(Editor’s Note: Who doesn’t love lists? Throughout the year, ‘High 5’ will provide a top five list for many of the critical topics surrounding the Dallas Cowboys 2025 offseason.)
When the college football season ends, the attention immediately turns to the NFL Draft and the prospects that are available. While the regular season tape will be the most impactful to their overall draft stock, events like the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl give a final up-close look for NFL teams to evaluate future talent.
Senior Bowl week began on Monday as players arrived in Mobile, Alabama, then continued with three practices from Tuesday to Thursday before the American and National teams faced off Saturday.
Shrine Bowl week began much closer to home as the week of practice began last Saturday at the University of North Texas in Denton and ran through Tuesday with four practice sessions at the home of the Mean Green. Then, AT&T Stadium took center stage as the East and West teams battled in Arlington.
Let’s rank the top five players that improved their draft stock from a week full of football between the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl, starting with the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Jack Bech – WR (TCU) – One of the great stories of the week, Bech stood out as soon as he took the field for National Team practice on Tuesday. Just one month after his brother passed away in the deadly New Orleans attack, he honored him by winning the overall MVP award and catching the game-winning touchdown.
It wasn’t just the story that stood out, his play spoke wonders too. His six catches for 68 yards in the game included a down-field strike from quarterback Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) for 39 yards. His performance capped a dominant week of practice where he was named the top wide receiver on the national roster by his peers.
Oluwafemi Oladejo – LB (UCLA) – Among possibly the strongest position group on Senior Bowl rosters, it was a surprise to see Oladejo jump off the defensive line tape like he did. A converted middle linebacker during his time at UCLA, made the move to full-time edge at the end of his career and showcased his pass rush ability at a high level throughout the week.
Friday’s practice was dominated by Oladejo as he set the tone for the entire defensive line unit and was named the defensive line’s practice player of the week. You can read about his practice performances in our Day 3 practice notebook. Then, he followed with two sacks in the Senior Bowl
Grey Zabel – OL (North Dakota State) – Just like the defensive line, it’s hard to stand out on the offensive front as well during events like this. However, Grey Zabel appeared to be a quick riser and earned the start at guard for the National team this week. North Dakota State consistently sends players to the Senior Bowl who continue to show their ability to compete with prospects from the biggest schools in the country. Add Zabel to the list.
He started the game with a couple of tough reps against LSU’s Sai’vion Jones, but settled in and helped pave the way on the ground for Woody Marks (USC) and Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State). He was voted the overall practice performer of the week after dominating individual drills and leading the charge across the practices as well.
Elijah Arroyo – TE (Miami) – Entering the week, Arroyo was projected day two tight end selection. However, the Frisco, Texas native played so well in practice he may have put himself in the first-round conversation. He outperformed nearly every player at a stacked tight end position and was able to see only limited action on Saturday.
Only a few snaps on Saturday and it was still enough to make an impact as he caught a two-point conversion after his team’s opening touchdown.
Keondre Jackson – DS (Illinois State) – Finally, it wouldn’t quite be the Senior Bowl without spotlighting a ‘small-school’ performer. Jackson was the best of the bunch with a nearly perfect week, if it wasn’t for a double-pass touchdown allowed in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game.
He was also given a practice award, as the top defensive back on the National squad after votes from his wide receiver and tight end teammates. Jackson finished his final season with Illinois State with nearly 100 tackles and three interceptions as a senior.
The American team defeated the National team, 22-19 in a thrilling finish at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of South Alabama. Now, let’s look at who put together a great week with the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Jordan Phillips – IDL (Maryland) – It could be argued that no one had a more complete week than Maryland defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. The 320-pounder showed his strength and quickness off the line of scrimmage is NFL ready, dominating in both the four practice sessions and the game as well.
Phillips finished his college career without a sack, but did tally 31 run stops and 26 pressures. That production, paired with his Big Ten tape, could present one of the great run-stoppers available in this year’s NFL Draft class.
Efton Chism – WR (Eastern Washington) – Multiple wide receivers put together solid weeks of practice, but never really made an impact in the game. Guys like La’Johntay Wester (Colorado), KeAndre Lambert-Smith (Auburn), and Konata Mumpfield (Pittsburgh). That allowed one receiving prospect to stand out from the rest. Efton Chism finished as the game’s leading receiver, 4 receptions for 43 yards on four targets, including an acrobatic hurdle over a safety for a first down.
He tallied an incredible 3,840 yards and 37 touchdowns during his time with the Eagles. His wins this week happened with a quick release at the line of scrimmage and great ball tracking skills. Watch his name sneak up draft boards.
Johnny Walker – Edge (Missouri) – There are times during these all-star events where certain players jump off the screen. Walker didn’t even need the screen, you could just see the box score from Thursday’s game and see he had a good week. The Mizzou Tiger finished with two sacks and a forced fumble, pressuring the West backfield nearly once a possession.
Paired with his consistent dominance in practice, Walker put together the best week for edge rushers in the event. One scout in attendance said he may have put himself into the day two conversation with his length (33-inch arms), and explosiveness of the line of scrimmage mentioned as a plus.
Nohl Williams – CB (California) – Williams didn’t take long to show off the highly praised ball skills that he entered the week with. In the first one-on-one session in Denton, he broke up a pass against UNLV wide receiver Ricky White but struggled to keep his footing on the later reps between the two. Instead of sulking in his early struggles, he showed up early to the Sunday practice and never looked back.
He was consistent in his footwork, stayed fluid in coverage, and provided a challenge to each receiver he was paired against. All capped off by a pass breakup that nearly saw Williams tip a pass to his safety help, and college teammate Marcus Harris, for an interception in the first quarter of the game.
Chandler Martin – LB (Memphis) – Throughout the season, the Memphis Tigers were more-so known for their offensive prowess, despite the incredible production from Martin at linebacker. He finished as a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection and the defensive MVP of the 2025 Frisco Bowl.
He stepped into Shrine Bowl week and began with an interception in coverage against Miami receiver Sam Brown on the first day. A little undersized, he’s shown an ability to tackle consistently, cover consistently, and perform against a higher level of competition like Florida State, West Virginia, and the players in the East-West Shrine Bowl. That’s a pretty good trio.
The East roster dominated the 100th East-West Shrine Bowl, winning 25-0 in the first shutout that the all-star game has seen since 1969.
