The East-West Shrine Bowl has come to a shocking conclusion.
The East was the far more dominant team in this outing, shutting out the West 25-0 for the first shutout at the event since 1969. The game got out of hand in the second quarter, where the East scored 22 points to take a commanding lead into halftime.
The game, as well as the week of practice and interviews leading up to it, will be taken into consideration as teams continue to build their draft boards.
Taking the entire week into account, the Raiders will have their eyes on every prospect, especially now with new head coach Pete Carroll implementing his system.
Here are five prospects that emerged as potential targets for the Raiders in a few months:
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Arizona
The offensive MVP of the Shrine Bowl game, no player did more to improve their stock at the event than Croskey-Merritt.
Despite impressing at New Mexico, Croskey-Merritt’s tenure with Arizona lasted only one game due to eligibility concerns. Needless to say, this was the stage he needed to showcase his skills against top-level competition.
Croskey-Merritt combined a strong week of practice with the best game of any prospect, running for 97 yards and two touchdowns. He was able to beat defenders by bursting through gaps in the offensive line, as well as finding the edge first and exploding upfield.
The Raiders are in desperate need to fix their running game, and Carroll’s offense has typically thrived off of a strong backfield. Croskey-Merritt will still be in the Day 3 range, but his diverse skillset and athleticism will appeal to teams looking for key depth.
The running back crop this year is shaping up to be one of the best ever, and the Shrine Bowl saw Croskey-Merritt throw his name out there.
Efton Chism III, WR, Eastern Washington
Similar to Croskey-Merritt, Chism has taken the pre-draft process by storm and boosted his value tremendously.
After impressing at the Hula Bowl earlier, Chism was added to the Shrine Bowl roster and took over the event.
Chism comes from the same university of Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and similarities show in both of their games. While neither are particularly big or fast, they win through precise route running and being physical enough to play bigger than they actually are.
Chism is expected to be a slot receiver at the NFL level, something the Raiders have lacked consistency with since Hunter Renfrow. He also served as a return man on special teams, which is also a need with primary returned Ameer Abdullah set to hit free agency.
It is unlikely the Raiders will wait until Day 3 to draft a receiver, barring a big trade or free agent signing. However, Chism has shown the makings of a great depth player with the potential for more.
Jordan Phillips, DT, Maryland
Few defensive line prospects in this draft class have as high a ceiling as Phillips, who is only 20 years old and already showing signs of dominance.
Phillips does not have the size of a typical nose tackle (six-foot-one, 318 pounds), but he more than makes up for it with sheer explosiveness.
Very few players during practice impressed the way Phillips did, as he was able to make his presence felt in the backfield in various ways.
While Phillips will be tasked with stopping the run and eating up blocks in the NFL, he showed throughout the week that he has the pass rushing tools to become a three-down lineman at the next level.
Those who value athletic defensive lineman who can be deployed in a number of situations will fall in love with Phillips. With Christian Wilkins coming off an injury-wrecked season and Adam Butler hitting free agency, the Raiders could easily find themselves in that conversation.
Nohl Williams, CB, California
The defensive backs showed out during the Shrine Bowl week, and poetic can be waxed on the likes of Cobee Bryant (Kansas) and defensive MVP O’Donnell Fortune (South Carolina).
However, Williams has officially cemented himself as one of ‘my guys’ going into the draft with his work.
Williams was one of the prospects highlighted on my earlier list of guys to watch leading up to the event, and he was impressive all week long.
Throughout the game, Williams showcased his skills both in pass coverage and stopping the run. On one instance, he stayed stride-for-stride with one of the faster receivers at the event in Maryland’s Kaden Prather and almost notched an interception.
With the Raiders in need of depth in the cornerback room behind Jack Jones, Williams has all the makings of a prospect who can safely be deployed in different packages and quickly works their way up a depth chart.
The Shrine Bowl has officially pushed Williams to Day 2 consideration, and the Raiders using one of their two third-round selections on him would provide excellent value.
Shamari Simmons, S, Arizona State
Another prospect highlighted previously, Simmons was another defensive back who made significant noise this week.
While the cornerbacks stole the show at the Shrine Bowl, Simmons showcased his ‘Swiss army knife’ skillset throughout practice and during the game.
During practice, Simmons made an excellent play sticking close to a tight end before high-pointing the ball and coming down with the interception.
Simmons did not a record a turnover during the game, but the skills that were on display during practice continued to shine through.
Due to the presence of running back Cam Skattebo, Arizona State’s pro day is likely going to receive a fair amount of attendance. If Simmons can impress scouts with his athleticism, his stock can shoot through the roof.
The Shrine Bowl cemented Simmons as worthy of at least a Day 3 pick, and his pre-draft process so far indicates that there is plenty of room to improve that standing.
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