Why You Should Care About the 2015 Shrine Game

After a week of practices in front of NFL team representatives, media and fans, more than 100 seniors with hopes of being selected in the 2015 NFL draft will participate in this year's 90th edition of the annual East-West Shrine Game on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Florida.

If you care about the NFL draft, you should also care about the Shrine Game, which propels talent into the league year in and year out by giving under-the-radar prospects more exposure and a chance to impress scouts and decision-makers both on and off the field.

The longest-running college football all-star game still in existence, the Shrine Game falls second-rate in talent to the Senior Bowl and has not yet garnered the same traction among casual football fans as the Senior Bowl has increasingly gained in recent years.

Still, the Shrine Game has consistently held its place as the No. 2 college football all-star game on the schedule, fending off current competitors like the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and Medal of Honor Bowl as well as past competitors like the Hula Bowl and the Blue-Gray Football Classic.

As a result, each class of Shrine Game alumni has produced dozens of draft picks and/or productive NFL players.

From Playing in the Shrine Game to Playing on Sundays

Tom Brady, John Elway, Brett Favre, Walter Payton, Dick Butkus and Alan Page are just some of the NFL legends whose paths to getting noticed by NFL teams included playing in the Shrine Game prior to their respective drafts.

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Top players to emerge from the Shrine Game in recent years have included Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris (2012), Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas (2011), Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor (2010), Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy (2009) and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (2008).

The Shrine Game is not known for having first-round talents, but it has still had three in the past decade: wide receiver A.J. Jenkins by the San Francisco 49ers in 2012, Flacco by the Ravens in 2008 and left guard Logan Mankins by the New England Patriots in 2005. The Shrine Game has continued to have at least one second-round pick each year during that span.

In prior years—before top underclassman prospects, who are ineligible to play in the Shrine Game, started entering the draft in mass numbers—the Shrine Game regularly featured players who went on to be high first-round draft picks, including 2002 No. 3 overall pick Joey Harrington.

Last year, the Shrine Game's highest selection was Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who was selected with the No. 62 overall pick by the New England Patriots. Overall, however, there were 27 players drafted from the 2014 Shrine Game while 73 total players signed NFL regular-season contracts—54 on 53-man rosters and another 19 on practice squads—according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.

It would come as a surprise if anyone from this year's Shrine Game ends up being a first-round draft pick. That said, there are plenty of prospects in St. Petersburg this week with the talent to keep alive the Shrine Game's tradition of producing successful NFL talent.

Players to Watch in This Year's Game

Because the Shrine Game no longer draws in players who are projected to be among the draft's top picks, it instead provides a great opportunity for players who might have early-round talent but have been overlooked for one reason or another.

Among the participants in this year's Shrine Game who have a chance to climb up into the second or third round, especially after strong weeks in St. Petersburg, include Kentucky defensive end Za'Darius Smith, Fresno State defensive tackle Tyeler Davison and USC cornerback Josh Shaw—although the latter might be set up for a significant fall in the draft because of his well-known fabricated story after he jumped off a balcony in August and injured his ankles.

One of the most valuable aspects of the Shrine Game is how it enables prospects from small schools to prove themselves against big-school competition, both in practices and the game itself.

Some small-school players who have continued to perform excellently in practices this week despite the higher level of competition include Northern Iowa defensive tackle Xavier Williams, Tennessee-Chattanooga defensive tackle Derrick Lott, William and Mary wide receiver Tre McBride, North Dakota State running back John Crockett and Southern Illinois tight end MyCole Pruitt.

Even casual fans of college football will recognize some of the names on the field Saturday.

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Perhaps the most intriguing player in this year's game is Devin Gardner, a former Michigan quarterback who is showcasing his athleticism this week at wide receiver.

While that leaves Old Dominion's Taylor Heinicke as the only quarterback prospect in this year's game with a real shot at being drafted, some other players who made big names for themselves in college include TCU safety Sam Carter and Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan.

Oklahoma State defensive tackle James Castleman recently rose to fame in his final collegiate game, the Cactus Bowl, when he scored an offensive touchdown and had a 48-yard catch-and-run. Oregon linebacker Tony Washington is at the Shrine Game, fresh off appearing in Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship.

If you're looking for your favorite team's next first-round pick, you might not find him watching the Shrine Game, but there will certainly be players on the field who prove to be quality selections on Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft.

What to Watch for

When you're watching the Shrine Game, don't focus on the game's final score.

While both teams are working hard all week with the expectation to win on Saturday, the end result on the scoreboard is ultimately meaningless. It also will not prove whether the East or West team has the most talented players, as all healthy players on both sides will rotate in and out in an effort to get everyone playing time and exposure to evaluators.

The purpose of this game is to give players as many opportunities as possible to impress the NFL scouts, coaches and personnel executives who are attending the game or watching it on television.

You might not know it from watching the slow-paced practices that Mike Singletary and the coaching staff of the East team have run all week, but the goals of practices and other events that happen at Shrine Game week are not as much about game preparation as they are about getting players' talents in front of those who influence draft decisions.

Those decision-makers will be keeping an eye on prospect matchups all over the field. While most of the scouting work that happens at the Shrine Game is done during practices, NFL teams will want to see that players are competitive and give their best efforts in game situations.

How to Watch

The 90th East-West Shrine Game will kick off at 4 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 17, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The game will be televised on NFL Network.

If you're already excited for the NFL draft and want to get a better idea of who some of the hidden gems are for the 2015 class, you won't want to miss Saturday's game.

Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow @Dan_Hope