The East-West Shrine Bowl continued Sunday in Frisco, TX with the second practice session leading up to Thursday’s game.
Here are five players who made a positive impression on the assorted scouts and media, including five Chargers personnel staffers, in attendance.
OT Garret Greenfield, South Dakota State
The Chargers have been linked to an offensive tackle at the top of the draft, but one of the main counterarguments to that line of thinking has been the depth of the class at that position. Case in point: Greenfield, a four-year starter for the Jackrabbits with quick and polished footwork, is projected to be a mid-round pick.
It’s much easier for LA to move on from Trey Pipkins after next season, which could put them in a position to take a player like Greenfield in the middle rounds to be the swing tackle while grooming him for the starting gig on the right side. It would be a similar career path as Brian O’Neill took out of Pitt; the Pro Bowler has been the comparison du jour for Greenfield this week.
South Dakota State’s Garret Greenfield looking smooth in his pass set. One of the best OL prospects at the East-West Shrine Bowl. pic.twitter.com/ytKB4gF2Ed
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 28, 2024
WR Joshua Cephus, UTSA
At 6’2”, 189 lbs, Cephus primarily popped as a vertical threat on Saturday, with the occasional finish through contact present as well. But Sunday’s more team period-oriented practice unlocked the 63-game veteran’s feel for route combinations and spacing, along with a couple of nice grabs outside of his frame. With 31” arms, you wouldn’t expect Cephus to be a player with a huge catch radius, but he routinely made strong receptions with his hands extended away from his body.
Cephus also separated better than on Saturday, showing that he can win at all three levels of the field. Chargers Wire also learned Sunday that Cephus had met with Los Angeles multiple times already – once at Orlando’s Hula Bowl and once in Frisco.
Nice route from #UTSA WR Joshua Cephus (@joshua_cephus).
Open again for a solid delivery from #Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa. pic.twitter.com/XhLRKpYlaD
— Jacob Richman (@JacobHRichman) January 28, 2024
C Hunter Nourzad, Penn State
A transfer from Cornell who’s played all five positions on the offensive line, Nourzad split time at guard and center during his two-year stint with the Nittany Lions. In Frisco, he has exclusively played center, one of only three true centers at the Shrine Bowl.
With the requisite attention to detail and smarts to stick around as an NFL center, Nourzad backed up his analytical abilities with phenomenal play during one-on-one sessions on Sunday. Those reps are often designed for centers to lose, with defensive linemen lining up on the snapping shoulder to make things more difficult. Nourzad not only won, but won convincingly. He should be available on Day 3 if the Chargers elect to slow-play their need at center.
Probably the best rep of the OL/DL period came from @PennStateFball C Hunter Nourzad. Stones his guy with a great stab and controlled the rep with hand placement and grip strength. Really impressive pic.twitter.com/7m3HzTeTsj
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) January 28, 2024
OT Walter Rouse, Oklahoma
The grandson of a basketball All-American and second Stanford tackle to start as a true freshman this millennium, Rouse is a prime candidate for the most interesting man in the draft. An Eagle Scout and biomedical engineering major who plans to become a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon after his playing days conclude, the Sooner has shown an enticing mix of power, balance, and length through two days.
Rouse entered the week with mostly UDFA feedback from league sources, but another strong day on Sunday is beginning to build momentum for him to crack the draftable ranks. He powered through a rep against Charlotte EDGE Eyabi Okie-Anoma, then shut down Colorado State’s Mo Kamara, one of the best defensive players on the roster.
Really impressive rep here from @OU_Football OT Walter Rouse (LT). He was lined up against Mo Kamara. Kamara tried the push-pull, but Rouse had the long arms (35.38”), grip strength and balance to stop it & recover.
Rouse has been one of the best players here through two days. pic.twitter.com/pNBE2D8u7P
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) January 28, 2024
TE Tip Reiman, Illinois
Weighing in at 6’4”, 273 lbs, nobody would blame you for thinking Reiman is essentially another offensive lineman when lined up in-line. But the Illinois tight end has shown through two days that he’s a perfectly capable receiver as well, especially on out-breaking routes. A fluid mover for his size, Reiman has consistently created decent separation and has the size and strength to box out nearby defenders for contested catches.
New Chargers staff will be familiar with Reiman from Big Ten play and Los Angeles badly needs a blocking presence at the position. He shouldn’t be too expensive from a capital standpoint, either, as he entered this week with undrafted feedback. Whether as a secondary addition at the position in the draft or as a priority free agent, Reiman would have a role on this Chargers roster and will carve out an NFL career in some capacity.
Illinois TE Tip Reiman with the nice catch. pic.twitter.com/c5wUMWeYvW
— John Blair (@johnblairjunior) January 28, 2024
