2024 NFL Draft: Prospects with Most to Gain at Senior and Shrine Bowls

The Senior and Shrine Bowls are the top all-star events during the NFL's predraft process and serve as the last opportunities to see athletes on the field competing in a true football setting.

These are the first steps of the offseason evaluation period with only three months remaining until the April 25-27 draft, which is why positive impressions during these festivities can have a profound effect on an individual's standing.

Everyone who attends and competes will be viewed favorably by NFL scouts and decision-makers. Good or bad weeks tend to be taken with a grain of salt, as individuals are coming into all-new surroundings, playing with new teammates, learning new systems and are asked to compete at a high level for a short amount of time.

In reality, the biggest indicators of success throughout the week aren't traditional metrics. It's not necessarily about dominating every day, though that certainly helps. Instead, how an individual interviews, takes to NFL coaching and progresses throughout the week tend to be the biggest positives.

The process remains ongoing, and these events are merely a piece of an overall evaluation.

Still, plenty can be gained.

We'll highlight eight prospects, with five from the Senior Bowl and three from the Shrine Bowl, who could really solidify themselves in certain rounds, position groups or as legitimate prospects with a good week of practice followed by the games.

North Carolina's Drake Maye, USC's Caleb Williams and LSU's Jayden Daniels are expected to be top-10 draft picks. From there, some combination of Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon's Bo Nix will come off the board later in the first or in the second round.

Generally speaking, Nix has garnered the least amount of attention among the second-tier prospects, with McCarthy declaring early and chock full of untapped potential, while Penix had the college and draft landscapes abuzz during his Sugar Bowl performance against the Texas Longhorns.

Furthermore, Oregon lost both of its matchups against Washington this past season, though not because of Nix. During those contests, the fifth-year senior completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 576 passing yards and five touchdown passes compared to only one turnover.

Nix set an FBS record this past season with a 77.4 completion percentage and 61 career starts. The reigning William V. Campbell Trophy winner (aka the Academic Heisman) also graded as the nation's top passer against pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. He's a 6'2", 217-pound quarterback with a strong arm capable of layering throws and presents good mobility.

Why isn't he viewed in the same manner as those previously discussed?

"It's hard to get a sense for where Nix is at in terms of being an NFL processor," B/R scout Derrik Klassen wrote in Nix's scouting report. "Oregon's offense lightened the load on him mentally by spamming screens, run-pass options and simple vertical concepts to unlock his arm. Even a lot of Oregon's more traditional passing concepts were made easier to read out and trigger on by their use of spacing and abusing the college hashes, which won't exist for him in the NFL."

How Nix takes to NFL coaching and concepts throughout his week in Mobile, Alabama, should ease some of these lingering concerns and place him firmly in the conversation as the fourth-best quarterback prospect and a first-round option. He'll get to do so while practicing alongside Penix every day.

Wide receiver classes are always bloated and full of quality depth throughout the entire draft. It's the nature of today's game, with three to four wide receivers regularly seeing playing time on a team. As such, the position tends to be drafted more often, with high-end performers coming outside the first round.

Currently, Bleacher Report projects five wide receivers—Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU's Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., Washington's Rome Odunze and Florida State's Keon Coleman—as strong first-round candidates.

From there, the door is wide open for anyone to stake their claim as the next target off the board.

Wide receivers capable of creating after the catch and turning small tosses into chunk plays are en vogue. Everyone is looking for the next Deebo Samuel, who appeared at the 2019 Senior Bowl.

Samuel helped himself by playing for the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff at the time. While the setup is different now, relationships formed can be very important.

"Me and Coach [Kyle] Shanahan and [general manager] John Lynch connected well there," Samuel told reporters after being drafted. "I kind of knew that if I was there around this time that they'd probably be calling my phone. It's just kind of a feeling that I had."

All of this leads to why Western Kentucky's Malachi Corley is one of the most intriguing wide receiver prospects at either of this year's all-star events. Among the second- and third-tier options, Corley is one of the most productive, and he has ample playmaking skills to showcase.

Over the last two seasons, the two-time first-team All-Conference USA honoree accumulated 180 catches for 2,227 yards and 22 touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus, Corley gained 975 yards after the catch during his breakout 2022 campaign, which happened to be 292 more yards than any other player.

"Corley has a role as an underneath outlet in the NFL," Klassen wrote. "His bulky frame (5'11", 210 lbs), reliable hands and hard-nosed yards-after-the-catch ability give him clear use cases, even if limited."

The perception can absolutely change at the Senior Bowl if the 21-year-old shows fluidity when running a full route-tree and stacks cornerbacks on vertical routes.

Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton may very well be one of the most exciting prospects to watch throughout this year's predraft process.

The 6'7", 328-pound offensive tackle is gifted athletically, with as much untapped and unrefined potential as any other incoming O-line prospect.

