East-West Shrine Game 2015: Score and Twitter Reaction for College All-Star Game

The biggest takeaway from this year's East-West Shrine Game is that offensive players need work, and defense is leading the way early in the 2015 NFL draft process. In what turned out to be an ugly matchup, the East came out on top 19-3. 

Mike Singletary, who coached the East squad, raved about the talent he saw during the week leading up to the game, via Greg Auman and Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times.

"In all honesty, this is the best group of kids I've seen at an all-star game since I've been coaching, and I'm including the Senior Bowl," Singletary said. "There are so many kids out here that are impressive, that have high ceilings."

It wasn't an outlandish assessment, as there was plenty of talent on display. Most of it came from the defensive side, though there were some offensive standouts. 

Kentucky defensive end Za'Darius Smith drew praise for his ability to get after the quarterback, as NFL Network's Charles Davis wrote on Twitter:

Davis also mentioned Anthony Chickillo from Miami as the another standout pass-rusher. One reason he performed so well, per Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel, is Singletary put him in a scheme that takes advantage of his talents:

The only bad news for Smith and Chickillo is this year's draft class is loaded with pass-rushers, so they won't hear their names called for a long time. However, that does mean teams will be able to find great value outside of Day 1.

While the score is indicative of what these two offenses looked like, it wasn't entirely unexpected coming into the game. Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com noted on Twitter that there was only one quarterback playing who might be worth drafting:

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Of the 6 QBs playing in today's Shrine Game, the only prospect I would consider drafting is #OldDominion QB Taylor Heinicke. Rough group

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 17, 2015"

That's been a big topic in this year's draft. Everyone knows that Florida State's Jameis Winston and Oregon's Marcus Mariota will be the first two quarterbacks taken, though the order won't become clear until they go through the predraft process. The third quarterback is a mystery.

UCLA's Brett Hundley could have been that guy, but he did not participate in this game and declined an invitation to the Senior Bowl on January 24. 

Even though points were hard to come by, there was quality talent on offense. One of the standouts was William & Mary wide receiver Tre McBride, who dazzled at times with his electric speed. Alex Dunlap of Rivals.com had this to say about the unknown wideout:

On the broadcast, via College Football 24/7, Mike Mayock said McBride was one of the players who earned a little extra cash this week:

That lines up with what analysts were saying about McBride in the practice sessions leading up to the game, with Steve Muench of ESPN Insider offering a lot of praise (subscription required):

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He's (sic) gets off the line quickly, he accelerates out of breaks and he's looked explosive after the catch as well as running reverses. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound McBride has smaller hands (9-inch), which is a concern considering that he put the ball on the ground after one catch.

However, he's caught the ball with his hands away from his frame for the most part, and he's flashed the ability to make contested catches.

"

Another offensive standout from the game was Louisville running back Dominique Brown, who scored the game's only touchdown with 27 seconds left. He's a bigger back at 6'2" and 232 pounds, but he has surprising quickness out of the backfield. His most impressive run was a 14-yard romp in which he bowled over defenders in the fourth quarter. 

Brugler noted on Twitter that Brown was a standout in the workouts this week:

Muench added that he saw what he wanted to see from Brown during the game:

One of the most intriguing prospects in the game was Michigan's Devin Gardner. He became a pariah in Ann Arbor for the way he played quarterback, but he switched to wide receiver for the Shrine Game. It seems to have paid off for his draft stock. 

Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com didn't provide a glowing report of Gardner's effort but noted he held his own:

Gardner should have had a touchdown catch in the second quarter, as he got around a defensive back on a crossing route, but the quarterback threw behind him, and the pass was intercepted. The former Michigan star looked the part of a wideout with his speed and size (6'4" and 217 lbs). 

There's going to be a lot of work for Gardner and an NFL team to do before he makes any kind of contribution as a pro, but the raw ingredients are there for him to carve out some kind of career. 

Ultimately, this showcase game did exactly what it was supposed to do. Some players elevated their draft stock, either through the game or in workouts leading up to Saturday, but they all got to work in front of NFL scouts. 

It's a job interview where the smallest mistake on the field can completely change what a team thinks of you. The good news is, players will have time to make additional impressions before draft day on April 30.