East-West Shrine Game: E.J. Perry and four other impressive performances from 2022 NFL Draft prospects
Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on February 4, 2022
The East-West Shrine Game is all about seizing opportunity when it arrives in front of NFL scouts. And we were treated to a highly competitive exhibition outing last night with plenty of solid outings.
Let’s pinpoint which prospects had the best performances that’ll boost their stocks at the outset of the 2022 NFL Draft process.
E.J. Perry, QB, Brown
Perry was easily the most productive quarterback on Thursday evening, completing 13 of 18 passes for 241 yards with three touchdowns. He stretched the ball vertically with ease, and even an incompletion in the fourth quarter showcased the arm strength the Brown quarterback possesses.
Perry even ran four times for 14 yards when he wasn’t able to find open receivers. His tosses were made with good zip and accuracy. Outside of a botched snap in the red zone, Ivy League product looked completely comfortable operating the offense with a mix of in-pocket throws and positive, outside-of-structure plays while leading an impressive comeback.
Ty Chandler, RB, North Carolina
Chandler was springy and ran with awesome vision all evening. He took 11 totes and accumulated 69 yards. The North Carolina alum knifed his way to daylight through traffic on basically all of his runs. Chandler’s burst and second-level acceleration were noticeable on all of his runs.
In a deep running back class, Chandler needed a strong showing to sneak onto the draftable radar. He absolutely had one.
Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia
Woods only had three grabs for 30 yards — one of which was a touchdown — but he showcased snappy breaks in his routes at nearly 6-foot-7. His ability to separate at that size is unusual, and certainly a positive to his game.
He also ended the game by showcasing his ball skills on the onside kick by the East squad late in the game. Woods has a gigantic catch radius and exceptional change-of-direction skill for his size.
Pierre Strong, RB, South Dakota State
The longest play of the evening came via an FCS runner. Strong took a screen pass 65 yards for a touchdown, demonstrating not only impressive down-the-field speed but vision and cutting skills to set up his blocks from his convoy down the left sideline.
It was one of two touches for Strong on the night, and he made the most of it.
Samori Toure, WR, Nebraska
Toure fueled the East club’s comeback, first with a nice spin move on a throw from Perry into the flat that had no business finishing as a touchdown.
Later, Toure beat his cornerback down the sideline for his second score of the fourth quarter — this time a 17-yarder — to bring this team within one score. Toure finished with 32 yards on five receptions and the pair of touchdowns.
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