The Ringer - Everything You Need to Know About the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine2018-03-05T20:15:41-05:00http://www.theringer.com/rss/stream/168292452018-03-05T20:15:41-05:002018-03-05T20:15:41-05:00Derwin James Deserves the Jalen Ramsey Comparisons
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<figcaption>Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Plus: Bill Belichick goes on TV, Minkah Fitzpatrick disappoints, and the no. 1 pick remains up for grabs</p> <p id="Qm7qLC"><em>We can’t believe it, either, but “Nick Foles, Super Bowl MVP” is old news. The 2018 NFL combine is already here, and a rotating cast of </em>Ringer<em> staffers will provide you with a collection of five thoughts from each day in Indianapolis.</em></p>
<h3 id="vR4z9Y">1. Derwin James Backs Up His Play</h3>
<p id="55prU7">The Jets took defensive back Jamal Adams sixth overall last year despite his 31-inch vertical jump. In the past five years, top-10 picks like Justin Gilbert and Dee Milliner had pedestrian combine testing, too—neither jumped 40 inches in the air nor 11 feet on the ground. NFL teams have not made otherworldly athleticism a prerequisite for drafting a defensive player—but maybe they should.</p>
<p id="AVULUf">A recent <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2017/7/27/16078306/2017-nfl-preview-dallas-cowboys-secondary-jumping-leaping-byron-jones-fc8714c38107">study</a> showed that a defensive back who jumps 40 inches in the air has a 5 percent better chance of an NFL career than one who doesn’t. And in the crapshoot world of the NFL draft, that’s a bigger number than you think. Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey, last seen dominating at cornerback for Jacksonville’s league-best defense, also dominated at the combine. Two years ago, he jumped 41.5 inches in the air and 11 feet, 3 inches in the broad jump before the Jaguars selected him with the fifth pick. </p>
<p id="HeEreO">Derwin James will naturally draw comparisons to Ramsey—he’s a Seminole and he’s viewed as having similar positional flexibility, though he will probably play safety or slot cornerback in the pros, while Ramsey has spent most of his time at outside cornerback. James is also, like Ramsey, one hell of an athlete. He posted an 11-foot broad jump and 40-inch vertical on Monday, which means that any team that wants to take him in the top 10, where he personally <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/03/04/nfl-combine-notes-florida-state-derwin-james/393725002/">projects he’ll go</a>, should feel great about doing so. James <a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/03/05/derwin-james-i-can-play-deep-cover-tight-ends-whatever-you-need/">said</a> he’s comfortable covering tight ends or playing deep in pass coverage, and he could conceivably line up anywhere on the field. In an era when offenses are getting more flexible every year, a player like James is as valuable as any non-quarterback. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Derwin James showing off the ball skills. He's very athletic at the catch point<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PFFDraft?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PFFDraft</a> <a href="https://t.co/LEGieKGGyf">pic.twitter.com/LEGieKGGyf</a></p>— Steve Palazzolo (@PFF_Steve) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_Steve/status/960685375915266048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2018</a>
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<p id="lJw4B2">And this:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I've been studying Derwin James all week and I can't think of another perfect player for the Seahawks than him. 2018 draft crush. <a href="https://t.co/A7D03fk1to">pic.twitter.com/A7D03fk1to</a></p>— C.J. Tumbarello (@TumbarelloHB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TumbarelloHB/status/968176007600472065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2018</a>
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<p id="9BWhbd">Oh, and there’s this: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Derwin James had 21 reps on the bench press....Kam Chancellor had 22....Eric Berry had 19.......Derwin James weighs 215 pounds....Chancellor weighed 231 pounds.... </p>— ChopChat.com (@ChopChat_) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChopChat_/status/970414650742464512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a>
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<p id="UPhqQO">James jumped seven inches higher in the vertical jump and nearly a foot longer in the broad than fellow top-10 prospect Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. It’s not a career death sentence to lack this type of athleticism. Tre’Davious White jumped 32 inches at last year’s combine and finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting for Buffalo. When I talk with NFL decision-makers about athletic testing, they say it’s about marrying the metrics with the tape: If a guy looks athletic on the field and is confirmed to be athletic at the combine, then he’s an easy guy to pick. If, like Fitzpatrick, his tape is great but his athletic testing is less than great, it’s a tougher call. During NFL Network’s broadcast on Monday, Daniel Jeremiah said he thought Fitzpatrick would test out as more explosive than he was, and I thought so, too. </p>
<p id="GfLp8a">Both James and Fitzpatrick will be first-round picks, and you can find room for both in <em>any </em>defense in the league given their versatility, but if you’re rebuilding your secondary with a top-10 pick, I’d take the more explosive player. </p>