Penn State's Olu Fashanu and Notre Dame's Joe Alt are generally considered elite prospects who should hear their names called among this year's top-10 selections. Both carry premium grades from the Bleacher Report Scouting Department. But Fashanu is already seen as an outstanding pass-protector, and Alt is viewed as the class' the most technically refined lineman.

Guyton is different, in that the tools are obviously there but they're not quite ready for prime time.

"Overall, Guyton is a young, inexperienced and green tackle prospect with elite physical tools and flashes of dominance that can get him on the field right away," B/R scout Brandon Thorn wrote in Guyton's scouting report. "He can eventually bloom into a high-end starter in the NFL, but he will need to be brought along slowly in a conservative scheme and veteran O-line room before bridging that gap."

The Sooners program has a history of producing these types of players, starting with Trent Williams and Lane Johnson all the way through to last year's first-round selection of Anton Harrison. But the game has evolved in a way that teams must risk significant assets on a developmental blocker since so few are refined.

However, this year's Senior Bowl roster is loaded with exceptional offensive line talent, including the likes of Washington's Troy Fautanu, Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga, Kansas State's Cooper Beebe and BYU's Kingsley Suamataia.

Depending on whether all of them participate, it'll be a tough crowd to stand out from. By doing so, a prospect like Guyton can legitimately establish himself as a high first-round option. Johnson is a great example of this happening in the past, though the fourth overall pick may be a tad rich in this comparison.

Throughout the 2023 collegiate season, Illinois' Jer'Zhan Newton staunchly held the status as DT1 for the '24 NFL draft class. Newton didn't disappoint as a consensus All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. But he has competition for the designation as evaluations continue.

Texas' Byron Murphy II worked his way into contention despite being the lesser known defensive tackle on this year's Longhorns squad. While T'Vondre Sweat won the Outland Trophy (nation's best interior lineman) and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, scouts couldn't help but see a skill set from Murphy that should translate well to the next level.

"After serving as a backup during his first two years at Texas, Murphy is a big riser in this year's NFL draft class," B/R scout Matt Holder wrote in the defensive lineman's scouting report. "He played up and down the Longhorns' defensive line, lining up as far inside as a nose tackle to taking a few reps on the edge at defensive end. He also has a lot of potential against the run and as a pass-rusher.

"Murphy's get-off and overall quickness are what pops off the tape at first, especially for his size. The 308-pounder either gets into offensive linemen shortly after the snap or uses his impressive agility and quickness to beat guards across their faces when slanting. He also has good pad level and tree trunks for legs that make him hard to move."

To Holder's point about Murphy's quickness and power, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman included the defensive tackle among his year's elite athletes going into the 2023 campaign.

"The junior has been clocked at 18 MPH on the GPS, had a team-best 455-pound front squat, and power-cleaned 375 pounds," Feldman reported. "He could've gone heavier, but strength coach Torre Becton shut him down. Becton says Murphy could've gotten 500 on the front squat and 405 in the power clean."

The physical traits show up on the field. Murphy posted a 21.6 percent pressure rate on third down this past season, per Cover 1's Erik Turner. A week of being unblockable during one-on-ones and staunchly holding ground during inside drills could make Murphy one of this year's biggest winners at the Senior Bowl.

Quinyon Mitchell is one of the best defenders in the nation who many casual NFL draft fans have yet to really discover, because he played in the MAC for the Toledo Rockets.

The Senior Bowl is the perfect stage to show off his elite ball skills, and he has the potential to elevate his overall stock after daily matchups against a plethora of college football's best wide receivers.

Over the last two seasons, the two-time first-team All-MAC performer snagged six interceptions and defended 44 passes. He's a ball magnet, even when opponents try to avoid throwing toward his side. According to Pro Football Focus, the junior prospect graded higher than any other cornerback over the last two seasons.

His precise landing in the draft will be situational, though. Mitchell's skill set lends itself more toward certain schemes than others.

"The three-year starter was quite productive when playing the ball," B/R scout Cory Giddings wrote in Mitchell's scouting report. "He has the strength and physicality to defend the run and the speed and ball skills to cover downfield.

"Mitchell is a very good coverage defender who performs best in off coverage. Though he has a rigid backpedal at times, he has the patience to allow routes to develop and react with quick feet to transition. He doesn't always trust his eyes when breaking, which has caused his transitions to be slow and sloppy. But when he's able to stay square and drive on what he sees, Mitchell has explosive breaks."

The Senior Bowl won't simply show how Mitchell handles top-notch opposition on a snap-by-snap basis; it'll also provide the chance to spotlight any improvements he's made during predraft preparation regarding his flexibility, backpedal and transition.

If those aspects look better, he can also be an excellent man-cover option, with the potential to hear his name called relatively early in the process.

Even if the latter doesn't fully occur, excellent tape in zone coverage, with a continued emphasis on playing the ball, will get defensive back coaches excited, especially in a world where man-cover corners aren't as plentiful as they once were. Today's game is about presnap confusion, shifting/hidden coverages and creating extra possessions through turnovers.

