2024 NFL Draft: Eight players who stood out in Monday's East-West Shrine Bowl practices

FRISCO, Texas — The East-West Shrine Bowl moved here this year, to the 12,000-seat stadium at the Ford Center in the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters and retail complex, which is known as The Star — providing a fitting environment for prospects hoping to become stars at the next level.

Here are eight standouts from Monday’s practices. Heights, weights and lengths are official measurements from the event.

1) Malik Washington, WR, Virginia (5-foot-8 1/8, 192 pounds)

Washington has been the main attraction during most of this week’s practices. His quick moves and acceleration into and out of his breaks were on full display Monday; defenders are forced to attack him at the line (which isn’t easy) or simply watch him separate. He won inside position on Pitt cornerback M.J. Devonshire on a goal-line play with a shake off the snap, making an easy touchdown for his quarterback. While measuring just a tad over 5-foot-8, Washington scored after high-pointing a pass with strong hands on Saturday, displaying an all-around game that could induce teams to project him as an immediate starter in the slot.

2) Dylan McMahon, OL, North Carolina State (6-2 7/8, 295)

McMahon has been the best lineman in Frisco this week. He played some guard in earlier practices but starred at center Monday, stuffing big tackles like Auburn’s Justin Rogers in one-on-ones, even though he gave up over 40 pounds. McMahon’s powerful base allowed him to sit in his stance against Washington’s Tuli Letuligasenoa in team work, which is no mean feat. The quickness and strength of his hands into the body of his man after the snap were impressive; once engaged, McMahon sticks on his man throughout plays in team or position drills with balance and footwork. He looked like an eventual NFL starter. 

3) Darius Muasau, LB, UCLA (5-11 7/8, 236)

Muasau was all over the field during the West team’s practice Monday, just as he was at Hawai’i and UCLA. He’s a leader in the middle, calling out plays and moving linemen so he could attack a gap in the run game. His drops into coverage were of good depth, and he quickly smothered running backs over the middle and heading to the flat. Muasau always managed to get a slight bump on his target to show he would take care of business during the game. He drew a flag in a one-on-one rep for being a bit too physical, but NFL teams will live with that aggression.

4) Khristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa (6-2 1/8, 320)

Boyd played his college ball at the FCS level but has taken a back seat to no one during this week’s practices. On Monday, he consistently out-leveraged former Big Ten offensive linemen in one-on-one and team drills, getting his strong hands into their frame and pushing upwards to get them off their feet. Boyd lacks plus length for the position, but his violent hands and short-area quickness allowed him to win gaps during 11-on-11 drills to blow up run plays. He’s worked himself into the late-Day 2 conversation, in a manner reminiscent of former Missouri Valley Football Conference star Khalen Saunders (Western Illinois), who was selected by the Chiefs in the third round in 2019 after a strong pre-draft showing.

5) Trajan Jeffcoat, Edge, Arkansas (6-4, 266) 

Even though Jeffcoat measures 6-4, he plays with a low pad level to control his blocker. On Monday, he beat his man in one-on-one tackles by winning the outside shoulder, and then on the next rep, he bulled the tackle to his backside. During team play, he was tough in the run game but also displayed the change of direction to stop his advancement to the passer and track down a screen play. Whether on the edge or playing five-technique, Jeffcoat showed the strength, length (33 1/2-inch arms) and quickness to excel in multiple defensive schemes. 

6) Sundiata Anderson, Edge, Grambling State (6-3 1/2, 249)

The two-time first-team All-SWAC pick has more than stood up to offensive line prospects from FBS schools during Shrine practices. He is fast and smooth off the snap but is strong enough to bull tackles towards the quarterback. If unable to reach the passer, he gets his hands into throwing lanes. Anderson caused an interception Monday morning by beating his man and bumping into Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa, causing a fluttering downfield pass that was intercepted. Anderson may be a designated pass rusher to start his career but has an all-around game that could lead to a larger role in time.

7) Cam Little, K, Arkansas (6-0 7/8, 173)

When an elite kicker takes the field in an all-star game, the sound of his strike on a field-goal try is just different. The thud on contact is noticeable, as is the strong plant foot, smooth speed of his hips through the kick, and the trajectory of the attempt. Little’s short tries during special teams reps cleared the top of the goalposts. And while he didn’t make every kick this week, his 56-yarder (which would have been good from 60-plus yards) to end Monday’s session even brought defenders like cornerback Tulane’s Jarius Monroe over the line to congratulate him.

8) Jabari Small, RB, Tennessee (5-8 3/8, 205)

Small only received 95 carries in 2023 at Tennessee, which has strong depth at the position, but scouts saw how his compact build and acceleration can be effective during Monday’s practice. In red-zone reps, he took an outside toss, cut inside a nice block from his right tackle and found the end zone with ease. After an inside run where he just put his head down to get what he could, Small came off his center’s block, cutting outside to open space for a potential score. His efforts backed up the nose for the end zone he showed in 2022, when he scored 13 times on the ground.