<h3 id="IpddiJ">2. Bill Belichick Loves the Media Now</h3>
<p id="SCzkH5">There’s hidden entertainment value in the combine: It’s football, but because there’s so much time when nothing happens, there are plenty of opportunities for attendees to talk and say whatever they want. This revealed itself many times on Monday. For starters, the NFL Network’s Deion Sanders broke down why some players wear baggy shirts (“It means you aren’t proud of your body”) and why some players take off their shirts after drills (“It means you’re feeling it”). </p>
<p id="Q74K2P">Meanwhile, the surprise of the morning was Patriots coach Bill Belichick stopping by the booth to heap praise on the NFL Network team of Rich Eisen and Mike Mayock. Belichick pointed out that it is hard to make a draft board for <em>one </em>team and “[Mayock] does it for all 32.” He said that the channel’s coverage is so thorough that he can catch many of the drills on television if he can’t make it to the stadium. Belichick’s appearance made for good television. He joked that he didn’t know how to work a cellphone, although it may not have been a joke. And he also told the story of his pre-draft interview with Sanders when he was still an assistant with the Giants. He asked Sanders how he’d handle playing in the shadow of the mega-popular Lawrence Taylor. “I think the fans would have to change—and get used to me,” Sanders told Belichick.</p>
<p id="efCQAa">You know what? Belichick is right. The NFL Network coverage <em>is </em>really good. On the surface, the combine should be hopelessly boring. It is just guys jumping and running and catching, after all, yet the network provides tons of context and useful analysis. It is a much harder job than it looks to make the combine interesting, but I’m entertained. </p>
<h3 id="84cIpk">3. James and Fitzpatrick Aren’t the Only Talented Defensive Backs</h3>
<p id="eVP8Tw">If athleticism is a good indicator for good defensive backs, this might be a deep class. The broadcast crew (especially Jeremiah and Charles Davis) hailed the workout of Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander, who ran a 4.38, as well as a handful of other über-athletes. Terrell Edmunds from Virginia Tech recorded an 11-foot-2 broad and a 41.5-inch vertical. Nebraska’s Joshua Kalu jumped 41.5 inches vertically as well. There were <em>seven </em>sub-4.40 40-yard dashes among DBs on Monday. A trio of cornerbacks—Ohio State’s Denzel Ward, LSU’s Donte Jackson, and Tulane’s Parry Nickerson—all clocked in at a combine-best 4.3 seconds, while Penn State safety Troy Apke wasn’t far behind at 4.35. </p>
<p id="zORJbq">Not everyone was perfect, though. First-round candidate Josh Jackson of Iowa was <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000919647/article/nfl-combine-day-4-winnerslosers-derwin-james-hybrid-freak">dubbed</a> a “loser” of the day by NFL.com. With the exception of James, there doesn’t seem to be sure-fire elite secondary talent in the draft, but there’s a handful of really solid players who’ll be available for the first two or three rounds. </p>
<h3 id="AjvrA6">4. Oh No</h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Weber State CB Taron Johnson <br><br>LOOK OUT<br><br>(Check out the reactions) <a href="https://t.co/iZZyFD2tEz">pic.twitter.com/iZZyFD2tEz</a></p>— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Edholm/status/970710240613294080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="aTpyes">5. The Next Two Months Are Going to Be Wild</h3>
<p class="c-end-para" id="M8Gdsx">At the end of last year’s combine, we knew Myles Garrett was going to be picked first. His testing <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2017/3/5/16040682/myles-garrett-nfl-combine-jabrill-peppers-nfl-draft-e3d4ef8f0191">confirmed</a> he was the best athlete in the draft, and we spent the next two months taking that information for granted. Not this year. There is no presumptive first-overall pick, even with all the data at our disposal. In fact, we’re only <em>more </em>confused than we were a week ago, as Penn State’s Saquon Barkley may have forced his way into contention for the top spot with an over-the-top workout. The top quarterbacks have yet to separate from each other and there is no obvious, dominant sack artist like last season. Pass rusher Bradley Chubb, ranked as the first overall prospect by CBS, has the potential to rise up draft boards, but with the Browns holding the top spot, he likely won’t get consideration at no. 1 since they selected Garrett last year. There are very, very few sure things over these next few weeks. The only thing we <em>do </em>know is that I’ll be talking about athleticism and jumping.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/5/17083284/2018-combine-derwin-james-minkah-fitzpatrick-bill-belichickKevin Clark2018-03-05T11:25:52-05:002018-03-05T11:25:52-05:00Don’t Sleep on Shaquem Griffin
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<figcaption>Gregory Payan/AP Images</figcaption>
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<p>Plus: NC State’s Bradley Chubb comes to play, the Steelers back themselves into a corner with Le’Veon Bell, and the Vikings close in on Kirk Cousins</p> <p id="j67EkZ"><em>We can’t believe it, either, but “Nick Foles, Super Bowl MVP” is old news. The 2018 NFL combine is already here, and a rotating cast of </em>Ringer<em> staffers will provide you with a collection of five thoughts from each day in Indianapolis.</em></p>
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<h3 id="Va1ZZY">1. Shaquem Griffin Turned Heads and Changed Minds</h3>
