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http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draf...sley-loaded-2015-class-pass-rushers-nfl-draft
There was an impressive group of edge rushers on display during the workouts Sunday at the 2015 NFL combine, but the biggest standout was Clemson's Vic Beasley.
The biggest question for him on tape is whether he has the strength to set the edge against the run. He still isn't a sure thing in this regard, but his measuring in at 6-foot-3, 246 pounds (up from 220 pounds in the spring) and bench-pressing 35 reps were positive signs.
Moreover, he proved that he has that one elite skill you need to overcome size and strength issues as an NFL pass-rusher, with his exceptional straight-line speed (4.53 40-yard dash and 1.59 10-yard split, the latter of which is the stuff of elite edge rushers and a predictive measure for NFL success) that matches the quickness we see from him on tape.
I think his performance solidifies him as a first-round pick, somewhere in the top 25. He's unlikely to be there when the Dallas Cowboys pick at No. 27, but he makes a lot of sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 22.
Here's a look at how the rest of the top edge rushers, interior defensive linemen and linebackers fared on Sunday (note, Missouri's Shane Ray didn't work out due to an injury):
Bud Dupree, Kentucky: He has been a little inconsistent on tape from one game to the next, but he has really good natural tools and a lot of potential to develop, and he verified that with his workout Sunday. At 6-4, 269 pounds, he ran a 1.60 10-yard split on a 4.56 40-yard dash, both of which are good, and posted a ridiculous 42-inch vertical jump and 11-foot, 6-inch broad jump. He won't get a first-round grade from us based on the inconsistency of his tape, but it won't shock me if a team takes a chance on his potential in the first.
Randy Gregory, Nebraska: Coming in we thought he could be the first pass-rusher drafted, and we still believe that to be the case based on his speed and explosiveness (he verified it with his 4.64 40, 1.60 10-yard split and outstanding 4.16 short shuttle), but he will need to convince NFL teams that he'll be able to add bulk at the pro level without losing his speed and explosiveness. He is just 235 pounds, which is lean for someone 6-5, and while his 24 bench press reps with long, 34-inch arms is good, he didn't display a lot of power to his game on tape. His ceiling is the highest of all the pass-rushers in this class, but the team that picks him will have to feel good about his being able to improve his power.
Dante Fowler Jr. Florida: He put together a good overall workout. At 6-3, 261 pounds his 4.60 40 and 1.56 10-yard split are exceptional, but his explosion drills -- bench press, vertical jump, broad jump -- were below average. That's something we'll have to study further on tape.
Eli Harold, Virginia: He really helped his stock Sunday. He's raw, and I have him as more of a second-round guy, but there's a lot of ability here. In the drills most predictive of success for pass-rushers, the 40-yard dash, the 10-yard split and short shuttle, he delivered excellent results: 4.6, 1.56 and 4.16, respectively. The Titans, Bears, Steelers and Cowboys would all make sense for him in the second round.
Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA: He's more of a left defensive end type at 6-4, 267 pounds. He looks the part, with huge hands and long arms; he's completely shredded. He doesn't have elite explosiveness, and that was on display with his runs, but his vertical and broad jumps were both very good. He should go in the second-round range.
Notes on the defensive tackles
Leonard Williams is the best player in the draft
When you look at this class, there are a lot of defensive linemen who are exceptional at one thing, particularly the edge rushers. But Williams is the most dominant and complete player in this class, at any position. He's really big at 6-5, 302 pounds, and his 34 5/8-inch arms are essential for the 5-technique defensive end position in a 3-4 alignment (his best projection, in my opinion, although he has the versatility to play all over the line), and for him to run a 4.97 40-yard dash at that size is just silly. I don't think he'll end up as the No. 1 overall pick, because the Bucs will likely take a quarterback, but he's in the mix for the Titans at No. 2 or the Jaguars at No. 3.
Four other interior D-linemen stood out
Oregon's Arik Armstead, Texas' Malcom Brown, Washington's Danny Shelton and Mississippi State's Preston Smith all performed well Sunday. Shelton's 40 time was bad but I thought he showed really good movement skills in the position-specific drills.
Notes on the linebackers
Alexander and McKinney helped themselves
LSU's Kwon Alexander is your classic Will linebacker at 6-1, 227 pounds, and the most important measurable for that position is the 40-yard dash; and Alexander ran an excellent 4.55. Mississippi State's Benardrick McKinney only did 16 bench reps, which is disappointing, but he was outstanding in the rest, including a 40.5-inch vertical and 10-foot, 1-inch broad jump at 6-4, 246 pounds. I don't think he's a first-rounder based on his tape, instead giving him a second-round grade, but I know some teams like him more than others and it wouldn't surprise me if he snuck into the late first.
Questions for Perryman and Thompson
I love the tape of Denzel Perryman from Miami, and he's probably going to be this year's Chris Borland as a guy who is a great football player and succeeds in the NFL despite having less-than-ideal measurables. But there will be some concern from NFL teams over his below-average scores in the vertical (32 inches) and broad (9-5) jumps.
There are many different opinions on Washington's Shaq Thompson. We have him as a linebacker, which is where he says he wants to play, and many teams agree. Others project him as an NFL safety while others think his best position might be running back, where he played some for the Huskies. His 4.64 40 time and 33 bench reps were good for a linebacker, but his jumps weren't great. For teams looking at him as a running back, that 40 time is a bit of a red flag.
