Sam Howell, Malik Willis, others to watch in Shrine, Senior Bowls
By Rob Rang
FOX Sports NFL Draft Analyst
NFL scouts are converging this week in Las Vegas and the comparatively sleepy town of Mobile, Alabama, to watch the top prospects in the country compete at the East-West Shrine and Senior Bowls.
With players separated from the coaching staffs, schemes and leagues that helped them become stars at the college level, the competition (and NFL coaching) at the two most prominent all-star games in the industry provide scouts from the NFL, CFL and USFL opportunities to evaluate prospects side-by-side on a true apples-to-apples basis. These all-star games also provide scouts a final chance to evaluate players on a football field.
While all-star games are nothing new — this year’s East-West Shrine Bowl will be the 97th in its history — scouts believe that they might be more important than ever. Why? The pandemic ravaged the college football schedule the past two seasons, an ever-increasing number of prospects are opting to sit out bowl games to prepare for these contests (and other pre-draft activities), and the rankings are tight at critical positions in this year’s talent pool, including quarterback.
What happens this week in Vegas (and Mobile) will most certainly not stay there. Rather, the play in these two all-star games will have a colossal impact on how the 2022 NFL Draft shakes out.
As such, we are breaking down 10 players whose stock could leap if they shine under the bright lights of the East-West Shrine Bowl (8 p.m. ET Thursday, NFL Network) and Senior Bowl (2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, NFL Network).
Players are listed in alphabetical order.
Brian Asamoah II, LB, Oklahoma
Asamoah is the perfect candidate to lead off this list, as he is technically an underclassman (athletically speaking) who, until recently, would not have been eligible to participate in the Senior Bowl, despite the fact that he graduated. He is already well known in the scouting community, having led the Sooners in tackles the past two seasons.
However, there are questions about how big he actually is — he was listed by the Sooners at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds — and he opted out of the Sooners’ Alamo Bowl victory over Oregon a month ago, raising concerns for some about his competitiveness. A modern-day linebacker whose game can be described as "greased lightning," Asamoah might very well run himself into first-round consideration this week at the Senior Bowl.
Reed Blankenship, S, Middle Tennessee
Jumping from a blue-blood program such as Oklahoma to one that has produced just a single top-100 draft selection since 2003 is precisely why scouts love how all-star games collect talent. Blankenship lacks the big name of some of the others on this list, but his résumé is as good as anyone’s, with 419 tackles and 16 takeaways (including nine interceptions) in his college career.
Safety is one of the most talented and deepest positions in the 2022 draft, which could allow a lucky NFL team to nab Blankenship lower than he’d normally be drafted. Don’t be surprised if the athletic, 6-foot-1, 196-pounder sparks a turnover Thursday in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
Another early entry into the 2022 NFL Draft, Howell was perceived by some as having a disappointing season after beginning the year as a Heisman hopeful. In reality, he played remarkably well, given that the Tar Heels lost their top two receivers and running backs to the NFL a year ago, putting pressure on the QB to carry the load. Howell literally tried to do so, jumping from 146 rushing yards and five scores in 2020 to 828 yards and 11 TDs this past season.
While no one is going to confuse Howell with Kyler Murray or Lamar Jackson, the grit he demonstrated in trying to will the Tar Heels to wins won’t be overlooked by scouts. That will be especially true if the decision-making and ball placement that helped him toss 92 touchdowns against 23 interceptions in three starting seasons show up in Mobile.
Keaontay Ingram, RB, USC
The East-West Shrine Game has consistently churned out talented running backs, all the way back to the legendary Walter Payton and more recently with such NFL standouts as Jacksonville’s James Robinson and Arizona’s Chase Edmonds. Robinson and Edmonds had to prove their ability to step up in competition after starring at Illinois State and Fordham, respectively.
