Wednesday NFL Draft links to click

Unheralded and small-school prospects getting a close look
University of Regina defensive lineman Akiem Hicks has taken a long and winding road to the 87th annual East-West Shrine Game (Saturday on NFL Network, at 4 p.m. ET). Two or three Canadian players are invited to the storied contest every year, with Chicago Bears defensive end Israel Idonije one of the more successful stories from this relationship, but few prospects have a backstory like Hicks.

Rotoworld - Shrine week update
The first two practices of an all-star game are always challenging, both for players and scouts. Practice day one (Monday) was of the pad-less variety, preventing players from showing off their physicality. Therefore, I focused more on skill positions (QBs, WRs, TEs, CBs, Safeties). Both squads planned for contact on Tuesday, showcasing one-on-one linemen battles.

National Football Post - Shrine Practice Notes: West Day 2
The west offensive line as a whole did a slightly better job Tuesday and I thought Texas OL David Snow was much improved. Snow displays the ability to bend, move his feet laterally in pass protection and has sneaky heavy hands once engaged.

Optimum Scouting - Shrine Game: Tuesday Daily Notes
Another day in the books, and make sure you check out our practice notes for the day for how things went on the field and during practices.

CBS Sports - Shrine practice notes: Players from non-major schools getting attention
Coastal Carolina cornerback Josh Norman is one of 20 prospects from non-FBS schools at the East-West Shrine Game, and he isn't merely taking advantage of the opportunity to show NFL scouts he stacks up against players from major conferences.

Big Cat Country - NFLPA Game practice report: National Team Day 1
The National Team looked like the more athletic and intriguing group of the two teams and had more talent at the skill positions. Again, most of the day one evaluations will revolve around the skill positions as it's difficult to get an accurate read on lineman and positions that rely on the physical aspect of the game without pads on.