The second day of practices for the East and West teams at the Shrine Bowl wrapped up, and several players upgraded their stock with impressive performances.
Today, I observed the wide receiver and defensive backs. The Chargers are likely entering the market for a pass catcher that can stretch the field and has the speed to match quarterback Justin Herbert’s big arm.
Head coach Brandon Staley has also said in the past that his team can never have enough men in the secondary, and his versatile defense requires specific athletes and smart football minds.
Here is a look at four players who captured my curiosity on day two that could be a fit for the Chargers.
A.T. Perry – WR, Wake Forest
While the buzz at the practice fields was all about the debut of Boston College wideout Zay Flowers, A.T. Perry stole the show after the West team wrapped up. Perry used his size well in the one-on-one period, winning with speed and precise press wards during the release phase.
Wake Forest WR A.T. Perry tracking the deep ball over the shoulder for an impressive catch@ShrineBowl pic.twitter.com/ZLXDZgMl9Z
— Cole Topham (@HamAnalysis) January 29, 2023
One rep against Texas cornerback D’Shawn Jamison was particularly impressive. Perry drove his route hard to the sideline and gained a path vertical. Jamison began to apply contact to slow down the route, but Perry kept wiping his arms away with his inside hand. When the ball started its descent, Perry gave one last hard nudge to create late separation for himself. He extended for the catch and looked the ball into the bucket.
There is so much to like about Perry. He moves well at 195 pounds and has shown the ability to pluck throws away from his body, and his protection of the catch point makes him a quarterback-friendly target. Perry moves to stack as soon as he feels like he has a step, and his body of work at the Shrine Bowl proves that his vertical speed is plentiful. It’s a deep receiver class at the top, but I have a feeling Perry’s name will be a consistent creeper up the boards in the coming months.
Demario Douglas – WR, Liberty
The league is caring less about the size and stature of receivers and paying more attention to who wins in short spaces as well as what can they do once the ball in in their hands.
Demario Douglas, a 5-7 guy who tied with TCU cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson as the second-lightest player at the Shrine Bowl, overloaded his reps with energy in the one-on-one period. He punished overaggressive cornerbacks with fast releases, mustered a severe amount of violence in his cuts, and showed his potential to run after the catch with quick upfield turns.
Demario Douglas 🔥
The @LibertyFootball keeps impressing at the @ShrineBowl pic.twitter.com/xjQq5Vnksx
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) January 29, 2023
Douglas was usually paired up with Starling Thomas V, a UAB cornerback of similar stature. Their battles were competitive and fun to watch. Douglas got the upper hand today, even leaving Thomas facedown in the dust after securing inside leverage and breaking free over the middle. In the special teams period, Douglas looked comfortable and showcased adept field vision as a returner.
Kei’Trel Clark - CB, Louisville
One of the reasons why one-on-one at the Shrine Bowl can be such a valuable study is because it gives the receivers and defensive backs a chance to engage in an instinctual contest typically with zero prior exposure to each other.
The players are reacting off pure athletic ability and impulse, with maybe a little individual study for background info on their opponent.
Over the first two days of practice, those instincts have vaulted Kei’Trel Clark into conversations as the best cover man in Las Vegas. Clark can forcibly knock receivers off their platform if they let their guard down during the release. He is a task to shed and fights to control the route the entire way. Clark also puts his length in a great position to be an obstacle, a technique that has paid off more than once for him when the ball arrives.
Another day, another Kei'Trel Clark highlight out at the @ShrineBowl!
The @LouisvilleFB CB has been IMPRESSIVE so far pic.twitter.com/Eb5SmSdgpe
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) January 29, 2023
Another strong positive is Clark’s strong grasp of marrying the knowledge from his eyes and what is gathered from his feel of the route. This union of information primes his footwork for preemptive, efficient movements. He ran this hitch for Jadon Haselwood and made a sweet play on the ball.
A.J. Finley - S, Ole Miss
By the end of practice, it felt like A.J. Finley was showing off. Whether it was simply tremendous awareness in zone coverage or his downhill burst as a former high school running back, Finley sauntered away from the field with three interceptions. Although the last pick was off a deflection from another player, Finley demonstrated good things happen when flooding to the ball. He was in the right place at the right time to capitalize off his teammate’s fortuitous assist.
“Today was a smooth day,” Finley said later in a press conference. “Meaning at the end of the day, it’s just ball. It’s the same football I have been playing since I was three years old, so nothing too crazy out there. Just going out and playing with the guys.”
Finley’s command of the field and readiness to penalize the East team’s quarterback for their mistakes caught the eye of onlookers. He was also able to generate a presence against the tight end group when matched up one-on-one. He will definitely be getting a closer look on film in the future.