That won’t be the case for Ingram, who generated 3,391 yards from scrimmage (and 22 touchdowns) during stops at Texas and Southern Cal. Even with all his success, Ingram practiced with the intensity of a sleeper throughout the week in Las Vegas, dazzling defenders and scouts with his elusiveness, speed, soft hands and willingness to lower his shoulder. It would surprise me if he's not the first skill position player drafted this year from the Shrine Bowl and perhaps the top pick from this year’s roster overall.
While quarterback Joe Burrow and wideout Ja'Marr Chase have understandably taken center stage in Cincinnati’s stunning ascent this season, don’t overlook the impact of former Cowboy Logan Wilson at middle linebacker. Instinctive and physical, Mumu is cut from the same cloth.
In recent years, both Wilson and Buffalo Bills star quarterback Josh Allen made themselves a lot of money by proving at the Senior Bowl that their success was not just due to lesser competition in the Mountain West Conference. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Muma is poised to do the same.
Teagan Quitoriano, TE, Oregon State
Shrine Bowl Director of Football Operations Eric Galko and his collection of scouts deserve credit for looking beyond Quitoriano's statistics — just 40 catches for 512 yards and six touchdowns — and recognizing his untapped potential.
He has shown soft hands and surprising fluidity after measuring in at 6-foot-5½ and 258 pounds. Smooth out of his stance and breaks, Quitoriano was able to shake free for several big grabs Saturday and also provided steady punch as a blocker.
Carson Strong, QB, Nevada
Though the East-West Shrine Bowl has shifted to Las Vegas this year, three of the most intriguing prospects heading to Mobile for the Senior Bowl played college ball in the state of Nevada. That would be Strong and his two Wolfpack teammates, wideout Romeo Doubs and tight end Cole Turner.
Belying his last name, Strong’s greatest asset is his accuracy. While he possesses plenty of arm strength to make every NFL throw, his ability to thread the needle is what could make him an early pick on draft day.
Jaylen Watson, CB, Washington State
The 2022 cornerback class is one of the best I’ve seen, with a handful of prospects sure to be drafted in the first round and plenty of future starters likely to be available on day two. One of those candidates not (yet?) generating as much buzz in the media as he has with scouts is WSU’s Watson, a rock-solid, 6-foot-2, 205-pounder whose length and physicality show up in coverage and run support.
A JUCO transfer who initially pledged to play at USC, Watson was barely a blip on the radar from a statistical standpoint, generating just five pass breakups and two interceptions in two years with the Cougars. That's because Pac-12 opponents wisely stayed away from his side of the field. Watson will be tested in Mobile, but former Seahawks scout Jim Nagy didn’t lose his appreciation for the Northwest when he took over chief duties for the Senior Bowl; he found a good one in Watson.
Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
One of the quarterbacks set to test Watson and the rest of a stellar senior class of cornerbacks in Mobile is Willis, who, while not as polished as top senior signal-caller Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh) or as accurate as the aforementioned Strong, is easily the most dynamic athlete of this year’s top quarterbacks.
Willis began his college career at Auburn before transferring and starring at Liberty with former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze. His ability to make the "wow" play with both his rocket arm and powerful running will draw comparisons to former Senior Bowl riser Jalen Hurts and perhaps even Cam Newton.
With quarterbacks generally kept from running in Senior Bowl practices, Willis will need to convince scouts that he can deliver the ball consistently and accurately from the pocket. If he succeeds, he might make an NFL team believe that his best football still lies ahead of him.
Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia
At 6-foot-7 and 259 pounds, Woods is the majestic oak in a forest of rose bushes. His height and long arms (34 inches) make him virtually impossible for defensive backs to defend. For such a big man, Woods accelerates smoothly off the snap and shows impressive body control at the stem of his routes to create separation as well.
While many of the pass-catchers in Las Vegas struggled to develop any consistent rapport with their new quarterbacks, Woods became a reliable security blanket. He caught every pass thrown his way over the first three days of practice and also hung on to the ball after absorbing some big hits.
One of the most recognized names in the industry, Rob Rang has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others.