Combine Chatter Thread

Risen Star

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Winners

1. Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
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Labeled as a road grader who may have to kick inside to guard, Conklin showed better than expected athleticism during his positional drills. A 5.0 40 with a 1.75 10-yard split was one of the more impressive times for a lineman, and Conklin looked smooth in his footwork during workouts.

2. Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana
Just about everyone expected Spriggs to dominate the combine exercises, so it came as no real surprise when his numbers led the class in every event. A 4.94 40 and an eye-popping 9’7 broad jump highlighted Spriggs impressive day, numbers that look even better next to his 31 bench press reps yesterday.

3. Connor McGovern, Missouri
After 33 reps on the bench yesterday, McGovern ran a swift 5.09 40, with an explosive 1.72 ten-yard split. Broad jumping just over 9-feet was another encouraging mark for McGovern, who really caught my eye with some pop on the bags in positional drills.

4. Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State
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Not that he needed any assurance, but Elliott running a 4.47 should lock him in as the top running back off the board come April. He’s already a top ten overall prospect to me, but I’m leaning toward top five range for my next big board.

5. Tyler Ervin, San Jose State
Ervin wasn’t quite as fast as we anticipated, but still posted impressive marks with a 4.41 40, 39-inch vertical, and 10’10 broad jump. Looked great in pass-catching drills and making cuts with the ball in his hands as well.

6. Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
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What a show Henry put on, jumping 37 inches at 247 pounds, before broad-hopping the same 10’10 distance that Ervin did at 192 pounds. A 4.54 40 more than confirms the breakaway speed Henry has on tape too. Should be a lock for the late 1st, early 2nd round range, despite a 7.2 three-cone time.

7. Keith Marshall, RB, Georgia
The forgotten man in Georgia behind Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb, Marshall confirmed that a torn ACL and other injury concerns hadn’t affected his speed at all, flying to a 4.31 official finish in Indy. He hasn’t been on the field a lot over the past few years, but when healthy, Marshall still has special speed in the open field.

8. Daniel Lasco, RB, California
Maybe the running back who impressed me the most on Friday, Lasco flew to a 4.46 40 time, after setting the top mark in the vertical (41.5) and the broad jump (11’3) at his position. At 6-0, 209 pounds, I’ve got to get into Lasco’s tape heavily next week.

9. Dan Vitale, Super Back, Northwestern
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The Wildcats extraordinary do-it-all back, Vitale floored the competition during Friday’s workouts, running a 4.60 40, jumping 38.5 inches, and benching 30 reps the day prior. Perhaps the most impressive mark was Vitale’s 7.12 three-cone time, better than Henry, Lasco, and Marshaun Coprich.

–Also deserves mentioning that I thought the linemen expected to excel in positional drills (Joshua Garnett, Christian Westerman, Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley, Cody Whitehair) generally looked very strong. Tunsil’s feet are magnificent, and although he didn’t run, his drill-work should help solidify his status as the top offensive lineman in the draft. Whitehair’s 3-cone time of 7.32 was fantastic. I underestimated how good of an athlete he is, and I have a late first round grade on him.


Losers

1. Vadal Alexander, OG, LSU
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I’ve never been one to overhype the 40 for offensive linemen, but an official time of 5.57 (1.92 10-yard) is bad, even for Alexander. It was clear watching him move in positional drills (and on tape) that he doesn’t have the feet to play tackle, but I’ll continue to question if he has the movement skills to start in the NFL at all.

2. Landon Turner, OG, North Carolina
I expected Alexander to post some of the worst times during Friday’s workouts, but I thought Turner would establish himself as the more athletic gap scheme guard. That didn’t happen however, as Turner’s official 5.58 40 (1.92) was actually a tick worse than Alexander. He also appeared labored in drills, although I think his feet are a bit lighter laterally. A broad jump of 7’4 (worst amongst OL) isn’t going to ease concerns about Turner’s explosiveness either.

3. Denver Kirkland, OL, Arkansas
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Kirkland has been one of the big flops of the week for me, and I wasn’t a huge fan coming into the combine. His tape is inconsistent and displays several technical flaws, and Kirkland’s work in drills today didn’t help matters. A 5.55 40 was perhaps expected, but 1.96 and 1.98 10-yard splits were easily the worst marks amongst his fellow offensive linemen. Kirkland is really stiff in space too, and could be as limited as Alexander at the next level.

