ALEX HIGHSMITH, EDGE, CHARLOTTE
The Shrine Game is a big deal for Alex Highsmith, who neared Senior Bowl radars across the course of the season. Offensive line talent is typically light, and Highsmith is a legitimate NFL player with the hand usage, get-off and bend to win as a stand-up outside rusher in situational play. Highsmith, who feasted on lesser talent in C-USA over his senior season, finished with 21.5 tackles for a loss and 15 sacks.
TYLER HUNTLEY, QB, UTAH
I strongly believe that Tyler Huntley is a draft-worthy quarterback. He hasn't been a consistent passer at any point in his career, but he has become a much more dynamic passer in his senior season — it's a big part of the reason he stayed in Utah. While his field vision and decision making are still many years away from reliability, his natural talent has evened out into more consistent accuracy as his mechanics have improved.
Michael Divinity EDGE/LB, LSU
What do you know about Michael Divinity? If you haven't been locked into the draft, you may have missed him entirely. Divinity has failed a slew of drug tests during his time at LSU and has only played five games this year as the result of a "coach's decision." He is as far from the model of reliable off-field behavior as you can get, but teams take gambles when talent is on the line. Divinity is talented. He's so talented, he's even back to play in the national championship Monday before Shrine Week kicks off, even though his role is undefined. Divinity is an ideal body type and skill set for an on-ball SAM linebacker with coverage ability and could show as much in St. Petersburg. Teams will look for an excuse to draft him should he shine.
Tyler Johnson/WR/MINNESOTA
I'm not sure what exactly Tyler Johnson has to prove during Shrine Week.
Well, that's not true: I know what he has to prove. Johnson, a convert to the wide receiver position, has wasted steps in his routes and has poor spacing at times relative to coverage. He is athletic and has natural hands, but there's a lot left uncovered.
While we know the NFL likes him less than the infallible Internet does, we don't know to what degree they are separate. If it's a small chasm — top 50 versus top 75 — then there really isn't much for Johnson to prove, but it seems like the gap is much bigger.
ELIJAH RILEY, CB, ARMY
Elijah Riley has some really fun film. Army has played a smorgasbord of interesting teams this year — Michigan, Hawai'i, Navy and Tulane — so Riley has seen his fair share of NFL talent at WR and QB, as well as the nation's wackiest offenses. He is a physical and aggressive zone cover cornerback who is at his best reading into the box and filling downhill. Teams that need its secondary to win in run support will love Riley.
The biggest question for Riley is a matter of exposure to complete man cover responsibilities.
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