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March 1, 2016Ohio State wins the NFL Combine medal count
March 1, 2016The path to the 2016 NFL Draft is starting to heat up after the top prospects took part in the NFL Scouting Combine these past few days. The top players in the upcoming draft got to show off their athleticism and skill in one of the biggest events in the pre-draft process. The NFL Scouting Combine is not the end all be all, but it does give some quality information to consider in the pre-draft process. This year’s combine has come and gone, so here are some of my thoughts on what I saw through the four-day on-field event.
Quarterbacks
- Carson Wentz of North Dakota State was as good as advertised. He ran a very good 4.77 second 40-yard dash, which showed off his athleticism that makes him more than just a stand-in-the-pocket passer. In the on-field drills, he showed smooth mechanics and a strong arm that many have raved about.
- Jared Goff of California was also pretty good. He showed off his quick release and mechanics that allows him to get the ball out very fast. He is a little slight, so he may need to add some pounds to his frame.
- Paxton Lynch is raw, but his athletic ability unmatched. The 6-foot-7 quarterback from Memphis was impressive in athletic testing, running a 4.86 second 40-yard dash, jumping 36 inches in the vertical jump and jumping 118 inches in the broad jump. He tied for the best vertical and was second best in the broad jump amongst the quarterbacks. On the field, he showed his arm strength. Lynch’s arm is strong and effortless. But, he is still very raw in his footwork, having played in a shotgun system in college.
- Joel Stave of Wisconsin was a surprise in a good way. He was accurate in the on-field drills, hitting receivers on target for most of his passing attempts.
- Cody Kessler of USC had an up and down performance in the combine. In his short and intermediate throws, he was accurate, throwing to receivers in stride. But his deep ball passing was not good. He struggled to hit the receivers, missing the passer short on several occasions.
- Vernon Adams did not run as fast in the 40-yard dash as I thought he would. The Oregon quarterback ran 4.83 seconds in the dash, but for a mobile quarterback at 5-foot-11, his performance was not great.
- Jeff Driskel of Louisiana Tech showed off his athletic ability well. In the 40-yard dash, he ran 4.56 seconds, which was the fastest of the quarterbacks. In the broad jump, he jumped 122 inches, which also led the quarterback group. He definitely showed his dual threat ability in the combine.
- Overall the class performed pretty well, showing a good range of talents. It should be an interesting draft to see how many quarterbacks are picked and where they go.
Running Backs
- Ezekiel Elliott of Ohio State was impressive, showing his No. 1 running back-level talent. He ran a 4.47 second 40-yard dash, which is all the more impressive for a back at 225 pounds. The only thing that left me with a question mark was his catching ability, dropping a few passes during the on-field drills.
- The surprise performance of the running back group may have come from Keith Marshall of Georgia. The overlooked and often injured back ran an impressive 4.31 second 40-yard dash. His speed will definitely give him a great shot at being picked in the upcoming draft.
- Daniel Lasco of California had probably the athletic testing of all the running backs. His 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash was fourth fastest amongst the running backs, his 41.5 inches in the vertical was the best of the position group and his 135 inches in the broad jump was also the best in the position. He definitely opened some eyes with his performance.
- Derrick Henry of Alabama at 6-feet-3-inches and 247-pounds put up an amazing athletic performance for a man his size. He ran a 4.54 second 40-yard dash, but showed his explosiveness even more in the jumping testing. He was in the top five of the running back group in both the vertical and broad jump. He is an impressive athlete at his size.
- Henry’s teammate at Alabama, Kenyan Drake, was also good at the combine. He had the third fastest time of the running backs in the 40-yard dash at 4.45 seconds. His hands in the catching drills were also good, allowing him to be an option as a third down back.
- Tyler Ervin of San Jose State was just as impressive in the athletic testing as Lasco. Ervin ranked second in the running back group in each of the 40-yard dash, vertical and broad jump.
- The running back group is filled with athletic backs, which could produce a lot of big time playmakers in the NFL.
Wide Receivers
- Laquon Treadwell of Ole Miss did not blow away anyone in the athletic testing. But during the on-field drills, he showed off his talent. The big receiver caught almost everything thrown at him with ease.
- Braxton Miller of Ohio State did not run as fast as many thought he would in the 40-yard dash. He ran it in 4.50 seconds. But, his short area quickness was shown off in the 3-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle and 60-yard shuttle. He showed that he has the speed to make people miss in open space. Miller did struggle catching the ball, which is something he will need to work on going forward.
- Sterling Shepard of Oklahoma was impressive in almost all areas of the combine. He lifted an impressive 20 reps in the bench press and jumped the highest vertical of the receivers at 41 inches. Likewise in the on-field drills, he caught passes with ease, catching almost everything throw at him.
- Tajae Sharpe of Massachusetts did not have a great day in athletic testing, but in the on-field drills, he did well. He ran the routes well and caught the passes with hands and with ease.
- Will Fuller of Notre Dame is fast and should be a big play receiver in the next level. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash of the receivers at 4.32 seconds and showed well in the deep ball drills. He tracked the balls well and caught the passes over his back well.
