Which 2025 NFL Draft prospects will supercharge their stock at this year's Senior Bowl?

On Monday, The Athletic's Dane Brugler, a leading draft voice thanks to his annual, in-depth player guide known as "The Beast," released eight storylines he plans to keep a watchful eye on this week in Mobile, Alabama.

We should mention that Minnesota, like most, if not all clubs, traditionally sends scouts and/or coaches to attend the Senior Bowl, a historically revered proving ground for fourth-year juniors and college seniors that excitedly expanded its invite-only entry to elite underclassmen beginning in last year's game.

Also, last year, at the 75^th installment, the Vikings had several assistant coaches – Daronte Jones, Imarjaye Albury, Sr., and Michael Hutchings – instructing players through practices and classroom sessions, a special component of the Senior Bowl's "Coach Up" format, which elevates assistants to higher ranks.

For perspective on the talent participating yearly, here's a snapshot of Vikings defensive backs that gained momentum ahead of NFL Drafts while competing at past iterations of the Senior Bowl: Khyree Jackson (2024), Mekhi Blackmon, Jay Ward (2023), Camryn Bynum (2021), Joshua Metellus (2020) and Harrison Smith (2012). Jackson, who passed away in July, made an impression on Vikings coaches during last year's practices.

Here's the topics Brugler laid out to monitor this week in the leadup to Saturday's game. The teams will have practices on Tuesday-Thursday.

1. Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough is a dark horse candidate to be QB4.

2. Can Alabama's Jalen Milroe convince NFL teams he should be a first-round pick?

3. The talent along the defensive line is as deep as we've seen during Senior Bowl week.

4. Which wide receiver will receive the 'Senior Bowl bump'?

5. Kansas State's Jacob Parrish is my kind of cornerback.

6. Who is the top offensive line prospect in Mobile?

7. How do players making position switches hold up at their new spots?

8. Need a tight end? Senior Bowl practices will be a great chance to window-shop.

Brugler's analysis is available here, but because a few of the topics – dealing with the trenches – pertain to areas Minnesota may be motivated to address in free agency or the draft, we'll briefly dive into those.

On the defensive linemen, which has been referenced by numerous analysts as one of the strongest positions entering the 2025 NFL Draft, Brugler identified 11 players with potential to be selected in the Top 50. He further detailed a few of them: Marshall's Mike Green is one of Brugler's favorite players in the cycle; Brugler said Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart shouldn't be able to explode like he does at 285 pounds, and Ole Miss' Walter Nolen has first round written all over him due to his overall disruptiveness.

Flipping sides, Brugler is curious which offensive lineman will earn the "top blocker" designation.

Hot names on Brugler's watchlist include Missouri's Armand Membou, Oregon's Josh Conerly, Jr. and Minnesota's Aireontae Ersery, who made 38 consecutive starts at left tackle for the Golden Gophers.

Connected to his o-line assessment, Brugler named four players he's intrigued to see play out of their normal position. North Dakota State's Grey Zabel has experience at tackle and guard but "might be the top center in this draft class." Also, Purdue's Marcus Mbow may stick at tackle, but Brugler disclosed some teams are projecting him at guard or center; the same goes for West Virginia's Wyatt Milum, whose sub-33-inch arms could cause teams to try to fit him inside instead of at tackle where he started 43 games. Lastly, Arizona's Jonah Savaiinaea is a candidate to be a guard despite mostly playing outside.

Shiners at the Shrine Bowl

The 100^th annual East-West Shrine Bowl is set for Thursday night at AT&T Stadium.

It's another event that allows NFL Draft prospects to boost their stock and gives evaluators a sampling of on- and off-field traits such as hustle, teamwork and attitude, through performance and interactions with others.

Similar to the Senior Bowl, many great NFL players have left impactful impressions at the All-Star showcase. Some of the 21^st Century Shrine Bowl game MVPs include Steve Smith, Sr., Jimmy Garoppolo, Za'Darius Smith and Trey Hendrickson. A handful of Vikings Legends, including "Purple People Eaters" Alan Page and Carl Eller are members of the Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame, which was established in 2002.

