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Spotlight also will shine on quarterbacks facing big questions

By Todd McShay
ESPN.com


ncf_i_maustin1_sy_200.jpg

Marvin Austin has plenty of questions to answer during Shrine week.


The practice week leading up to the 86th annual East-West Shrine Game is ready to kick off, and approximately 100 NFL prospects are gearing up for a chance to prove themselves in front of NFL scouts.

Shrine week gives players a chance to receive NFL coaching and showcase their skills for all 32 NFL teams, and barring any late changes to the rosters, here are the players we'll be keeping an especially close eye on.


Top six expected to play

1. North Carolina DT Marvin Austin (grade: 87)
Austin was suspended for all of the 2010 season after he was found to have received impermissible benefits and he has some work to do this week. A first-round prospect coming into the season, on film Austin is a quick and disruptive 3-technique but his motor runs hot and cold. His challenge on the field this week is to show he has stayed in shape and not lost any quickness, and also that he can hold up agaisnt the run. Off the field, Austin has to ace the interview process and begin to answer the character questions that have resulted from his off-the-field issues. If he does that he could begin solidifying a spot early in the second round.

2. South Florida DT Terrell McClain (80)
McClain didn't have a huge year on paper, but the more we study him, the more impressed we are with his ability to disrupt plays in the backfield and hold his ground at the point of attack. He needs to show improvement as a pass-rusher, though, and we'll be watching him in that area against a solid but unspectacular group of offensive linemen.

3. Lehigh G William Rackley (73)
One of the more underrated prospects in the entire class, Rackley has good feet for a 6-foot-3, 304-pound prospect. This week offers him a chance to prove that he can get it done against a higher level of competition than the FCS players he's faced for most of the past four years.

4. Nevada OLB Dontay Moch (72)
We know he's fast (some scouts have timed him in the 4.3-second range in the 40-yard dash), but Moch is inconsistent on film and has not been a full-time outside linebacker for the Wolf Pack. We want to see how he handles that position this week, how well he can get off blocks and drop into underneath coverage, and how good his instincts are.

5. South Carolina DE Cliff Matthews (70)
He has good all-around physical tools, but Matthews is not exceptional in any one area, and after recording seven sacks in 2009, his total fell to 5.5 this season. Matthews' grade has been on a steady decline, and he has to show scouts he's not as stiff as his film indicates and his potential is worth a midround pick.

6. Syracuse RB Delone Carter (60)
A short, squatty back who runs hard and had a productive season, Carter will be watched closely for two reasons. First, NFL teams want to know whether he has the strength and explosiveness to get to the second level and generate more yards than his blocking gives him. Secondly, after some off-the-field issues during his career, Carter has a chance to start the interview process strong and begin to answer questions about his intangibles.


Quarterbacks in the spotlight

Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor (45) is the headliner in a group of quarterbacks facing questions heading into the pre-draft process. Taylor made huge strides as a passer in 2010 but is still considered by most to be a better prospect as a wide receiver/return man than a quarterback.

The big question is whether he will embrace that potential change and showcase his athleticism and versatility or continue to take all his snaps at quarterback. Taylor is physically gifted, but the biggest problem he faces is that he is clearly shorter than 6-1 and does not have the size to function as a pocket passer in the NFL.

Delaware's Pat Devlin (57) has the highest grade of the quarterbacks in Orlando this week but has struggled with accuracy from within the pocket and must show improvement in that area, while Wisconsin's Scott Tolzien (30) has to convince scouts that his accuracy and intelligence make him worthy of a late-round pick despite his lack of size and arm strength.

Finally, Texas A&M's Jerrod Johnson entered the 2010 season looking for a breakout year but was clearly not at full strength after offseason shoulder surgery. Johnson was erratic early and then got benched midway through the season, so we're watching to see whether he is fully healthy and back to being the strong-armed passer we saw in 2009.


Something to prove

Each roster also contains a handful of players with something specific to prove to scouts. Here are the players from both teams who have pointed questions to answer.


East team

Miami RB Graig Cooper (58) -- He was a shell of his former self after suffering a major knee injury in 2009 and must prove he is getting stronger and worth a midround pick.

LSU WR Terrence Toliver (54) -- Inconsistent but with a solid overall skill set, Toliver is looking to show scouts his inconsistency of the past two seasons was largely a product of poor quarterback play.

Penn State RB Evan Royster (48) -- He runs hard and had a record-setting career with the Nittany Lions, but Royster has to disprove the thought that he is a one-speed back who creates few yards on his own.


West team

Iowa DL Karl Klug (58) -- He is tough and versatile, but where does Klug fit in the NFL? He should spend Shrine week as a true defensive end and has to show the ability to bring a pass rush off the edge.

Cincinnati WR Armon Binns (52) -- He has great size and flashes big-play ability, but the Bearcats' system got him open a lot, so Binns is looking to prove he can separate from tight coverage on his own. This could be his one big showcase for scouts, because Binns has not yet been invited to the NFL draft combine.

Oklahoma State ILB Orie Lemon (36) -- Ultraproductive (133 total tackles) as a senior, Lemon has to prove he was not a product of the Cowboys' system and that he can take on and disengage from blocks effectively.

Todd McShay is the director of college scouting for Scouts Inc. He has been evaluating prospects for the NFL draft since 1998.
 
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