The East-West Shrine game kicks off later this offseason, featuring some of college football’s unheralded pro prospects. The Redskins are in attendance at practices.
Having a need, once again, for added depth and playmaking talent on offense, the Washington Redskins scouting department must do its due diligence in the months before the 2019 NFL Draft. The NFL Draft is where NFL teams are built, and with just $17 million in cap space, and three compensatory picks on the way, it’s clear how much of a priority the draft is for the Redskins this offseason.
Thus, it’s no surprise some team officials find themselves in St. Petersburg, Florida, this weekend, at the site of the 2019 East-West Shrine Game. The Shrine Game is essentially a lite version of the Senior Bowl, where some of the more intriguing college football prospects in the circuit can prove themselves and make a case to up their stock.
Last year, Broncos star running back Phillip Lindsay was one of the headliners in the Shrine Game, and the Redskins eventually signed two defensive backs from the 2018 East team’s roster: Greg Stroman and Jeremy Reaves.
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This year, Washington is once again scouting the Shrine Game for talented gems in the 2019 NFL Draft, and per The Draft Network’s Trevor Sikkema, they met with some prospects on the first day of practices.
The Twitter thread can be found here. The players who met with the Redskins are listed as follows: Virginia running back Jordan Ellis, Buffalo linebacker Khalil Hodge, Fresno State wide receiver KeeSean Johnson, Old Dominion wide receiver Jon Duhart, Pittsburgh running back Darrin Hall, and Toledo wide receiver Cody Thompson.
The most productive name on the list is Buffalo linebacker Khalil Hodge, who amassed over 400 tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, and three interceptions in three years as a full-time starter for the Bulls. The other names also have some production to boast, however. Jon Duhart is a thousand yard receiver with good size and touchdown numbers. Jordan Ellis, a familiar name for Cavaliers fans, eclipsed a thousand yards as a rusher in 2018, amassing ten touchdowns as well.
KeeSean Johnson is another very intriguing prospect; a six-foot-2, 199-pound receiver who amassed over 200 receptions, 3,000 yards, and 24 touchdowns in four seasons with the Fresno State Bulldogs. Darrin Hall also produced plentifully as a running back, averaging 7.5 yards per carry in his 1,000-yard season in 2018. And finally, Cody Thompson, a receiver who last broke the 1,000-yard mark with Toledo in 2016, broke ten touchdowns twice in his collegiate career.
If your favorite prospect wasn’t on the list of visits (Brett Rypien, anyone?), don’t worry. Shrine Game practices run all week, up until the game on Saturday. Stick with us, as we’ll give you daily updates on who the Redskins might be interested in!