The Reese’s Senior Bowl is the biggest all-star game for NFL draft prospects, but if you ask NFL scouts you’ll likely hear that the East-West Shrine Game is their favorite event.
Held annually in St. Petersburg, the Shrine Game is a more low-key venue for prospects to show their skills in practices before the NFL scouting community. It’s not as crowded an event and gives prospects an opportunity to flash in daily practices without the distractions that come from hosting in a bigger city.
In the last two years combined, the Saints have picked up more players from the Shrine Game (9) than from the Senior Bowl (5), including:
This year, NFL coaches will get firsthand looks at these prospects thanks to a restructuring of the coaching staffs.