- Josh Doctson of TCU showed great hands during the on-field drills. He caught each ball with his hands and away from his body.
- I like how Roger Lewis of Bowling Green completed the on-field drills. He won’t blow you away with speed or size, but he seems like he is a guy who will just get the job done.
- This receiver group is not even close to the past two seasons of receivers. This year’s class has very few speedsters with just two pass catchers running under 4.4 seconds in 40-yard dash.
Tight Ends
- Jerell Adams of South Carolina showed his ability to be a possible mismatch in the NFL. The 6-foot-5, 247-pound tight end ran the fastest 40-yard dash amongst the tight ends at 4.64 seconds.
- Temarrick Hemingway looks the part of a tight at 6-feet-5, 244-pounds and running 4.71 seconds in the 40-yard dash. But in the catching drills, he struggled bringing in the passes, dropping quite a few passes during his time on the field.
- David Grinnage did not blow away anyone in the athletic testing. But in the on-field drills, he caught well, showing strong hands to grab the balls out of the air.
- This class of tight ends did not blow away anybody. A lot of the top tight ends did not do any of the athletic testing, making the already smaller group even smaller.
Offensive Line
- The big workout warrior in the offensive line group was Jason Spriggs of Indiana. He was in the top five amongst the offensive linemen in the 10-yard split, 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical and broad jump.
- Christian Westerman of Arizona State showed his strength in bench press. He led the entire combine with 34 reps in the bench press.
- Jake Brendel of UCLA showed his short area explosion in multiple drills. He was in the top two of each of the 10-yard split, 3-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle drills.
- Overall the NFL Combine is tough to see much from offensive linemen. Without contact, the drills do not show a lot of real game situation aspects.
Defensive Line
- Joey Bosa of Ohio State was solid in almost all the drills. He ran a respectable 10-yard split in 1.69 seconds and really showed his short area quickness by posting the second best 3-cone and 20-yard shuttle drill time of all defensive linemen. In the linebacking drills, Bosa showed he is able to be an outside linebacker and go back into coverage.
- The physical freak of the defensive line group was definitely Emmanuel Ogbah of Oklahoma State. He ranked in the top three of defensive linemen in each of the 40-yard dash, broad jump and vertical. At 6-foot-4, 273-pounds, Ogbah ran a ridiculous 4.63 second 40-yard dash and showed his explosion in the other athletic testing drills.
- Dadi Nicholas had an amazing vertical of 41 inches. The Virginia Tech defensive lineman showed off his explosiveness in almost matching the combine record of 42 inches in the vertical.
- Robert Nkemdiche showed his unique athleticism. At 294-pounds, the Ole Miss alum ran a 4.87 second 40-yard dash and lifted 28 reps in the bench press. His talent is not the question, his off the field incidents are.
- Charles Tapper of Oklahoma led the defensive line group in the 40-yard dash. He ran an impressive 4.59 second 40-yard dash.
- Andrew Billings of Baylor was one of the most fun players to watch during the combine. At 6-feet-1, 311-pounds, the Baylor alum was able to move well for such a big man. He ran a 5.05 second 40-yard dash, including a 1.79 second 10-yard split. He was able to move well in the drills, which is a huge plus such a big and strong man.
- Willie Henry was another big man who was able to move well for his size. At 6-feet-3, 303-pounds, the Michigan alum ran a 5 second 40-yard dash, including a 1.75-second 10-yard split. He, like Billings, moved well in the on-field drills.
- One of the more amazing sights of the day was Sheldon Day of Notre Dame doing the linebacker drills. Day is 6-feet-1, 293-pounds, so he is definitely not a candidate for an outside linebacker spot. But, it was nice to see a guy doing the extra work to show his willingness to do whatever it takes.
- The athleticism of the big guys in this group was truly amazing. There were so many 300 pound linemen who were able to run in the five seconds in the 40-yard dash. The size and athleticism combo of this group was definitely on display.
- This defensive line group seems to be the best and deepest class in the 2016 NFL Draft. There could be many interior defensive linemen who could make a difference next season as a rookie in the NFL.
Linebackers
- The most impressive linebacker of the day was Ohio State’s Darron Lee. Lee ranked in the top five of each of the 40-yard dash, broad jump and vertical. He blew away the linebacker group by posting top performances in the broad jump and 40-yard dash. His 40-yard dash of 4.47 seconds beat out most of the receivers at the combine, ranking seventh amongst that group. Lee was very impressive.
- Lee’s Ohio State teammate, Joshua Perry, was also impressive. At 6-feet-4, 254-pounds, Perry ran an impressive 4.68 second 40-yard dash. He also showed his explosion by raking fourth in the broad jump with 124 inches. Perry has a very good size and athleticism combination.
- Scooby Wright of Arizona did not have a great showing at the combine. At 6-foot, 239-pounds, he ran an incredibly slow 4.90 second 40-yard dash. This is a red flag for the linebacker.
- Travis Feeney of Washington ranked amongst the top two in each of the 40-yard dash, vertical and broad jump drills. He showed his athleticism that makes him a very interesting prospect.
