The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
More than 150 athletes are set to participate in the 2026 East-Shrine Bowl today -- all eager to show off their skill sets to NFL scouts. Here are five players to watch when the game kicks off at the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility.
RB Eli Heidenreich
Any team looking for versatility should find a lot to like when they watch Heidenreich. He had 3,151 scrimmage yards and 23 touchdowns in three seasons at Navy and ended the 2025 season as the team's leading receiver (941) and third best rusher (499). He had the second best receiving grade among all players with a 94.8 and had 338 yards after the catch, according to PFF.
Heidenreich is known for having rare route running abilities for a running back, and that was on display during practices last weekend during his one-on-ones against linebackers. However, Navy liked to put Heidenreich all over the field, including in the slot and even out wide. Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen even compared him to Christian McCaffrey in terms of his versatility on the field.
Heidenreich is currently not among ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.'s top 10 running backs, but a strong performance today might make him crack the list.
EDGE Malachi Lawrence
Lawrence was one of the more entertaining players to watch during practice last weekend. The UCF edge rusher is 250 pounds with a 6-foot-4 frame and used that size to his advantage against offensive linemen. He used his speed to get around blockers and strength to crash the pocket -- both skills he used to rack up 28 tackles and seven sacks last season.
However, like most players at the Shrine Bowl, Lawrence is not a perfect prospect and will need to show improvement in some areas to strengthen his draft stock. He had a 22.4% missed tackle rate and often freelanced as a pass-rusher, leaving escape routes for quarterbacks. He can also lose ground in the run game and be slow to shed blockers.
Lawrence is projected as a Day 3 pick for now, but that could change if he can add more production to his potential upside.
WR Skyler Bell
Bell is not the biggest prospect at 185 pounds, but it's hard to argue with his production. He had 101 receptions in his final season with UConn -- just one of four players to hit that mark -- with 1,287 yards and 13 touchdowns. He's also exceptionally fast, clocking in at 20.1 mph, and had the second-most yards after the catch last season (835).
Bell's biggest strengths lie in his route running and footwork. He's explosive out of his cuts and knows how to attack soft spots in zone coverage. He also knows how to avoid would-be tacklers, as he showed multiple times during one-on-one drills. That footwork also helps him create separation at the line of scrimmage and shake off man coverage.
Like Lawrence, Bell is projected to be a Day 3 pick. However, Bell has some unique traits that could convince a team to take him in the second or third round.
S Jalen Huskey
Teams will have to look more at potential over experience when it comes to Huskey. He's only played safety for two seasons after spending the first half of his career playing cornerback at Liberty, so he's still learning how to play the position. Still, what he's put on film has been impressive; he had seven interceptions in two seasons at Maryland to go with 117 tackles.
Huskey is a physical safety who isn't afraid of contact and will play close to the line of scrimmage. He also handled himself well in coverage in both team drills and one-on-ones, deflecting two passes and holding his own against prospects like Kalen Wetjen.
It might take time for Huskey to be a consistent contributor at the professional level based on how much he still needs to learn about the position. In the meantime, most of his snaps will come on special teams. But Kiper lists him as his seventh best safety, and if he can continue the progress he's made in the last two seasons, it won't take long for him to get in a starting lineup.
