The NFL draft season is in full swing. The East-West Shrine Bowl will be played on Saturday, Jan. 18, in St. Petersburg, Florida and that will be followed by Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Alabama, with the game being played on Jan. 25.
John Elway, the man that is in charge of the Denver Broncos draft room, participated in the Shrine Bowl and understands the importance of the game. Steve Atwater, one of the best players to ever put on a Broncos uniform also participated in the game.
In the last two drafts, Elway has drafted two players that participated in the Shrine Bowl. In 2018 he drafted DaeSean Hamilton in the fourth round. It’s also worth noting that Phillip Lindsay participated in the the game that year. This past year Elway drafted Justin Hollins in the fifth round.
Will Elway make it three years in a row by drafting a player that participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl? We spoke with Dane Brugler of The Athletic about seven players who may interest Elway.
1. Calvin Throckmorton, OL, Oregon
Throckmorton can play anywhere along the offensive line. He has starts at tackle, guard and center. Brugler said that Throckmorton’s greatest asset is his versatility.
“He has experience at tackle, guard and center and did pretty interchangeably for the Ducks,” Brugler said. “With his lack of length, scouts see him as an NFL guard. I have some questions about his quickness to reach linemen, but he gets after it and has the POA strength and toughness that stands out.”
2. Cohl Cabral, OL, Arizona State
Cabral is another versatile offensive lineman from the Pac-12. With the Broncos having a possible need at center, Cabral makes sense for them on Day 3 of the draft.
“Cabral is underrated for sure,” Brugler said. “Love his stubborn hands to stay connected. Wide, solid anchor to stay balanced in pass protection. He’s a little stiff with his lower body, but he can get the job done at the second level.”
3. Jared Hilbers, OT, Washington
Hilbers isn’t as well known as Trey Adams, the starting left tackle for the Washington Huskies, but he had a solid senior season, starting every game at right tackle. Hilbers was a two-year starter and has experience playing both tackle positions. With the Broncos in need of a swing tackle and a possible successor to Garett Bolles, Hilbers makes a ton of sense for the Broncos as a possible Day 3 target.
“Hilbers did a nice job this season, flying out of his stance with a relaxed punch and light feet,” Brugler said. “He doesn’t panic when the defender gets the upper hand, quickly resetting. His issues mostly come in the run game, struggling to drive defenders away from the ball. He needs to improve his overall technique to make it in the NFL.”
4. Charlie Heck, OT, University of North Carolina
Heck was a three-year starter for the Tar Heels. He has great bloodlines, as he is the son of Andy Heck, who played 12 seasons in the NFL.
“Heck uses adequate bend in his pass-sets with eager hands to latch onto defenders before they can attack him, despite his shorter arms,” Brugler said. “The biggest issue I saw on tape was his inconsistent timing and that’s something that will be exploited in the NFL if he doesn’t fix it.”
5. Javaris Davis, CB, Auburn
Davis is an undersized corner with speed to burn. He brings special teams value with his experience as a punter returner. He finished his Auburn career with eight interceptions and 35 pass deflections.
“Davis is a burner,” Brugler said. “Good chance he finishes with a top-5 40-yard dash time at the combine. But his lack of size really hurts his impact potential. Receivers will make plays over him or block him out of the play. His lack of lengths shows up quite often.”
6. Parnell Motley, CB, Oklahoma
Motley was a three-year starter for the Sooners. He finished his career with six interceptions and 39 pass deflections. With Chris Harris Jr. seemingly having one foot out the door, the Broncos have a lot of question marks at the cornerback position. Motley could be on Elway’s radar on Day 3 of the draft.
“Motley is a draftable player,” Brugler said. “Patient footwork from press with the physicality needed for the position. However, he needs to be more subtle with his aggressive nature to avoid the flags. Consistency was an issue vs. the run and the pass on tape, but there are enough tools there worth coaching up.”
7. John Hightower, WR, Boise State
Hightower finished this past season with 943 receiving yards and eight touchdowns while also proving special teams value as a returner. The Broncos have a top-12 wide receiver with Courtland Sutton, now they need to continue to add talent to the wide receiver room.
“Denver needs more speed on offense and that’s what John Hightower out of Boise State offers,” Brugler said. “He needs to be a better finisher and teams need to be comfortable with his off-field background. But he might be the 4th round version of Will Fuller with his wheels to get vertical and stretch out the defense.”
NFL Network will air the East-West Shrine Bowl on Jan. 18 at 1 p.m. MT.