<p id="GzqYNp">The second-team All-American and AAC Defensive Player of the Year experienced a reversal of fortunes unlike any in the combine’s history. Over the course of two months, Griffin went from being left off the initial list of combine participants to posting the best 40-yard dash time in 15 years for a linebacker (and the second-best mark ever for a player that weighs more than 225 pounds). </p>
<p id="MOd44F">Even casual college football fans know the story by now: Griffin doesn’t have his left hand as a result of a prenatal condition. And yet, he emerged as one of the best players in the country last season for a Central Florida team that went 13-0. In UCF’s upset win against Auburn in the Peach Bowl alone, he had 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks. However, despite his production and role in turning UCF <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2018/1/1/16839346/ucf-knights-peach-bowl-win-group-of-five-playoff">into a surprise contender</a>, concerns about the limitations that could arise from having only one hand gave teams pause about him as a prospect. </p>
<p id="afLdsO">Coming into the draft process, Griffin was thought to be a late-round pick who would start his career as a special-teams player while looking to carve out a role on defense. Combine testing rarely causes evaluators to pivot entirely on players, but Griffin ripping off the best 40 in more than a decade<em> </em>at the position could make their concerns matter just a bit less. The production is undeniably there, and now there’s a confirmed level of athleticism to go with it. Griffin going sub-4.4 at 227 pounds makes it more likely that at least one team will be willing to roll the dice on him higher up in the draft. </p>
<h3 id="ls17GP">2. The Draft’s Top Edge Rushers and Linebackers Did Not Disappoint</h3>
<p id="tfEPkS">NC State’s Bradley Chubb and Virginia Tech’s Tremaine Edmunds both lit up the athletic testing drills in the way many expected. Chubb is considered to many to be the best prospect in this draft at any position. The 269-pounder’s 40 time of 4.65 seconds and 36-inch vertical leap won’t dampen those expectations. Edmunds is viewed as an off-ball linebacker with pass-rushing ability, and the burst that evaluators have seen on tape translated to his testing numbers: At 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds, he posted a blazing 4.54 in the 40 and leapt 117 inches in the broad jump. With that size and explosiveness, he just isn’t like many current players at the position. Teams will likely view Edmunds as a guy they can move all over the field depending on matchups and situation, and that’s why he has the potential to sneak into the top five. </p>
<p id="SLFnqW">Outside of the elite prospects, most of the other highly regarded edge rushers accomplished what they needed to. Boston College’s Harold Landry likely helped himself with excellent testing numbers across the board—his <a href="http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/HAROLD-LANDRY?id=2559923">explosion testing and timed speed</a> at 253 pounds will intrigue some teams looking for pass-rush help in the first round. The same goes for UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport, whose 4.58 in the 40 and 124-inch broad jump at 264 pounds are both excellent. Combine testing is typically more about eliminating certain players than elevating others; all of the touted edge prospects showed that they check the right boxes. </p>
<h3 id="F1xhiT">3. The Stalemate Between the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell Continues </h3>
<p id="4UXtoX">A year after Pittsburgh hit Bell with the franchise tag (and paid him $12.1 million in the process), the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000906238/article/leveon-bell-set-to-be-franchise-tagged-by-steelers">reported</a> that the team will use the tag on Bell again in 2018. The second consecutive tag will give Bell a cap hit of $14.5 million this season—$5.5 million more than any other back in the league and more than twice as much as anyone at the position outside of LeSean McCoy. The Bell fiasco is another reminder of the perils that come with not locking up homegrown players before the end of their rookie contracts. If Bell plays on the tag again in 2018, his two-year price tag will be $26.6 million, which is more guaranteed money than all but two backs in the NFL. And those two players (Leonard Fournette and Ezekiel Elliott) surpassed that mark as a result of the rookie wage slotting rather than the running back market. The expectation is that Bell was seeking a long-term deal that would reset the salary benchmark at the position; by tagging him twice, that’s essentially what the Steelers have done without guaranteeing they’ll be able to hang onto Bell in any low-risk way when the tag lapses. </p>
<p id="mQuz4K">The question now is whether Bell will sign the tag. He’s softened on his previous stance that he would sit out the season if tagged again, but he’s still not likely to be thrilled with this outcome. Similar to Kirk Cousins, Bell would have two straight seasons with a salary near the top of the market, but Cousins is also set to be 30 years old and figures to become the highest-paid player in the NFL. Bell is only 26, but every year matters in the value of a running back. Another season on the tag may come with a huge number, but it’s also one more year without long-term security at a position where longevity is a concern. </p>
<h3 id="F3HvhZ">4. Can the Miami Dolphins Get Anything for Jarvis Landry? </h3>
