NFL Draft season has kicked off, with many (58 and counting) underclassmen already declaring for the 2015 version. It gets more focused from Jan. 12-17 with the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg.

The Shrine Game doesn’t typically have any first or second round picks among their crop of seniors, but in most years the two rosters are filled with players taken on the draft’s third day. That appears to be the case once again with these two rosters coached by Jim Zorn and Mike Singeltary.

For the fourth year in a row, I will be covering the practice sessions in person for RealGM. Here are 10 players I’m hoping to focus on during the week.

Cody Fajardo, QB, Nevada

Colin Kaepernick’s successor in Reno is from the same mold, though he’s not nearly as big at 6’2” and 215. He also doesn’t have Kaep’s massive arm (few do), but he’s more accurate on the shorter and intermediate throws in Nevada’s read-option pistol scheme. Fajardo is more of a physical runner, and he’s very good at buying time with his feet and keeping his options open to either run or pass.

As a draft prospect, he’s marginally draftable. The size and the average arm and speed will keep him from ever being seriously considered a candidate to start at the next level. Yet he’s smart enough, strong enough, tough enough and has just enough skill as a passer to stick for a few years as a functional backup. He can help himself a lot in St. Pete if he proves he can deliver deeper throws with accuracy and proper mechanics.

Kasen Williams, WR, Washington

Williams is a fallen star in draft circles. Two years ago he looked like a surefire top 40 pick, a physical beast at a rock-solid 6’2” and 215 pounds. A nasty broken foot in the 2013 season changed all that.

He never really looked recovered in a lost senior season for the Huskies. He caught just 20 passes, most of them shorter routes where he showed little explosiveness or ability to create after the catch. It also appears as if he’s gained some weight.

For those of us who were enchanted by his potential two years ago, the hope is we see some glimpses of that playmaking guy on the practice fields. One of the most useful gleanings from attending these sessions is watching wideout run routes and corners defend them. Williams has a chance to bubble his stock back up to the 5th or 6th round, but a bad week might mean his phone never rings to even get in a camp.

Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma

The Belldozer rose to fame as the Sooners’ red zone quarterback, sending starter Landry Jones to the bench with his powerful running and gunning style. Jones graduated (he’s currently Pittsburgh’s 3rd stringer) and Bell took over with very high expectations in 2013.

He flopped. Badly. In an effort to keep a great young man and team leader involved, Oklahoma moved him to tight end for 2014. At 6’6”, a beefy 260 pounds and given his running instincts and vision, it wasn’t a bad idea.

His production wasn’t great: 16 catches, four TDs. Still, he looked comfortable running routes and showed he could effectively chip and release while inline. He even showed he could make the athletic grab. Bell should have a future as a #2 TE in the NFL with more time to get acclimated to the position.

Tre McBride, WR, William & Mary

McBride is a physically impressive FCS receiver. At a listed 6’2”, he appears bigger than that while playing against smaller-school opponents. He shows strong hands and the ability to reach out and pluck the ball away from his body.

It’s always a challenge for the lower-level players to step up in games like this to make an impression they belong. Last year, John Brown from Pittsburg State proved he could more than hang with the big boys, but Seantavius Jones demonstrated he wasn’t ready to swim in the deeper pool.

I have a feeling McBride’s body control and speed will make him one of the breakout stars of the week on offense. He was also a great kick returned for the Tribe, which builds draft value. You can watch his game against Richmond here courtesy of the great guys at Draft Breakdown.

Greg Mancz, C, Toledo

The Rockets center is a player who is building real draft momentum. He played quite well in nationally televised games late in the year, then put on an absolute clinic in Toledo’s GoDaddy Bowl romp over Arkansas State.

Mancz is on the light side at about 295 pounds but he’s incredibly quick and agile for a center. Other pivots will be drafted higher but none are better at pulling out on a perimeter run or engaging quickly at the second level. He’s played tackle and guard as well, earning All-MAC honors three times.

How good is he? I already have a 3rd round grade on him, and now it’s time for everyone else to start seeing Mancz in action. If he proves he can handle beefier, more powerful rushers in team drills, he just might get drafted that high.

Dean Marlowe, S, James Madison

One of the guys who Tre McBride faced in the CAA is Dean Marlowe. In fact, here’s a picture of the two of them fighting for a ball:

The Dukes safety is a big-time hitter with a good nose for the football. A former lightweight HS quarterback, he bulked up and got faster as he got stronger. The practices represent an excellent opportunity for him to prove he has the range, instincts and eye discipline to make the big jump from FCS to NFL. Just on size alone (he’s 6’2” and 205) he’s likely to draw late-round draft consideration.

Edmond Robinson, LB, Newberry

It’s not often that I go into these situations having never seen a player, but that is the case with Edmond Robinson. Honestly I cannot tell you if he plays inside or outside or even what his number was for the Wolves.

That excites me. It’s great to evaluate a player with completely open eyes and no preconceived notions or expectations. I purposely ignored his YouTube highlight or talking about Robinson with any NFL scouts or guys in the draft community on Twitter. Show me what you got, Mr. Robinson!

James Castleman, DT, Oklahoma State

He’s better-known for his Wildcat touchdown run and long catch-and-run in OSU’s bowl win over Washington, but before all those great moments Castleman was a fixture in the middle of the Cowboys defense.

This is a good test for him. Castleman is not a natural pass rusher but more of a high-motor guy who capitalizes on blocking mistakes. The mano-a-mano rush drills will be critical for him to prove he can be more than just a backup plugger at the next level. I want to see if he has a go-to move that can reliably defeat the blocking competition in practices. He’s a good run defender already but that’s not enough to get drafted above the 6th round.

Bobby McCain, CB, Memphis

I’ll admit to not catching a lot of Memphis Tigers football. I did catch their game against Ole Miss, however, and McCain jumped off the screen. He picked off Bo Wallace (undraftable, don’t get me started!) twice and often appeared to be running the routes for the receivers.

When I watched their bowl game against BYU, I saw it was no fluke. Once again there was No. 21 right on the receiver’s hip and correctly anticipating the next move. He picked off a pass in that game as well.

This is a great venue for him to impress scouts with his apparent natural stickiness and ball skills. It’s also a good place to hide his weak tackling. While he gets the man down, it’s more of a drag-down than a stick and drop. I also want to see him against speedier wideouts and having to cross the field in coverage. Tigers safety Fritz Etienne will also be in St. Pete, and their chemistry together could help elevate both to draftable status.

Marvin Kloss, K, South Florida

Yeah, I am the guy who actively scouts kickers. I also really enjoy checking out the punters at these events. The Shrine Game tends to wind up with better kicking prospects than the more heralded Senior Bowl (I’ll be there the following week too), and Kloss could very well be the best kicker in this draft.

The Bulls kicker has a big leg. He led the nation in FGs from 40+ yards in 2013, following that up with a solid 13-of-17 performance in 2014. More than half his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. He’ll be performing not far from the USF campus, and the familiarity should help him.

I’m also curious to check out his Bulls teammate, WR Andre Davis. He is a tough, long-armed playmaker who could work his way into the 5th or 6th round with a strong week.