FRISCO, Texas \u2014 Just like that, the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl is almost over. Monday morning\u2019s walkthrough practices marked the end of the four-day practice session ahead of Tuesday\u2019s 7 PM\/EST game at the Ford Center.<\/p>\n
With a light practice and players just shorts and T-shirts, there will be no practice notes for Day 4. Instead, the Steelers Depot crew of Dr. Melanie Friedlander, Joe Clark, and I wanted to highlight some guys who really stood out over the three days of practice \u2014 and others who struggled and might have hurt themselves early in the draft process.<\/p>\n
Below are three winners and three losers from the week in Frisco from the Steelers Depot crew.<\/p>\n
JOSH CARNEY\u2019S WINNERS & LOSERS:\u00a0
\nWINNERS \u2014<\/p>\n
The Naval Academy<\/p>\n
I\u2019m cheating here just a bit but bear with me: Running back Eli Heidenreich<\/a>\u00a0and defensive tackle Landon Robinson <\/a>were very impressive all week. Coming from the military academy, there\u2019s a certain (unfair) perception about the talent. All Heidenreich (5112, 197) and Robinson (5112, 291) did this week was prove doubters wrong \u2014 over and over again.<\/p>\n Heidenreich was outstanding out of the backfield in the passing game. Few linebackers and safeties could really cover him. He couldn\u2019t generate much in the run game due to struggles of the offensive line, but I\u2019m excited to see how he looks in the game.<\/p>\n As for Robinson, there were plenty of concerns about his size, but the 2025 AAC Defensive Player of the Year was very good all week. He leaned on his athleticism and had a strong week, both as a pass rusher and a run defender. His tape is quite good, too. Hats off to the Naval Academy for developing these two NFL talents. Heck of a program that Brian Newberry is running down there.<\/p>\n Iowa QB Mark Gronowski<\/p>\n Coming into the East-West Shrine Bowl, Iowa\u2019s Mark Gronowski (6022, 233), the all-time winningest QB in NCAA history, had a lot of questions swirling around his ability to make the leap to the next level. Coming off a season where he struggled in the passing game yet rushed for 16 touchdowns many wanted to see how Gronowski looked throwing the ball in this environment. He did really well working with a bunch of new weapons and made the case to be the top QB coming out of the Shrine Bowl.<\/p>\n While others struggled with accuracy, decision making and general comfort, Gronowski was in command all week. That started with the Wilson QBX Throwing Session and continued through each practice. He has a strong arm, good accuracy and can utilize his legs in big spots, too. Really looking forward to see him in the game Tuesday night.<\/p>\n Montana WR Michael Wortham<\/p>\n Everywhere he\u2019s gone, Montana wide receiver Michael Wortham<\/a> (5082, 182) has shown up in a major way, producing time and time again. His trip to Frisco, in which he was a late add, is no different. As soon as he touched down in Texas, Wortham opened eyes. Though he had some drops, he was open all week and came up with some big catches in team sessions, flashing in a major way.<\/p>\n He\u2019s a guy who can continue to improve his stock with a big showing in the game. It was a good week for Wortham overall as he took advantage of some guys with more name recognition struggling.<\/p>\n LOSERS \u2014<\/p>\n Alabama CB Domani Jackson\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the biggest names in the cornerback room coming into the East-West Shrine Bowl, Alabama\u2019s Domani Jackson<\/a> (6005, 192) had a real opportunity to improve his draft stock and answer some questions about his 2025 struggles. Instead, more questions popped up regarding Jackson. He struggled all week in coverage and didn\u2019t make any plays that stood out. He gave up some long receptions and was penalized quite a bit in 1-on-1s when he tried to get physical.<\/p>\n Jackson has a high pedigree with a long track record in college, but this was not a good week for him. Hopefully he can bounce back in the game.<\/p>\n Clemson iDL DeMonte Capehart\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the guys I was most excited to get a close look at this week was Clemson\u2019s DeMonte Capehart<\/a>. He\u2019s big and long (6046, 314 with 33 3\/8-inch arms), but neither that size nor length showed up this week. He struggled with his anchor against the run and wasn\u2019t able to shed blocks to make plays in the run game.<\/p>\n As a pass rusher, Capehart offers very little. There\u2019s no real hand usage or array of pass-rush moves. He stalled out far too often in 1-on-1s, and his pad level was messy, too. He\u2019ll get an NFL shot due to his size and experience at Clemson, but there doesn\u2019t appear to be much there to work with based on what I saw this week.<\/p>\n LSU EDGE Patrick Payton<\/p>\n