The East West Shrine Bowl is upon us, and there is some history with the game and the New England Patriots.
In 2022, the Patriots selected Jack Jones, Pierre Strong Jr., and Tyquan Thornton in the NFL draft, while signing D’Eriq King, Brad Hawkins, and LaBryan Ray as undrafted free agents. All six players appeared in the Shrine Bowl that year.
Like most teams, the Patriots usually scout for future players on the practice squad, camp invites, or for future roster maneuvers. So if the Patriots select a player for the game, there’s a good chance they could meet again down the line.
New England will be coaching the West, while the Atlanta Falcons oversee the East. So they’ll get a better sense of how these prospects prepare, practice, and carry themselves. But they’ll also have plenty of chances in-game to see these players up close and personal from both sides.
A true advantage for both the Patriots and Atlanta Falcons is the fact that both NFL teams will get to start having conversations with the prospects, while watching them prepare first-hand.
For the sake of this piece, we wanted to focus on the players the Patriots will see all week, as this is the first time the game is featuring NFL coaching staffs. So the Patriots’ scouting may slightly change.
Here are the players fans should be keeping an eye on.
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Flowers is someone a lot of Patriots fans will clamor for on draft night. He has been going anywhere from the mid-first to the late second round in mock drafts. But one thing is for certain: He can fly.
Flowers is probably the best separator in the draft and is extremely shifty with quick feet, fluid motion, and good hands.
He is someone New England will likely consider in the first two rounds as he is a perfect fit for what Bill O’Brien and the Patriots offense will try to do next season.
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Since 2000, the Patriots have selected 10 players out of Michigan, which is their most drafted program. Schoonmaker is a potential late-draft selection for a Patriots team looking to develop a tight end internally, as Jonnu Smith is likely gone.
He’s a great blocker and has the traits that allow the Patriots to potentially mold him into a solid contributor.
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Kirkland seems like a perfect Patriot with good size, versatility, and just a solid player overall. He may go on day two, but the…
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