Day one of practice is in the books as we got our first opportunity to look at the talent that will be participating in the East-West Shrine Game. Players were vocal in excitement to start playing, which for many was their first time getting back to organized football practice in weeks.

There were athletes from all different kinds of schools and conferences that are trying to showcase their talents in front of NFL scouts and coaches. With the opening practices taking place in just helmets and shoulder pads for the players, the day was highlighted by skill position players.

Here were the standouts on offense from both teams on the first day of practice for the East-West Shrine game.

EAST TEAM
WR Terry Godwin II – Georgia
The former Bulldogs wide out showed some great athleticism in practice on Monday. What he excelled at best was catching in traffic, the run after the catch, and the ability to get up after the ball. He always caught the ball in stride, looking to break one to the house each time.

Godwin was part of a talented team at that position in Georgia, and you can see why they wanted him there in the first place. Godwin passed the eye test right away. He would make difficult plays look effortless.

WR  Jesper Horsted – Princeton
Of the entire receivers group for the East team, Horsted is the only one that is not from a power five conference. While some may overlook him because of the name of the school, it Horsted that was making plays all over the field. Standing at 6-2 and weighing 225 pounds, he’s kind of in the middle of a wide receiver and tight end.

Horsted did a great job of using his big frame to get separation for himself. He got paired up in competition a few times against highly touted cornerback Derrick Baity Jr. from Kentucky, and it was Horsted that came out on top in their battles. He won’t kill you with his speed, but the Princeton graduate has a knack for creating space for himself and making the catch.

WR Ryan Davis – Auburn
Talk about a player that can stop on a dime and make a cut. Davis was at his best using his speed on the deep ball. He had a fantastic move to break free on a defender, leaving everyone in his wake.

Every NFL team loves a speedy deep ball threat, and Davis made it apparent that he has no problem on the long passes.

WEST TEAM

WR KeeSean Johnson – Fresno State
There are some players that can just showcase electricity when hitting the field, KeeSean Johnson was one of those in practice oon Monday. Johnson did an excellent job of beating defenders downfield, while also being able to run efficient routes over the middle. He was sure handed, and had the ability to start both out wide and in the slot.

On this play, he won the his battle against Michigan’s Tyree Kinel right at the line of scrimmage. Once he had the step ahead, it was over.

QB Brett Rypien – Boise State
Finally the streak of wide receivers is broken. Rypien was absolutely slinging the ball around on Monday, making the clear case that he had the best performance from a QB at practice. Both he and the aforementioned KeeSean Johnson had excellent chemistry, as you can see from the video above for Johnson, and it was Rypien’s power and accuracy on his passes that made him stand out amongst the other QB’s.

WR Shawn Poindexter – Arizona
At 6’5, Poindexter is tied with Syracuse’s Jamal Custis as the tallest wide receiver at the East-West Shrine game. That height has been used to his advantage as Pointdexter has been able to locate the ball over those guarding against him.

It may not look it, but his long strides take him down the field in an instance, and with his size, he makes it troubling for opposing defenses. Just put the ball up in the air, and he will come down with it.

RB Darrin Hall Jr. – Pittsburgh
Again, it’s tough for a running back to really show all that he’s got when you’re running in practice and there’s no real battle in the trenches or a chance to break tackles. With that said, Hall had some nice vision and cuts when running the ball, and was able to make things happen in the on the receiving end.

Hall has an elusiveness to him, which should be more at the forefront when the teams face each other on Saturday. Pittsburgh has a long history of players that have gone in to flourish in the NFL, including Hall’s former teammate and current Steelers RB, James Conner. Hall says the two still keep in touch, and he has listened to Conner about what it takes to get to that next level.