Practices for the East-West Shrine Bowl kicked off on Saturday in Las Vegas, marking the start of NFL draft season for many. Four Chargers scouts have been confirmed to be in attendance, as well as our team at Chargers Wire.
Here’s who stood out on the first day of practices.
Stephen F. Austin EDGE BJ Thompson
Measuring in at 6-foot-5, 238 lbs, it’s easy to mistake the slender Thompson for a basketball prospect. While the now former Lumberjack did receive some hoops interest out of high school, he’s a much more proficient football player after plenty of seasoning at Baylor and Stephen F. Austin.
On Saturday, Thompson looked the part, exploding off the snap and beating any offensive lineman that came his way.
The highlight of Thompson’s day was this inside spin move:
Slick inside spin move from Stephen F. Austin’s BJ Thompson to win a rep at the #ShrineBowl on the first day of practice. pic.twitter.com/hD6zM3LKwx
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 29, 2023
I asked Thompson about this move later in the day and he said “[the tackle] tried to overset me. I wasn’t really expecting that, I was just expecting a regular pass set. But he overstepped me pretty quick and I knew the inside was there.”
Lesson learned, offensive linemen. Beat Thompson to the corner at your own risk.
West Virginia IDL Dante Stills
Stills looked virtually unguardable all practice, and his energy was among the most noticeably infectious of anyone on the field on Wednesday. He seemed like he entered Saturday’s session with a purpose, and every rep he won was met with an equal celebration from one of his defensive line teammates. Lined up over both tackles and guards, Stills showcased some extra versatility on Saturday, beating tackles with powerful rip moves and guards with his quickness off the ball.
There goes that man Dante Stills 👀
The @WVUfootball DT put on a show during 1-on-1s on the first day of @ShrineBowl practice pic.twitter.com/pHNh2paTJe
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) January 29, 2023
A five-year starter whose name has bounced around draft circles for multiple years, it seems like Stills is putting things together at the right time. His versatility and performance in Las Vegas could rocket him up draft boards.
Liberty WR Demario Douglas
A minute 5’7 7/8”, 175 lbs, I had questions about Douglas’ ability to hold up against more physical corners. But the Liberty receiver consistently left DBs in the dust on Saturday regardless of their size, using a variety of release packages to create space underneath.
Matchup of @LibertyFootball WR Demario Douglas and @UAB_FB CB Starling Thomas V was one to watch all day long.
Loved this rep from Douglas on the whip route. Gets in/out of his breaks so well. Thomas V won the other reps on the day though. Douglas told me it was a tough matchup pic.twitter.com/0LUhB1amjB
— Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) January 29, 2023
Douglas also has upside as a punt returner because of his quick-twitch ability and was praised by Patriots coaches for his crisp routes throughout the morning. For a Chargers team that lacks players who can create separation with quickness, Douglas may be a late-round option to keep an eye on.
Louisiana Tech CB Myles Brooks
Every season, there are one or two big, physical corners that dominate one-on-ones at all-star events and open people’s eyes to their potential. This season, I’m willing to stake my claim that Brooks is that riser. The 6’0 5/8″, 201 lb corner was up in receivers’ faces all morning, batting passes away and chirping at his matchups the whole way.
Myles Brooks @LATechFB making nice pass defense @ShrineBowl #NFLDraft2023 pic.twitter.com/9Q3sCOhWEZ
— Bo Marchionte (@BoMarchionte) January 29, 2023
Not shown in the above video is Brooks getting up and telling UCLA WR Jake Bobo that he’s not that guy repeatedly. Corners like Brooks have made plenty of money at these events, and the momentum from Day 1 suggests he’s next in that line.
UAB CB Starling Thomas V
Thomas had one hell of a battle with Liberty’s Demario Douglas, mentioned above, all practice. Douglas was the only receiver to win a rep on the UAB corner by my count, with the 5’9 3/4″, 196-pounder dominating the rest of the competition.
Starling Thomas V once again with great technique in RZ 1v1s.
Low pad level in catch man tech➡️stays square and maintains inside leverage➡️stays disciplined on return route➡️closes receivers through upfield shoulder➡️work to flatten route➡️play through hands for PBU‼️✅ pic.twitter.com/Bsg9IJOUjH
— owenstraley21 (@owenstraley21) January 29, 2023
Thomas was another player who took punt returns on Saturday, looking arguably the smoothest of the group. At under 5’10”, you may think that Thomas would struggle on the outside against bigger receivers, but his discipline and quick trigger were on full display during Day 1 and show a player who could stick on the outside.
Wake Forest WR AT Perry
Perry came into the week billed as one of the top players at the Shrine Bowl, and his first day of practice lived up to that expectation. With Boston College WR Zay Flowers not practicing on Wednesday, Perry got the top WR spotlight, and you know defensive backs were bringing their best.
Best-on-best for the East roster at the #ShrineBowl with Wake Forest’s AT Perry going up against Louisville’s Kei’Trel Clark. Both move at a different speed than everyone else. pic.twitter.com/HHR79qkqYs
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 29, 2023
Perry is an incredibly fluid mover for a 6’3”, 195 lb receiver, and his body control as a route runner really stood out on Saturday. I was pleased with his vertical burst – he’s got long legs that eat up grass insanely quickly for a player of his stature.
