NFL Draft
1/21/25
8 min read
2025 NFL Draft: Shrine Bowl Prospects Who Could Shoot up Draft Boards
The Shrine Bowl’s roster isn’t as stacked as the Senior Bowl’s, but there will still be a lot of future NFL starters in attendance. Last year, 57 players who participated in the Shrine Bowl were drafted, and eight were selected in the first three rounds.
These are eight of my favorite players on this year’s Shrine roster, who have a chance to shoot up boards with a good performance. These aren’t necessarily my top eight prospects – I’ve chosen some players that I expect to be taken at different points on Day 2 or 3.
2025 Shrine Bowl Players to Watch
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) January 21, 2025
EDGE Bradyn Swinson – LSU 
Overall Rank: 38
Position Rank: 8
Consensus Rank: 72
NFL Comparison: Bruce Irvin/Kamerion Wimbley
I have a hard time figuring out why Bradyn Swinson isn’t getting more hype, but the Shrine Bowl is a valuable opportunity for him to cement himself as a Day 2 pick. Swinson is a multi-dimensional pass rusher with a dangerous blend of speed and power. He broke out as a fifth-year senior, recording 60 pressures and nine sacks.
His explosive burst off the line of scrimmage threatens the corner, and he uses a cross-chop, double swipe, and ghost move to negate the tackle’s punch. He’s also capable of converting his burst into power and pushing the pocket.
At 248 pounds, his anchor strength and contact balance are below average, so he’s probably best suited for a designated pass-rushing role. But he attacks blocks violently and has the lateral quickness to shoot gaps and make plays in the backfield.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) January 15, 2025
LB Chris Paul Jr – Ole Miss
Overall Rank: 46
Position Rank: 2
Consensus Rank: 103
NFL Comparison: Blake Cashman/David Long Jr.
Chris Paul Jr. is my second-ranked linebacker and a perfect fit for the modern NFL. He has effortless sideline range to win pursuit angles and stay on the playside edge of blocks.
He’s only 235 pounds, and he lacks the anchor to consistently absorb contact. He has a jarring punch that allows him to stay clean as he sifts through blocks at the second level. He’s a forceful and punishing tackler, but he’s also technically consistent and had a very low missed tackle rate (4.5%) in 2024.
Paul Jr. has a complete coverage skill set and can play all three downs. He has advanced play recognition in zone coverage and is capable of identifying backside digs. He can run vertically with man coverage assignments and stay connected through quick intermediate breaks. He’s also a force crashing downhill and weaving through traffic to defend screens and checkdowns.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) January 20, 2025
DL Jordan Phillips – Maryland 
Overall Rank: 103
Position Rank: 12
Consensus Rank: 220
NFL Comparison: Daron Payne
Maryland nose tackle Jordan Phillips didn’t have a very productive college career. He played just more than 1,000 snaps, never recorded a sack, and had 26 pressures in his final two seasons. But his athletic upside and the flashes he showed on tape were enough for him to declare for the draft as a true junior.
He’s densely built at 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, and has rare explosiveness and lateral twitch for a player of his size. He ranked 51st on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List and should put up impressive numbers at the combine.
Phillips is still figuring things out as a pass rusher, but he has a nice arsenal of moves in development, including a cross-chop, swipe, club-rip, and spin counter. He has extremely heavy hands to create knockback on initial contact and win an early advantage as a power rusher.
He also has exciting potential as a run defender. His lateral explosiveness allows him to instantly win leverage on reach blocks, and he uses an arm-over to lock his opponent out to the backside. He lifts the blocker’s pads with jarring upward strikes and has a flexible lower half to set a firm anchor.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) January 21, 2025
DL CJ West – Indiana
Overall Rank: 108
Position Rank: 13
Consensus Rank: 195
NFL Comparison: Danny Shelton
CJ West is another underrated nose tackle with pass-rushing upside who could boost his stock at the Shrine Bowl. West has four seasons of starting experience and almost 2,000 career snaps under his belt. He’s listed at 317 pounds and has an impressive combination of size, explosiveness, and lateral quickness.
