Shrine Bowl Notebook: Day 1 | 3 Prospects for Broncos to Watch

Las Vegas, NV. — Denver Broncos GM George Paton’s scouting department got its first look at collegiate prospects at the 97th East-West Shrine Bowl on Saturday. The Shrine Bowl is the longest-running college all-star game in the nation and benefits children with orthopedic conditions, burns, and spinal cord injuries.

Fresh off of new head coach Nathaniel Hackett’s introductory press conference on Friday, Paton deployed his scouts to Sin City where all of the league’s talent evaluators have gathered to prepare for the NFL draft this spring. Practice is being split into two locations with this weekend at UNLV and next week debuting at Allegiant Stadium.

As soon as I hit the practice field on Saturday, I could feel the electricity of meaningful football as draft prospects got after it trying to make their NFL dreams come true. Broncos scouts specifically spent a significant amount of time scouting the offensive and defensive lines.

So, let’s get into it, Broncos Country, and break down three notable stand-outs from the first day of Shrine practice.

Kellen Diesch | OT | Arizona State

Background: The very first player that I noticed at practice was the 6-foot-7, 300-pound Diesch. The Texas native was a four-star recruit coming out of high school where he was ranked among the premier offensive tackles in the country.

Diesch accepted a scholarship to Texas A&M where he redshirted as a freshman. He played in eight games as a sophomore and appeared in 12 games the following season. But due to the depth of the Aggies O-line, he went to Arizona State as a graduate transfer in 2020.

In his first year as a Sun Devil, Diesch had an exemplary debut relinquishing just one sack in four games (261 plays) which put him on the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list and was also named to the PAC-12's All-Conference team. The following year was Diesch’s first 13-start season and he only allowed two sacks in 768 plays and relinquished just four QB pressures all season.

As a run blocker, his consistency and production aided an ASU rushing offense that averaged 264.2 yards per game. Diesch has the prototypical height and size for an NFL offensive tackle but could potentially benefit from some minor weight gain. At 300 pounds, he carries his weight extremely well and is very athletic and lean for his size.

Traits: Diesch has extremely quick feet particularly in his recovery kick and post steps in pass protection as he demonstrated high energy and a willingness to accept coaching in one-on-one drills. Sources at practice also expressed a regard for his extreme versatility which could translate to playing guard and swing tackle on the right side, while his natural position has been left tackle.

Diesch also has good hand placement but understands the importance of leverage and getting below the defender’s pad level to knock them off-platform and still manage to scrape to the second level of linebackers.

I’m not suggesting the Broncos should replace Garett Bolles, who had a bit of a dropoff in 2021 after a stellar 2020 season. Instead, I can’t help but be excited and curious about the idea of utilizing Diesch as a potential right tackle solution that could compete with Calvin Anderson with last season’s starter Bobby Massie entering 2022 as an unrestricted free agent.

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Hayden Howerton | IOL | Southern Methodist University

Background: Howerton, a Texas native, was a three-star recruit in high school with offers from Army, California, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Houston, Kansas, Memphis, Nebraska, UNLV, Wake Forest, and others. He’s an impressive 6-foot-4, 309 pounds with a solid and stout physique.

As a true freshman, Howerton played in 12 games, starting six, and was featured on an O-line that scored 37.8 ppg — ranking 12th nationally. During Howerton’s sophomore season, he started all 12 games at center and earned AAC All-Academic honors.

But it was his junior season in 2019 that saw Howerton's collegiate career take off when he started 13 games at center and was named to the Rimingtion Trophy preseason watch list, taking home the SMU Sport Performance Leadership Departmental Distinction Award.

Howerton returned for his senior season where he was asked to start at left guard, helping the Mustangs become one of the most efficient red-zone teams in the country. He is the definition of versatile as the trenchman can play all five positions on the offensive line.

Traits: Howerton's powerful punches and explosive lower legs allow him to drive defenders off the line of scrimmage, making him an absolute road grader in the run game. At times, his pass protection sets can leave him vulnerable as he can lean on defenders, but his utilization of power post steps and high motor allow him to recover rather quickly.

Although he can play tackle, Howerton profiles as an interior offensive lineman, and with his knowledge of snapping, he should be well sought after by many teams in the upcoming draft. It’s no secret that Broncos' starting center Lloyd Cushenberry III has been wildly inconsistent over his two years with the club.

While he’s started all 32 games for Denver since being drafted in the third round in 2020, I could absolutely imagine Howerton as a candidate that could compete with Cushenberry if drafted, and he could also be a serviceable backup for left guard Dalton Risner. Sources have also indicated there’s a possibility that Graham Glasgow, who recently restructured his current contract to remain a Bronco, could get a look at center, leaving yet another spot for depth behind right guard Quinn Meinerz.

Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa | DL | Notre Dame

Background: Hailing from Hawaii, Tagovailoa-Amosa is a 6-foot-2, 268-pound defensive lineman who was heavily recruited by Notre Dame. As a freshman, he appeared in all 13 games recording 12 tackles with seven solo stuffs and 1.5 tackles for a loss.

During his sophomore season, Tagovailoa-Amosa only played in two games before breaking his foot and missing the majority of the 2018 campaign. He returned from injury his junior season where he played and started in 12-of-13 games missing just one contest with a minor injury, logging 22 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, six QB hurries, and a fumble recovery.

During his senior season, Tagovailoa-Amosa played in eight games against ACC opponents and recorded 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks, forced one fumble, and recovered two fumbles. During his graduate season in 2021, the Hawaii native saw his first career touchdown on a 70-yard fumble recovery, logging 18 tackles, and 2.5 sacks in 11 games. He was also a team captain.

Traits: One of the most impressive aspects of Tagovailoa-Amosa’s game is his ability to play both interior D-line and on the edge. In 2020, he played on the inside of the D-line and weighed 280 pounds before being asked one season later to play on the edge and cut his weight down to 268 pounds.

Tagovailoa-Amosa utilizes exceptional knowledge of angles in his dips and point of attack specifically in one-on-one drills. During team period, he demonstrated powerful push and pull moves in addition to spin and rips consistently giving O-linemen the business. He also has exceptional speed and deliberate footwork prior to engaging blockers.

The Broncos are overdue for utilizing fiery youth on the defensive line. I respect and appreciate Dre’Mont Jones’ potential and production in 2021, but there’s got to be more than batted passes from Shelby Harris and more than a handful of games where he plays extremely well.

Tagovailoa-Amosa will be a coveted pass rusher this spring.

Follow Luke on Twitter @LukePattersonLP.

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