Broncos Shrine Bowl Prospects to Watch: West Team

The Shrine Bowl roster are out and the East Team features several intriguing names for the Denver Broncos.

As the Denver Broncos look to improve the roster, the team is in a bad salary cap situation. That makes it harder to enhance the roster through free agency. 

The NFL draft becomes even more important for the Broncos. 

One of the first steps of the draft process is the Shrine Game. While the Broncos don't have a coach on the East Team as they do on the West Team (QBs coach Davis Webb), they still can learn much about these prospects. 

Let's examine the key names on the East Team.

Quarterback

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• Devin Leary: Kentucky 
• Jack Plummer: Louisville
• Austin Reed: Western Kentucky 
• Jordan Travis: FSU

This group of quarterbacks is significantly more interesting than the West Team that Davis will be coordinating. Travis is dealing with an injury and won't play, but his presence gives scouts a chance to speak with him.

Reed is an intriguing option who could run the Sean Payton offense, and is currently projected as a later-round option but could still move up. Both Plummer and Leary can boost their stock during the week. They have tools to work with, and this will give them a chance to show them off.  

Running Back

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• Deshaun Fenwick: Oregon State 
• Isaac Guerendo: Louisville
• Jaden Shirden: Monmouth 
• Turone Tracy: Purdue

Fenwick is a bigger back, listed at over 220 pounds, but he still brings solid speed and explosiveness. He's reliable enough to consistently pick up at least three yards while protecting the ball.  

Wide Receiver

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• Anthony Gould: Oregon State 
• Cornelius Johnson: Michigan
• Tejhaun Palmer: UAB 
• Tayvion Robinson: Kentucky
• David White: Western Carolina 
• Isaiah Williams: Illinois

Johnson is a tall receiver who uses that frame quite well. He can attack every level of the field, and coming from Michigan, you know he will work as a blocker. 

Williams is a smaller receiver who is an electric player. He can work at every field level and has good quickness and speed. His catch radius is better than you'd expect for a receiver this size, but his hands are not the most reliable. 

Tight End

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• McCallan Castles: Tennessee 
• Dallin Holker: Colorado St
• Mason Pline: Furman 
• Tip Reiman: Illinois

Reiman is an effective blocker with good technique who could help at the NFL level immediately. He isn't much of a receiver, but he can be a solid safety outlet for quarterbacks. 

 Castles is a more rounded option, which brings a little more to the passing game besides a safety outlet, but his blocking will take some development for the NFL. 

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Offensive Tackle

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• Gottlieb Ayedze: Maryland 
• Julian Pearl: Illinois
• Walter Rouse: Stanford
• Nathan Thomass: Louisiana
• Caeden Wallace: Penn State 

Wallace is a big offensive tackle who may also be considered for moving inside. Over the last two years, he has allowed 25 pressures with two sacks. There are traits to work with to develop over a couple of years. 

Pearl is a tall and long tackle but has struggled a lot over his collegiate career. He may be a tackle-only prospect because he plays with a high pad level. In 2023 alone, he allowed seven sacks and 27 pressures.

Interior Offensive Line

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• Karsen Barnhart: Michigan X'Zauvea Gadlin: Liberty
• Trente Jones: Michigan 
• Kaitori Leveston: Kansas State
• Christian Mahogany: Boston College
• Hunter Nourzad: Penn Stae
• Jalen Sundell: North Dakota St

Nourzad is a latter center option who can also play at center at the NFL level. He may not have a lot of scheme versatility, which will limit some teams' interest. 

Barnhart can play either side of the line at tackle or guard. He started games for Michigan at both spots and right guard this season. There are also good enough traits to be scheme versatile. 

Jones has been a backup tackle and will likely be a guard at the NFL  level. His time at Michigan, while limited, was solid, but the technique will need a lot of work. He is best suited with a couple of years of development. 

Interior Defensive Line

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• Evan Anderson: FAU 
• Khristian Boyd: Northern Iowa
• Jowon Briggs: Cincinnati 
• Jamree Kromah: James Madison
• Zion Logue: Georgia 
• Fabien Lovett: FSU
• Leonard Taylor: Miami

Taylor is the best of the group and has a chance to go in the first round. He is a capable run defender and pass rusher. 

Lovett is a strong run defender but doesn't offer much as a pass rusher. As a rookie, he would only help the defensive line depth for run-downs.

Briggs may not have the ideal length for the NFL, which created college issues. He isn't a great run defender and didn't show enough as a pass rusher to make up for it. 

Edge

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• Khalid Duke: Kansas State  
• Mo Kamara: Colorado State
• Eyabi Okie-Anoma: Charlotte 
• Xavier Thomas: Clemson
• David Ugwoegbu: Houston

Thomas was underwhelming during his collegiate career, partially due to injuries. Over his six seasons, he has picked up 22 sacks and 103 pressures. 

Duke wasn't used the best during his time in college, and it affected his production. He did well as a run defender and pass rusher, but his role would be different in the NFL. 

Kamara doesn't have an ideal size for the NFL, but it wasn't a significant issue in college. There are ways to work around that at the NFL level. His production in college is eye-popping, though he didn't face the toughest of matchups. 

Linebackers

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• Aaron Casey: Indiana 
• Edgerrin Cooper: Texas A&M
• Kalen DeLoach: FSU 
• Jackson Mitchell: UConn
• Maema Njongmeta: Wisconsin

Casey has a lighter frame and is sometimes shown when making tackles. He seems to have a high football IQ and is quick to read and break down plays. There is good athleticism to work with, but you have a lot of developing to bring him along in coverage. 

DeLoach is an undersized linebacker, more of a box safety than a true linebacker. Some issues pop up as a run blocker, and he will need a defensive line that can keep him clean in the running game. 

Cornerbacks

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• Chigozie Anusiem: Colorado State 
• Renardo Green: FSU
• Jarrian Jones: FSU 
• Deante Prince: Ole Miss
• Tarheeb Still: Maryland 
• Ro Torrence: Arizona State
• Mikey Victor: Alabama State 
• Josh Wallace: Michigan

Anusiem was rough to watch. He allowed almost 65% of his targets to be caught and allowed four touchdowns. There aren't great ball skills, and he doesn't play to his size consistently enough. 

Green has a light frame, and it shows when it comes to his tackle attempts and playing through receivers. He does have good ball skills and length, which he uses to attack the catch point. 

Jones is the more enticing FSU corner at this point. His lighter frame isn't as problematic, and he is aggressive when attacking the ball. His ball skills are up to par for the NFL. 

Safety

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• Daijahn Anthony: Ole Miss 
• Omar Brown: Nebraska
• Jaylon Carlies: Missouri 
• Marcellas Dial: South Carolina
• Kenny Logan: Kansas State 
• Trey Taylor: Air Force

Carlies is a box safety who doesn't have much range. It wouldn't be surprising if the conversation of bulking him up and making him a full-time linebacker is prevalent during the draft process.

Both teams have some good prospects for the Broncos to dig into during the week. While a lot of time is left until the draft, first impressions can mean a lot. 

RELATED: Finding Broncos: Shrine Bowl Prospects to Watch | West Team

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