West lacks ideal arm length but has quick and powerful hands to disengage from blocks at the point of attack. He’s capable of shooting gaps to evade contact and disrupt blocking flow, although he’s inconsistent as a wrap-up tackler and left some production on the field. He also has an exceptional motor and quick play recognition to chase down slip screens.
West is probably not a three-down player in the NFL, but he’s dynamic enough to contribute some as a pass rusher. He can push the pocket with his bull rush or use a cross-chop, swipe, or club-swim to quickly defeat blocks. He needs to improve his hand accuracy, however, as his short arms limit his margin for error and give blockers more access to his frame.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) January 21, 2025
CB Cobee Bryant – Kansas
Overall Rank: 114
Position Rank: 14
Consensus Rank: 116
NFL Comparison: What people thought Emmanuel Forbes would be
Cobee Bryant is a ballhawk with 13 career interceptions and as many highlight plays as any corner in this class. He has a very slender build, weighing just 170 pounds, but his long arms allow him to reach into passing lanes and make plays at the catch point.
Bryant is very instinctive in zone coverage, consistently reading high-low concepts and baiting quarterbacks into bad decisions. He has smooth hips to swivel and mirror breaks, but his speed and explosiveness are disappointing for such a light player. Despite his lack of size, Bryant is one of the best run defenders in this class. He’s absolutely fearless of contact and does a great job using his length to shed blocks on the perimeter.
His measurables will scare some teams off, but zone-heavy schemes will value his processing ability and nose for the football. A good showing in the Shrine Bowl one-on-ones should solidify Bryant as an early Day 3 pick.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) January 9, 2025
OT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson – Florida
Overall Rank: 129
Position Rank: 12
Consensus Rank: 273
NFL Comparison: Morgan Moses
The offensive line is the most underwhelming position group on the Shrine Bowl roster, but Florida right tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson is an intriguing prospect. He’s listed at 6-foot-7, 322 pounds, and has a massive frame with long arms.
Crenshaw-Dickson faced a lot of NFL pass rushers this year and performed well, only allowing twelve pressures on 337 pass-blocking snaps. His Week 3 matchup with Nic Scourton (Texas A&M) was particularly dominant).
He offsets his average pocket range and foot speed with powerful and accurate hands, and his anchor is rarely displaced by power rushers. He’s one of the best drive blockers in this class and will be coveted by teams that major in duo, power, and counter.
Most tall offensive linemen struggle to play low enough to generate displacement off the line of scrimmage, but Crenshaw-Dickson creates consistent displacement without lunging into contact.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) December 13, 2024
CB Zah Frazier – UTSA 
Overall Rank: 166
Position Rank: 24
Consensus Rank: 231
NFL Comparison: Rejzohn Wright
Zah Frazier is the next high-upside UTSA cornerback with absurd measurables. He isn’t quite as athletic as Riq Woolen, but Frazier’s college tape is much better. Listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, Frazier recorded six interceptions and five pass breakups in his first year as a starter.
He’s an overwhelming press corner with a devastating two-hand punch and his wingspan forces receivers into wide angles of departure off the line of scrimmage. He’s also explosive driving on routes from off coverage and only needs a couple of steps to close separation.
Frazier is scheme-dependent and struggles to make smooth transitions in man coverage, but he could find a role in a press-cover 3 system.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) January 17, 2025
QB Max Brosmer – Minnesota
Overall Rank: 185
Position Rank: 8
Consensus Rank: 309
NFL Comparison: Cooper Rush
Max Brosmer is a fascinating Day 3 quarterback prospect who probably won’t be an NFL starter but could have a long career as a backup. Brosmer is a surgical intermediate passer with the processing quickness and precise ball placement to dice up zone coverage.
He’s one of the best anticipatory throwers I’ve ever seen at the college level, consistently releasing the ball before his receiver is out of his break. He also has a strong arm and can throw with touch over the middle or to the sideline.
At 6-foot-2, Brosmer struggles to see over crowded passing lanes, and he lacks the mobility to evade pressure. This makes him a sitting duck with minimal escapability when the pocket heats up. His deep accuracy was dreadful in 2024 and he routinely sailed deep posts, but he has a chance to show improvement in this area at the Shine Bowl.
Make sure to check out our new home for all of our NFL Draft content.