4. Alex Collins, RB, Arkansas
It was a rough day for the Arkansas prospects at the combine, as Sebastian Tretola and Kirkland struggled athletically in the morning, and Collins followed suit in the afternoon. For a power back, Collins’ 4.59 40 didn’t bother me too much, but his 9’5 broad jump was worse than Spriggs’ mark, and the running back’s vertical hop of just 28.5 was two inches shy of last year’s 340-pound nose tackle Danny Shelton! Looked stiff making cuts in drills too.

5. Kelvin Taylor, RB, Florida
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Taylor didn’t stand out in any of the timed exercises, running a 4.6 40 and posting jumps of just 32 inches and 9’5. He also dropped several passes, and appeared out of sorts while running routes.

6. Shad Thornton, RB, North Carolina State
Many had already pegged Thornton as a player who should not have been invited to the combine, and his performance did nothing to disprove that belief. Thornton ran a ridiculously slow 4.75 40, with jumps of just 31 and 9’8. His three-cone time of 6.85 was impressive however.
 

BoysfanfromCanada

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With Gregory's suspension I doubt it. We'll probably revert back to high character guys for a year or two before going back to taking chances on high risk players that drop.

Seems to be a pattern ever since the issues with Irvin and others caused us to pass on Moss. Go high character for a few years and then take a chance on guys like Antonio Bryant and Ross. When that backfired we went back to boys scouts for a few years.

Rinse, repeat. We're now back to high character.

Exactly this
 

Floatyworm

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For those interested....those pictures of the RBS...and their bogus 40 times are posted in the Elliot /Henry thread.
 

Risen Star

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Todd, Todd, Todd, Todd, Todd....

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draf...yers-fared-day-1-nfl-combine-drills-nfl-draft

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Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
Coming into the week, I thought Elliott could go in the 20s -- somewhere in the range of the Jets (No. 20) and Texans (No. 22). He ran an exceptional 40-yard dash time for a running back (4.47), which confirmed what I saw on tape. This guy has breakaway speed once he gets a crease. Based on what we know now, he has a chance to be a top-10 pick. The earliest he could go would be No. 6 overall to the Ravens, who have a need at the position. The Bears (No. 11) are also an option, if the right defensive player isn't there and they feel like adding another playmaker to the fold. Elliott doesn't break as many tackles as you'd like to see, but he checked in at nearly 6-foot and 225 pounds. He has the frame and ability to be an every-down back in the pros.


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Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
It's frustrating that Tunsil opted out of both the 40-yard dash and bench press in Indy. You'd like to see him participate in at least one of the two drills here, rather than waiting for Ole Miss' pro day. At this stage, there might not be as much separation as people seemed to think between Tunsil and Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley. One positive for Tunsil: He looked really good during position drills. That means he has been staying in shape, so there's no concern about that. But there may be a concern about comments from his college teammate Robert Nkemdiche on Friday. The embattled defensive tackle said Tunsil was with him the night of his much-publicized incident. If NFL teams weren't already aware of this information, they'll dig around and see if there's more to it.

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Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
This is not a huge deal, but I just found it interesting to look at Stanley and Tunsil's measurables side-by-side. The Notre Dame product checked in taller than Tunsil (6-5¾ vs. 6-4) and with longer arms (by nearly 1½ inches). These two are pretty similar players. They're both better pass-protectors than run-blockers, and they both could stand to improve their overall strength, particularly when it comes to finishing in the run game. Stanley ran a solid 5.20, but nothing about his performance on Friday was exceptional. What's most important is that he avoided any red flags during the drills.

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Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
This is a straight-line explosive back, and it shows up on tape. On Friday, he confirmed that his size-speed combo is off the charts. Weighing in at 247, Henry ran a 4.54-second 40-yard dash. He does a good job of gauging tempo on his outside runs, but his game is really about getting downhill. He's a bulldozer when he gets going. Additionally, his lower-body power was evident during the broad jump (10 feet,10 inches) and vertical (37 inches). What we see on tape is that he's slower-than-ideal to redirect, which showed up in his below-average times in the three-cone (7.20) and short shuttle (4.38).

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Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
Conklin has the height and arm length to be a left tackle, but on the tape I've watched, I see more of a right tackle skill set. His game is based on power and strength, and I've struggled to see how athleticism and lateral agility translates into being a blindside protector. But after his testing on Friday, I may have to go back and see if I'm missing something. He ran the 40 in 5.0 seconds, the three-cone in 7.63 and the short shuttle in 4.57. Those aren't just elite times; they're Joe Thomas-esque. At the very least, Conklin solidified himself as the No. 3 OT and a first-round pick.
 

Avery

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Here's the thing I don't like about Todd McShay: he's a regurgitator of information. His opinions are really a summation of what everyone else always says without adding any critical thought or difference to the masses.

