St. Petersburg, Fla. -- Shrine week practices closed shop today with the final full-pads practice before Saturday's game. One thing scouts and NFL coaches leaving St. Petersburg realize is that the week offered several solid developmental offensive tackle prospects who could nicely fill a back-up role in 2012.
On the East squad, Joe Long of tiny Wayne State very much looks the part and has been playing good football this week. Long is a large right tackle prospect with NFL size and strength. He's done well against many of the small but quick defensive ends he's faced this week. Scouts have lauded Long for his tenacity and they think he has the motivation to succeed in the NFL. He'll be a serviceable player in the draft's closing rounds.
Lamar Holmes of Southern Mississippi is much the same, though he has a slightly more impressive physical stature. Holmes was slightly inconsistent in practice yet when he's on his game, no one could get past him. He's a large right tackle prospect who will only get bigger, stronger and better and he continues to gain experience.
If you're looking for a left side tackle then Tom Compton of South Dakota could be your guy. Compton plays with consistent fundamentals and stands out in pass protection. He has an NFL body and the small school prospect may just need a year or two in a proper weight training program to reach his potential.
Markus Zusevic of Iowa is one of the bigger name offensive tackles that has impressed the past two days. Primarily playing on the right side, Zusevic stands out as a pass protecting tackle who needs to improve his run blocking skill.
Overall, it's been a successful three days at Shrine practices. So who were the big winners?
Cornerback Josh Norman of Coastal Carolina came up big every day in practice. He's an impressive defensive back who looks good in his pads. More importantly Norman looked good on the field, displaying good fundamentals as well as top ball skills. He faced off against BJ Cunningham of Michigan State and AJ Jenkins of Illinois, two of the best receivers offered by the Big Ten - and he shut them down for the most part. On Tuesday, Norman came away with a pair of outstanding interceptions in full scrimmage. He's moving North up draft boards. How far North will be determined by his pre-draft forty times.
Offensive lineman Brandon Brooks was graded as a free agent prospect prior to the season. He looked more like a second day draft pick during the 2011 campaign and was equally impressive here at Shrine practices. Brooks is a strong, thick lineman who moves well on his feet. He dominates opponents at the line or knocks them from the play in motion. Brooks has some versatility to his game and was successful at left tackle for the Miami (OH.) Redhawks before moving into guard.
Michigan tight end Kevin Koger was out of place for two years in the Rich Rodriguez offense but slowly showed signs of life as a senior in 2011. In St. Petersburg, he had a coming out of sorts and displayed a complete game for scouts. He was dominant as a blocker and beat linebackers down the seam for long receptions. Surprisingly, Koger has yet to receiving an invitation to the combine.
Finally, Travian Robertson, the defensive tackle from South Carolina, looked solid again in practice on Wednesday and was tough to stop. Watch him during the game Eagles fans.
Who didn't look good?
The quarterback play was terrible as Chandler Harnish of Northern Illinois and BJ Coleman of UT-Chattanooga were both terribly disappointing. And if you wanted a safety who could cover receivers over the middle, you won't find one at the Shrine game.
Next week starts the all important Senior Bowl as practices kick off Monday. It's always lots of fun with much that will be revealed, so stay tuned.
You can follow Tony on Twitter @TonyPauline and read all of his NFL Draft insight at DraftInsider.net