<p id="eXAkFB">ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22648773/jarvis-landry-agent-talks-baltimore-ravens-chicago-bears-others-potential-trade">reported</a> Monday that the Ravens and Bears are two of the five teams that have expressed interest in a possible trade for the Dolphins receiver, who was assigned the franchise tag late last month. A <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSChicago/status/970010221342023680">report</a> this weekend from NBC Sports Chicago’s John Mullin said that the Bears had explored a deal with Miami that included running back Jordan Howard, but others have said that Chicago has no interest in dealing the 2016 fifth-round pick, who’s set to earn a paltry $1.5 million combined over the next two seasons. Any worthwhile trade for Landry would have to come with a new contract, and it’s likely that the 25-year-old receiver wants a deal that will make him one of the highest-paid players at the position. So any team that chooses to get Landry would have to surrender draft capital to bring in a player just starting his second contract. Finding value in a deal like that won’t be easy. </p>
<h3 id="NeWI0s">5. The Kirk Cousins Market Has Taken Shape</h3>
<p id="WdJJwF">ESPN’s Adam Schefter <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22632811/denver-broncos-arizona-cardinals-new-york-jets-minnesota-vikings-vying-kirk-cousins">reported</a> this weekend that Cousins had pared his final list down to four teams: the Broncos, Cardinals, Vikings, and Jets. While it may seem like Cousins and his representation have eliminated several suitors, the serious market for him didn’t extend much past those four clubs. Talking to reporters and people from the NFL in Indianapolis, the sense was that Minnesota was well-positioned and motivated to lure Cousins. At this point, it’s probably emerged as the front-runner in this chase. The Vikings have about $48 million in cap space according to <a href="https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/minnesota-vikings/">Over the Cap</a>, and that number could increase a bit after some logical cuts. There are looming personnel decisions, though, that the Vikings don’t want to eschew while doling out the money for Cousins. Linebacker Anthony Barr and defensive end Danielle Hunter are both entering the final year of their rookie deals, and the Vikings can’t afford to see either walk in free agency next spring. On the bright side, the structure of Cousins’s upcoming contract could be less conventional than other huge QB deals in recent years, based on the teams in play and Cousins reportedly not gunning for a big cash figure in the first year. Minnesota has the cap space and the supporting cast to get Cousins to town; getting creative with how the money is paid out could help the team snag its QB while comfortably holding on to young stars on defense.</p>
<p id="3AiKU2"><em>Correction: An earlier version of this piece misstated NC State DE Bradley Chubb’s name.</em></p>
https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/5/17080818/nfl-combine-day-5-shaquem-griffinRobert Mays2018-03-03T17:22:36-05:002018-03-03T17:22:36-05:00Josh Allen Outshines Everyone in QB Drills at the NFL Combine
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<p>Plus: Calvin Ridley gives a mixed performance, Maurice Hurst has a heart condition, and combine trade talks heat up</p> <aside id="9eCA06"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine","url":"https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/2/17065204/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2018-nfl-scouting-combine"}]}'></div></aside><p id="ap7rTE"><em>We can’t believe it, either, but “Nick Foles, Super Bowl MVP” is old news. The 2018 NFL combine is already here, and a rotating cast of </em>Ringer<em> staffers will provide you with a collection of five thoughts from each day in Indianapolis.</em></p>
<h3 id="bDPS7d"><strong>1. Josh Allen Did What He Needed to Do</strong></h3>
<p id="q60f61">Allen encapsulates the sometimes-overlooked but foundational concept of the draft: that teams must ultimately evaluate not what a player has done, but rather what he can do at the next level. The former Wyoming quarterback’s college numbers weren’t all that impressive, particularly those from the 2017 season, when he completed just 56.3 percent of his passes at 6.7 yards per attempt, connecting on 16 touchdowns to six interceptions in 11 games. But while Allen’s lack of accuracy at the college level remains a major concern, the advantage he has over his peers is almost limitless physical potential. He <a href="http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/josh-allen?id=2560029">measured in at 6-foot-5, 237 pounds on Friday</a>, with mammoth 10.13-inch hands and a quarterback-group-best 33.3-inch arms. That’s about as close to prototypical size, weight, arm length, and hand size as any team could hope for. On Saturday, he showed he’s a top-tier athlete, too. Allen clocked in at 4.75 seconds in the 40-yard dash, registered a 33.5-inch vertical jump, and leapt 9 feet, 11 inches in the broad jump—all outstanding numbers for a player his size. </p>
<p id="VaASk7">As for the day’s on-field drills, Allen’s performance wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but he stood out among the rest of the signal-callers who threw. Allen tossed one deep ball about 70 yards—a pass that <a href="https://twitter.com/judybattista/status/969967324508942338">drew gasps from onlookers in the stadium</a>—confirming what we’d all heard about the former Wyoming star coming into the week: He has a really strong arm.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/JoshAllenQB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshAllenQB</a> is throwing it nearly 70 YARDS in the air! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLCombine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLCombine</a><br><br> : <a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nflnetwork</a> <a href="https://t.co/FeGntMp9Tt">pic.twitter.com/FeGntMp9Tt</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/969968094880858114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a>