McShay claims to watch tape, but to me, he has an army of interns that do it for him, gives him the notes and passes it off as himself.
 

Risen Star

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http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draf...rick-henry-nfl-draft-risers-day-1-nfl-combine

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Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
There was a buzz in the weeks leading up to the combine that Henry was going to test well, and he more than lived up to expectations. At nearly 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, Henry clocked in with an impressive 4.54 40-yard dash, while tying for the second-best broad jump (10 feet, 10 inches) and the fifth-best vertical (37 inches). While these numbers enter the freak-of-nature category, there are still concerns with Henry's change of direction and lateral agility based off his below-average times in three cone (7.20) and short shuttle (4.38). He has smaller hands (8¾ inches) and didn't always look natural, but he caught the ball relatively well. Overall, it was a good showing for Henry, who could potentially get into the top-40 mix before it's all said and done.


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Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana
Spriggs' 4.94 40-time and 9-foot-7-inch broad jump were tops among the offensive linemen, while his 4.44 short-shuttle time ranked second. That athleticism translated to a strong showing in the position-specific drills, where he showed excellent balance and lateral quickness. In addition, he finished fourth among the offensive linemen on the bench, putting up 31 reps of 225 pounds yesterday. He didn't wow us with his measurables (nearly 6-foot-6, 301 pounds and average arm length), but no red flags popped up, either. While we still have concerns about his tape, there's no denying his upside following this showing, and he's likely to move up boards as a result.

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Ryan Kelly, OC, Alabama
This is a deep class of centers, and Kelly is our top-rated player at the position. He checked in at 6-foot-4 and 311 pounds with long arms. That's great size for a center and confirms that Kelly has the measurables to potentially play guard in the NFL. Kelly also turned in strong test results, with a 5.03 40-yard dash (sixth fastest for O-linemen) and an 8-foot-7-inch broad jump, while showing quality strength with 26 reps on the bench. Kelly is a three-year starter with great awareness for the position. And with checking all the boxes physically, he now has a chance to come off the board within the top-50 picks.

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Keith Marshall, RB, Georgia
Nothing will have a greater impact on Marshall's stock than how he checks out medically this week. He has an extensive injury history, including two ACL tears in his right knee in 2013 and 2014. In addition, he didn't look natural running routes and catching the ball. But after entering Indy as a fringe draft pick, Marshall greatly improved his chances of getting a shot with an NFL team by running the fastest 40 of all the RBs (4.31). At 5-foot-11 and 219 pounds, he also benched 225 pounds 25 times, which ranked fourth among running backs.

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Tyler Ervin, RB, San Jose State
Ervin lacks ideal measurables (5-foot-10, 192 pounds), but he caught teams' attention on Friday with one of the better performances of all the running backs. Ervin was either second or tied for second in the 40-yard dash (4.41), vertical jump (39 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 10 inches). He also showed impressive pound-for-pound strength, notching 17 reps on the bench. Ervin -- who was second in the FBS in all-purpose yards behind only Stanford'sChristian McCaffrey -- put his versatility on display during drills. He looked smooth and natural catching the football. With his strong combine showing and a solid week at the Senior Bowl, Ervin has taken full advantage of the postseason process. He has a chance to work his way into the early Day 3 range.

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Chris Westerman, OG, Arizona State
Westerman's bulk is a concern, weighing in at 298 pounds. (The five-year combine average for guards is 316.1 pounds.) But the 6-foot-3 Westerman has the frame to add weight, and there's a lot to like about his arm length (33 inches) and massive hands (nearly 12 inches). His upper-body strength clearly isn't an issue either, as his 34 reps of 225 pounds on the bench were tops among the offensive line group. In terms of his athletic ability, Westerman's 40-yard dash, short-shuttle and three-cone times were all faster than the five-year combine averages for offensive guards. He also looked comfortable and smooth changing directions during drills. It's unlikely he makes a substantial jump up boards, but he certainly helped himself.

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Daniel Lasco, RB, Cal
Lasco's 41½-inch vertical and 11-foot-3-inch broad jump were tops among running backs this year. They were also some of the best jumps in recent history for players at his position and a testament to his lower-body explosiveness. At a shade over 6-foot and 209 pounds, he also posted the fourth-fastest 40-time among the running backs (4.46). He showed off his quickness during position drills, and outside of a late drop, he looked like a natural pass-catcher. Lasco has had some problems staying healthy, but he has the potential to move into the early Day 3 range if he checks out medically.
 
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