NFL Draft: 2022 East West Shrine Bowl Day Three Recap - West Team

The NFL Draft Bible is on location for the 97th Annual East-West Shrine Bowl, the longest running college football all-star game.

The NFL Draft Bible | Feb 2, 2022

LAS VEGAS — A handful of players have earned high marks during the 97th Annual East-West Shrine Bowl as we get closer to game day. Before we highlight some movers and shakers from day three, let's first look at some of the coaches for the West squad.

Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Marcus Brady will serve as head coach for the West team. Additional staff includes offensive coordinator Klayton Adams (Indianapolis Colts TE coach), defensive coordinator Jeff Howard (Cleveland Browns defensive pass game coordinator), special teams coach Ben Jacobs (Washington Football Team assistant special teams coach), QB coach Jerrod Johnson (Indianapolis Colts offensive QC) and RB coach Jennifer King (Washington Football Team assistant RB coach), amongst others.

Also coaching on West defense will be DL coach Jeff Zgonina (Washington Football Team assistant DL coach), LB coach Anthony Blevins (New York Giants assistant LB/SPT assistant coach) and DB coach Nick Perry (Atlanta Falcons assistant DB coach), amongst others.

Remember to keep it locked to NFL Draft Bible for exclusive, around-the-clock coverage of the 2022 NFL Draft! When you subscribe to our premium content and go ‘All Access,’ you’ll unlock over 500 in-depth scouting reports, access to all premium content across SI.com, plus an annual subscription to Sports Illustrated the magazine. Here are some of the notable players from East-West Shrine Bowl day three of practice (West):

#88 TE Chigoziem Okonkwo, Maryland, 6021, 242, 0948, 3248, 7800

Mr. Nonchalant, it was a big day for Okonkwo who showcased his pass-catching abilities, making several impressive grabs both over the middle and working the sideline, including a ho-hum spin catch in the end zone, which highlighted some of the agility he possesses. Okonkwo has a knack for finding the open seam and while he lacks prototypical tight end size, he does offer mismatch potential in situational packages. Teams who employ a high number of “12” and “13” personnel (multiple tight end sets), would likely value him slightly higher than other organizations. Okonkwo does own dependable hands and above-average athleticism, so it should be relatively easy for NFL teams to find a way to implement him into the offense. His draft grade could very well fluctuate leading up to April.

#51 OT Jalen McKenzie, USC, 6046, 307, 1028, 3428, 8048

One of the great benefits of the new all-star game schedule is seeing prospects who performed well at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, get called up to East-West Shrine Bowl for an additional look against another pool of draft-eligible players. After a stellar week in Pasadena, USC offensive tackle Jalen McKenzie received the call to ‘The Valley’ in the desert and he wasted no time making his presence felt. He made a big seal block on one play against Houston defensive lineman David Anenih to open up a rushing lane that you could drive a tractor trailer through. McKenzie also flashed some of his sound footwork in pass protection and looked more than adequate of surviving on the island. The three-year starter is as polished as any offensive line prospect between Pasadena and Vegas. It’s clear that McKenzie has the makeup of a starting right tackle at the next level and could be chosen in the middle rounds of the draft.

#N/A OT Jaxon Kirkland, Washington

In an unfortunate chain of events, Washington offensive lineman Jaxon Kirkland withdrew from the East-West Shrine Bowl after learning that a previous ankle injury was much more serious than first diagnosed and will require surgery. In fact, according to multiple reports, Kirkland will petition the NCAA to return back to college in 2022. The deadline to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft was on January 17th. The league then grants a three-day grace period for any player who has yet to sign with an agent and would like to return back to school. In recent seasons, the NCAA has made a handful of exemptions, which has gone against their traditional stance. It’s a situation worth monitoring, as we are now two weeks past that deadline date. Kirkland will reportedly undergo surgery with Dr. Robert Anderson on Tuesday and expects a full recovery, according to the Seattle Times.

One of the draft’s projected top OT prospects, @jaxson_kirkland, has opted out of the 2022 Draft after learning an ankle injury he suffered at Washington was more severe than thought, per source. He will undergo surgery Tuesday with Dr. Robert Anderson and expects a full recovery
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 1, 2022