The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
Over 100 college prospects will meet in Texas to participate in the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl next week, giving the Washington Commanders and the rest of the NFL an up-close look at their skill sets. While each player has potential, Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen said each player has a few "warts" they'll need to work out during practice and at the game. He and co-host Jason Johnson laid out on the "Drive to the Draft" podcast" which players need to prove or show them something starting this weekend.
Here are some of Paulsen's candidates for each category. Take a listen to the full podcast for the rest of his analysis.
Ethan Burk, EDGE, Texas
Height: 6-6
Weight: 259
2025 stats: 40 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 FF, 1 PD
Paulsen's take: Prove it
Analysis: He's a big, long-armed guy who plays really hard. He may not be the best athlete; he's not super twitchy. But the thing I love about him is he uses his arms and arm length really, really well and has a great feel for attacking shoulders. We talked about this with Keldric Faulk a little bit earlier -- that feel for getting hands on people, having that little bit of knock-down power to you. To me, I think this dude...could develop into a starting-caliber defensive end at some point. He needs a little time in the weight room and needs some time to thicken up his lower half, but I want to see if that play strength is real.
Diego Pounds, T, Ole Miss
Height: 6-6
Weight: 340 pounds
Paulsen's take: Prove it
Analysis: This guy can move around a little bit ... His ability to sit, get power and get depth on the kick slide and the strength that he had in his body, you can feel that 340 (weight) while also having good knee bend. I left watching that Miami tape -- which wasn't a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination -- looking at his frame, looking at his length and being like, "This dude might be a top 10 tackle in this draft." That's how good I thought he was. I think he's a good football player ... To me, I just want to see him in person. He reminds me a little bit of Jalen Travis from last year. Is he a perfect athlete? No, but the size, the length, I want to see those measurements come to life.
Wesley Williams, EDGE, Duke
Height: 6-3
Weight: 265
2025 stats: 43 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FR, 1 PD
Paulsen's take: Show me
Analysis: He has more of a blocky build -- long arms, thick lower half. I really like the way he plays. I think he's physically violent. I think he's good against the run. He reminds me of guys I played against in the NFL. He only has two sacks in terms of his time at Duke, but he's a football player who has the requisite tools to be a good first- and second-down defensive end at the next level. My "show me" for him is that you have some twitch. It's not great; you're a little tight in the upper body. He's a little bit muscle-bound ... Can you rush the passer at the NFL level is my thing.
Eli Heidenreich, WR, Navy
Height: 6-0
Weight: 206
2025 stats: 51 receptions, 941 yards, 6 TDs, 77 carries, 499 yards, 3 TDs
Paulsen's take: Show me
Analysis: This is such an interesting prospect to me. I'm gonna say something crazy here. He's not the best athlete. He's a little bit stiff. He moves like a running back, but he plays wide receiver in this offense. The one thing you're looking for at running back...is they don't run good routes. Eli runs really good routes ... The thing he needs to show me is can he play traditional running back. Can we pick up a blitz? Can we move downhill? Can we run outside zone? I think about him in a Kyle Shanahan offense and he reminded me a little bit...of Christian McCaffrey in the way that you could use him ... He can win on the perimeter versus a linebacker or a safety, I believe. I need you to show me that. I'm giving you a lot of clout here, and I need you to show me you can run the football.