Georgia's Brock Bowers is the top tight end prospect for the 2024 NFL draft. There's no question about his status or any real challenge to it. The two-time John Mackey Award winner is arguably the best tight end prospect ever.

It's what happens after that where it gets interesting.

Texas' Ja'Tavion Sanders has as good of a chance as anyone to establish himself as TE2 at this year's Shrine Bowl.

Sanders' value derives from his abilities as a pass-catcher. Over the last two seasons, the junior prospect accumulated 1,295 receiving yards. He also posted a strong ending to his collegiate career with 180 combined yards in this past season's Big 12 Championship Game and Sugar Bowl.

Sanders can threaten the seam, get vertical and create after the catch. As a receiver, he's what teams want in a modern NFL tight end. Furthermore, the two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection is reliable. According to Pro Football Focus, Sanders had the most targets among tight ends last season without a single drop.

The two biggest questions regarding Sanders' standing revolve around pure athleticism and his blocking ability, or lack thereof.

"His average traits are a bit of an issue for a receiving tight end who relies so much on working in space, at the expense of blocking ability and contested catch skills," Klassen wrote.

"Sanders could be useful in the pros, but he doesn't feel like an instant impact guy or a long-term starter right now."

Evaluations never stop, though.

Sanders can show he's an excellent athlete throughout the predraft process, post huge plays during Shrine week and assert a certain willingness and level toughness when working at the point of attack to truly elevate his status in what's currently viewed as an amorphous bunch behind Bowers.

Otherwise, the door opens for Ohio State's Cade Stover, Kansas State's Ben Sinnott, Penn State's Theo Johnson, Florida State's Jaheim Bell or someone else to claim the spot.

Clemson's Jeremiah Trotter Jr. almost serves as the incoming class' LB1 by default. But the designation can be easily taken by someone else over the next three months.

With Trotter's teammate, Barrett Carter, returning to school, Texas A&M's Edgerrin Cooper now serves as the most athletic option for a league where range and speed are more important than ever for linebackers.

"Speed is Edgerrin Cooper's best asset," Holder wrote in Cooper's scouting report. "He can fly."

"That helps him in man coverage, as he can cover tight ends and running backs on deep routes. Combined with his impressive lateral movement skills, he rarely is out of phase when playing man. It also helped him rack up sacks as a spy since he can close on ball-carriers in a hurry.

"As a run defender, Cooper reads gap runs quickly and can beat offensive linemen to the spot. However, when he can't use his movement skills to slip blocks, he's too wiry to hold his ground and will get pushed out of the gap. He needs to add size and strength to be effective on early downs in the NFL."

A slender build has always been Cooper's biggest drawback. At 6'4", the Aggies listed their top tackler at 230 pounds. He entered the program at 215 pounds, according to 247 Sports.

The consensus All-American didn't even become a full-time starter until 2023, when he blossomed with a team-leading 83 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, eight sacks, 10 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.

Cooper can line up off the ball or in the slot. He's an explosive blitzer and crashes hard toward the ball when he triggers.

Do size and strength concerns exist, as Holder stated? Sure.

At the same time, his abilities to work in space and roam sideline to sideline are highly intriguing, particularly if Cooper shows in Frisco, Texas, that his frame isn't as much of a hindrance when engaging blockers, working through traffic and slipping past all-star-caliber offensive linemen. He could easily make a case for LB1 as a result.

Cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers is the polar opposite of every other prospect already discussed. He's not a potential first-round option nor a top-of-a-position-group-level prospect. He's simply the best story with the biggest opportunity to rise from complete obscurity into becoming an actual NFL draft selection.

While the incoming talent class from the lower levels of play doesn't feature a marquee prospect this cycle, the all-star games serve as huge opportunities to show they belong.

Stiggers already proved he belongs, albeit in a different professional football league.

But let's rewind a moment.

A bereft Stiggers gave up his football dream after his father died due to injuries suffered in a car crash. He never played a down of college ball. Instead, he wanted to help his family.

A year later, his mother signed him up for a local tryout with an arena-based football team. His performance and ball skills led to CFL tryout with the Toronto Argonauts, with whom he signed a contract.

During his first season as a CFL cornerback, the now-22-year-old tied for second with five interceptions on his way to being named the league's Most Outstanding Rookie.

Since Stiggers never actually played at the collegiate level and he's three years removed from his final high school season, he remains eligible to be drafted into the NFL.

"I'll say it like this, if he goes through a true pro day and he can get into some of these all-star games, he'd easily be a third- or fourth-round pick,'' Argonauts defensive backs coach Josh Bell told Denver 9News' Mike Klis. "I say easy on the back end because the NFL is always skeptical. They're probably thinking fourth to seventh round. I'm telling you this kid has the explosion, he has the ability, he just needs to continue to work his technique. His athleticism is incredible."

Well, he's going to the Shrine Game and he'll have a pro-day workout. Good performances at both could very well take Stiggers from being a complete unknown to a relatively high draft pick.