It’s the most wonderful time of the year. As the NFL season reaches its crescendo, the fans of the 28 teams who’ve already waved goodbye to the 2024 season begin to turn their attentions to the future, in the hope that the coming offseason sees their beloved team make the necessary improvements to one day reach the promised lands of Super Bowl contention. 

The coaching merry-go-round is in full swing and big money will be thrown around in the free agent market in March when the new league year kicks off, yet perhaps the most exciting part of the offseason officially gets under way this weekend as the first major All-Star event of the year welcomes NFL prospects through its doors. 

It’s Draft Season, baby. 

While for some, draft season is a way of life, a never ending cycle of watching tape, studying form and analysing everything from a young player’s hand size to their go-to McDonalds order, the All-Star events offer an accessible jumping on point prior to the Combine and the NFL Draft itself. 

First up is the East-West Shrine Bowl as the first practice sessions of the week take place on Saturday. While there is a game to play at the end of the week, it’s in the practice sessions and in meetings with teams where these young prospects can make the biggest impact on their draft stock. 

Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort is someone that places an emphasis on these All-Star events, having selected 7 players who appeared in the Shrine Bowl over his two drafts since taking the reins of the organisation in 2023. 

Jon Gaines, Kei’Trel Clark, Dante Stills, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Tip Reiman, Xavier Thomas and Tejhaun Palmer can all count themselves as Shrine Bowl alums.  

Those players may have all had varying degrees of success in their early careers but Cardinals fans should be some of the most interested in the outcomes of both the Shrine and Senior Bowls over the next 7 days.

It wouldn’t be a shock if Ossenfort shops from the All-Star range again come draft time. 

To kick off our 2025 NFL Draft coverage – which will be the most extensive yet – here are 9 players that Arizona Cardinals fans should be keeping an eye on at the Shrine Bowl. 

Kenneth Grant – DT – Michigan 

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before – the Arizona Cardinals have to shore up their run defence. While the defence showed a marked improvement during 2024, with some admirable performances, they were still vulnerable to being undone on the ground. Only 6 teams gave up more yards per carry (4.6) and 9 teams gave up more rushing plays of 20+ yards (12).

There is a big hole in the middle of the team’s front seven. A hole that could be filled by the looming presence of Kenneth Grant. 

A former CFP national champion with the Michigan Wolverines, Grant is a dominant defensive tackle who will put fear into the hearts of the offensive lineman who have to take him on during 1-on-1s at practice. He’s going to make some of them look incredibly silly. 

Having been part of a star-studded Wolverines squad during his time in Ann Arbor, 2024 was the first year where Grant was a genuine starter, though he was a significant contributor in the national championship run. This past season he created 24 pressures with 3 sacks and was credited with 5 batted passes. 

That output went some way to earning him a 83 PFF grade, with a 86.3 grade against the run and a 75.4 pass rush grade. 

Grant wears his near 340 pound weight well, being in arguably the best possible shape a young man of that size and stature can be, which has aided him in having quickness that belies his size – just ask Penn State’s Kaytron Allen. 

The 21-year-old is also fully aware of how to utilise his size, often swallowing up double teams and treating offensive linemen like toddlers when stacking and shedding. When he anchors down, it’s like a truck has been parked across the defensive line.

While Grant is more of a pocket collapser than a true penetrator, he does have a refined swim move that can get him upfield and the mere sight of him can cause quarterbacks to panic.

There are a couple of concerns with Grant and they go hand-in-hand. There are times where his pad level is inconsistent so he can get out leveraged and as he doesn’t possess the longest arms in the world, it can be a struggle for him to shed the block. Creating that consistency will be key to his long-term success. 

What to watch out for: Any 1-on-1 footage. It should be entertaining. 

Cam Horsley – DT – Boston College 

Cam Horsley is a run-stopping beast who held down the fort at the heart of the Boston College Eagles defence. 

The veteran finished his college career with 164 tackles and 18.5 TFLs over the course of 59 games in the maroon and gold. 

Notching a 14.4% run-stop rate this year, Horsley was often responsible for taking on double teams which would in turn allow highly-touted prospect Donovan Ezeiruaku to wreak havoc, with tackles left on an island against the pass-rusher. 

Utilising his imposing frame, Horsley was involved in six pass break-ups in his final two years at college, and his desire to make an impact on every play will appeal to coaches. 

