With both Bowl games now in the books and the last game action that 2024 NFL Draft Prospects will get before the Draft in April, we are going to take a look at the action in the East West Shrine Bowl game and see who improved their draft stock

Taulia Tagovailoa QB, Maryland

    If you did not see him play at Maryland then you may not know just how talented this young man is. He set the record this year for most passing yards in Big Ten history. His completion percentage has been 66% or better over the last 3 years and he has tons of mobility. He can easily sling the ball 50+ yards off balance and rolling out and do it accurately, as we saw in this game. He was easily the best QB on the field and it wasn’t even close. He probably just rose up draft boards by a round or two as PFF currently has his average draft position at 205.2. This has been a weird time for Tagovailoa as he had intended to return for another year of college before having his eligibility denied by the NCAA. His draft prep got a late start due to that but it doesn’t seem to have bothered his production in the slightest.

Frank Gore Jr. RB, Southern Miss

    Gore looked like a carbon copy of his dad out there in the Bowl game. He was able to easily hit the gap and run away from defenders as he won the foot race for a monster TD. He also showed off his shiftiness and ability to make tacklers miss. Easily the best RB on the field for the whole game. He is not lacking for power either as he was bulldozing over would be tacklers and needed a committee to ensure he was successfully taken to the ground. I have had my eyes on him for awhile and I was not disappointed. Gore isn’t a one trick pony either. He has good hands and can catch the ball making him a solid RB in the NFL. He has all the tools of Stevenson out of New England, but just looks to be faster.

John Rhys Plumlee QB, Central Florida

    His comp has been Taysom Hill, but Hill is just bigger than Plumlee. Where Plumlee beats Hill though, is his raw speed and arm talent. Both were on full display as he was using his legs consistently and his field vision to eat up yards in the run game and keep the chains moving as well as get into the endzone. He is still raw as a QB but his ability to lineup everywhere with his athleticism and raw ability are intriguing to say the least. Plumlee made a lot of good throws but also showed his inexperience as he took his eyes down when pressured and missed what would have been a solid gain and easy completion. Still there was a lot to like about his game.

Anthony Gould WR, Oregon State

    Anthony Gould probably had the second most, if not the most, impressive play of the day with his 80 yard punt return for a TD. It showed just how fast the slot WR is and what he can bring to a team when given the chance. He is in a loaded WR class that also features its fair share of slot guys who have tons of athletic ability. Still Gould is impressive with just how fast he was able to eat up yardage on special teams and that is a big deal in the NFL these days.

Joshua Cephus WR, USTA

    This is the second time I have discussed Cephus and for good reason. His reliable hands and large catch radius are always on display. He was a reliable chain mover and target for QBs the entire game. His sure hands and the trust that the QBs had in him was evident by the chances they would give him regardless of coverage. I still think he is an undervalued guy in this draft and who ever gets him will get a sure handed chain mover, a redzone threat, and a guy who can make the tough catches over the middle day in and day out.