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<p id="4upuqc">More importantly, Allen looked calm and collected during the rest of the position-group drills, throwing accurately (for the most part) on a series of <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/NFL/status/969963137838428162">quick outs</a> and <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/NFL/status/969972938383360000">post-corner routes</a>. These drills don’t ask a whole lot of a quarterback—there’s no downfield defenders or pass rushers in his face—but for a guy whose biggest knock is a lack of accuracy, Allen looked, well, <em>fine</em> throwing the ball in front of scouts and general managers today. That may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but Allen’s overall combine week—where he displayed a scintillating combination of size, athleticism, and arm strength—likely boosted his stock heading into the pro day circuit. </p>
<h3 id="qlfEWw"><strong>2. Calvin Ridley Gave a Mixed Performance, Two D.J.s Put on a Show, and Mike Gesicki Lit It Up</strong></h3>
<p id="1Pfxe1">Ridley came into the draft as the consensus top receiver in the class, and <a href="http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/calvin-ridley?id=2560011">the 6-foot, 189-pound former Alabama star</a> showed off his blazing speed on Saturday morning with a 4.43-second 40-yard dash. However, <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/NFLResearch/status/970021572718166016">he struggled in two other tests</a>, registering just 31 inches in the vertical jump and 9 feet, 2 inches in the broad jump. Compare those numbers to, say, former UCLA tackle Kolton Miller, <a href="http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/kolton-miller?id=2560228">who jumped 31.5 inches in the vertical and 10 feet, 1 inch in the broad jump</a> … at 6-foot-9 and 309 pounds. Ridley’s game has never been built around power—<a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/MattBowen41/status/969987806910017537">he makes his hay with precision as a route runner and with his ability to separate underneath and pick up yards after the catch</a>—but time will tell if those vertical and broad jump numbers will affect Ridley’s grade among NFL teams. </p>
<p id="5OfmY0">As for the rest of the receivers group, a pair of pass catchers named D.J. stood out the most. <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/1/17065174/nfl-combine-primer-lamar-jackson-saquon-barkley-vita-vea">I flagged D.J. Chark as a player to watch in my combine preview</a>, and on Saturday, the 6-foot-3, 199-pound former LSU receiver did not disappoint. Chark—who <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/dj-chark-1.html">averaged 20.5 yards per reception over the past two years</a> and caught <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-draft/0ap3000000911418/Top-5-D-J-Chark-plays-Reese-s-Senior-Bowl">a pair of deep passes in the Senior Bowl, one of which was a touchdown</a>—paced all receivers with a <a href="http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/d.j.-chark?id=2559915">sizzling 4.34-second 40-yard time</a>. He showed plenty of leaping ability, too, jumping 40 inches in the vertical and 10 feet, 9 inches in the broad jump. Chark’s skill set gives him potential as a deep threat early in his career for the team that picks him, and he’s already <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/dpbrugler/status/969949675691311104">drawing comparisons to New Orleans pass catcher Ted Ginn</a>. There may not be another player whose stock has risen more over the past couple of months. </p>
<p id="g0O3kN">Maryland pass catcher D.J. Moore had a great day as well. The 6-foot, 210-pound receiver <a href="http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/d.j.-moore?id=2560231">ran the 40 in 4.42 seconds</a>, jumped 39.5 inches in the vertical, and hit 11 feet in the broad jump. Moore’s combination of size, speed, and explosiveness gives him the chance to sneak into the back half of the first round come April. </p>
<p id="KF8EWb">Finally, Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki had himself a day. The <a href="http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/mike-gesicki?id=2559889">6-foot-5, 247-pound former basketball and volleyball standout</a> jumped out of the building with a 41.5-inch vertical, <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/NFL/status/970025888946376704">leapt 10 feet, 9 inches in the broad jump</a>, and ran a 4.54-second 40-yard dash. For context of how impressive that performance was, consider this: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Penn State TE Mike Gesicki is having a very rare combine performance: <br><br>Among all combine TEs starting in 2000, only Virgil Green and Vernon Davis have had a 40"+ vertical and 10'8"+ broad jump.</p>— Chris Trapasso (@ChrisTrapasso) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisTrapasso/status/970032595340849152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="u0eW6t"><strong>3. Medical Checks Remain One of the Most Important Components of the Combine</strong></h3>
