ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Offensive and defensive linemen began to stand out Wednesday at the East-West Shrine Game practice, where one of the biggest stories was from the far north — Canada.

Eh?

Well-traveled defensive lineman Akiem Hicks was impressive for a second successive day. Hicks played high school and junior college football in Sacramento, Calif., area. But after being at the center of a LSU recruiting controversy in 2010, he wound up playing for the University of Regina in Canada the past two seasons.

Hicks (6-5, 324 pounds) is one of the largest players on the field, but the most surprising aspect of his game is his impressive movement, showing nimble feet and fast hands. He definitely has some work to do before he is NFL-ready, but he has raw ability. Hicks isn’t a natural bender and has very ordinary initial explosion out of his stance. But he does have an 84-inch wingspan and used those long limbs to dominate blockers and prove to pro teams he should be drafted in April.

NFLDraftScout.com has considered Hicks as a seventh-round or free-agent projection, but if he continues to impress, he certainly could climb on some charts.