Three defensive players to watch at the East-West Shrine Bowl

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 defense I’m excited to watch during the week of practice at the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl.

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Jeremy Banks | LB | Tennessee

Players change positions in college at times. Jeremy Banks from Tennessee is a linebacker I’m interested in, but he’s also converted from running back. There were times in his career with the Volunteers where he went back to offense during practice. We’ve seen this before, as it happens quite often, from guys like D.J. Williams or Javonte Williams. While D.J. Williams was an outstanding linebacker, and Javonte Williams is an outstanding running back, Banks is player who might be considered more of a “hybrid” player in the NFL.

Banks is undersized when it comes to playing linebacker in the pros. However, I think if you make him some sort of “Rover” or “Joker” player at the safety position, I believe that might be his best place to play. As a linebacker, Banks is a fast player who can play sideline-to-sideline football. In addition to being fast, Banks is smart and does a good job of diagnosing plays as they unfold in front of him. This intelligence helps him “scrape and flow” to the ball quickly to be a disruptive player in the backfield.

Speaking of the backfield, Banks can be effective on third downs when you want to bring him around the corner to attack a quarterback. His speed is his best weapon, but Banks can be overpowered by tight ends over the middle of the field in coverage. He will get some pass breakups, but Banks can be picked on by a larger tight end who knows how to use his frame to box out smaller defenders.

Excellent execution by two players on same play. Tennessee DT Omari Thomas (@901_sxvxge) eating up blocks and opening a lane for LB Jeremy Banks (@33Banks_ ) to scrap across and thru for a TFL. pic.twitter.com/hUn7VQsf11

— Devy IDP Grind Podcast (@DevyIDPGrind) December 15, 2022

I don’t mind taking a chance on a hybrid player late in the draft. Banks is currently considered a priority free agent, but with a good week in Vegas he could find his way into Day 3 of the draft.

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Lance Boykin | CB | Coastal Carolina

I really want to see what Coastal Carolina CB Lance Boykin does during practice. I’m a sucker for big cornerbacks, and everyone can remember my love for Tariq Woolen last year at the Senior Bowl (and I loved Jaylen Watson too). Boykin is tall, measuring 6-feet, 3-inches and he’s got a strong build at 200 pounds. He’s not as fast as Woolen (around 4.6 speed rather than the 4.2 speed Woolen has), but Boykin is a feisty player with size – that’s something a defensive coordinator can work with.

He’s got the length needed to knock passes away regularly. While he doesn’t have good recovery speed, Boykin does put himself in good position with his eyes and he believes in his ability to make plays on the ball. In fact, there are times when Boykin moves more like a receiver tracking the ball rather than a defender trying to knock the pass away. He’s a confident player who does not back down from a challenge.

Boykin has been burned on film, but I like the way he’s got a short memory about bad plays. He certainly believes in his ability, and there is no lingering confidence issues if he does give up a big play. In addition to his coverage ability, Boykin has no issues coming up near the line of scrimmage to support the run.

Lance Boykin freshman snapshot, much more to come in 2019🔥 pic.twitter.com/rhcfc2nsrG

— 1 Shot All-American Bowl & Combine Series (@1ShotCombine) December 18, 2018

I’m excited to ask him about Josh Norman, another Coastal Carolina CB I watched at the Shrine Bowl years ago. Like Norman, Boykin has size and is a confident player. I wonder how much Norman has reached out to players in that program. The Broncos need to think about adding more cornerback depth, especially after missing out on Woolen and Watson last year.

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Truman Jones | Edge | Harvard

It takes a special player to make the jump from Harvard to the pros. Most will think of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, but the list is short of players who have gone from the Ivy League to the NFL. A player who could make the jump is edge Truman Jones.

Being a Harvard player, we already know Jones is a smart player. On the edge, I like the way he will anticipate the snap and he’s a hustle player with a strong work ethic. Jones has good bend-and-burst around the corner on his way to the quarterback. Most of his skills surround his athleticism and hustle, but Jones also stands out as a leader of men. He’s a captain of captains and known as the type of player others want to be around.

Jones is raw. At this time, he has multiple moves but he needs to learn how to stack those moves together. Also, around 240 pounds, Jones needs to at least add 10 pounds of muscle while retaining his speed and quickness. He is a long-shot to make an impact in the pros, but he at least could be a special teams ace and leader on the roster. Plus, he could provide some pass-rushing depth as a rotational player.

"It's an honor to be named a captain of captains." – Truman Jones, the 148th captain of Harvard Football.#GoCrimson pic.twitter.com/isv0nBsuv6

— Harvard Football (@HarvardFootball) August 15, 2022

Jones is far from a finished product, but he’s the type of player every team wants on their roster and in the locker room. On Day 3 of the draft, or perhaps even as an undrafted free agent, I wouldn’t mind if the Broncos brought Jones into the building.

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