<p id="qopTwh">There’s more to the combine than the on-field testing: Teams place a high level of importance on the medical checkups each prospect goes through this week. On Saturday, Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst—touted by many scouts as a potential first-round pick—was <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2018/story/_/id/22634772/michigan-wolverines-defensive-tackle-maurice-hurst-diagnosed-heart-condition-nfl-combine">sent home after being diagnosed with a heart condition</a>. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hurst will undergo further tests to determine the severity of the diagnosis. His long-term health is obviously the primary concern, but let’s hope Hurst’s condition isn’t career-ending.</p>
<h3 id="yZAwP3"><strong>4. Shaquem Griffin Is Awesome</strong></h3>
<p id="7PI8Xq">The former UCF star is <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000909332/article/onehanded-lb-shaquem-griffin-on-verge-of-making-nfl-history">hoping to make history as the first NFL player with one hand</a>, and the performance he put together on the bench press on Saturday didn’t hurt his chances. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Using a prosthetic on his left arm, <a href="https://twitter.com/Shaquemgriffin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Shaquemgriffin</a> just put up 20 reps on the bench press! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLCombine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLCombine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UCF_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UCF_Football</a><br><br> : <a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nflnetwork</a> <a href="https://t.co/fHS0b4Eb0s">pic.twitter.com/fHS0b4Eb0s</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/970016761029443584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a>
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<p id="SxzcxL">Griffin <a href="http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/237835/three-hands-two-brothers-the-inspiration-behind-seahawks-cb-shaquill-griffin">lost his hand at age 4 to a prenatal condition called amniotic band syndrome</a>, but that hasn’t slowed him down on the football field: The versatile linebacker collected <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/shaquem-griffin-1.html">18.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for a loss</a> over the past two years. Apparently, he’s never let the loss of his hand slow him down in the weight room, either. </p>
<h3 id="GFndrj"><strong>5. The NFL Combine Hot Stove Is Heating Up</strong></h3>
<p id="U8btc2">In the NFL, trades used to be relatively rare. But that may be changing, in part due to the league’s incredible salary cap growth. The cap is <a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/02/25/salary-cap-is-expected-to-be-at-least-178-million-could-exceed-179-million/">expected to climb to as high as $179 million per team in 2018</a>; that’d be an $11 million jump over last season’s number ($168 million) and would represent a full <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salary_cap#National_Football_League">$59 million increase per team</a> since 2011 (the cap that year was $120 million). With that rapidly rising cap, along with a rule that allows teams to roll over unused cap space into the next year, there’s a league-wide surplus in workable cap space right now: As of Saturday, <a href="https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space/">21 of the NFL’s 32 clubs have over $20 million in projected cap space for 2018</a>. That excess cap space gives those teams the ability to go out and test the free-agency waters, but it also gives them the option of exploring the trade market, where big-money veteran contracts are no longer a major deterrent to blockbuster moves. Teams now have the ability to accommodate those players under their cap. </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="4cvd8R">With general managers and coaches from all 32 teams, a throng of agents, and a mob of media members all in one place—both at Lucas Oil Stadium and in the surrounding restaurants and bars—the combine acts as a catalyst for action. And based on conversations I’ve had with several veteran reporters, there’s more trade buzz here in Indy this week than ever before. Speaking to the media on Friday, Seahawks GM John Schneider <a href="http://www.seahawks.com/news/2018/03/02/6-things-we-learned-seahawks-general-manager-john-schneider-2018-nfl-combine-0">likened the combine to the Major Leagues’ hot-stove winter meetings</a>, the most active time of year for baseball trades and big-money free-agent signings. The Rams just sent <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/969702263332753408">defensive end Robert Quinn to the Dolphins</a>, and it feels like a few more deals could happen before it’s all said and done: Miami granted <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/969394529370558465">Jarvis Landry’s reps the right to seek a trade</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSChicago/status/970010221342023680">perhaps with the Bears</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/970024355391471617">or not</a>), the Seahawks <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/seahawks-likely-to-part-with-key-defenders-plus-more-insider-notes-from-nfl-combine/">are reportedly open to trading Earl Thomas</a> and are <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22617939/seattle-seahawks-trying-trade-michael-bennett">actively trying to deal Michael Bennett</a>, and that’s likely just the tip of the iceberg. Right now, GMs and decision-makers <a href="https://twitter.com/greggrosenthal/status/969697104087064576">appear more willing than ever</a> to turn to the trade market to improve their teams. </p>
