2025 NFL Draft Shrine Bowl Steelers Analysis
Five Steelers Draft Prospects to Watch at 2025 Shrine Bowl
The college all-star game circuit is in full swing, with the East-West Shrine Bowl practices set to kick off this weekend. In recent years, this is an event that has gained popularity in part because of the influx of NFL Draft talent that they’ve been able to lure to the setting. The Pittsburgh Steelers, like every other team, will definitely have a presence in Dallas to scout for future picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Last year, the Steelers selected two prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft who participated at the Shrine Bowl, fourth-round guard Mason McCormick and sixth-round defensive lineman Logan Lee.
The college all-star game environment isn’t made to take place of the tape that these players have put on display for several years, rather give them one final opportunity to compete against top competition in front of a plethora of scouts and decision makers.
The good news for NFL teams is that this year’s Shrine Bowl roster features more top-end talent than any of its previous iterations. With that in mind, here are a handful of prospects worth paying attention to this weekend and throughout the cycle.
IDL Kenneth Grant (Michigan)
The Michigan defender is listed a whopping 6-foot-3, 339 pounds, eliminating any questions about whether he looks the part of an NFL defensive lineman. What makes him such an intriguing prospect is that Grant is incredibly nimble and moves shockingly well for his size.
The sack numbers aren’t overwhelming but he possesses the power to push the pocket and force erratic throws, with a swim move that seems to frequently catch offensive lineman off guard. Blocking him one on one can a real chore and the jaw-dropping highs to his game signal a potential impact player at the next level. Grant is more of a penetrating disruptor, rather than double team anchor, and he’s not quite a finished product in either phase but the arrow is pointing up towards him being a first-round selection, and likely in the range where the Steelers will draft.
CB Cobee Bryant (Kansas)
When you’re undersized, you need a true trump card to help you stand out amongst the competition. For Bryant, that’s his uncanny ability to make plays on the football in the air with his 13 career picks come in a variety of ways: baiting quarterbacks into ill-advised throws while in zone coverage, anticipating route breaks or just mossing receivers at the catch point. He’s an active participant in the screen game, is willing to throw his body around and clearly takes pride in defending the run on the perimeter.
Despite virtually no reps inside, there are certain characteristics of his game that translate well to the slot at the next level. Bryant is a historical outlier for size (168 pounds) and that will scare some teams off, but his highly competitive nature and playmaking ability are well worth a dart throw in the middle rounds.
WR Ja’Corey Brooks (Louisville)
After some early flashes at Alabama while playing with former top pick Bryce Young, Brooks transferred to Louisville and exploded onto the scene with a breakout 1,000+ yard campaign. Brooks thrives on the boundary with a proven ability to beat press coverage with a detailed release package for every situation.
Brooks is more than just a fluid route runner to move the chains and he proved as much by the amount of explosive plays he created in 2024. His next quarterback will immediately appreciate his understanding of the scramble drill, which is one of his most underrated skills. Brooks’ best stretches resemble a starting caliber X-receiver but he will need to prove his hands are reliable enough for that sort of responsibility.
QB Max Brosmer (Minnesota)
It’s safe to say that he won’t be the most highly touted signal caller at the Shrine Bowl, considering Shadeur Sanders’ involvement, but Brosmer’s tape was a pleasant surprise. He checks a bunch of boxes for things you like to see from pocket passers. There’s an abundance of anticipatory throws on film, he understands how to layer the ball with touch and he is one of the few guys in this class that has plenty of experience working under center. Brosmer is a rhythmic passer that sees the field well and is capable of slicing defenses up in short and intermediate areas. He’s not the flashiest, nor most creative and that shows up when he’s forced off his spot shortly after his drop. Having said that, he’s capable of running an NFL offense in the right ecosystem and has the look of high-quality backup with continued development.
LB Chris Paul Jr. (Ole Miss)
Not to be confused with the future basketball Hall of Famer, Paul offers a myriad of skills that teams look for in the modern off-ball linebacker. For starters, he processes information quickly and diagnoses rushing concepts to the point where he’s able to beat potential blockers to the spot in order to put himself in good position for stops. Paul doesn’t deconstruct blockers efficiently and struggles to break free once guys latch on to his frame, but his football IQ paired with his athleticism limits those encounters. His lateral movement skills and closing burst are both plusses in his scouting report.
While in college, he was an adept blitzer up the middle but when asked to drop in coverage, there were some promising flashes of him reading the quarterbacks eyes and recognizing routes developing behind him. This has been one of the toughest positions for the Steelers and NFL teams to evaluate in the draft for quite some time because of how the game has evolved, but Paul’s foundation is rock solid.
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