The Shrine Bowl marks the unofficial start of 2025 NFL Draft season, and is usually an opportunity for Day 2 and Day 3 draft prospect to raise their stock. That was certainly the case on the first day of practice as several players stood out among their peers.
After the first day of practices, here are five Shrine Bowl standouts.
Shrine Bowl Day 1 Winners
All-star game practices are often better indicators of future NFL success than the games themselves and every NFL team participates in the Shrine Bowl, usually looking for standouts on Day 2 and 3 of the draft.
The Shrine Bowl is also a chance for smaller school prospects to shine and there were plenty of FCS, Division II, and Division III prospects who stood out. Saturday was dominated by the receivers and offensive linemen. Who stood out on Day 1 of Shrine Bowl practices.
Ricky White III, WR, UNLV
Color me shocked that one of our favorite Group of Five prospects in the draft stood out on Saturday. White won in all the ways we’d expect, with a strong release package and the ability to run a full route tree. Rumors out of Arlington are that White is going to run a bit faster than I originally expected.
Ricky White will be a problem in the NFL pic.twitter.com/DGIg3Hl2UT
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) January 25, 2025
White was consistently one of the best receivers of the day, and his measurements were better than some expected. His 76 1/4-inch wingspan is great for his six-foot frame and it looks like his skill set will transfer to the next level.
Gareth Warren, OL, Lindenwood
A mammoth offensive tackle prospect from FCS Lindenwood, Gareth Warren looks like he could fly up draft boards. He’s huge — the second-heaviest offensive lineman in attendance — with a strong base and had several strong one-on-one matchups with Power Four defensive linemen.
Also See: Top 300 Prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft
Listed at tackle, Warren participated mostly as an interior lineman. His power was evident and he stayed balanced against proven big-school pass rushers. He’s a guy that wasn’t really on my radar before Saturday, but I’ll be paying close attention throughout the week.
Lindenwood's LT Gareth Warren @gwarren808 was recently named to the @ShrineBowl 1000 watch list and it's easy to see why.
He is naturally powerful and savvy with his hands. His best position may be at guard going forward.#FCSFootball #NFLDraft #BurnTheWood #LoyalToTheLou pic.twitter.com/pe4SKUmbh5
— Bryan (@BGauvin23) August 1, 2024
Konata Mumpfield, WR, Pittsburgh
Post-season all-star events are often a place for talented players who didn’t always have a chance to shine in their respective offenses to stand out. The Pittsburgh Panthers fell apart late in the season once injuries hit, but Konata Mumpfield still had a solid year.
Sweet release by Konata Mumpfield pic.twitter.com/bE5anZeBu4
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 25, 2025
His release and quickness were on full display and his head movement on his routes had defensive backs guessing all day. I’m not sure what to make of him measuring over two inches shorter than his listed height at Pitt, but in terms of his on-the-field play, Mumpfield impressed me on Day 1.
Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas
Cobee Bryant is one of the thinner defensive backs you’ll see (5’11”, 171 pounds) but he’s ultra-competitive and one of the longest corners in attendance. He’s far more physical than he looks at first glance and made several strong plays on the ball.
After reviewing the tape from East practice my vote for most impressive player has to go to Kansas CB Cobee Bryant
Ability to click and close as well as his feistiness for a skinnier CB (5-11, 171) on full display pic.twitter.com/IP6K0eIur0
— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) January 25, 2025
Bryant consistently breaks well on the ball and has the ball skills to create havoc in the defensive backfield. Right now, he’s an early Day 3 guy who could intrigue a team enough to take him later on Day 2.
John Williams, OT, Cincinnati
We have John Williams as a late Day 3 or priority free agent but he impressed on Day 1 of the Shrine Bowl. He’s not the tallest tackle, but he’s extremely long (34 3/4-inch arms, 82 1/8-inch wingspan). He had some 1-on-1 wins against highly-touted edge rushers and held his own all practice.
I’m interested to see what teams do with his unique athletic profile, but Williams improved greatly over the course of his career and he could be a guy that goes earlier than we expect.
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