Jan 28, 2025, 06:50 AM ET
DENTON, Texas — College all-star games are an important part of the lead-up to the 2025 NFL draft, and the first on the docket is the East-West Shrine Bowl. The 100th edition of the game takes place on Thursday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington (8 p.m. ET, NFL Network). But first, more than 100 draft prospects have spent the past few days at team workouts, taking part in drills and speaking with scouts and personnel from all 32 NFL teams.
Who was able to boost their stock during Shrine Bowl practices? ESPN draft analysts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid were on the ground in Texas to check out the top names at practices over the weekend. They identified eight players who are rising on draft boards after standout performances and were able to get some intel on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who spoke with NFL teams at the event but didn’t practice.
Here are the prospects who took advantage of the Shrine Bowl setting.
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Top Shrine Bowl risers
Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Syracuse
Draft range: Rounds 3-4
Gadsden helped himself stand out in a loaded tight end class with an impressive three days of practice to kick off the event. Known as a pass-catching threat, he showed great fluidity, good hands and an ability to consistently separate. At 6-foot-4 and 247 pounds, Gadsden is a “move” tight end who can be deployed from multiple spots. His best role will be as a mismatch in the passing game (73 catches for 934 yards and seven TDs in 2024). Viewed as a mid-Day 3 prospect entering Shrine Bowl week, Gadsden might have moved himself into the top 100. — Reid
Jordan Phillips, DT, Maryland
Draft range: Rounds 2-3
Only 20 years old, Phillips was awesome all weekend after entering the event with a late-Round 3 grade. He showcased fantastic power in his lower body and fast hands when engaging with blockers. The 6-foot-1, 318-pounder is a likely 3-technique in the NFL, and it’s easy to look at his body type and active pass-rush profile and make a lofty comparison to the Bills’ Ed Oliver. Phillips had 10 run stops this season. — Miller
Hollin Pierce, OT, Rutgers
Draft range: Round 7/UDFA
One of the biggest surprises this weekend was how Pierce performed. At 6-foot-8 and 342 pounds with 36-inch arms, his measurables were the talk of the event. But his technique was also better than anticipated. After entering Rutgers as a 450-pound walk-on, Pierce has continued to trend upward, and his stock has transitioned from late-round hopeful to interesting developmental prospect. He still needs to improve his balance and strength, but strides are being made. He has 27 career starts at left tackle and 24 at right tackle. — Reid
Ricky White III, WR, UNLV
Draft range: Round 3
I was fan of White’s before seeing him in person this week, but he will be moving into my top 100 after entering the Shrine Bowl events with a fourth-round grade. White is quick and tough working through his routes. He’s also a force on special teams, blocking four punts this season and returning one for a touchdown. The 6-foot-1, 179-pound White is one of the guys in this draft that I’d jump on a table to defend. I feel that strongly about what he brings. White is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, and he caught 19 touchdowns over that time. — Miller
play
Ricky White hauls in 31-yard receiving touchdown
Ricky White hauls in 31-yard receiving touchdown
Jimmy Horn Jr., WR, Colorado
Draft range: Round 7/UDFA
It didn’t take long for Horn’s quickness to stand out in practice, and he complemented that with strong hands, consistently plucking the ball out of the air. He was especially dominant during team periods in the red zone. Despite being only 5-foot-8 and 171 pounds, Horn consistently got separation and showed an ability to defeat man coverage. After he caught 37 passes for 441 yards this season, I had Horn on the Round 7 bubble, but he positioned himself this week to be a late-rounder who can round out a pro depth chart. — Reid
Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas
Draft range: Round 4
Bryant is hard to miss on the practice field, whether he’s letting his fellow cornerbacks know what to do or pointing out the flaws of every wide receiver prospect. And he’s loud about it. But Bryant also backs it up despite being 6-foot and 170 pounds. He had 13 picks and 25 pass breakups over four seasons at Kansas. He needs to clean up his technique, as he tends to get grabby, but his confidence and fluid movement have boosted his stock this week from an early-Day 3 grade to inside my top 100 and a likely third-round selection. — Miller
Alijah Huzzie, CB, North Carolina
Draft range: Rounds 6-7
Huzzie was exceptional during the first two days of practice, showing quickness and ball skills. He’s strictly a slot corner, where he’s a tough, instinctive defender. He was especially impressive during one-on-one sessions, showcasing movement skills and reactionary quickness. The 5-foot-9, 194-pound Huzzie was also comfortable fielding punts.
Entering the week, Huzzie — who had one INT but seven pass breakups in 2024 — was jockeying for a draftable grade from most scouts I talked to. He’s firmly in the late-round picture now and has a chance to stick on an NFL roster. — Reid
• Rankings: Kiper | Miller | Reid | Yates
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Elijah Roberts, Edge, SMU
Draft range: Round 4
Roberts had a great three days of practice, showing he has the power at 6-foot-3, 290 pounds to rock back offensive linemen and get them backpedaling. But we also saw the agility and quickness to shoot through gaps into the backfield. Teams should love his versatility, with equal parts play power and speed. Those traits helped him to 7.5 sacks and 51 pressures (tied for sixth in the FBS) this season. Roberts started the process as a late-Day 3 player for me, but I’m seeing his game in a new way after in-person exposure and will bump him into the top 125 picks. — Miller
What did we learn about Shedeur Sanders‘ projection?
Sanders didn’t throw at the Shrine Bowl, but he spoke with teams. Sources I talked to said Sanders was fantastic in team interviews, which is the most important part of the Shrine Bowl for a first-round prospect. He was reportedly confident, funny and comfortable, and he showed teams how much he loves the game of football while also expressing his willingness to work hard to be great at it.
Next up for Sanders — my No. 22 prospect and QB2 — is the combine, though he is unsure if he will throw in Indianapolis. Either way, I maintain that his floor is the Raiders at pick No. 6. — Miller