8 Shrine Bowl Risers Broncos Should Have an Eye On

The Shrine Bowl is in the books and these prospects might find themselves on the Denver Broncos' radar.

Erick Trickel | Feb 1, 2025

Jan 30, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; East running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt of Arizona (31) runs with the ball against the West during the second half at AT&T Stadium. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Denver Broncos

The Shrine Bowl's week of practice and meetings is more important than the game regarding the NFL draft. Teams want to see how the prospects who caught their eye during the week do in the game, but it's not as crucial as how they perform during the practices.

The Denver Broncos had staff on hand and have dipped into the Shrine Bowl player pool at times over the years. Let’s examine some of the standouts from the week, most of whom play positions at which the Broncos could use some help.

It was a lopsided game for the East roster despite the West having a better week of practice, which is why the actual game still does matter somewhat. The East roster shut out the West roster for the first time since 1969.

Because of the East's dominance, five of their players are on this list, but only three from the West. Let’s start with the West's standouts.

West Team

Tre Stewart | RB | Jacksonville State

While the West struggled, Stewart did well whenever he had the ball. He picked up 19 yards on three rushing attempts and 14 yards on two catches.

Two of Stewart's five touches resulted in first downs, leading the way. But it isn’t about the stats. Stewart was quick to get going with a good burst. This allowed him to pick up yards even with questionable blocking upfront.

Teddye Buchanan | LB | California

While linebackers can struggle to stand out during practice, Buchanan did what he could, and it carried over to the game. He looked quick and smooth when working in coverage, stayed in phases working laterally, and attacked downhill with good force.

Nohl Williams | CB | California

A few California defensive backs did well, but Williams was the best in the group. He broke up a pass that was nearly picked off by one of the other California defensive backs. Williams was sticky in coverage and made some big plays against the run.

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East Team

Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | Arizona

There wasn’t a better back in practice or the game. Croskey-Merritt was quick and agile, with good vision. He picked up 97 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. However, he did have a drop on his lone opportunity as a receiver.

Efton Chism III | WR | Eastern Washington

Chism is a slot receiver with the quickness and agility to open quickly. There are similarities between how he wins as a receiver to L.A.'s Cooper Kupp and it is an easy-to-see comparison. Despite being a little smaller, Chism also gives it his all as a blocker and at least gets in the way of defenders.

Johnny Walker Jr. | Edge | Missouri

The East had three guys living in the backfield. Walker showed explosive speed to consistently win around the edge, picking up seven pressures in the game. He also did well in setting a fine edge.

Elijah Ponder | Edge | Cal Poly

The smaller school pass rusher had back-to-back plays in the game of blowing up the play. The first was a run, and then there was pressure to disrupt the quarterbacks' flow. Ponder was quick and showed a good foundation with his pass-rush moves to win in different ways.

Tonka Hemingway | IDL | South Carolina

Although he arrived late for the practices, Hemingway showed up on the second day and stood out every day. He was unstoppable in blocking drills and team drills. This all came to fruition in the game, with five pressures and consistent play as a run defender, even when handling double teams.

8 Shrine Bowl Risers Broncos Should Have an Eye On

Erick Trickel | Feb 1, 2025

West Team

East Team

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