By Kris Jones The NFL Combine. Possibly the most important event for scouts, coaches and front offices before the draft itself. Some of the best talent from around the country come together in Indianapolis and watch as the prospects prove their worth or fail to impress. The combine is split into four days and all of the days are based on specific positions. Here are all four days in a concise review. Day 1: Running Backs, O-Linemen and Special Teams
Stanford star Christian McCaffrey got some mixed reviews at the Combine due to size and speed. Many scouts say that he may be a every-down back due to his speed, and others say he might be a late down back due to his size and pass catching ability. Nevertheless, he is still slated as a top pick in this year’s draft, including LSU’s Leonard Fournette and FSU’s Dalvin Cook. The “Fastest Person on the O-line” award goes to TCU’s Aviante Collins with a 4.81 40. This time makes sense based on the fact that both his father and brother were stars on the TCU track team. The special teams side didn’t really have any huge talent to its roster, like kicker Roberto Aguayo from last year’s draft, but they did have a star in Memphis kicker Jake Elliott. Day 2: Quarterbacks, Wideouts and Tight Ends This is where most of the talent lied in the Combine. The marquee name of Deshaun Watson was watched closely this day and he did not disappoint. After being a Heisman finalist and a national champion, many expect him to be a popular name with coaches and staff. With his athleticism, size, leadership, and production, he is sure to be on everyone’s radar come draft day. Some surprize packages included North Carolina QB Mitch Trubisky and Tennessee’s Josh Dobbs. The wide receivers effectively stole the show for the rest of day 2 with Washington’s John Ross’s performance. Ross ran a 4.22 40, effectively breaking former player Chris Johnson’s record. Although hampered by a ACL injury before he could properly become a star, Ross cemented his star status with this record now on his resume. He ran the 40 in Nikes, even though Adidas was offering a private island for the prospect who could beat the 40 record. Ross was okay with the fact that he won’t get his island and was quoted as saying “I don’t own a boat and I can’t swim well.” Day 3: Defensive Line and Linebackers This day was all about Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett. After his absolutely outstanding performance at the Combine, he is now being labeled as the top pick in this year’s draft. He had a 4.64 40, 33 reps on the bench, 41 inch vertical jump and a 128 inch broad jump, thus granting him the title of “freak” among coaches and scouts. He even got a “Future All-Pro” rating on NFL.com. Seeing as he had 11.5 sacks his freshman season and being tied for second in the FBS for sacks and forced fumbles his sophomore season, this award is highly deserved for him. Although he did fight off a knee injury his junior year, he was on the All-American first team and the All-SEC team. Day 4: Safeties and Defensive Backs No huge names or big performances here, but some good stuff from Shaquill Griffin, Josh Jones, Obi Melifonwu and Tre’Davious White. The focus mainly lied with Obi, since an AFC scout said that he will blow away the Combine - and with the elite size most coaches want, he may be overdrafted. Another standout is LSU corner Tre’Davious White. His feet and athleticism made him a perfect six on the NFL Combine rating, making him “an instant starter.”
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Dylan EdelmanWilson Senior Archives
February 2020
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