Likely an early-down lineman in the NFL, if a coaching staff can help Horsley implement a couple of pass-rush moves into his weaponry, he’d be a nightmare for offences. 

What to watch out for: Has he been hiding some snazzy pass-rush moves? 

CJ West – DT – Indiana 

As Indiana made an unlikely march to the College Football Playoffs, one of their most eye-catching prospects was a defensive tackle transfer from Kent State, by the name of CJ West. 

Having ironed out some of the more alarming holes West had shown at Kent State, specifically improving his reaction time to the ball being snapped and being more consistent with his pad level, the redshirt senior made waves against both the rush and pass. 

A PFF run defence grade of 88.1, a pass rush win rate of 10.1% and a run-stop rate of 11.4% led to West being the outlet’s #2 ranked interior defensive linemen in the Big 10. 

Predominantly lined up in the A gap, with some B gap flexibility, West was able to take the step up in competition in his stride with some of his best work coming against his best opposition in Michigan, Notre Dame and Washington. 

He brings a rabid mentality to the defensive front which could be a positive and a negative for his evaluation. Teams will love the heart and violence but it does go overboard at times leading to wild tackling attempts and overcommitting which can be countered by better players. 

In a stacked defensive tackle class, that perspective could make all the difference. 

What to watch out for: Can CJ West shine in spite of Kenneth Grant’s presence?

Antwaun Powell-Ryland – EDGE – Virginia Tech 

Unfortunately for the Shrine Bowl, nearly the entirety of the top pass-rushing talent will instead be on display in Mobile for the Senior Bowl. 

Shrine Bowl offensive linemen may breathe a sigh of relief, but they should be wary of Virginia Tech’s Antwaun Powell-Ryland, a bonafide quarterback hunter with the trophies mounted on his wall to prove it. 

Powell-Ryland has logged 24 sacks over the past two years (14 in 2024) and 53 QB hurries (25 in 2024), with his explosive athleticism and rapid-fire first step helping him to expose offensive tackles with ease before showing good bend to hone in on the QB. 

He doesn’t solely rely on his traits though, you don’t get to the quarterback that often simply through being a good athlete, with the two-time 2024 ACC Defensive Linemen of the Week possessing one of the largest and most consistent arrays of pass-rushing moves in the class. 

Able to win with a club-rip, a swim move, an inside spin and using his hands well to counter blocking attempts, he shows a maturity and nuance that will make him an immediate contributor in the NFL. 

That understanding of his tools does conflict with the fact that the sack artist seems strongly opposed to using his length to gain an advantage. The one move he doesn’t use is a long arm which should be his bread and butter. 

Developing that would give him a better chance against the grown-ass men he’ll face in the NFL, as there are occasions on tape where bigger bodied offensive tackles can slow him down. 

What to watch out for: How does Powell-Ryland deal with the big boys here?

Chris Paul Jr. Ole Miss – ILB

A second-team All-SEC and a first-team All-American (by USA Today) in 2024, Chris Paul Jr. brings the coverage skills that were lacking in the Cardinals linebacking room this year. 

Paul’s 19 coverage stops was tied for 15th in the nation amongst linebackers, with his 4 forced incompletions tied for 26th, highlighting the instincts and recognition skills that are easily identifiable for anyone who watched Ole Miss’s defence over the past year. 

It was an area that the linebacker wanted to address when he transferred to Ole Miss, with this year being by far his best in that area of the field. 

Nicknamed “Pooh” by his family, the Arkansas graduate may also be the best tackler amongst the 2024 linebacker class. Showing textbook execution when bringing down the ball carrier, Paul missed just 4 tackles all season and despite being undersized for the position he brings an intensity that shocks much bigger men. 

Having been a key part of bringing together a defence that boasted several first-year transfers which would go on to be the nation’s second stingiest – giving up 14.4 points per game – is a testament to Chris Paul’s character. He feels like a Ossenfort/Gannon type of dude. 

What to watch out for: If you’re still clinging onto the dream of being pulled out of the stands to play a few downs for the Cardinals one day, watch Paul Jr tackle. You might learn a thing or two. 

Jay Higgins – Iowa – ILB

If Chris Paul Jr. feels like a Ossenfort/Gannon type of dude, then Iowa’s Jay Higgins IS THE archetypal Ossenfort/Gannon type of dude. A leader with a burning passion for football who sets the tone from the first snap and doesn’t stop until the last one. 

