The Senior Bowl isn’t the only college all-star game for NFL draft prospects to shine. East-West Shrine Bowl practices wrapped up on Tuesday morning, and the New Orleans Saints were in attendance. The defense jumped off the screen at multiple positions. Throughout the four days of practice, I found myself gravitating towards the defense during practice for both teams.
The position group that stood out the most was the defensive ends on the West team. You could have filled the defensive standouts with just that group and been justified. I decided to pick one guy from the group in Sundiata Anderson, however. These are four defensive standouts from the Shrine Bowl practices:
DE Sundiata Anderson, Grambling
One scout told me Anderson had the best week of practice of any player at the Shrine Bowl. The Grambling defensive end was great in run defense. His hand placement allowed him to disengage from blockers. He also used his athleticism to work stunts in pass rush. Anderson was the star of the team portion of the second day of practice.
DB Renardo Green, Florida State
Green was one of the most consistent defensive backs through the first two days of practice. On day one, Green was the chosen defensive back for the final one on one rep against a wide receiver. Green answered the challenge and left the offense with pushups for punishment.
LB Darius Muasau, UCLA
The UCLA linebacker flashed his athleticism as he flew around the field. His ability to close space on a receiver in open space. The most impressive part of his game was how quickly Muasau turned into a vocal leader on the field. He was repeatedly seen making sure his defensive lineman were properly aligned. It’s a trait you often see in linebackers, and Muasau was able to channel quickly.
DB Chigozie Anusiem, Colorado State
Anusiem’s aggression at the line of scrimmage was apparent. During a one on one rep with a wide receiver, Anusiem jammed the receiver and a chorus of “oohs” rang out from his fellow defensive backs. His physicality was the standout feature for the Colorado State defensive back.
