Chargers' East-West Shrine Bowl Notebook: Day 1 Wide Receiver Standouts

Recapping Day 1 of the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Nicholas Cothrel | Jan 28, 2023

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Los Angeles Chargers

LAS VEGAS – The first day of East-West Shrine Bowl practice from the Fertitta Center at UNLV is in the books. Each team completed 90 minute sessions, starting with the East team before transitioning to the West squad.

With the Chargers conceivably in the market to add a wide receiver, I followed the group of pass-catchers for most of the day.

I spotted four Chargers scouts or personnel members that were on hand for today's practice session. Just one year ago, the Chargers selected two players that came through the East-West Shrine Bowl, featuring sixth-round cornerback Ja'Sir Taylor and seventh-round fullback Zander Horvath.

Here are the wide receivers that separated themselves on Day 1:

Wake Forest WR A.T. Perry

It didn’t take much for Perry to catch the eye of those in attendance. Among the wide receiver group, he undoubtedly stood out.

In one-on-one drills, Perry won nearly every rep, beating his opposition, particularly in the deep part of the field in what became quite evident that he has the speed to win vertically.

Across two separate phases of team period drills, Perry maintained his dominance. He hauled in a contested catch across the middle with a defender draped over his back, and routinely showcased his long speed on shot plays. He's a long-strider who gains ground quickly, presenting a combination of adequate size for the position at 6'3" and 195 pounds, paired with enough burst to get downfield.

Perry could be an interesting draft target for the Chargers as they sit in need of pure speed out wide.

Liberty WR Demario Douglas

Another pass-catcher that popped as a result of excellent burst was Demario Douglas. While he measured in at 5'7" and 175 pounds, he brought the juice across the multitude of ways he was given the ball.

Douglas operated primarily out of the slot alignment, winning more of his 1-on-1s than he lost. During team period, he flashed his ability to stretch the defense deep, while also offering contributions on shallow routes.

Douglas was deployed on an end-around that went about 15 yards before the first defender made contact with him. He also contributed on special teams, handling the punt return duties.

His size will be the ultimate question of how he'll hold up in the NFL. But if Douglas is able to answer doubt on that behalf with a few more quality days of practice, he could rise up draft boards.

Louisiana WR Michael Jefferson

Michael Jefferson helped himself greatly on Saturday, particularly in the way he fought through contact to secure the catch. Jefferson, even when being held by the defender on more than one occasion, remained poise to come down with the grab.

During red zone work, Jefferson used his 6'3" and 202-pound frame to body out his defender and put himself in good position to make the catch. He high-pointed the ball over smaller sized cornerbacks, taking advantage of mismatches.

Jefferson looked a tick slower than Perry and Douglas, but still showed plenty of promise for what he can do at the next level. His physicality was quite evident.

Non-participate: Boston College WR Zay Flowers

Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers, a projected first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is one of the headliners at this year's event. Flowers, however, didn’t participate during Saturday's practice. Instead, he showed the leadership qualities that he has to offer, engaging with teammates and coaches off to the side. It's unclear if he will begin football activity at any point throughout the week.

Players sidelined with injuries

USC RB Travis Dye
Michigan TE Luke Schoonmaker
Georgia WR Kearis Jackson
Fresno State WR Nikko Remigio
Quincy OL BJ Wilson
Clemson OL Jordan McFadden
Pittsburgh OL Carter Warren
San Jose State DL Viliami Fehoko

Late additions to East-West Shrine Bowl rosters

Clemson WR Joseph Ngata
UCLA OL Jon Gaines