Day 3 Shrine Bowl 2024 Practice: 4 East players who impressed feat. Illinois WR Isaiah Williams
It’s Day 3 of Shrine Bowl week as practices are winding down in anticipation of Thursday’s kickoff.
Yet Monday was not a day of rest for the players, who took to Ford Field early Monday morning for another practice in front of NFL scouts. Once again it was pass catchers and linemen who stole the day.
Here were four East players who stood out:
#1 Jowon Briggs, DT, Cincinnati
Briggs had a terrific initial day of practice Saturday and topped that performance Monday. He’s big, powerful and very explosive.
Briggs dominated opponents, driving them off the line of scrimmage and collapsing the pocket while also displaying great quickness. Plays were blown dead on multiple occasions to prevent Briggs from damaging quarterbacks, and his power and penetration of the line gave him a free shot at the passer.
Briggs has proven he has a place on the field starting Sundays this fall.
#2 Drake Stoops, WR, Oklahoma
Stoops is another who has turned in three solid days of practice, yet he had an extra edge to his game Monday.
He’s a smaller receiver, measuring under five-foot-nine, yet he’s incredibly quick and runs great routes. Rather than covering Stoops, defenders were limited to chasing him around the field and were constantly getting torched by the diminutive wideout.
The only time Stoops failed to catch the ball were off-target throws that sailed over his head.
#3 Isaiah Williams, WR, Illinois
For the third day in a row, a pass catcher from Illinois has stood out and impressed scouts. Williams has been consistent throughout all the practice sessions and could’ve easily been mentioned in this column Saturday or Sunday. Yet he was very effective Monday and was virtually impossible to cover.
Williams ran great routes and had defensive backs twisting in the wind trying to stay with him. He constantly separated from opponents to give his quarterback an open target and showed reliable hands.
Williams is not a super-fast vertical receiver, rather he’s a Day 3 pick who could be a perfect fit for a timing or West Coast offense.
#4 Kyle Hergel, OL, Boston College
Hergel was a late fill-in, and Monday was his first practice, yet he looked as though he’s been playing all week with the guys at Shrine practice. Hergel was strong, tough and did a great job holding his ground and anchoring the line.
What I found so impressive was that Hergel lined up at center Monday, a position that was pretty much foreign to him. Throughout his college career, Hergel was a guard on both the left and right side.
On Monday, he looked as though he’s been playing the center spot for an eternity. The versatility to line up at any of the three interior positions on the offensive line is very appealing to NFL scouts.