Best player from the state of Florida

The nominees are Bryan Cox Jr., Trey Hendrickson, Joey Ivie and Kermit Whitfield

And the winner is…

Trey Hendrickson, DE, Florida Atlantic. This award belonged to Ivie, the Gator defensive tackle, but Hendrickson stole it by being MVP of the actual Shrine Game. He drew some comparisons to Jared Allen during the week for how fast he screams around the corner. 

Best positional group

The nominees are East tight ends, West wide receivers and West defensive ends

And the winner is…

East tight ends. Antony Auclair from Laval, Colin Jeter from LSU, Scott Orndoff from Pittsburgh and Eric Saubert from Drake all had more positive than negative moments in practice. Saubert and Auclair in particular both dramatically raised their draft stock in my eyes, which is the ultimate goal of the players here. 

Most likely to be the first player drafted

The nominees are Trey Hendrickson, Gabe Marks, Erik Magnuson and Deatrich Wise

And the winner is…

Erik Magnusson, OT, Michigan. The natural right tackle capitalizes on a truly dreadful offensive line draft class by being NFL-ready and consistently improving, both throughout his senior season and the practice week. If Marks, the nifty Washington State wideout, runs faster than 4.38 in the 40 at his pro day, he’ll be the winner. 

Player who helped himself most off the field

The nominees are Chunky Clements, Fabian Moreau, Jalen Robinette and Zach Terrell

And the winner is…

Chunky Clements, DT, Illinois. He was injured and missed the week, but dutifully attended every East practice in his walking boot. He participated in position meetings on the sidelines and encouraged his mates. The affable, pensive Clements also aced interviews, which is where the other three nominees also excelled per scouts I talked with.

Most likely for a second career as a fitness model

The nominees are Jamal Carter, Trey Hendrickson, Jalen Robinette and Tony Stevens

And the winner is…

Jamal Carter, safety, Miami FL. He was good-not-great at safety for the East all week, but Carter’s shredded physique definitely captures attention. He almost looks airbrushed. Hendrickson gets a close second for rocking the crop top jersey at 260 pounds and wearing it very well. Robinette and Sanders would both look at home on the pro beach volleyball tour with their lean but incredibly toned, muscular builds. 

Best player from the MAC

The nominees are Storm Norton, Michael Roberts, Cooper Rush and Zack Terrell

And the winner is…

Michael Roberts, TE, Toledo. As a MAC grad (Ohio U.) shill, I had high hopes for all these players. Roberts did not disappoint with his wide frame and strong hands. Special mention to Gehrig Dieter, who started his college career at Bowling Green before transferring to Alabama and had a very nice week at wideout for the East too.

Most fun practice player to watch

The nominees are Javancy Jones, Gabe Marks, Dan Skipper and De’Veon Smith

And the winner is…

Javancy Jones, LB, Jackson State. The most talkative player on either roster, Jones brought energy and passion to every rep of every drill. He played pretty darn well too, especially considering he’d never played off the line before. But 6’10” Arkansas offensive tackle Skipper had the best moment:

Best gamer

The nominees are Richie Brown, Karel Hamilton, Wes Lunt and Hardy Nickerson Jr.

And the winner is…

Richie Brown, LB, Mississippi State. This award goes to the player who didn’t stand out in practice but looked great in the actual game. That’s actually unfair to Brown, who was indeed pretty darn impressive in practices, notably in coverage drills. But he stepped it up in the game. Nickerson deserves a mention simply because I did not take one note on him all week but he played well in the game too.