DALLAS — For the third straight year, members of the Steelers Depot crew have descended upon the East-West Shrine Bowl that helps kick off the pre-draft cycle ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
This year though, the Depot crew didn’t head to Las Vegas. Instead, the crew of Dr. Melanie Friedlander, Joe Clark, Tony Calderone and myself have descended upon Dallas and the home of the Dallas Cowboys for the 99th edition of the East-West Shrine Bowl.
The crew is set for another round of prospect evaluations up close and personal at the East-West Shrine Game practices, which will take place at the Cowboys’ practice facility in The Star leading up to the Feb. 2 game at the Ford Center in the Cowboys’ practice facility on NFL Network.
More than 100 players aiming for a shot at the next level, whether that be the NFL, United Football League or even the Canadian Football League, will compete in Dallas. Some big names will be in attendance this year thanks to some superb scouting and overall growth of the All-Star setting by Eric Galko, while there will also be some sleeper names to watch out for.
Below is a list of my top five defensive players to watch ahead of the start of Shrine Bowl week. Of course, this is just an initial evaluation. Some players could disappoint throughout the week while others rise and catch our attention. Stay tuned to steelersdepot.com all week for practice reports, player interviews, and more.
Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M
I have had my eyes on Cooper for the last few years. In fact, I came across him back in 2021 while watching tape of Alabama offensive lineman Chris Owens, who eventually went on to be an undrafted free agent for the Steelers in 2022.
Cooper is listed at 6-3, 230 pounds, though he is likely closer to 6-1, 220 pounds. He looks a bit small in his pads and has a lean lower half, but Cooper is a dynamic athlete at the linebacker position, one who flies sideline to sideline. He dominated SEC play for the Aggies this past season. Cooper was a consensus first-team All-American, finishing with 83 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
His speed, athleticism and processing ability stand out on tape. He plays with a tremendous motor and simply flies around making plays. Cooper’s tape over the last few years is littered with jaw-dropping plays. But there are concerns about his play-strength and his work in coverage. He reminds me quite a bit of current Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker. Cooper fits the profile of a new-age linebacker, one who can play all three downs and make splash plays.
But his true fit remains a question. Hopefully he answers some of those questions this week.
Entering the Shrine Bowl, Cooper projects as an Early Day Two guy.
M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pittsburgh
Over the last two seasons in Pittsburgh, M.J. Devonshire was a game-breaking cornerback and punt returner under head coach Pat Narduzzi. After transferring from Kentucky to return home (he grew up in Aliquippa), Devonshire stepped immediately into a leadership role for the Panthers and took over a starting job at cornerback.
In his two seasons at Pitt, Devonshire picked off eight passes and earned second-team All-ACC honors as a punt returner in 2022 and a cornerback in 2023. Devonshire is most famous for his pick-six in 2022 to beat West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl, and he then led the Panthers to a win over Louisville in 2023 with an 86-yard pick-six. In two seasons at Pitt, Devonshire recorded three pick-sixes, tying the program record with Billy Owens.
Listed at 5-11, 190 pounds, Devonshire is a physical, smart cornerback that handles himself quite well in man and zone and thrived on an island at times in Narduzzi’s blitz-heavy defensive scheme. He has great ball skills, too, and should be a Day Three option who could play right away at the next level.
Leonard Taylor III, DL, Miami (FL)
Over the last few years the East-West Shrine Bowl has done a great job of landing some outstanding athletes along the defensive line. Last season it was Wake Forest’s Kobie Turner, who went on to have a tremendous season with the Los Angeles Rams as a rookie. This season, the Shrine Bowl rolls out Miami Hurricanes standout defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III.
Listed at 6-3, 305 pounds, Taylor put on some weight for the 2023 season and took a slight step back from a dominant 2022 season. Still, the tape looks rather strong from Taylor overall.
Taylor has a good frame for the trenches with adequate movement skills, and he really defends the run well. He is still a work in progress from a pass-rushing standpoint, but there are flashes throughout his tape of him being a complete, three-down defender. Very disruptive player overall, one who could really shine in 1-on-1 matchups here in Dallas. He should get some late Day 1, early Day 2 buzz.
Maema Njongmeta, LB, Wisconsin
If you are a defender at Wisconsin, chances are you are a name to remember and a player to watch entering the next level. Maema Njongmeta is that guy.
Njongmeta is listed at 6-foot, 240 pounds and is well-built for the off-ball linebacker position. He had 59 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks in 2023 and finished his collegiate career with 158 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, one interception, three fumble recoveries and three passes defensed.
He earned All-Academic All-Big Ten four years in a row and was a team captain in 2023 under first-year head coach Luke Fickell. Njongmeta has a similar play style to current Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., who shockingly went undrafted last year. He’s a hearts-and-smarts guy at the linebacker position who plays with a real edge and brings the pain as a tackler.
Njongmeta projects as an early Day 3 prospect at this point.
Mohamed Kamara, EDGE, Colorado State
Coming off a 13-sack season for the Colorado State Rams in 2023, Mohamed Kamara is generating quite a bit of buzz entering the pre-draft process, and rightfully so.
Listed at 6-1, 250 pounds, Kamara has a nice frame for an EDGE defender and has the production to back it up. In his CSU career, Kamara recorded 30.5 tackles, 45.5 tackles for loss and 179 total tackles, adding five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 49 games. He put it all together this past season, dominating from start to finish on the way to earning the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year award.
Kamara was also a team captain in 2023, taking on a leadership role and excelling. He doesn’t have the best length overall as an EDGE defender, but he wins with great athleticism and hand usage, winning early in the reps to turn the corner and wreak havoc on quarterbacks. He looks a lot like Cleveland’s Ogbonnia Okoronkwo rushing the passer, which has me very intrigued for a guy who profiles as a Day 3 selection.