There was an impressive group of edge rushers on display during the workouts Sunday at the 2015 NFL combine, but the biggest standout was Clemson's Vic Beasley.
The biggest question for him on tape is whether he has the strength to set the edge against the run. He still isn't a sure thing in this regard, but his measuring in at 6-foot-3, 246 pounds (up from 220 pounds in the spring) and bench-pressing 35 reps were positive signs.
Moreover, he proved that he has that one elite skill you need to overcome size and strength issues as an NFL pass-rusher, with his exceptional straight-line speed (4.53 40-yard dash and 1.59 10-yard split, the latter of which is the stuff of elite edge rushers and a predictive measure for NFL success) that matches the quickness we see from him on tape.
I think his performance solidifies him as a first-round pick, somewhere in the top 25. He's unlikely to be there when the Dallas Cowboys pick at No. 27, but he makes a lot of sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 22.
Here's a look at how the rest of the top edge rushers, interior defensive linemen and linebackers fared on Sunday (note, Missouri's Shane Ray didn't work out due to an injury):
Bud Dupree, Kentucky: He has been a little inconsistent on tape from one game to the next, but he has really good natural tools and a lot of potential to develop, and he verified that with his workout Sunday. At 6-4, 269 pounds, he ran a 1.60 10-yard split on a 4.56 40-yard dash, both of which are good, and posted a ridiculous 42-inch vertical jump and 11-foot, 6-inch broad jump. He won't get a first-round grade from us based on the inconsistency of his tape, but it won't shock me if a team takes a chance on his potential in the first.
Randy Gregory, Nebraska: Coming in we thought he could be the first pass-rusher drafted, and we still believe that to be the case based on his speed and explosiveness (he verified it with his 4.64 40, 1.60 10-yard split and outstanding 4.16 short shuttle), but he will need to convince NFL teams that he'll be able to add bulk at the pro level without losing his speed and explosiveness. He is just 235 pounds, which is lean for someone 6-5, and while his 24 bench press reps with long, 34-inch arms is good, he didn't display a lot of power to his game on tape. His ceiling is the highest of all the pass-rushers in this class, but the team that picks him will have to feel good about his being able to improve his power.
Dante Fowler Jr. Florida: He put together a good overall workout. At 6-3, 261 pounds his 4.60 40 and 1.56 10-yard split are exceptional, but his explosion drills -- bench press, vertical jump, broad jump -- were below average. That's something we'll have to study further on tape.
Eli Harold, Virginia: He really helped his stock Sunday. He's raw, and I have him as more of a second-round guy, but there's a lot of ability here. In the drills most predictive of success for pass-rushers, the 40-yard dash, the 10-yard split and short shuttle, he delivered excellent results: 4.6, 1.56 and 4.16, respectively. The Titans, Bears, Steelers and Cowboys would all make sense for him in the second round.
Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA: He's more of a left defensive end type at 6-4, 267 pounds. He looks the part, with huge hands and long arms; he's completely shredded. He doesn't have elite explosiveness, and that was on display with his runs, but his vertical and broad jumps were both very good. He should go in the second-round range.
Notes on the defensive tackles
Leonard Williams is the best player in the draft
When you look at this class, there are a lot of defensive linemen who are exceptional at one thing, particularly the edge rushers. But Williams is the most dominant and complete player in this class, at any position. He's really big at 6-5, 302 pounds, and his 34 5/8-inch arms are essential for the 5-technique defensive end position in a 3-4 alignment (his best projection, in my opinion, although he has the versatility to play all over the line), and for him to run a 4.97 40-yard dash at that size is just silly. I don't think he'll end up as the No. 1 overall pick, because the Bucs will likely take a quarterback, but he's in the mix for the Titans at No. 2 or the Jaguars at No. 3.
Four other interior D-linemen stood out
Oregon's Arik Armstead, Texas' Malcom Brown, Washington's Danny Shelton and Mississippi State's Preston Smith all performed well Sunday. Shelton's 40 time was bad but I thought he showed really good movement skills in the position-specific drills.
Notes on the linebackers
Alexander and McKinney helped themselves
LSU's Kwon Alexander is your classic Will linebacker at 6-1, 227 pounds, and the most important measurable for that position is the 40-yard dash; and Alexander ran an excellent 4.55. Mississippi State's Benardrick McKinney only did 16 bench reps, which is disappointing, but he was outstanding in the rest, including a 40.5-inch vertical and 10-foot, 1-inch broad jump at 6-4, 246 pounds. I don't think he's a first-rounder based on his tape, instead giving him a second-round grade, but I know some teams like him more than others and it wouldn't surprise me if he snuck into the late first.
Questions for Perryman and Thompson
I love the tape of Denzel Perryman from Miami, and he's probably going to be this year's Chris Borland as a guy who is a great football player and succeeds in the NFL despite having less-than-ideal measurables. But there will be some concern from NFL teams over his below-average scores in the vertical (32 inches) and broad (9-5) jumps.
There are many different opinions on Washington's Shaq Thompson. We have him as a linebacker, which is where he says he wants to play, and many teams agree. Others project him as an NFL safety while others think his best position might be running back, where he played some for the Huskies. His 4.64 40 time and 33 bench reps were good for a linebacker, but his jumps weren't great. For teams looking at him as a running back, that 40 time is a bit of a red flag.
