Lammey: 2018 East-West Shrine Game practice report – Day 1

Practice for the 2018 East-West Shrine Game kicked off on Monday in Tampa, Florida, as college prospects got their first chances to get to perform in front of NFL coaches, scouts, and executives.

For 12 consecutive years, I’ve covered the Shrine Game with stops in Houston, Orlando, and, now, Tampa. I’ve seen some players come out of nowhere to become household names — Julius Thomas, Josh Norman, Jimmy Garoppolo, for example — and they all got their first chance to impress the NFL brass at the annual all-star game.

Here is the practice report for day one:

Running with authority

While the quarterback position is largely forgettable, there are some very interesting running backs vying for the attention of scouts in Tampa.

On the East team, Fordham’s Chase Edmonds stood out Monday. It’s difficult to determine a running back’s skill set in an all-star format because there’s no live tackling, but I watched to see if the same athleticism Edmonds showed on tape appeared in person.

I was not disappointed.

Edmonds has good balance and burst with the ball in his hands. He does a good job of keeping his feet after contact and is athletic enough to spin, juke or jump-cut his way to positive yards.

In team drills, Edmonds showed he could be a threat as a receiver out of the backfield.

It was a good day for Edmonds, but he wasn’t the best player on the field Monday.

Shrine Game – Day 1 MVP

There is no question that Northern Iowa wide receiver Daurice Fountain was the biggest winner today. It seemed like every time it was his turn during individual or team drills, Fountain would make big play after big play.

My first note on Fountain: “Crisp cuts.” As the team went through individual drills, it was apparent the UNI product did not round out his routes.

The next note: “Powerful stop.” Fountain showed time and again he could stop on a dime, change direction, and get back up to speed in an instant.

In one-on-one wide receiver drills, Fountain did not disappoint, burning defenders with his speed or tripping up defenders (and making them fall) with his quickness.

Fountain arrived in Tampa on a mission to impress NFL scouts. With Day One in the books, Fountain has done nothing but improved his draft stock.

Continuing this performance through the week could make him a favorite sleeper in this draft.

Scouting buzz

Colorado running back Phillip Lindsay is already drawing some fascinating comparisons from NFL scouts. I’ve heard the name James White (New England Patriots) tossed around by some scouts, which might be an apt comparison.

Like White (5-foot-9-inches, 200 pounds), Lindsay is a smaller back, measuring in at 5-8 and 190 pounds. Both backs are willing to run inside, where their size gives them an advantage because they can “get skinny” and get through smaller holes.

White and Lindsay are also dangerous receivers out of the backfield. In fact, one NFC West scout I talked to suggested that Lindsay was the perfect type of player for the Patriots to add to their roster. Lindsay could play “positionless” football for New England, and he certainly can create mismatches when he’s on the field.

White was a fourth-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft, and Lindsay is currently projected as a seventh-round prospect for 2018.

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