Shrine Bowl Practice Day 2: NFL Draft insider's report — Kansas' Cobee Bryant, Shedeur Sanders' teammate among top risers in Frisco

Day 2 of the Shrine Bowl was met with damp, drizzly weather, which did not matter as it was warm and dry inside the North Texas football facility where practice occurred. Multiple pass catchers looked good in both practices, but a cornerback stole the show.

Here are the risers from the second Shrine practice

Cobee Bryant/CB/Kansas

NCAA Football: Colorado at Kansas - Source: Imagn

You could not miss seeing or hearing Bryant on the field. If he wasn’t breaking up or intercepting passes, which he did often Sunday, he was reminding his opponent what he just did and what he would do. Bryant made several outstanding plays to break up passes during drills, and I saw two interceptions in scrimmage.

These were not opportunistic plays, rather Bryant displayed great ball skills to knock away or pick off throws. His feistiness and confidence were evident, and Bryant backed up his bravado with great play.

J.J. Pegues/DL/Mississippi

Syndication: The Montgomery Advertiser - Source: Imagn

The wide-bodied Pegues is tough to miss. Measuring 6-foot-2 and 323 pounds, Pegues has a bowling-ball build and displayed the ability to tear down obstacles as a bowling ball does. Pegues is quick and powerful. He beat opponents with a great first step and with power. What also stood out was his nonstop motor as Pegues went hard on every down.

Jordan Phillips/DT/Maryland

NCAA Football: Rutgers at Maryland - Source: Imagn

After a difficult first practice, Phillips picked up the tempo Sunday and was unblockable at times. He was quick, powerful, and showed a lot of athleticism. Known more as a gap occupier at Maryland, Phillips displayed surprising playmaking ability Sunday and turned heads rushing the passer off the edge.

Carter Runyon/TE/Towson

Runyon, the former receiver who moved to tight end this season, was one of the fastest players at the position this week. He’s smooth as well as fluid and caught the ball extremely well. Runyon easily moved about the field, and he showed the speed to split the seam but also remained disciplined running routes. At 6-foot-4.5 and 235 pounds, he also has a frame that should get bigger in time.

Luke Lachey/TE/Iowa

Once considered an early-round pick, Lachey has not fully recovered from the injury that sidelined him for most of 2023, yet he showed flashes of his prior brilliance Sunday. He’s a natural pass catcher with a great frame that measures 6-foot-5.5 and 245 pounds. What stood out Sunday was his pass-catching ability and toughness.

NCAA Football: Nebraska at Iowa - Source: Imagn

Lachey caught everything thrown in his direction, and on multiple occasions, he made the tough catch in a crowd then took a pounding yet held onto the football. The team that’s patient with Lachey and nurses him back to full health is going to get a steal on the final day of the draft.

Jimmy Horn Jr./WR/Colorado

NCAA Football: Cincinnati at Colorado - Source: Imagn

Despite all the attention on Shedeur Sanders at the Shrine Bowl, his teammates have played very well, including Horn. A smaller wideout who measures just over 5-foot-7.5 and 171 pounds, Horn has displayed terrific speed as well as pass-catching ability.

He took it deep on several plays, beating defenders in a foot race to make the big catch downfield. Yet Horn also ran solid routes and found space to work in the middle of the field. He shows all the tools necessary to be a productive slot receiver on Sundays.