by Pigskin Paul Guillemette: We are still at the stage of getting the first groups through their medicals and off-field portions of their schedule in Indy. So here is some idle speculation on what’s whirling around the league at tis time. The biggest takeaway I have from Wednesday’s proceedings is just how long most of the top OL… Read More »
Even though I would be the first to admit that too much emphasis can be placed on what this year’s Draft prospects do later this week at the the NFL Combine in Indy, in their undies, I would also maintain that the info gathered during the process is a very large piece of the jigsaw puzzle that composes… Read More »
by Grumpy Lindsay The NFL’s annual scouting combine which gets underway in Indianapolis two weeks today, is one of the key elements of the entire pre-draft process. How key? Last year, for example, 84% of the 256 players selected at the 2015 draft participated in some form in last February’s scouting combine. In fact, the number of players… Read More »
Time to talk about some prospects who used the Combine to their advantage. I will remind you that I can only refer to them based on what they did in shorts. Clearly I have no access to medical information or interviews. BUCK ALLEN/RB/USC There seems to be a rather large group of RB who are in the running… Read More »
Hey there, surprise! I bet many of you thought I had gone to Mexico for a winter vacation and missed the Combine. Not the case. I have been immersed in watching and re-watching COMBINE action, and reflecting a bit on what I really think I saw. Hopefully some of you caught some of my daily tweeting. Though I… Read More »
Combine hits and misses: Every combine synopsis, of course, starts with the recognition that the scouting combine is only part of the draft jigzaw puzzle. In particular, with the exception of a very small number of cases over the years, no team drafts a player because of what he did in shorts in Indianapolis. Teams have already set… Read More »
Safeties have kinda played second fiddle to the CBs today, but a couple of noteworthy athletic performances turned in by Durrell Eskridge of Syracuse who ran in the 4.56 range over the 40 while posting 10-yard splits close to 1.50 seconds which were among the quickest of all DBs. At the same time, Damarius Randle of ASU ran… Read More »
More mixed results from today’s DB workout at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. First the good: Michigan State CB Trae Waynes may have wrapped up the top grade among cormers – and maybe put himself into the top 1o discussion – as he ran a 4.32 40. Meanwhile, USC’s Josh Shaw ran better than expected 4.44 as did… Read More »
Update to the rising legend of UConn CB Byron Jones who added a 44-5 vertical leap and posting a 12-3 standing long jump, the best of anyone at the position ever by almost half a foot. Jones still has to run the 40, but if he can translate that lower body explosion to speed he has a chance… Read More »
Need to add TCU safety Chris Hackett to the list of disappointments in combine testing as he only runs a very slow 4.81 40. Meanwhile, decent ‘in the ballpark” runs for CBs Senquez Golden (4.46) of Ole Miss and Ohio State’s Doran Grant (4.44).
Not too much else to get excited about as the first group of DBs finish their 40s. FSU’s Darby actually improved his second run to a very fast 4.32 while Charles Gaines of Louisville ran an equally quick 4.34. On the other hand both Jacoby Glenn (4.58) of UCF and Miami’s Ladarius Gunter (4.65) had disappointing runs.
Track meet starting to break out as both Ronald Draby of FSU and Mississippi’s State Justin Cox both run 4.37s. Little bit slower for Quandre Diggs of Texas who may have run himself deep into third day with a 4.57 40.
Decent 40 times for both of CBs Jalen Collins (4.48) and Alex Carter (4.52) given their length. Not bad at all too for Alabama SS Landon Collins who clocked a 4.54 running at a LB sized 228 pounds.
With all due respects to Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota who put to bed many doubts with solid performances at the QB workout at the scouting combine, the ‘real’ big story out of Indianapolis was just how well the entire cadre of tweener DE/OLBs performed on Sunday. One by one, Florida’s Dante Fowler, Vic Beasley of Clemson, Randy… Read More »
Good time of 5.01 for USC DE/DT Leonard Williams. He probably would have been happier running in the 4.85-4.90 range and that time probably eliminates him as a prototype 4-3 DE but that’s still a good time for a 300-pound guy.
Very slow, almost too slow 40 time of 5.66 for Washington DT Danny Shelton; needless to say he plays quicker than that but that’s not top 10 type stuff. Also a disappointing time of just 4.84 for Utah DE Nate Orchard who was running at barely 250 pounds. Interesting time though for rising UCLA DE/OLB Owamagbe Odighizuwa of… Read More »
Game on at OLB if it wasn’t already as Vic Beasley of Clemson got it going on his second run as he blitzed a 4.53 with a 1.59 split.
Same for Randy Gregory of Nebraska who clocked a 4.64 40 with a 1.62 split. Meanwhile, Eli Harold of Virginia, who may be the first round DE/OLB sleeper of the year, also got in with a 4.61 40 time, while LSU’s Danielle Hunter makes a statement with a 4.57 clocking with a 1.58 split.
Very good time of 4.61 with a 1.59 split for Dante Fowler which puts to bed those 4.8 fears and just might bring him into the top 5 conversation. Certainly would appear to lock up a top 10 grade.
Fact is that nobody much cares what 320-pound DTs run in the 40 which is probably good for Carl Davis of Iowa who clocked a 5.19 with a 1.89 split.
Mixed result for Clemson DE/OLB Vic Beasley who ran a decent 4.66 40 with a 1.72 10-yard split, but was probably expecting to be a little quicker. Same thing for DTs Malcom Brown of Texas and Arik Armstead of oregon who both were clocked in the 5.05 range for the 40, but both also had reasonably quick 10-tad… Read More »
Offensive line review: Entering the scouting combine in Indianapolis the offensive line for the 2015 draft had a certain ’meh’ quality. No question there are some really good offensive linemen in this year’s draft field, but none had that must have/can’t miss quality that characterized many of the top prospects at the position in recent years. And that… Read More »
There were a couple of better runs in the back half of the RB 40 runs with Michigan State’s Jeremy Langford somewhat surprisingly leading all backs with a 4.43 time. The Williams boys – Karlos from Florida State and Trey from Texas A&M – were the only other RBs to crack the 4.50 mark with times of 4.48… Read More »
First group of RBs look like they are running in sand as Ameer Abdullah (4.61), Jay Ajayi (4.62) and Mike Davis (4.61) all failed to break the 4.6 mark, while both David Cobb and Dee Hart ran 4.80s. The only back would didn’t look like he had cement blocks on his feet was Wisconsin’s Mel Gordon who had… Read More »
While everyone around the NFL was still buzzing about Kevin White’s 4.35 40 clocking this morning, there were actually several other notable times in that second group of WRs. Indeed, diminutive J J Nelson of the now defunct Alabama-Birmingham program led all receivers with a 4.29, while Tyler Lockett of K-State had a 4.35, Tre McBride of William… Read More »
