Shrine Bowl Buzz: D-Line Prospects Standing Out

Multiple defensive line prospects popped at the Shrine Bowl practices and the Denver Broncos' radar should be popping off.

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive lineman Jordan Phillips (8) takes the field before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at SECU Stadium. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos have a sneaky need on the interior defensive line. D.J. Jones is poised to be a free agent, with Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, and Malcolm Roach all entering a contract year in 2025.

The Broncos can also do with upgrading Jordan Jackson, Eyioma Uwazurike, and Matt Henningsen for depth. One way Denver can cover for the potential loss of Jones this year and the loss of others next year is through the NFL draft. 

Eyes were on Frisco, TX, as teams sent scouts to the Shrine Bowl. They landed some talented players to participate, especially on the defensive line.

Kenneth Grant (Michigan) was the top guy but did not participate in practices despite being viewed as a round-one player. In that vacuum, others stepped up in a big way, especially some big-bodied nose tackle types. 

Jordan Phillips (Maryland), C.J. West (Indiana), and Zeke Biggers (Georgia Tech) were the top three tackles during practices and consistently made an impact. All three are 310-plus pounds. West checked in at 312, Phillips at 318, and Biggers at 320.

Phillips (6-foot-1) and West (6-foot) don't have the length of Biggers (6-foot-5), but that didn’t keep them from having the best weeks of the bunch. They were stout against the run in team drills, created messy pockets in passing team drills, and rarely lost their one-on-ones. 

Phillips and West's technique helps them be consistent with their play, with the former employing knee-drop technique to stall double-team attempts. As for Biggers, his length and power covered up for some technical issues, but he displayed a good sense of awareness in team drills and stayed in phase throughout the plays.

Biggers has a chance to be a starter as a nose tackle in his rookie year, while Phillips and West can be moved around the defensive line. 

However, the Shrine Bowl wasn’t a big week just for these three players. 

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Cam Horsley (Boston College) had a substantial third day of practice and got better each day. It will be interesting to see whether this carries over to the final day of practice and the game on January 30. Eric Gregory (Arkansas) had a similar week to Horsley, but Gregory started to stand out on the second day of practice. 

Nash Hutmacher (Nebraska) didn’t often stand out in pass-rush opportunities but showed enough to try to develop. However, he was probably the best run defender on the defensive line.

Hutmacher was rarely moved from his spot and did well controlling his blockers. Hutmacher has some shades of Derek Wolfe as a run defender despite being a little shorter and about 20 pounds heavier than Wolfe was entering the draft. 

A big surprise was Sean Martin (West Virginia), who had a solid tap but was very hit-or-miss. What was surprising was how consistent he was.

Martin didn’t have these big boom plays, but he consistently did his job in every play and had an impact. He measured in at 6-foot-5 and 289 pounds, which might be less than ideal for the Broncos. 

Tonka Hemingway (South Carolina) and Warren Brinson (Georgia) had one down day and a couple of big days. Hemingway stepped up on the second and third days of practice, while Brinson stood out on the first and third. Hemingway was a late addition, and I don’t have his measurements, but Brinson has a very enticing size at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, with 34-inch arms. 

On the flip side, some had heads turned away from them. Nazir Stackhouse (Georgia) only had a few reps he won but was controlled for most, and he was MIA in team drills. J.J. Pegues (Ole Miss) had a massive rep on the first day of practice in team drills, but that was the only positive noteworthy play he had. 

The defensive line class is one of the strong ones in the draft. The Broncos need help, and the early looks at these guys have been great.

Next up and already rolling is the Senior Bowl, loaded with massive bodies on the defensive line. There are as many players over 330 pounds as under 300 pounds, with an average height of 6-foot-3 and an average weight of 313 pounds.

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