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https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/3/17076098/nfl-combine-day-4-josh-allen-calvin-ridley-maurice-hurstDanny Kelly2018-03-02T20:15:25-05:002018-03-02T20:15:25-05:00The Lamar Jackson Debate Isn’t Going Away at the NFL Combine
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<p>Plus: Orlando Brown’s stock is down, Josh Rosen makes his case, and Saquon Barkley continues to shine</p> <p id="2odZVR"><em>We can’t believe it, either, but “Nick Foles, Super Bowl MVP” is old news. The 2018 NFL combine is already here, and a rotating cast of </em>Ringer <em>staffers will provide you with a collection of five thoughts from each day in Indianapolis.</em></p>
<h3 id="VWVKfI">1. The “Is Lamar Jackson a Quarterback?” Debate Isn’t Going Away</h3>
<p id="wNZf4m">A few weeks back, it was easy to scoff at the suggestion of former Bills and Colts executive Bill Polian <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/2018/2/19/17027762/bill-polian-lamar-jackson-nfl">that Louisville quarterback and 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson make the switch to receiver</a> in the NFL. Polian justified his belief in a few ways: first, by saying that Jackson is “short and slight,” which is empirically inaccurate (he measured in at 6-foot-2, 216 pounds at the combine this week, the same height as Aaron Rodgers and the same weight as Andy Dalton) and, second, by saying that Jackson’s “accuracy isn’t there,” which is legitimate (Jackson completed 57.0 percent of his passes in three seasons at Louisville). The accuracy concern is also worth mentioning about another projected first-round quarterback prospect: Wyoming’s Josh Allen. Allen finished his college career with a 56.2 completion percentage, yet <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/2018/1/18/16905840/nfl-mock-draft-2018-mel-kiper-jr-josh-allen-wyoming-cleveland-browns">some scouts</a> think he could go first overall in April’s draft. Both Jackson and Allen have displayed many other traits and tools necessary for playing quarterback in the NFL, so the concept of Jackson alone making a preemptive position change felt like a completely absurd suggestion. Right?</p>
<p id="ag7qoa">Well, Polian may not be alone in his opinion. As <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000918639/article/multiple-teams-request-lamar-jackson-to-work-out-as-wr?campaign=Twitter_atn"><em>Good Morning Football</em>’s Peter Schrager reported on Friday</a>, multiple NFL teams have requested that Jackson work out as a receiver at the combine this week, in addition to his quarterback workouts.</p>
<p id="pxw5xz">At best, that request feels like an <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/JOEL9ONE/status/969586890897870854">insult</a> to a guy who threw for 9,043 yards and 69 touchdowns, averaged 8.3 yards per attempt, and registered a 142.9 passer rating during his illustrious career in <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/MattHarmon_BYB/status/969691794807037953">Louisville’s pro-style passing game</a>. At worst, <a href="https://twitter.com/DeionSandersJr/status/969352666882113536">it seems to hint</a> at <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/2018/2/20/16928908/lamar-jackson-quarterback-wide-receiver">racial bias</a>. It also suggests there’s a handful of teams that are still unwilling to <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/MattBowen41/status/969623056837640193">build an offense around Jackson’s skill set:</a> A dynamic runner and passer, his game is perfect for a <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/10/11/16456776/option-offense-resurrection-chiefs-panthers-bears">scheme featuring designed runs</a>, the heavy use of play-action, run-pass options, and quarterback movement. The former Cardinals playmaker ran for more than 4,100 yards and scored another 50 rushing touchdowns during his college career.</p>
<p id="WwOckr">Teams must protect their franchise players from injury, but when utilized judiciously, a quarterback who can run places extreme pressure on a defense. A few teams — the Texans, Panthers, Chiefs, and Super Bowl champion Eagles — have embraced these “college” ideas, and each has had success with them.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We just watched an NFL season in which teams that embraced ingenuity and flexibility on offense exploded scoreboards (and won the Super Bowl). It just seems like teams not willing to see the benefits of this guy are willingly going the opposite direction. <a href="https://t.co/MLJMGXSOhK">https://t.co/MLJMGXSOhK</a></p>— Robert Mays (@robertmays) <a href="https://twitter.com/robertmays/status/969624930806648832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2018</a>
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<p id="wjTSrz">On Thursday, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll spoke about some teams’ reluctance to adopt a type of offense that takes its quarterback out of the pocket and puts him on the move. “I think it does have to do with the coach’s background, and how much appreciation they have for that style of play — and [whether] they have any experience with it,” Carroll said, adding that coaches with a history in defensive game-planning may be more willing to run that type of offense. “If you are a defensive coach who has defended those guys, you may be more excited about that thought because it’s so hard of an element to deal with.”</p>