- Joe Schobert of Wisconsin may have not been great in the athletic testing, but he did well in the on-field drills. He had smooth movements in the pedal drills, moving his feet effortlessly.
- The linebacker group was missing two of their top players in Myles Jack of UCLA and Jaylon Smith of Notre Dame because of injuries. So the group was not at its top level at the combine.
Defensive Backs
- Many experts regard Jalen Ramsey of Florida State as the top defensive back in the draft. In the combine, he showed why so many like him. He blew away the athletic testing, showing his great explosion. At 6-foot-1, 209-pounds, he ran a 4.41 second 40-yard dash, jumped 41.5 inches in the vertical and jumped 135 inches in the broad jump. His vertical and broad jump led not only the defensive back group, but also it tied for the best performances in the entire combine.
- Vernon Hargreaves of Florida did not blow away anyone in the 40-yard dash, but he did well in the jump drills. He ran a 4.50 second 40-yard dash, but jumped 39 inches in the vertical and 130 inches in the broad jump. He ranked fifth in the vertical amongst defensive backs and fourth in the broad jump. This testing shows his explosiveness that allows him to have such good ball skills. He also was good at changing directions in the on-field drills, showing his strong legs to explode in his steps.
- Eli Apple of Ohio State was impressive in the athletic testing and in the on-field drills. At 6-foot-1 and 31 3/8-inche arms, the tall corner ran an impressive 4.40 second 40-yard dash. He was also smooth in drills. Apple moved his hips well and was able to change directions very quickly and smooth.
- T.J. Green of Clemson did extremely well in the athletic testing as a safety. He was the fastest safety and the second fastest defensive back in the 40-yard dash, running it in 4.34 seconds. In the broad jump he had the second best jump amongst the safeties and the fifth best amongst the entire defensive back group, jumping 129 inches.
- Jonathan Jones of Auburn showed off his speed and strength during the athletic testing. He was the fastest defensive back in the 40-yard dash, running it in 4.33 seconds. He tied for third amongst the defensive backs in the bench press, lifting 19 reps. But on the field, he was a little tight in hips, getting off balance in the drills where they asked him to flip his hips.
- Overall the defensive backs group showed off with great athletic ability. There were many long defensive backs who were also able to move well.
12 Comments
Interesting read about Bosa. I’ve read some very mixed reports as to whether he can make it as an OLB in a 3-4 defense. Some observers (not saying they’re right) say he’s strictly a 4-3 end. And the talk about him being able to drop back and cover receivers just makes me think of Mingo. If I take a front seven guy with the second overall pick in the draft, I want him putting pressure on the quarterback on pretty much every play.
Interesting stuff about the linebackers. By far, this is the most unmentioned position of need on this team. Both inside AND outside linebacker is a glaring hole on this team, given Dansby’s age, Mingo’s invisibility, Bryant’s legal troubles, and Robertson’s free agency. The Browns roster, as-is, is just about the most ill-equipped in the league for running a 3-4. This area will need some major attention in the draft, arguably even more so than WR.
Thanks for this write up. It’s good to see that there is so much depth at two of our high-need position groups, although most of our groups have pretty high need. Our second pick onwards can very likely to BPA and fill substantial needs on the team.
Other random notes from watching the combine on tv: Bosa is pretty good but looks like a finished product, likely close to his ceiling already. Goff looks, acts and talks like a stoner, will be very curious to see his wonderlick and I’m sure the Browns will be curious as well. Great class for D line and D backs.
good post MARK … LB was , by far , the biggest weakness on the squad this year … especially if you’re going to play a 3-4. LB should be a priority in the draft & free-agency.
hi 6TH … I’ll be interested to see if the new FO is drafting for need or picking the BPA.
great job , JOE …
We should be “okay” at RB and O line, and have serious needs in every other position group. I think BPA and need are one-in-the-same this draft, surely we’ll pass on left tackles and probably RBs in the first 4 rounds, but other than that, they can build their board with straightforward rankings of best talent.
i don’t see duke johnson as an every down / workhorse RB
… and the O-line will need addressing if mack & schwartz both walk.
I agree with what you say. I called Mingo a bust the second he was picked. Now I’ll say that Bosa is a late first round or 2nd round pick. I watched his last 4 games and was not impressed. He is not a difference maker.
DB may also not be a huge need. Safety could be an issue if Gipson walks (as seems likely) and Whitner is a cap casualty (also likely). But I think we’re set at CB. A healthy Haden, returning Tramon Williams, and Ekpre-Olomu is an interesting prospect with K’Wan Williams as your nickel and a lottery ticket in Gilbert seems like a pretty deep unit. With the CB-loving Pettine gone, I don’t see Desir or Gaines hanging around unless they can be good special teamers.
hi MARK … not sure about poyer at S , but i actually like i.campbell to win the job & be a starter. gaines was a rookie last year , i still think he has potential to be a starter , or at least a nickel back.
I’m a Michigan fan, so take that into account when I say this:
How could you have watched the OSU/Michigan game and come away with “Bosa’s not a difference-maker”??
He’s slow. If he stayed in college, then he would be a difference maker. I think he will be ordinary playing against the big boys. We shall see.