5 sleeper prospects who stood out at East-West Shrine Bowl

Cal linebacker Teddye Buchanan among standouts at East-West Shrine Bowl

Over the last few years, the Los Angeles Rams and general manager Les Snead have done a good job finding good value with under the radar prospects. Players like Puka Nacua and Kobie Turner are two that immediately come to mind. It’s college all-star game season and the East-West Shrine Bowl took place in Dallas over the weekend. This is where the Rams found Kobie Turner and Desjuan Johnson in 2023. Here are five players that stood out.

LB Teddye Buchanan

Given how the NFC Championship game ended with the Philadelphia Eagles rushing for 285 yards and three long rushing touchdowns, there is going to be a lot of focus on the linebacker position this offseason. It would still be a relative surprise to see the Rams invest at linebacker, but that doesn’t mean they won’t draft a player at the position. If they can add a coverage linebacker that doesn’t get steam-rolled in the run game, that’s the perfect kind of player to pair next to Omar Speights.

One player that stood out at the Shrine Bowl was Cal linebacker Teddye Buchanan. Buchanan made a few really nice plays in coverage, but also did a nice job getting through traffic to make stops in the run game. In the play below, he flips his hips and makes a nice effort to get downfield to cover the deep cross. The play results in an incomplete pass.

However, where Buchanan could also be seen as a fit for the Rams is his ability as a blitz player. The Rams defense likes to use simulated pressures. That means that an edge player will typically drop into coverage while a linebacker or another second level player comes on a blitz. Buchanan could not be stopped in pass rush drills in Dallas. Last season at Cal he had 25 pressures which ranked ninth among linebackers.

iDL CJ West, Indiana

The Rams are going to need some defensive line depth in the draft. Bobby Brown III, Neville Gallimore, and Larrell Murchison are all pending free agents. Those three players are all key run stoppers in the defensive line rotation. The Rams have had no issues targeting players from the Shrine Bowl when it comes to the defensive line. That’s where they found Kobie Turner in 2023.

Over the weekend in Dallas at the Shrine Bowl, Indiana’s CJ West was a player that really stood out along the defensive line. He was nearly impossible to block and consistently found himself in the backfield. West showed that he can be a powerful player in the trenches and he’s a very good run defender.

WR Jacolby George, Miami

The Rams need some speed at wide receiver. Tutu Atwell will be a free agent and the lack of speed at the position really started to show by the end of the year. It would not be surprising to see them add multiple wide receivers this offseason and reconfigure the wide receiver room on the roster.

Jacolby George from Miami fits that billing. George displayed his speed at the Shrine Bowl, but also showed that he understood some of the nuances about the position when it comes to route-running. Whether it was a slight head bob or just being a sudden mover, he created plenty of separation against some of the defensive backs.

LB Chandler Martin, Memphis

One of the plays of the weekend came from Chandler Martin. The linebacker out of Memphis stole the ball from the wide receiver for an interception. That’s a player that showed how much he wants it. While he may not be an immediate contributor on a defense due to his size, Martin is someone that teams will like for that mindset alone.

Like Buchanan, Martin can hold his own in coverage, but displayed good closing speed and is always near the ball. Martin’s draft stock at the Shrine Bowl certainly went up with how he performed. Again, with the Rams not necessarily investing a lot at the position, this is another late-round option.

iDL Tonka Hemingway, South Carolina

Defensive line depth is another position that the Rams are going to need to focus on this offseason. While they may not need an immediate starter, especially if Brown gets brought back, it wouldn’t hurt to add some depth. While Hemingway is a little undersized at just 288 pounds, he showed the type of power that he’s able to produce and was a huge winner at the Shrine Bowl.

If anything, drafting a defensive lineman with the name “Tonka” passes the vibe check. Again, this is an undersized player, but his motor runs hot and his power that he brings in a small package is extremely underrated. Hemingway showed out at the Shrine Bowl over the weekend and will be a player to watch in the upcoming draft.

Honorable Mentions

• WR Konata Mumfield, Pitt
• iOL Marcus Wehr, Montana State
• EDGE Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State

The Shrine Bowl is all about finding under the radar prospects and giving them a platform to show NFL scouts what they are able to do. Konata Mumfield from Pitt is a player that was really impressive throughout the weekend. He made some nice plays on the first two days of practices, creating separation and making tough catches over the middle.

Last year, it was South Dakota State interior offensive lineman Mason McCormick who made a name for himself at the Shrine Bowl. Marcus Wehr from Montana State wasn’t perfect, but had some good moments. If a team needs interior offensive line depth, he’s certainly an option.