Did Garrett wrap up top pick? … That’s the question around the NFL this hour after Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett turned in one of the most athletic combines ever by a defensive lineman. Of course, its still up to Cleveland to make the pick, but Garrett certainly made it tough for the Browns to pass and take a QB with the #1 pick overall this year. For the record, Garrett posted a 4.64 40, the fifth fastest ever by a 270-plus pound DE, along with a 41-inch vertical, the best by a DE in over a decade. For good measure, Garrett also posted 33 reps in the bench press. If there is a question about Garrett, though, its about his motor. Indeed, Garrett literally admitted to taking plays off in the past his public interview in Indianapolis; his exact words were in effect that “no player goes 100% every play.” To which rival DE Jonathan Allen replied about taking plays off: “if you do that at Alabama, you won’t be playing.” However, according to Browns’ sources, Garrett aced his private interview with Cleveland officials on Saturday evening.
Speaking of Alabama’s Allen, the subplot to today’s workout that really hasn’t generated much buzz to date is that the former Alabama DE really did not have a great day. Nobody expected him to run under 4.7 seconds in the 40 at 283 pounds, but nobody really expected that he’d have trouble breaking 5-flat. In fact, he didn’t break 5-flat. At the same time, his 10-yard split (1.74) wasn’t anything to write home about and his shuttle times were rather pedestrian for a DE. Nothing’s up yet, but one wonders if we might see the same kind of debate that plagued Joey Bosa after last year’s combine when he ran slower than expected. Exact comparisons are tough because Bosa weighed 14 pounds less than Allen when he clocked a 4.86 40. The big difference, though, came when Bosa then went out and blitzed the agility drills, which Allen really didn’t do. Of course, Bosa was ultimately chosen 3rd overall by San Diego and went onto to post 10.5 sacks despite missing 4 games and earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Bosa also ended up on a 3-4 team and that likely will be where Allen lands as he really doesn’t have the speed to factor at DE in a 4-3 or quite the size to be an every down 4-3 DT.
It will also be interesting to see what the NFL makes of Michigan DE Taco Charlton’s day. His 40 time of 4.92 was way slow for a 4-3 DE, but his 10-yard split (1.70) was pretty good as were his shuttle times. Missouri tweener Charles Harris was also a tough guy to figure. His base numbers – 4.82 40 and slow shuttle times – were very pedestrian for a 253-pounder. Harris, though, looked much more comfortable in the positional drills. On the other hand, UCLA tweener Takk Mckinley ran really well in the 40 with a sub-4.5 clocking with a 1.61 split, but his times in the agility drills were very slow. Indeed, Mckinley was a quarter of a second slower than Temple’s Hasson Reddick in the short shuttle and a full 1/2 second behind in the 3-cone drill. At the same time, Mckinley looked lost at times in the positional drills and actually had to repeat several.
No such issues though for Stanford’s Solomon Thomas who was also projected to run in the low 4.8 range for the 40. Thomas though got under 4.7 (4.69) in the 40 with an excellent 1.66 split, while his shuttle runs – 4.28 in the short shuttle and a really fast 6.95 in the 3-come drill – were very good. Given his strength, instincts and motor, Thomas did just about everything he could to guarantee a top ten selection come April 27th.
Meanwhile, the winner of today’s ‘let’s go back and have another look at the tape’ award was Florida Atlantic DE Trey Hendrickson who quietly had a terrific day with a 4.64 40 clocking, that included a 1.59 split that tied for the top 10-yard time on the day, while his shuttle times were also near the top of the pack. What pro scouts when they go back to the tape will see is a one-time TE who had 29 career sacks at FAU. Other guys who may have pro scouts going back to the tape after strong workouts in Indianapolis include Derek Rivers of Youngstown State, Illinois’ Carroll Phillips, and Pita Taumoepenu of Utah. Tarell Basham of Ohio, who pro scouts already know well also quietly had a pretty good day after posting a slow (4.81) time in his first 40, but then bounced back in his second recording a 4.70 time with a 1,61 split; he also showed nice agility in the shuttles. Same story for Auburn’s Carl Lawson who upped his 40 time from 4.82 to 4.68 with a 1.60 split, while his shuttle times were decent.
Its tougher to get a read on the DTs at the combine as the physical tests are more about speed and agility rather than strength or power, but several big guys up from stood out including Montravious Adams of Auburn, UCLA’s Eddie Vanderdoes, D.J. Jones of Ole Miss, and Elijah Qualls of Washington impressed with their quickness. Vanderdoes, in particular, was a revelation as he ran under 5.00 in the 40 and had some good shuttle times; recall that he was once considered to be a potential elite prospect before suffering a nasty knee injury at the outset of the 2015 season and may just now be rounding back into full form. At least from a purely athletic perspective the top DT in Indy was Michigan State’s Malik McDowell.