Redskins: Five standouts from the East-West Shrine Game
By Ian Cummings
No. 1 – QB Brett Rypien – Boise State
Other Standouts at QB: David Blough – Purdue, Easton Stick – North Dakota State
The hype around Brett Rypien isn’t just people “living in the past”, folks. Mark Rypien’s nephew might not have the most upside in this quarterback class, but he has a high floor and starting potential in the NFL. That starting potential was on display early in the East-West Shrine Game.
Rypien played mostly in the first quarter, where he engineered a very efficient touchdown drive. While other quarterbacks hindered their offenses and forced their teams to stay on the ground, Rypien showed he could open up the offense with little preparation, completing six of eight passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, which came on a nice touch pass to LSU’s Nick Brossette, seen below.
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Many of the bullet points on Rypien’s scouting report, you could see on that drive. He’s not overly athletic, and his arm isn’t the most powerful, thus limiting his developmental upside. But he’s a adequately mobile signal caller who sees the field quick, stays poised in the pocket, and has a capable arm, one that can hit receivers in the right spot.
With his positive traits, Rypien’s 2018 production speaks for itself. The former Boise State Bronco threw for over eight yards per attempt, 30 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, and at the Shrine Game, he only reinforced his standing as one of the NFL Draft’s more underrated quarterbacks. It’s not just the name, folks. Little Rypien can play. And for the Redskins, who have a need at quarterback, but other needs to consider in Round 1, a high-floor player like Rypien would certainly be a value deal.
North Dakota State’s Easton Stick also flashed his talent on occasion for the Western squad, throwing a touchdown pass in the second half. Together, he and Rypien, along with Purdue’s David Blough, stood out from the rest of the Shrine group, and they should be on the Redskins radar, if Washington opts to pass on a quarterback in Round 1.