The teams went full pads in practice for Day 2 of the East-West Shrine game on Tuesday. As more of the plays are installed, the competition picked up in both individual position battles and the team drills. Here is who stood out on defense on the second day of practices.

EAST
LB Ulysees Gilbert III – Akron
This linebacker was flying all over the field after the football. It didn’t matter if it was a run or pass, Gilbert had the ability to get to the point of action in the snap of a finger. He plays with a high motor, aggressively attacking his opponent. You can see on this run play that he jumps to the play an instant, stuffing the run.

Gilbert also showed prowess in pass coverage. Going one-on-one against a running back, he was quick enough to break up the play and lay a hit all at the same time. He has great speed to the ball and the smarts to dissect a play as soon as it formulates.

CB Jimmy Moreland – James Madison
This is more for his body of work over the entire two days. After a great first day of practice, Moreland carried it over to Tuesday’s practice with another good day. Obviously athletic skill is important, but the mentality of a player also deserves some credit. Moreland can be seen talking it up against his opponents in attempt to get in their heads while backing his play up as well. He talks the talk because he plays confident.

He’s undersized, but he’s displayed both heart and fight over the last two days. Moreland isn’t afraid to get up in the mix, facing off against talents from the ACC, SEC, and Big 10 in coverage. Besides the mental psyche of the game, Moreland is keeping a burst of speed on defense, staying in stride with the receivers he’s covering.

Here he beats Auburn WR Ryan Davis one-on-one:

And on this one he plays very tight coverage on Purdue’s Terry Wright on a third down situation of third and three.

West Team
CB Montre Hartage – Northwestern
Hartage is superb in playing man-to-man coverage on a receiver. He does a great job of pressing his man, which is something he mentioned after getting to speak with him after practice. Other than quarterback, the cornerback position is the toughest transition for a player entering the NFL, especially man to man, but Hartage already has that down.

With tight coverage, Hartage has been able to re-route the wide receivers on their run, and then he lets his play making abilities take over. Hartage has a good sense of anticipation, which lets him get to the ball earlier than expected. He dominated in one-on-one drills on Tuesday, causing a difficult afternoon for his opponents. Hartage ended the day off with an interception with the entire team watching, rising up to challenge. He’s a smart player that’s mature beyond his age.

CB Jordan Wyatt – Southern Methodist
The parade of picks by the West’s defense got started off with Wyatt on Tuesday, as he took one to the house. He had a strong practice, showing his athletic skill to get up vertically and make plays. The Bucs spoke with Wyatt after practice and it’s no surprise why. He has the ability to find the ball even when it might not be going towards him.