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The 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl practices kick off on Monday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. and feature some of the top draft talent in the annual showcase. The NFL, the CFL and the XFL will have scouts and members of the front office in attendance to try and find some talent to add to their football teams in the upcoming year.
The Bucs’ brass will also be in attendance over the next six days, and PewterReport.com has compiled a list of Shrine Bowl participants at several positions of need for Tampa Bay, for fans to keep an eye on this week. Stay tuned to PewterReport.com all week for East-West Shrine Bowl coverage.
EAST TEAM
MichiUCF RB Adrian Killins, Jr. – Photo by: Getty Images
UCF RB Adrian Killins, Jr. – 5-8, 164 – Senior
The Daytona Beach native isn’t the biggest running back in the East-West Shrine Bowl, in fact he could be the smallest. But with his small size comes a lightning quick running back who put up some notable career stats while in college at UCF, including the school record for career average per rush (5.75 yards), ranking 10th in program history with 1,753 yards rushing and tied for seventh in program history with 25 touchdowns and (18 rushing and seven receiving). Bucs head coach Bruce Arians hasn’t been shy about having small players on his roster – as long as they have speed. Killins has sub 4.4 speed, can catch and return kicks.
Heck could add some depth to the Bucs offensive line that struggled at times in pass protection and also in run blocking. With 34-year old free agent Demar Dotson a question mark as far as returning, Tampa Bay will need to address the right tackle position sooner rather than later. Heck was a high school tight end who wasn’t recruited heavily, but found his way to Chapel Hill where he bulked up and developed into a dependable tackle for the Tar Heels. Heck comes from good DNA as his father spent 12 years in the NFL.
Hamlin is an aggressive tackler who isn’t afraid to throw his body in the scrum and come up in run support. He had a very productive junior season where he started 14 games at safety and led Pitt with 90 tackles and two interceptions while adding three TFLs, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery. As a senior he notched 84 tackles and one interception. The Bucs could use more help at the safety position, which has no clear-cut starters heading into 2020.
Michigan OT Jon Runyan, Jr. – Photo by: Getty Images
Michigan OT Jon Runyan – 6-5, 321 – Senior
Like Heck, Runyan’s father was also an NFL standout for the Oilers, Eagles and Chargers. The elder Runyan had a mean streak as an NFL player, and the younger Runyan is a whistle-to-whistle player as well. Voted as a two-time All-Big 10 player, he was a three-year letterman for the Wolverines. Like Heck, Runyan could be the future at right tackle for Tampa Bay.
Carter played in 49 career games for the Crimson Tide with 22 starts at STAR (nickel corner) where he collected 40 stops, including 2.5 for loss. He doesn’t have the biggest frame on the field, but Carter hits with power and is physical at the line of scrimmage. Carter could be a Day 3 option for Tampa Bay, which is looking to add more safeties to the competition.
UCF CB Neville Clarke – 6-1, 187 – Senior
As a starter for three seasons, Clarke was part of the winningest group of seniors in UCF history. As a senior, Clarke had two interceptions to go along with his 22 tackles and 11 pass breakups. As a junior Clarke had an impressive 46 tackles and two interceptions for the Knights, earning All-AAC first team honors. Clarke is long and aggressive and has played in press-man coverage, so he’s a potential fit in Tampa Bay.
Alufohai was a 2019 first-team All-Gulf South Conference selection and finished his final year with 31 tackles, four for loss, three forced fumbles and two sacks. Alufohai has great size and played just one year of high school football although he wasn’t heavily recruited. He has plenty of upside left and room for development according to scouts. The Bucs could use a big, run-stuffing defensive tackle inside to eventually replace Ndamukong Suh.
WEST TEAM
Memphis RB Patrick Taylor, Jr. – Photo by: Getty Images
Memphis RB Patrick Taylor Jr. – 6-3, 223 – Senior After an explosive junior year where Taylor ran for 1,122 yards and 16 touchdowns, his senior season was marred by a leg injury that caused him to miss eight games. As Taylor worked his way back to form, he finished his college career with 50 rushing yards on eight carries and a touchdown against Penn State in the Cotton Bowl. Considered more of a bruising back like Peyton Barber, Taylor has much more agility and the cutting ability than Barber possesses.
Robinson has been given a comparison to former small school running back David Johnson by some scouts. Robinson is the type of player that you don’t have to take off the field because he can do it all. His speed and vision added with his receiving ability is why he didn’t come off the field. Robinson rushed for 4,444 yards and 44 touchdowns in four years, including the last three as a starter. In 2019, Robinson rushed for 1,899 yards and 18 TDs while averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and could be a nice Day 3 option for Tampa Bay.
Before coming to Missouri, Durant spent his first two years playing football at Arizona Western Community College until transferring to the Tigers program his junior year. At 6-7, Durant’s size is the first thing that pops out. That size has helped him substantially with match-ups against defenders as he protected the blind side of quarterbacks Drew Lock and Kelly Bryant. Durant is projected to move over to right tackle in the NFL, and could be a replacement for Dotson if the Bucs draft him.
Roy started all 14 games for Baylor in his senior year and recorded a career high 5.5 sacks. He might not have ideal height for a nose tackle, but he has a very high motor and can anchor well due to his massive size. Roy helped orchestrate a turnaround for Baylor’s defense, particularly by taking on double teams. Playing in a 3-4 would help him fit right in with the Bucs.
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