
AJ Finley – S, Ole Miss
The Jets need extra depth of their secondary, notably at security, If there’s a participant who stood out by way of workouts, it’s been, AJ Finley. Finley has proven aptitude in protecting tight ends one-on-one and he’s been a ballhawk all week. His fingers may very well be a sizzling commodity late within the draft right here.
Lance Boykin – CB, Coastal Carolina
One-on-one battles between corners and receivers all the time depart good corners on islands. For the Jets, they’ve two of the highest corners who can win these sorts of matchups and one other prospect turned heads by doing the identical factor. Boykin led Coastal Carolina in passes defensed in 2022, his lone season as a starter. Might the Jets double-dip within the secondary? In all probability not, however you’ll be able to’t have too many stable gamers within the secondary.
Isaiah Moore – LB, NC State
The Jets will want depth alongside their linebacking core with Quincy Williams and Kwon Alexander turning into free brokers. Insert Isaiah Moore. Moore graded extraordinarily effectively towards the run for the Wolfpack by Professional Soccer Focus (94.4 run grade).
Moore was tied for essentially the most tackles for losses within the nation with 21. The Jets want bodily run-stoppers and may very well be an ideal match for Moore within the later rounds.