7 Players for Lions to Watch at 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl
The college All-Star games represent one last chance for scouts -- and fans -- to see the top prospects play with pads before the NFL Draft.
At 8 p.m. ET Thursday on the NFL Network, some will be doing just that at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Who are some of the players you should look for as a Lions fan?
That starts by looking at Detroit’s greatest needs headed into the offseason. Here is the position breakdown:
- Quarterback (QB)
- Secondary (CB, S)
- Wide Receiver (WR)
- EDGE rusher (OLB in 3-4 defense)
Quarterback Jared Goff’s future is uncertain, and his backups leave much to be desired.
Detroit's pass defense was ranked 23rd, having given up an average of 244.7 yards per game. It is hard to win more than 3.5 games, when you give up that kind of yardage through the air.
Outside of WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (90 receptions) and maybe Kalif Raymond (48 receptions), there is quite a drop-off in receiver production among the group.
Lastly, Detroit has got to be able to get more heat on the QB. The Lions ranked second to last (31st) in average sacks a game in 2021 (1.8).
Let’s take a look now at seven prospects from the East-West Shrine Bowl who fit these team needs.
1.) QB D’Eriq King • East • Miami (Fla.) • 5-foot-11, 195 pounds
Scouts will knock his height, but let’s remember that Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is listed at 5-foot-10. Quarterbacks like King is where the NFL is going, fielding more and more dual-threats who can run and pass. He has the ability to throw beautiful, long-range touch passes. Meanwhile, he scampered for 2,055 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground while he was in college.
2.) QB Brock Purdy • West • Iowa State • 6-foot-1, 220 pounds
Purdy showed me more in his game against Texas than QBs Kenny Pickett and Sam Howell showed me all season. Purdy is also a dual-threat. He threw for 3,188 yards in 2021 (26th most), and averaged 3.2 yards per carry in 365 rushing attempts during his four-year college career. Purdy has pocket mobility, and he is a pretty accurate QB (71.1% completion percentage in ‘21), fitting the pigskin in through some tight windows. He reminds me of Rich Gannon.
3.) WR Jaivon Heiligh • East • Coastal Carolina • 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
After posting back-to-back 65-plus catch seasons the past two years, this big-framed target has stood out. He makes it look easy and shows good concentration. Heiligh excels on slant routes and working along the sidelines downfield. He also has a knack for picking up yardage after the catch, via a mean stiff arm (for a receiver).
4.) WR Tyquan Thornton • West • Baylor • 6-foot-3, 182 pounds
Thornton's a receiver who had a breakout year in 2021 and seems to be most comfortable on the receiving end of deep passes (10 TDs in ‘21). Thornton is a tall receiver with long arms, confident-looking hands and a big catch radius.
Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports
5.) CB Jermaine Waller • East • Virginia Tech • 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
He has a nice long frame, and he has a little D’Angelo Hall to his game. Waller shows a knack for being able to do what a lot of the shutdown corners can do, which is playing the ball like a wide receiver. He also likes to get physical.
6.) S Qwynnterrio Cole • West • Louisville • 6-foot-3, 190 pounds
As a transfer from Alcorn State, where he did not put up big numbers, this guy exploded in 2021. He posted 87 tackles (65 solo), one forced fumbled, one interception and six passes defensed. At Alcorn State, he hinted that he was a ballhawk and an aggressive thumper. He proved it was true.
7.) EDGE Ali Fayad • East • Western Michigan • 6-foot-2, 250 pounds
Pro Football Focus capsulized his week at practice, leading up to the East-West Shrine Bowl, as such: “Fayad has undoubtedly been the defensive MVP through day three of practices. He’s been rolling through one-on-ones, winning in advanced ways - including spin moves, fake spins, ghost rushes and more.”
Fayad added the above to a resume that already included a total of 13 sacks and two forced fumbles from this past season.
