Practices for the East-West Shrine Bowl kicked off on Saturday in Frisco, TX, marking the start of NFL draft season for many.
Four Chargers representatives were spotted in attendance, as well as our team at Chargers Wire.
Here’s who stood out on the defensive side of the ball on the first day of practices.
EDGE Eyabi Okie-Anoma, Charlotte
Okie-Anoma, a former five-star recruit, played at Alabama, Michigan among three other schools, before finishing his college career at Charlotte. He caught my eye during one-on-ones, first winning on an inside spin move and following it up with a bullrush that put the offensive tackle on the ground.
Okie-Anoma had 5.5 sacks this past season and registered 4.5 sacks with the Wolverines in 2022. He is a player with untapped potential who could be a target for the Chargers in the late rounds, given the need for more pass rushers and his familiarity with Jim Harbaugh.
Charlotte EDGE Eyabi Okie wins with speed to power.
Okie, the Michigan transfer, is a toolsy player with a lot of upside/potential.#ShrineBowl pic.twitter.com/BXaGnlgrD1
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) January 27, 2024
DT Khristian Boyd, Northern Iowa
Chargers national crosschecker James McPherson was front and center for the East team one-on-one drills, where Boyd raised eyebrows. The 6-foot-2 and 320-pound defensive tackle had his way with the blockers he went against, showcasing the overall strength and explosiveness to get into the backfield, including a nice push-pull move against one of the top offensive linemen here at the Shrine Bowl.
Northern Iowa’s Khristian Boyd really popped at the East-West Shrine Bowl today. Push-pull-swim here. pic.twitter.com/2JSygFKlG8
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 27, 2024
CB Renardo Green, Florida State
I highlighted Green in my players to watch article because he was one of the best that I watched ahead of the week, and his dominance during the regular season carried over to the practice field. Known for his physical style of play, Green showcased the plus man coverage skills, fluid hips and clean footwork to stick with receivers throughout the route. Given the need for more corners, Green would be a nice addition to the positional room.
Renardo Green was the top DB at the East-West Shrine's East practice on Day 1.
Super physical in 1 vs. 1s. Didn't give up a reception. pic.twitter.com/gZBkxfuE93
— Brendan Sonnone (@BSonnone) January 27, 2024
LB Steele Chambers, Ohio State
The Chargers will be looking to add to the linebacker room and one thing that they didn’t have from players at the position this past season was good coverage skills. Chambers showed some good stuff in that department, breaking up a pass intended for RB Frank Gore Jr. He also showed the ability to read, react, and get downhill to the ball carrier in the run game.
.@OhioStateFB LB Steele Chambers looked really good in coverage throughout the day. Had a great rep late in the West practice today against Southern Miss RB Frank Gore Jr. pic.twitter.com/EbAaeNRu3p
— Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) January 28, 2024
DT Myles Murphy, North Carolina
Most of my attention was directed toward the trenches today, and another player who dominated was Murphy. Murphy won with finesse, flashing a swipe-chop move to get into the backfield. He also demonstrated his strength, walking OL CJ Hanson back into the quarterback’s lap. He posted 15 tackles for loss, six sacks, and 35 QB pressures over the past three seasons.
.@UNCFootball DL Myles Murphy told me Friday that he's "strong as hell" and that he believes nobody can stop his bull rush. Well, he showed that on Day 1.
Walks Holy Cross' CJ Hanson right into the QB's lap. Impressive rep. pic.twitter.com/Q0bdQQsEDl
— Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) January 28, 2024
