The Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl can be major launch pads for NFL careers. Show up and show out in practices ahead of the game, and your name can start to shoot up draft boards

One guy making the most of his East-West Shrine Bowl opportunity this time around? UCLA wideout Kyle Philips.

In fact, NFL.com’s Bill Smith wrote Tuesday there may not be a player who has helped himself more than Philips with the string of practices he’s had.

“No player in Vegas is generating more buzz than Philips,” Smith wrote. “His ability to get in and out of breaks quickly has impressed, and he’s catching everything thrown his way. … Teams looking for a slot receiver in the Hunter Renfrow mold will be studying Philips, as the two wideouts have almost identical measurables.”

Philips was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection by league coaches in 2021, pacing the league with 10 touchdown receptions. Philips also broke the UCLA record for receptions in a season by a freshman with 60 catches during the 2019 campaign. A year later, he played in all seven games and hauled in 38 catches for 370 yards and two scores.

In 2021, Philips had 739 yards on 59 receptions. The 5-foot-11 wideout from San Marcos, California, ended his Bruin career fourth all-time in receptions at UCLA with 163.

Renfrow is a nice comp to get this early in the draft process. The Raiders’ wideout had a pair of 600-yard receiving seasons his first two years in the league, then experienced something of a breakout during the 2021-22 season. The former Clemson wideout caught 103 balls for 1,038 yards and nine scores, all of which led the Raiders.

He was a fifth-round draft selection back in the 2019 NFL Draft.

So far, most who have taken in Shrine Bowl practices have raved about Philips’ performance. It’s his footwork and quickness catching people off-guard. He has even been referred to as “unguardable.” Here’s what they’re saying: