Each of the last eight years I have made what I call the “Ultimate Road Trip.” I travel to the Shrine Game, Senior Bowl, NFL Scouting Combine, and NFL Draft each year. On this road trip I get to see some of the best college talent coming into the NFL.
The all-star trip began this year with a trip to Tampa Bay and the 2014 East-West Shrine Game.
Players like Julius Thomas (2011), Jordan Cameron (2011), Cecil Shorts (2011), Dennis Pitta (2010), Alfred Morris (2012) and Zac Stacy (2013) have stood out during the week of practice that game in recent years.
Here’s a look at players that stood out to me in Tampa this year.
Quarterbacks
Jimmy Garoppolo
Eastern Illinois, 6’3” 222
The talk of the Shrine Game was the quarterbacks. Usually we don’t get the best quarterbacks at the Shrine, but this year it was different. Garoppolo was the player everyone was talking about.
He’s a natural athlete with a lightning fast throwing motion. Garoppolo essentially “flicks” the ball when he passes. This release makes it difficult for defenders to jump routes.
Garoppolo has a good bark at the line of scrimmage, and he shows the qualities of a natural leader. He worked mostly out of the shotgun in college, and he’s comfortable throwing on the run. He can zip a pass 25 yards (or more) downfield without having his feet set.
During the week of practice I did see inconsistent pass placement from Garoppolo. He needs to do a better job of consistently leading his receivers if he wants to play up to his potential as a pro.
The Tony Romo comparisons abound when talking about Garoppolo. They both played at Eastern Illinois. Both have athleticism to extend plays, quick releases and the ability to throw accurately on the run.
Jeff Mathews
Cornell, 6’4” 229
The first thing that stands out about Mathews is his size. He certainly looks the part of a pro quarterback. His size helps him see the field well.
Getting passes out over larger offensive linemen isn’t a problem for Mathews. He can use his eyes to manipulate the defense, but his ball fakes (pumps, play action) need work. Too often Mathews will half-heartedly execute a fake in order to rush his progression.
Mathews is your classic pocket passer, and he offers little athleticism to keep plays alive. He needs a clean pocket to be effective. He’ll short-hop passes when he’s not able to step into his throws.
His immobility is a detriment to his overall game. However, Mathews is tough to bring down with only a corner blitz. Like Ben Roethlisberer he can shake off smaller defenders, then he’ll zip the ball downfield.
His arm is incredibly strong. The passes just leap out of his hand. Mathews can throw into tiny windows, and he’s not afraid to challenge a defense deep. However, he needs to learn how to throw with better touch.
During the week of practice, Mathews threw an interception that bounced off a receiver’s hands because the pass was fired in like a rocket. His receiver was running a 5-yard drag route, but Mathews zipped the ball instead of leading him with touch to the open part of the field.
Keith Wenning
Ball State, 6’3” 220
Wenning had an up and down week. All the tools are there for some team to fall in love with. Wenning is big, can move in the pocket and has a strong arm.
His deep pass is a thing of beauty. He can properly arc in a pass over 25 yards, and he’ll usually hit his receiver in stride. It’s always noteworthy when a quarterback shows this type of timing with receivers he’s never worked with at an all-star game.
Wenning’s problem is consistency. He’ll make a zip throw in between two defenders on one play. The next pass he’ll throw will wobble and be underthrown.
Mechanically, Wenning needs work. There may be some team who wants to spend a late-round pick and develop Wenning on the practice squad.
Other quarterbacks attending: Keith Price (Washington), Tommy Rees (Notre Dame), Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois)
Running Backs
Zach Bauman
Northern Arizona, 5’10” 200
Bauman is a smaller back who can make plays in space. As a receiver, he’ll work with the quarterback to find the soft spot in a zone. This versatility and big-play ability caught the eyes of scouts in Tampa.
He can work well on toss plays. This gets him the ball quickly without defenders in his face. Bauman doesn’t dance too much in the backfield, but he did show a tendency to try and bounce interior runs to the corner store. He’ll need to show better “inside/out” ability if he gets a chance in the pros.
Bauman can work on option plays. With the spread option being used more in the NFL, this can only help his draft stock. Bauman didn’t do himself any favors when he fumbled in practice on Tuesday.
LaDarius Perkins
Mississippi State, 5’10” 190
I was looking forward to seeing Perkins at this game. On film he shows several NFL-caliber qualities as a runner and receiver. Perkins backed up in person what I saw on film.
As a receiver, he can track passes over his shoulder. This makes him especially dangerous on wheel routes out of the backfield.
Perkins runs bigger than his size. He wastes little motion, and Perkins is quite efficient with his movements. Perkins has good initial burst when running inside or outside.
His best attribute has to be his balance. Perkins does a good job of keeping his feet after contact. This is one of the reasons why he seems to run so big. A shoulder or arm tackle won’t bring him immediately to the ground.
Tim Flanders
Sam Houston State, 5’9” 210
Flanders carries most of his strength in his lower body. Just looking at him, one thinks he has to weigh at least 220. His bubble and thighs are huge, and Flanders runs with great power because of them.
He stomps the ground when he runs, and Flanders can change direction in an instant. Each stride is a powerful one. On film, Flanders consistently breaks through initial contact.
The week in Tampa was filled with rain showers in the afternoon. Flanders did a good job of keeping his feet on the wet track. He’s an intent runner with a no-nonsense style.
