Falcons Shrine Bowl All-Stars Revealed; Top Prospects on East Team

Who stood out above the pack during the East-West Shrine Bowl? Here are the all-stars on the Atlanta Falcons' East team, as voted by NFL personnel.

Author:
Daniel Flick
Publish date:
Feb 2, 2023 6:30 PM EST

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons coaching staff's week at the East-West Shrine Bowl will come to a close Thursday night, as the Falcons-led East team is set to take on the West team overseen by the New England Patriots.

But before the two sides kick off the annual NFL Draft showcase game for top college football seniors, all-stars from the week of practice were announced.

The criteria for the voting process is based on "NFL feedback about their play on the field, player interviews, and how professional they were across the week of practice."

Here's a look at the players who earned top honors from the Falcons' East team.

Quarterback: Aidan O'Connell, Purdue

O'Connell entered the week as the top signal caller on either side and lived up to the billing, showing accuracy, command and processing quickness.

Running Back: Jordan Mims, Fresno State

Mims was particularly good as a pass catcher and held his own as a blocker, proving he can be a third down back if nothing else.

Receiver: A.T. Perry, Wake Forest

Perry was the top wideout on the East team during drills, seamlessly beating defensive backs in one-on-ones and the team portion. He was also a stellar interview, coming across as a goal-driven individual with a legitimate passion for football.

Tight End: Leonard Taylor, Cincinnati

Taylor, a college teammate of Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder, has sure hands, can create separation and is an interesting individual with an infectious personality.

Offensive Tackle: John Ojukwu, Boise State

Ojukwu's week started out a bit difficult in drills but he finished strong, holding up well in one-on-ones as both a run and pass blocker.

Interior Offensive Line: Juice Scruggs, Penn State

Scruggs was consistently steady at the point of attack; he's laterally quick and can really anchor inside.

Defensive End: Caleb Murphy, Fresno State

An outstanding individual, Murphy broke a Division II record in sacks with 25.5 last season and showed his skill set translates against big competition by turning in a strong outing in Las Vegas.

Interior Defensive Line: Dante Stills, West Virginia

Stills was extremely vocal, and he had every right to be - he was dominant from the first rep of practice and never let up. He's disruptive inside against the run and pass and comes across as a polite, upbeat person.

Linebacker: Amari Burney, Florida

A converted defensive back, Burney can move to the sidelines but also has a solid deal of physicality at the punch and brings it as a blitzer.

Cornerback: Nehemiah Shelton, San Jose State

Shelton lost some reps in one-on-ones, but his length and instincts were sound, and he was incredibly genuine and polite in interviews.

Safety: A.J. Finley, Ole Miss

Finley had a three-interception practice Sunday, the highlight of the week for the East defensive backs. He's already married and was something of a team dad at Ole Miss.