COMBINE 2023 Day Two

March 4, 2023

Now that Coach Prime has taken his career’s work to Colorado as Head Coach of the Buffaloes, there is no need to present the DB Group on the final day of the Combine. So they were relegated to Friday afternoon, and are heading toward the Indy Airport and to  their planes back to where they had cone from.

And what transpired Friday in the DB groups on-field workouts. There were some surprises, but on the whole what I saw yesterday pretty much confirmed my feelings about the 2023 NFL Draft DB group. The  CB group was very athletic and very fast and deep. They will be one of the darling groups when the Draft unfolds. Not so much with the S group. They were pretty average, and unless someone presented in Indy switches from the CB  to S slot the First Round of the Draft may have 5-6 CB and 0 S in it. To my eyes the guy who could/probably should switch to calling himself S is BRIAN BRANCH/Alabama.

So even after Michigan’s D.J. TURNER blew everyone away with a 4.26/40 time the speed just kept coming from the CB assembly. There were 7 players, out of 36 total, 28 who ran who blazed 40’s under 4.40 seconds.

4.26     D.J. TURNER/Michigan   5’11/178      38.5″ Vert

4.30     JAKORIAN BENNETT/Maryland    5’11/188     40.5″ Vert

4.35     DEONTE BANKS/Maryland       6’/197       42″ Vert

4.35     EMMANUEL FORBES/Miss State    6’1/166       37.5″ Vert

4.36     DARIUS RUSH/South Carolina      6’2/198       35″ Vert

4.36      KELEE RINGO/Georgia         6’2/207         33 1/2″ Vert

4.38      CHRIS GONZALEZ/Oregon        6’1/197         41 1/2″ Vert

4.41      TERRELL SMITH/Minnesota      6’1/205     34″ Vert

4.41      Tre-vius HODGES-TOMLI NSON/TCU     5’8/178       39″ Vert

 

Not one of the Safeties could crack the top dozen DB 40-times all set by CB. The fastest S was…

BRANDON HILL     PITT     5’10/193       4.43/40      35 1/2″ Vert

Having said all of those things about the S group short comings, I will say one of my favorite S followed a solid week of work at the Senior Bowl venue with some solid numbers yesterday;

DANIEL SCOTT    CAL      6’1/208    10″ Hands     39 1/2″  Vert     4.45/40

Alabama’s BRIAN BRANCH ran with the CB Group, but his numbers were much better suited to the S slot, low lighted by a pedestrian looking 4.58/40 time. He has earned high praise for his tackling ability and his FBI, influenced by his film study habits. His numbers yesterday certainly do NOT tag him as a First Rounder athletically.

In fact, when I combine (excuse the pun) his film and his numbers Friday I would say the only S that I would say could slip into a place near the bottom of Round One would be Illinois  Safety SYDNEY BROWN. He’s a rock solid 5’11/211, and clocked 4.47 in his 40-time. He also posted an athletic, explosive 40.5″ Vertical jump. He’s a hitter with ball skills. But my guess would be he’s helped himself get into the late 2nd Round.

With the venerable AL DAVIS, of the Raiders, not being with us any more I think despite that blistering 4.26/40 D.J. TURNER is not likely to break into Round One. His overall skills and his 178 lb. frame are likely to earn him a Nickel Slot position.

However, at the other end of the CB spectrum the longest Corner of them all JULIUS BRENTS/K-State built on his fine Senior Bowl performances with a very athletic stat sheet in Indy. Some of his numbers are freakish, but they are legit and translate into on-field action as he demonstrated in Mobile…

BRENTS/CB/K-State     6’3/198   34″ Arms/82 5/8″Wing    4.53/40     41.5″ Vert     11’6″ BJ

I would say right now he has put himself into early Round 2 range.

The polar opposite of BRENTS yesterday was CLARK PHILLIPS/CB/UTAH. A ball hawking big play CB for the Utes Phillips measured out as just pure small, with not enough pure speed to override that issue. He was 5’9/184, with only 9 1/8″ hands and 29 1/8″ arms. His 4.51/40 did not help his cause either. Despite some highlight tape plays in coverage, NFL teams are pretty much going to write him off as purely a Nickel, which may cause him to last into Day Three of the Draft. Maybe he can improve a couple of those numbers for speed and quickness at the Utes Pro Day, but the size is unlikely to change.

For Round One, I believe the CB Group will supply at least 5 players in  DEONTE BANKS, CHRIS GONZALEZ, JOEY PORTER, DARIUS RUSH, DEVON WITHERSPOON. BRENTS & KELEE RINGO might be on the verge, but late. I actually think that in the long run RINGO may end up as a S. He’s a little stiff-hipped, and quickness beats him initially off the line-of-scrimmage. At S he’d be the most athletic guy in the Combine S Group.

Gotta head over to the TV room for some Offensive Combine action. Back at you Sunday.

Pigskin