He runs like a larger back, but still has the burst and agility of a smaller player. Flanders can hit the corner consistently, but doesn’t look to bounce outside when he first gets the ball. He’ll press the hole and lower his head if need be.
Flanders has the versatility to play running back or fullback. He’s a willing blocker who did a good job in pass protection drills.
Other running backs attending: Rajion Neal (Tennessee), Ben Malena (Texas A&M), Anthony LaCoste (Air Force), Brennan Clay (Oklahoma)
Wide Receivers
Jeremy Gallon
Michigan, 5’8” 187
Gallon immediately stood out during the week of practice. He’s not the biggest receiver, but he is electric with the ball in his hands.
Gallon is always open.
He shows good burst on wide receiver screens, and he will get downfield in the blink of an eye. Gallon toys with defenders when he has the ball, and he can contribute as a return man as well.
In addition to strong hands and concentration, Gallon also plays with great body control. He’ll run routes over the middle, but he’s also capable of working the sidelines.
Matt Hazel
Coastal Carolina, 6’3” 190
Years ago I saw Coastal Carolina wide receiver Jerome Simpson tear it up at the Shrine Game. Hazel immediately reminded me of what I saw from Simpson.
He’s a large receiver, but Hazel is flexible enough to make all sorts of difficult catches. He looks natural going low for a ball or skying for a pass above his head. Hazel has a large catch radius, and he puts a lot of effort into maneuvering to make the catch.
During Tuesday’s practice he looked like Demaryius Thomas (Broncos) on one play. It was a wide receiver screen to the right side, and Hazel did a good job of showing good burst to the middle of the field. He didn’t have any problem weaving through defenders after the catch.
He’s good on screens, but Hazel needs to do a better job of selling his routes downfield. Hazel has good size, but could stand to add about 10-15 pounds of muscle to his frame. This will help him play more physical at the line of scrimmage.
Seantavius Jones
Valdosta State, 6’3” 200
Jones looked like a man among boys during the week of practice. He’s big and has a large wingspan. Jones makes for a great target in the red zone because of his size, long arms and leaping ability.
He can swiftly turn up the field after the catch. When he runs a comeback route, Jones does a good job of getting his hands up quickly and drifting back to the quarterback. He’s a savvy player who does many little things correctly.
Jones doesn’t tip off his routes. He’ll use chop steps to force a defender to commit with his hips. Jones will then burst around them to get open.
He can track deep passes adequately and looks comfortable catching passes over his shoulder. The rain did little to slow down Jones.
On one play, he slipped after making a break. Jones had the athleticism to catch the pass while on his knees. He then quickly leaped up and was racking up yards after the catch.
Another incredibly athletic play I saw from Jones came on a pass that was behind him. Jones spun around in stride and hauled in the pass with one hand. He didn’t miss a step, and Jones continued in his route as if the pass was right on the money.
Bernard Reedy
Toledo, 5’9” 175
Reedy is a prototypical slot receiver. He gets in and out of his breaks quickly, and he’s difficult to cover on short/underneath routes.
When working the sidelines, Reedy keeps proper distance. He shows good footwork near the stripe, and can regularly get two feet inbounds.
He’s not the biggest receiver, and he can get pushed off his route at the line of scrimmage. Reedy uses his quickness to beat the jam, but if he fails to outmaneuver his defender his route is busted.
His frame isn’t big enough to square up in order to keep passes away from the defender. His size will limit his route tree at the pro level, but Reedy has the speed and quickness to be used on shorter routes. He can also contribute as a return man.
Chandler Jones
San Jose State, 5’11” 175
Like Reedy, Jones is a good slot receiver. He has the burst to get off the line of scrimmage in a hurry. This burst also serves him well after he makes his break. Jones gets open because he’s quick after his cut.
I like his footwork when getting open and after the catch. Jones has great foot frequency and he takes multiple steps per yard. This gives him better balance than other small receivers. It also helps him cut without losing much speed.
Other wide receivers attending: Allen Hurns (Miami), Patrick Laird (Army), Ja’mes Logan (Mississippi), Erik Lora (Eastern Illinois), John Brown (Pitt State), Quincy Enunwa (Nebraska), T.J. Jones (Notre Dame)
Tight Ends
Crockett Gillmore
Colorado State, 6’6” 245
I’ve seen every snap of Gillmore’s college career. His performance in Tampa shocked some who didn’t know what to expect from the Rams’ prospect. His performance was not a shock to me, and it was good to see him back up his film with great play in person.
Gillmore reminds me of former Washington tight end Chris Cooley. Like Cooley, Gillmore can be used as in line as a tight end, split wide as a receiver, or in the backfield as an H-back.
After the catch, Gillmore stands out. He has deceptive speed and movement. Gillmore can haul in passes naturally in stride, and he will turn quickly without losing momentum.
He’s tough to bring down when he builds a head of steam, and Gillmore is known as a player who will fight tooth and nail for extra yards.
Jordan Najvar
Baylor, 6’6” 255
Najvar is like a larger version of Gillmore. He can get open consistently and will fight for yards after the catch.
Najvar consistently showed the ability to make difficult catches. The quarterback that were throwing to him failed to impress, but Najvar easily hauled in poorly thrown passes.
He does a good job of using his shoulders to square up to the line of scrimmage. This creates the biggest possible target for his quarterback.
Other tight ends attending: Alex Bayer (Bowling Green), Blake Jackson (Oklahoma State), Kaneakua Friel (BYU), Ted Bolser (Indiana)
These players may not be household names right now, but in the near future they could have plenty of name recognition.