The 2022 Shrine Bowl will kick off on Thursday night at XXXX and the Kansas City Chiefs are certainly going to be well-represented at the game knowing their history at the game. It’s been a reliable place for the Chiefs to unearth talent in years past, so despite the shadow of the Senior Bowl in the same week, the Shrine Bowl is an essential stop in the pre-draft season.
This year, two former Chiefs player are serving as mentors which could help provide some essential information to the franchise if they work those channels. Former linebacker Donnie Edwards and Hall of Fame offensive guard Will Shields are both serving as mentors for the East-West rosters for the week of practice leading up to the exhibition.
As for former connections, the Chiefs found defensive lineman Mike Danna at the Shrine Bowl in 2020 and went on to select him in the fifth round that spring. They also met Austin Edwards, an edge from Ferris State, that same year and he was just signed to a futures deal.
Previous players for the Chiefs who’ve come through the Shrine game in recent years include offensive linemen like Zach Fulton and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, cornerback Phil Gaines, safety Dan Sorensen, and wideout Da’Ron Brown.
Let’s look at a few players who might have turned heads this week for Chiefs scouts leading up to Thursday’s East-West Shrine Bowl.
Darien Butler, linebacker
While everyone wants to likely read about the flashiest prospects who could turn into stars with exciting potential and Pro Bowl upside, the truth Is that most of the players vying for attention at the Shrine Bowl are going to make it because they are the glue guys—the sort of players who fill in weaker spots on a roster and turn into core special teamers
That’s certainly true for Darien Butler.
Butler had an incredibly impressive college career at Arizona State where he was coached by former Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards. He was an instant starter at linebacker as a freshman and went on to be a three-year captain for the Sun Devils. His body of experience and leadership makes him a mature NFL prospect with strong instincts. Coming into training camps, he should be as pro ready as a player can look.
The knocks on him are against his size, strength, and speed. In short, he’s not going to specialize at any single spot and the NFL might prove to be too big and too fast. But what’s also true here is that Butler’s instincts are crazy good and on a higher level. Nick Bolton showed how stellar instincts can overwhelm an opponent even if the physical gifts aren’t as strong as others.
Butler would likely come in as an undrafted player or very late-round flyer, and he’d occupy a Ben Niemann sort of role, but those guys are valuable when used correctly and every team needs one. Butler looks ready-made for such an early role at the next level.
Samori Toure, wide receiver
Samori Toure has risen to the occasion at every stop on his journey toward professional football so far, and there are several reasons to like him as a potential flyer after draft day for that very potential.
Toure started his college career at Montana where he went scorched earth on opponents to the tune of setting new school records at the FCS level, including just under 1,500 receiving yards during his final season. He transferred to Nebraska for a final year of eligibility and showed up strong for the Cornhuskers last year and led the team in receptions (49), yards (898), and touchdowns (5).
Toure has impressed so far in practice and scouts like his length at 6’3″, accelerations, and route running. Further tests in individual drills could really aid his potential, but it’s also important to note that he’s a bit older (will be 24 years old by the NFL Draft).
It’s likely that Toure goes undrafted but that certainly doesn’t mean he cannot or will not make a team’s active roster (or at least have a shot down the road). Every year, the Chiefs see a couple of unexpected players break through and Toure has fought through similar competition before to excel in a new space.
The good news here is that his sort of profile with special teams experience is ideal coming in for a lengthy, competitive, and gifted receiver because the Chiefs have Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle hitting free agency and even Marcus Kemp is getting pricier as a restricted free agent. Someone like Toure could cheaply compete for a special teams role for the next year or two—that is, if K.C. likes what they see.
Pierre Strong, Jr., running back
As the Chiefs face the potential loss of both Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon this offseason to free agency, the pressure mounts for Clyde Edwards-Helaire to stand out and stay healthy. While the small sample size thus far makes it unfair to label CEH just yet, the early signs are, so far, warning the Chiefs about one or both of those abilities.
That means it would be silly to enter the 2022 season with only Edwards-Helaire, Derrick Gore, and other fringe players in the backfield.
The Chiefs have learned the hard way that injuries will take a toll and multiple capable backs are needed for this offense to do what it can. That means the Chiefs might be up for adding a low-cost, long-term asset a bit later in the draft. And that could mean good things for Pierre Strong Jr.
if you’ve been watching the Shrine Bowl coverage this week then you’ll recognize Strong’s name as a standout in practice nearly every single day. The small-school prospect faced a tall order against tougher competition, but he’s actually used that to his advantage to standout.
Strong is an early entry into the draft out of South Dakota State, and as a smaller back from a smaller school, he’s going to face considerable questions about his ability to transition to the pros. But those are largely set aside when you watch his well-rounded skill set at work on the field. He’s got vision, burst, toughness, grit, hands, and experience.
Right now, he feels like an ideal addition to play the role Williams or McKinnon has played as a rotational back who can come in and do immediate damage. However, if he lights it up in the actual Shrine game (and continues to show off in the pre-draft process), he might go earlier in the draft than the Chiefs would be comfortable with.