East West Shrine game

As far as NFL draft prospects are concerned, this weekend’s East-West Shrine Game ranks a notch below the following weekend’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

But if you’re a football junkie in need of a fix on Saturday at 3 p.m. (NFL Network), one player that bears watching is University of North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin.

The 6–2, 312-pound Austin is likely to be an early-round selection in April’s draft, despite the fact he was suspended by the NCAA for his entire senior season after taking improper gifts from an agent.

Austin was a force as a junior for the Tar Heels, piling up 42 tackles – including six for loss and four sacks. But since he didn’t play a down as a senior, his performance this week at the East-West game and his NFL workouts will be particularly important.

You can bet Austin will be one of many players the Titans are eyeing, as Jeff Fisher’s club has a serious need to get deeper, bigger and stronger in the middle of the defensive line.

If you find it easier to gauge how well quarterbacks are doing, you might want to keep an eye on Delaware quarterback Pat Devlin. The 6–3, 226-pound Devlin has been marked by many as a sleeper prospect, and has drawn natural comparisons to another former Blue Hen now succeeding on the NFL level – Joe Flacco.

Devlin is projected right now as a mid-round draft pick after completing 261-of-384 passes (68 percent) for 22 touchdowns and three interceptions on the FCS level last season.

Arm strength is considered by scouts as a potential questionmark, as is the fact he took a lot of snaps from the shotgun. But he’s getting high praise for his poise and his ability to read the field.


News From: blogs.tennessean.com