Assessment time for pro prospects

If you're an NFL draft junkie, your season starts Saturday.

That's when the East-West Shrine Game kicks off on the NFL Network (3 p.m.). It gets better the next week, when the network hosts game and practice coverage of the Senior Bowl, the grand daddy of senior all-star games.

The NFL Network's coverage Senior Bowl begins Monday and runs through Jan. 29 with the game from Mobile, Ala.

The University of Iowa will be represented by defensive tackle Karl Klug and punter Ryan Donahue in the East-West Shrine. They began practice this week, and it looks as though Klug (who measured 6-2 1/2 and weighed in at 273) might make a switch to defensive end. Iowa State strong safety David Sims also is scheduled to play.

In the Senior Bowl, Iowa defensive linemen Adrian Clayborn and Christian Ballard will be joined by quarterback Ricky Stanzi.

This is the time of year you start to see blemishes on the players you cheered in college. That's what the college all-star circuit is all about. Sure, there's a game and a giftbag, but mostly it's a chance for NFL personnel people to see if a college all-star is worth millions.

“The process isn't set up to praise a kid,” said former Iowa quarterback and Iowa City native Paul Burmeister, who works for the NFL Network. “It's more to find out what's wrong with him. What are their weaknesses? That's a big part of the next three months. It's not only to praise, but the criticisms as well.

“Millions of dollars are going to be invested in these kids in a serious business. NFL people want to know what the weaknesses are for the next level.”

Burmeister will do play-by-play for the Shrine game and will host the network's Senior Bowl practice coverage and do sideline reports for the game.

The difference between the Shrine game and the Senior Bowl is talent, he said. The Shrine game is mid- to late-rounders and free agents; Senior Bowl double-digit first-round picks and more than half second- and third-rounders.