The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
More than 150 athletes are set to participate in the 2026 East-Shrine Bowl today — all eager to show off their skill sets to NFL scouts. Here are five players to watch when the game kicks off at the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility.
RB Eli Heidenreich
Any team looking for versatility should find a lot to like when they watch Heidenreich. He had 3,151 scrimmage yards and 23 touchdowns in three seasons at Navy and ended the 2025 season as the team’s leading receiver (941) and third best rusher (499). He had the second best receiving grade among all players with a 94.8 and had 338 yards after the catch, according to PFF.
Heidenreich is known for having rare route running abilities for a running back, and that was on display during practices last weekend during his one-on-ones against linebackers. However, Navy liked to put Heidenreich all over the field, including in the slot and even out wide. Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen even compared him to Christian McCaffrey in terms of his versatility on the field.
Heidenreich is currently not among ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s top 10 running backs, but a strong performance today might make him crack the list.