This running back made up for lost time at Shrine Bowl practice
Jan 26, 2025, 4:08 PM | Updated: 4:13 pm
FRISCO, Texas — The 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl practices continued on Sunday. The second day of action is another important part of the process. Players who shined on the first day must follow that up with another strong performance — and not every player does. Those who struggled on the first day have a chance to turn things around on the second day — and some do.
REPEAT PERFORMERS AT SHRINE BOWL PRACTICE
On Saturday, both Iowa tight end Luke Lachey and Memphis linebacker Chandler Martin were featured as stars of the day. It was good to see that both repeat their performances Sunday.
Lachey continues to make plays due to his size, hands, and football intelligence. With defenders swarming, Lachey knows where to sit down in the soft spot of a zone. Lachey has a large frame with a large wingspan. This prevents defenders – even those of the more physical variety – from breaking up the play by going around him. There were no big touchdowns for Lachey like there was on Saturday, but his consistent effort and ability to be a quarterback’s best friend were good to see again.
Martin was always around the ball — again — on Sunday. He’s got a nose for the ball, and he wastes little motion in getting to the play. There is no live tackling to the ground in these practices, but you can tell when Martin wants to bring the pain – because that’s every play. He flies around the field and can fill holes at the line.
RUNNING BACK TALENT ABOUNDS
In the 2025 NFL Draft, there is a smorgasbord of running back talent. It’s like picking an ice cream flavor, and there are several different styles of back to choose from. The Broncos need to add at least one — and maybe two — running backs to the backfield in the draft. This is a perfect class to do just that, and at the Shrine Bowl, two runners stood tallest.
Tahj Brooks is an interesting power back from Texas Tech. He’s a larger back, measuring in at 230 pounds, but he has impressed during practice with his receiving ability. The quarterback talent isn’t the greatest at the Shrine, so Brooks has shown the ability to adjust — frequently — to poorly-thrown passes. For a player known for his size and intent as a runner, it’s been good to see him showcase this other side to his game.
Arizona running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is the best back at the Shrine. He has shown well as a receiver, and his hands look sticky enough for him to be incredibly reliable in that department when it comes to pro football. However, Croskey-Merritt has mainly shown well because of his burst, vision, and patience as a runner.
Again, there is no live tackling but defenders would have to catch Croskey-Merritt if there was – and that might prove to be difficult. He patiently waits for the blocks to form in front of him, then the Wildcat back shoots through the gap in the blink of an eye. Once in the second level of the defense, Croskey-Merritt makes crisp moves and doesn’t lose speed when executing them.
STUFFING THE RUN
This was a problem for the Broncos in 2023 and that prompted the team to make moves for veterans like Malcolm Roach and John Franklin-Myers. For much of the season, the Broncos showed palpable improvement, but faded down the stretch. With D.J. Jones set to become an unrestricted free agent, the Broncos could add some young talent on the defensive line to be added. Enter two potential prospects from the Shrine Bowl: Jordan Phillips (Maryland) and Warren Brinson (Georgia).
Phillips stands out because of his size and quickness off the line of scrimmage. He can knife through would-be blocking combinations, and he has no problem finding the ball-carrier after he does. In one-on-one drills, Phillips showed the ability to use multiple moves against offensive linemen tasked with keeping him away from the quarterback. His hustle and energy have stood out for two days at the Shine.
Brinson knocked down at least two passes in practice over the last two days. He’s a big man who can get to the quarterback, but he knows when to put his hands up to knock a pass down if he’s not going to get there. Brinson is incredibly strong, and he was throwing around offensive linemen at times during team drills. He engulfed running backs on film at Georgia, and Brinson backed up that tape with a physical presence Sunday.
