Broncos Shrine Bowl Notebook: Day 2 | QB Chase Brice Impresses
Las Vegas, NV. – You never know who will show up on the sidelines at the East-West Shrine Bowl practice at UNLV. On the day that the Cincinnati Bengals play for their second consecutive AFC Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs, former the team's former linebacker Vontaze Burfict roamed the sidelines along with Hollywood A-lister Mark Wahlberg’s crew.
The who’s who of the NFL, XFL, and CFL scouting world converged on the Shrine Bowl’s second day of practice as well. But instead of being zeroed in on 2023 NFL draft prospects, the Denver Broncos fan base has been left confused and frustrated waiting for the announcement of the team's next head coach.
Time doesn’t wait for anyone, though, and the Broncos are very well represented with their scouting department here in Vegas in full force. Just when I thought that practice couldn’t be as good as Saturday's session, both the East and West squads had talent evaluators buzzing about the potential of some special prospects that will be selected this spring.
Here are three that jumped out and could have the Broncos intrigued.
Chase Brice | QB | Appalachian State
My notebook has been filled over these two days with notes and excerpts about the 6-foot-3, 235-pound QB out of Appalachian State. The Georgia native spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Clemson, where he was part of the 2018 National Championship team before transferring to Duke in 2020 as a graduate.
Brice started 11 games for the Blue Devils, where he struggled to find much success as the team went 2-9 on the season. He transferred for a second time to Appalachian State, where he hit his stride as a signal-caller and furthered his craft.
In 2022, the 25-year-old played in 12 games, throwing for 2,921 yards and 27 touchdowns with six interceptions, boasting a 62.8 completion percentage. Brice also showed that he can score on the ground, rushing for 117 yards and four scores.
Having played for three universities in his college tenure, this young man has taken thousands of reps at the QB position in four years. Brice leaves the NCAA having thrown for 9,451 yards and 73 touchdowns with 36 interceptions, totaling a 60.0 completion percentage and a 138.5 passing efficiency rating.
Brice was hands down the best QB on the field for both squads at the Shrine Bowl. He had exceptional decision-making when forced under pressure, and instead of killing the rep, he would opt to find unlikely targets both in and outside of the pocket.
Brice handled multiple poor snaps and wasn’t fazed by the miscues, as he connected with wideouts, tight ends, and running backs alike. He has solid mechanics and puts a nice zip on the ball, playing with confidence and consistently challenging defensive backs. But his most impressive attribute the last two days has been his ability to place the football where his teammates can grab it, protecting his offense from turnovers.
San Francisco QB Brock Purdy was ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ in last year’s draft but caught the attention of GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan at the Shrine Bowl. Purdy's success furthers the fact that talent can come from anywhere, and the powerhouse schools of the NCAA aren’t the only institutions to put out quality players.
Why Denver Could be Intrigued: The Broncos are expected to overhaul their QB room while trying to resurrect Russell Wilson’s career. Brett Rypien has been a nice story and a decent enough player, but it’s time for Denver to develop a young QB should the need arise. The Broncos would be wise to draft Brice in the late rounds of the draft or scoop him up as a college free agent if he doesn't hear his name called.
Travis Volkek | TE | Nebraska
It’s hard to miss the 6-foot-7, 260-pound Cornhusker tight end at practice or walking out on the street. Originally from Missouri, Volkek played two seasons at Rutgers, where he appeared in eight games and recorded 17 receptions for 198 yards and two TDs. When he transferred to Nebraska, he earned offensive scout team MVP honors, which propelled him into immediate playing time as a junior during the 2020 COVID season.
In 2022, Volkek played in 10 games recording 20 receptions for 240 yards and two TDs. A multi-sport athlete in high school, the big tight end was a key contributor on special teams for the duration of his collegiate career, in addition to showing his skills as a proud blocker from the line of scrimmage.
Volkek is lean but massive and boasts an impressive amount of strength and athleticism for his stature. Last season, he was also a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar while also being on the Academic Big Ten list the last three seasons.
This man is a football player, period. It's fair to describe him as a traditional Y tight end with his size and ability to play on the line of scrimmage against defensive linemen and linebackers. Volkek was consistently the favorite target of every QB at practice and showed an impressive ability to fight through physical contact against defenders. He always protects the football and shows an exceptional understanding of his role on any given play, while also taking pride in his special teams performance, constantly hustling and working hard.
Why Denver Could be Intrigued: Greg Dulcich looks like a stud for the Broncos as a second-year player, but he leaves much to be desired in the run-blocking game. Albert Okwuegbunam remains stagnant in Denver’s tight end room as veteran players Eric Saubert and Eric Tomlinson outperformed him last season.
The bottom line is that the Broncos need to stop swinging for the fences based on potential and target football players. A workhorse tight end who can block, play special teams, and catch deep passes would be ideal for the Broncos’ offensive turnaround in the future.
RELATED: Broncos Shrine Bowl Notebook: Day 1: 3 Prospects Rise
Christian Young | S | Arizona
At 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds, Young has scouts talking on the sidelines. Originally from Texas, he played corner in high school and utilized his versatility as defensive back and linebacker hybrid in multiple fronts in college. He utilizes his size and fierce aggressive nature to impose his will in the run game and is constantly bothering pass catchers with his presence.
In 2022, Young played in 12 games and recorded 76 tackles (47 solo), 6.5 tackles for a loss, 0.5 sacks, two pass deflections, and one fumble recovery. His speed shows on both film and real-time practice having been a relay runner in high school, and he can rapidly recover and make up space quickly.
Young has violent hands for a defensive back and was always in the mix in run support showing his willingness to mix it up with larger O-linemen and stuff opposing ball-carriers. In multiple position drills and team periods, Young recorded pass breakups, stripped the football, and could be seen receiving heavy praise from his coaches.
Why Denver Could be Intrigued: Kareem Jackson’s future in Denver is unknown as the veteran safety is getting somewhat long in the tooth. While Justin Simmons is quite literally playing the best football of his career, Caden Sterns and P.J. Locke are hardly the answers for Denver’s defense long term.
This means that a new crop of safeties is likely en route to the Mile High City, and with the league’s evolution of the passing game, Young could play a hybrid linebacker role to supplement the backers in the middle of the field. Young could be targeted in the mid-to-late rounds, with his stock on the rise here at the Shrine Bowl.
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