In anticipation of the 2025 game, NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter shared a debrief on 10 players who stood out to him in practices. His list includes a running back, cornerback, offensive lineman, defensive back and defensive tackle – all positions linked to Minnesota in recent mock drafts.

We'll note Reuter's thoughts on those five players, below, and suggest checking out his full recap here.

1. Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech | 2024 stats: 286 carries, 1,505 yards, 17 touchdowns

Reuter's take: You wouldn't think the 5-9 Brooks weighs almost 230 pounds based on the quickness he showed on the practice field (and during his career at Texas Tech). His plus elusiveness and balance for his size were on full display, whether receiving a handoff or grabbing a pass out of the backfield. Brooks somehow manages to be patient and decisive at the same time, picking out a hole after seeing his blocking unfold but also attacking a crease with utter abandon and lowering his pads to shrink his strike zone. With his combination of agility and power through contact, Brooks stands out, even in a very deep group of running backs poised to go in the third through fifth rounds of the upcoming draft.

A relevant reminder: Minnesota owns three 2025 draft picks right now, including two in the fifth round.

2. Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas | 2024 stats: 37 tackles, 7 passes defended, 4 interceptions

Reuter's take: He's been a nagging presence in man coverage, knocking away passes and forcing turnovers. Like Renardo Green a year ago, Bryant has drawn a number of flags from the referees on hand at practice, but NFL teams know aggressive play is a must in today's league. Bryant doesn't present the most fluid hips in transition, weighs just 171 pounds and has small hands (8 7/8"). That said, he offers solid length (31 7/8-inch arms) and off-the-charts confidence – two key ingredients for a starting corner.

A relevant reminder: Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores loves to mix up coverages.

3. Bryce Cabeldue, OL, Kansas | 2024 stats (via PFF): 3 sacks allowed on 328 pass-block snaps

Reuter's take: Another Jayhawk makes the list, as Cabeldue really stood out on the interior despite the fact that he only played a handful of snaps at guard while at Kansas. He has guard size, though, and his hip explosion and strong hands helped him control his man off the snap in various run-blocking schemes. His experience at tackle (three-plus years starting on the right side before moving to the left side this past fall) taught him to widen his base and keep his body aligned over his feet in pass protection. Cabeldue would love to follow the same path as his former Kansas teammate, Dominick Puni, who moved from tackle to guard last postseason and wound up a third-round pick and rookie starter in San Francisco.

A relevant reminder: Minnesota's o-line was assessed by PFF with allowing 55 pressures in the Week 18 and Wild Card losses.

4. Alijah Huzzie, DB, North Carolina | 2024 stats: 40 tackles, 8 passes defended, 1 interception

Reuter's take: Huzzie proved himself as an FBS-level player by twice garnering honorable mention All-ACC honors with the Tar Heels after transferring in from East Tennessee State. He doesn't have great height or length (30-inch arms), but he was all around the ball throughout practices. Huzzie stuck with quick receivers in the slot and did not give up ground against bigger pass catchers when outside. He broke up multiple passes when in phase with his man on the sideline and over the middle, playing through the catch if unable to prevent the ball from reaching its target. His versatility and acumen as a tough-minded return specialist gives him added value.

A relevant reminder: Versatility is a coveted attribute in the NFL and a must-have in Flores' scheme.

5. Jordan Phillips, DT, Maryland | 2024 stats (via PFF): 16 pressures, 20 run stops

Reuter's take: Phillips isn't as tall or long (32 1/4-inch arms) as many nose tackles, but the 318-pounder carries a large share of his weight between his belt and ankles. That low center of gravity made him tough to move by one or two blockers on run plays this past weekend and allowed him to bull-rush strong linemen like N.C. State's Tim McKay into the backfield in pass-protection drills. Phillips surprised Boston College C Drew Kendall with a spin move to rush the passer during team work on Monday, but his bread and butter on Sundays will be to maintain the line of scrimmage and disengage to stop run plays.

A relevant reminder: Minnesota has four d-linemen under contract for 2025: Harrison Phillips, Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez and Taki Taimani have 9.0 career sacks and 21 tackles for loss combined.