Winner of the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year award this season, Higgins was a two-time captain at Iowa and led by example with 124 tackles, a sack, a couple of forced fumbles and five passes defended in 2024. 

The linebacker also has a nose for the football, making four interceptions this year, using highly-honed instincts and understanding of the game to almost always be in the right position to attack the ball. PFF credited him with a 92.1 coverage grade. 

While he doesn’t possess any elite athletic traits, Higgins has made almost a skill out of taking an opportunity and never letting go of it. His only power conference offer out of high school was from Iowa and over the last two years has proven himself to be one of the more capable inside linebackers in college football. 

He plays like someone is about to rip his career away from him but that eagerness can sometimes bleed into being overzealous. He will have to clean up his tackling, having a missed tackle rate of 9.7% (from 12 missed tackles) this year, to excel in the pros. 

What to watch out for: Cardinals Defensive Quality Control Ronald Booker will be coaching the West linebackers at the Shrine Bowl. Jay Higgins is on the West roster. 

Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson – OT – Florida

Similarly to the EDGE position, the whos-who of offensive linemen from this class are actually at the Senior Bowl. However, if one of the Shrine Bowl attendees can catch the eye at offensive tackle, it’ll be Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson out of Florida and not just because he’s fucking massive. 

At 6’7, 315 lbs is very much a grown man and he’s also a highly experienced football player, clocking up over 3000 snaps in a college football career that saw him play at San Diego before transferring to the Florida Gators. 

Having played extensively at both left and right tackle, Crenshaw-Dickson used his immense size and strength this year to great effect in the Gators run game and when challenged by some of the brightest pass-rushing prospects in the game. The big man had impressive outings against James Pearce Jr., Nic Scourton and Mykel Williams. 

Giving up one sack and 11 hurries helped to earn Crenshaw-Dickson a 80.3 PFF grade. 

As with many prospects, a great strength can also be a great weakness and because of his height, Crenshaw-Dickson automatically finds himself playing with a higher than desirable pad level which might be a harsh reality rather than a coachable issue. 

You’d also like to see a big boy like him be nastier.

What to watch out for: How will Crenshaw-Dickson react against the rushers with multiple ways of winning? 

Ricky White – WR – UNLV 

1032 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns, 4 blocked punts, team captain, Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year. 2024 was a busy year for Ricky White. 

A highly productive wide receiver for UNLV, White has terrorised the Mountain West Conference, gaining 3141 yards and 23 touchdowns over the past three years, in no small part due to his ability to tear the top off defences with his speed and separation ability. 

In spite of that output, questions will remain over the tightness that White has in both his releases and his hips when changing directions. His stunted releases present most obviously when facing press-man coverage. Once White gets going, it’s hard to stop him but you can stop him before he gets going. 

His outstanding efforts on special teams, blocking more punts than anyone else in college football this past season, will mean he should be guaranteed a roster spot in the league while he works on those areas of his game. 

What to watch out for: How does he manage against the best cornerbacks here? 

Nick Nash – WR – San Jose State

There are a number of prospect every year who enter college as budding quarterbacks before being shifted to a more fitting position or those who dabbled in their high school days. 

There are few who start six games there in college and then move positions. There’s even fewer that go onto excel in their new found home. Nick Nash is one of the few. 

Displaying an automatic understanding of where his quarterback wants him (for obvious reasons), Nash was one of the finest deep threats in all of college football last year. Ranking 3rd overall amongst wide receivers for deep catches (17) and 19th for deep yards (479), the former QB racked up 1032 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

It shouldn’t be surprising that someone that spent his entire football career in charge of handling the football is a genuinely good catcher of the ball, plucking it from outside his frame rather than using his chest, but he does that far better than some seasoned wide receiver prospects. 

At 6’3, Nash provides rare length for the position especially considering he was utilised as a slot receiver at San Jose, being #1 overall for slot yards and slot catches in the country (1244 yards, 91 catches). You don’t get many 6’3 slot receivers. 

Though he’s been able to translate some of his quarterback skills to the receiver position, other parts of the game are still relatively new to Nash, best highlighted by his route running in the short and intermediate game. A “work in progress” is being kind. It’s 2025, we’re being nice this year. 

What to watch out for: Again, how does he manage against the best cornerbacks? Nash could fly or plummet based on that.

Image Credits: Murin Independent Journal, UNLV Rebels, Gators Wire, Hawkeyes Wire, 247 Sports