Although Super Bowl LVII is currently at the forefront for the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s also time to start looking toward the future. The East-West Shrine Bowl was played on Thursday night and featured plenty of talent across the board.
Let’s take a look at some of the top performers from the game, who could be on the Chiefs’ radar come April:
S Trey Dean III
Carrying over his momentum from being a standout during practice all week, Dean III was the defensive MVP of the game, recording a red zone interception.
He is a big-bodied defensive back who was a three-year starter for the Florida Gators, starting out at cornerback before transitioning to safety. His physical traits and flexibility as a DB should definitely help his draft stock. The current overall consensus on Dean III is a projected mid-round pick.
K Jake Moody
There wasn’t much offense in this game as neither team found the endzone. Thankfully for the West, Moody was on his game. He converted 4/4 field goal opportunities, two from 35 yards and two from 51 yards, earning him offensive MVP honors.
Moody finished his collegiate career at Michigan as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 355 points, converting 82.1 percent of his field goals and a perfect 148/148 on extra points. He is currently Mel Kiper of ESPN’s fourth-highest ranked kicker.
RB Xazavian Valladay
Valladay saw the biggest workload of the game, carrying the ball 13 times for 76 yards while also notching a reception for four yards. His workload could be attributed to the nice practice week he had leading up to this game.
Valladay is a playmaker in open space who is just as comfortable catching the ball as he is taking handoffs. He is as seasoned as a draft prospect can get as a sixth-year play out of Arizona State and even has some experience working in pass protection.
WR Joseph Ngata
Ngata caught just one pass in this game, but it was an impressive, contested 27-yard reception. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Ngata has the prototypical wide receiver size that teams are looking for.
He is a raw talent who plays a bit stiff at this point in his career, but with his physical traits, there will be plenty of teams that believe he can be coached up. The former Clemson Tiger does a great job of high-pointing the ball and winning contested catches.
