Three offensive players to watch at the East-West Shrine Bowl
Jan 27, 2023, 5:20 AM
The East-West Shrine Bowl is an all-star game I have a lot of love for. It was the first all-star game I attended back in 2007, and I was immediately hooked. I was standing on the sidelines talking to Marv Levy, watching Mike Singletary coaching linebackers, and I was making fun of Matt Millen when he was standing three people away from me. Over the years, I’ve seen several stars and superstars from this game, and I look forward to seeing who those players could be this year.
The access standing on the sidelines was exhilarating, and over the last 17 years I’ve been able to build great friendships with many scouts and general managers based on shared experiences from the “All-Star Road Trip.” These relationships are quite important to me, and I learn a lot from these scouts every offseason as I strive to cover the draft better than anyone else.
This weekend, I will be in Las Vegas at the practices for the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl. After practice, I will be talking to my friends in the scouting world, and I will be talking to some of these young prospects as they go through the biggest job interviews of their lives.
Here are three players on offense I’m excited to watch during the week of practice at the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl.
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Tavion Thomas | RB | Utah
I love big backs and I cannot lie. There’s something to be said about a player who can act like a hammer you use to bludgeon an opponent time and time again. Tavion Thomas from Utah is a perfect example of my favorite style of running back. He might be my favorite player overall that I’m about to watch in practice for the Shrine.
Thomas is a huge back, akin to the size of Derrick Henry. He’s tall (6-foot-2) and measures in around 235 pounds. He’s a violent runner who is incredibly difficult to bring down when he builds a head of steam. Thomas is an imposing presence when he’s got the ball in his hands. I like his nuance as a runner as well. He’s not just a straight-forward runner who plunges into the hole. Instead, Thomas has enough wiggle to create just a bit of space and bad angles from defenders who may tremble when anticipating a collision with him. These small movements just make his tackle-breaking ability stand out more.
He’s a good receiver out of the backfield on screen passes and swing routes. Thomas is not the type of back who runs routes, so I imagine many will label him as a two-down thumper. That’s fine but look beyond that and anticipate what you can teach him. He’s not done developing as a receiver or a pass-blocker, and pro coaching will get the most out of him and his work ethic.
Running backs have a wide range of styles that are suitable for NFL play.
Tavion Thomas isn't a dynamic mover with hard cuts but he has movement that can work well for him.
There's enough quickness in tight space and re-acceleration to his game to earn consideration. pic.twitter.com/3D5CgtmtAC
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) December 4, 2021
The Broncos running backs room could look much different to start the 2023 season than it did when ending the 2022 season. Thomas looks a bit like Henry, and he’s got a build like Latavius Murray (although he’s not yet the receiver that Murray is). I’d like the Broncos to look at Thomas this year to add young talent at the position.
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Kearis Jackson | WR | Georgia
I appreciate players who are consistent. Over his five years in college football, Jackson was the definition of consistent play at the wide receiver position. The fifth-year senior didn’t catch many passes for the Georgia Bulldogs along the way to the title, but when he was targeted he came through for his quarterback. There is no doubt in my mind that Jackson could be the type of player who is better and more productive in the pros than he was in college.
Jackson is a threat after the catch. He’s almost built like a running back, and he quickly tucks the ball away and transitions into a runner after he secures the pass. Jackson can work underneath routes, and he has no problem catching passes in traffic. He does a good job of looking passes in, and he catches balls naturally with arms extended away from his frame. I like his ball-tracking ability when targeted downfield, and Jackson has shown good sideline awareness to make circus catches at the back of the end zone or near the sidelines.
While he does get off the line of scrimmage quickly for a larger receiver, Jackson has trouble throttling down in his routes to make crisp cuts. I’ll be watching him closely to see if his pre-draft training is sharpening that skill. After the catch, Jackson can turn on some speed but he won’t flat out beat defenders before the catch with speed. It’s good that he’s got “my ball” mentality because I imagine many of his pro catches will be contested by defenders are are just as fast (or faster) than him.
Kearis Jackson pickin' up right where he left off 💯#GDay #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/ScCbSTJpFd
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) April 18, 2021
I’ve seen players like Jackson on the All-Star road trip before. I remember Vincent Brown (San Diego State) years ago at the Senior Bowl. He was that consistent player who was reliable on every pass thrown his way. I’m curious to see if Jackson gives me those type of vibes this weekend.
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Dorian Thompson-Robinson | QB | UCLA
I wonder what Broncos general manager George Paton thinks of this prospect. Dorian Thompson-Robinson put up some good film for the UCLA Bruins, Paton’s alma mater, and the Broncos could use a developmental quarterback with the upside that DTR provides. I like his tools in the modern game, but there are questions about how his skills can translate to the pro game.
Thompson-Robinson is a smooth athlete. I like the way he moves with the ball in his hands, keeping his eyes downfield while extending plays with his legs. He can be a threat as a runner, and Thompson-Robinson has the quickness and speed to gash a defense if they’re not paying attention or respecting his ability to run. He can make good decisions with the football when well protected, and Thompson-Robinson is a smart player who understands defensive concepts he’s seeing from the pocket.
His arm strength and arm mechanics need work. That means his footwork needs work. He’s got average arm strength, but I’d like to see him better coached on proper footwork to get the most out of his average arm. Too often on the run, Thompson-Robinson will go “all arm” which gives him say-it-don’t-spray-it accuracy. Instead of being flat-footed when in the pocket, I’d like to see better footwork to help his pass placement.
I can’t wait to take Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the 4th round of all my rookie drafts.
— Jeff Bell (@4WhomJBellTolls) November 20, 2021
The Broncos need to address their backup quarterback situation. They should have last year, especially with two Shrine Bowl quarterbacks I saw in 2022 (Skylar Thompson, Brock Purdy). While Thompson and Purdy started in the playoffs (with Purdy still pushing for the Super Bowl, the Broncos held onto Brett Rypien, and he didn’t look good when thrust into action. Perhaps Paton will take a chance late on Thompson-Robinson this year, and I wouldn’t be against that.
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