<p id="nmCLtk">But you don’t have to be a defensive coach to appreciate what a dynamic dual-threat quarterback can do. Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, a former running backs coach, offensive coordinator, and interim head coach with the Bills, implemented an innovative system in Buffalo that incorporated Tyrod Taylor as a runner. This week, Lynn spoke in Indianapolis about how a player with that skill set can change the math for the defense. “When you have a guy who can move around a little bit like Lamar, you make a defense play 11-on-11 [compared to a scheme with a less-mobile quarterback, where defenses have an 11-on-10 advantage in the run game]. That’s a defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare.”</p>
<p id="OFEqw8">Of course, Jackson <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelDavSmith/status/969591177556189189">wouldn’t be the first college quarterback to make a switch to receiver</a>. But on the other hand:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lamar Jackson would be the best passing QB anybody has ever made switch to wide receiver, and it's not particularly close</p>— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) <a href="https://twitter.com/rodger_sherman/status/969584374915137536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2018</a>
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<p id="bB9SF6">Jackson <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardschatter/status/969689281966039041">seemed to rule out a move to wideout when he met with the media on Friday</a>. (He also <a href="https://twitter.com/TampaBayTre/status/969687209497563136">denied that any team had asked him to work out at receiver</a>, for what it’s worth.) But odds are, we’ll be hearing this quarterback-vs.-receiver debate until the draft kicks off — and potentially beyond.</p>
<h3 id="k0o1Xt">2. Orlando Brown’s Stock Is About to Plummet … or Is It?</h3>
<p id="NuJS9K">Brown’s performance this week will be a <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/2/17072372/orlando-brown-combine-workouts">great litmus test for just how much the workout portions of the combine really matter</a> for offensive line prospects. Sure, every year there’s a handful of players at the position who test off the charts, and those performances can help propel them up draft boards. But for the most part, as long as the top players at each offensive line spot perform acceptably to scouts and coaches, that player’s game tape will be the real determining factor in their evaluations.</p>
<p id="IKsNZg">Brown’s tape from college already told us that he lacked top-end athleticism. But the 6-foot-8, 345-pound former Oklahoma left tackle still came into the combine as one of the top tackle prospects, and given his combination of rare size and length (he measured out with an 85.5-inch wingspan this week) a probable first-round pick. After Friday, though, all bets are off. Brown ran the 40-yard dash in 5.85 seconds (the <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLResearch/status/969593943565332480">fifth-slowest</a> time for any player over the past 15 years), jumped just 19.5 inches in the vertical (<a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/nfl-combine-results.cgi?request=1&year_min=2000&year_max=2017&height_min=65&height_max=82&weight_min=149&weight_max=375&pos=QB&pos=WR&pos=TE&pos=RB&pos=FB&pos=OT&pos=OG&pos=C&pos=DE&pos=DT&pos=ILB&pos=OLB&pos=SS&pos=FS&pos=CB&pos=LS&pos=K&pos=P&show=all&c1stat=vertical&c1comp=lt&c1val=20&order_by=year_id">third worst all time</a>), leaped 82 inches in the broad jump (<a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/nfl-combine-results.cgi?request=1&year_min=2000&year_max=2017&height_min=65&height_max=82&weight_min=149&weight_max=375&pos=QB&pos=WR&pos=TE&pos=RB&pos=FB&pos=OT&pos=OG&pos=C&pos=DE&pos=DT&pos=ILB&pos=OLB&pos=SS&pos=FS&pos=CB&pos=LS&pos=K&pos=P&show=all&c1stat=broad_jump&c1comp=lt&c1val=85&order_by=year_id">worst since 2000</a>), and put up just 14 reps on the bench press (fourth-worst among offensive linemen this year).</p>
<p id="szvQbR">Brown will have a chance to make a better impression at Oklahoma’s pro day on March 14, and in private workouts with teams before the draft. But this week’s performance could have teams shuffling their draft boards.</p>
<h3 id="xXcPDI">3. Injuries: An Unfortunate Byproduct of the Combine Process</h3>
<p id="VF4K5X">The purpose of the combine is to measure prospects’ athleticism against a baseline level set by past participants. But a lot of these tests feel pretty unnecessary — especially the bench press.</p>
<p id="Riq0sT">That’s why it was frustrating to see Ohio State center Billy Price forced to cut his bench press test short after walking off in substantial pain on Friday morning. It was later revealed that Price <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000918651/article/ohio-state-ol-billy-price-suffers-partially-torn-pec">had partially torn his pectoral muscle</a>, meaning his combine — the physical part, anyway — is essentially over before it got started. Price <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000918651/article/ohio-state-ol-billy-price-suffers-partially-torn-pec">seemed to think he’d escaped major injury</a>, but it does put preparation for his rookie season on hold, and if surgery is required, may hurt his draft stock.</p>
<p id="P3jyHi">USC running back Ronald Jones also pulled up with a hamstring injury on Friday when he attempted his first 40. His combine is also over, but <a href="https://twitter.com/leighsteinberg/status/969701944674734080">he should be able to test at USC’s pro day on March 21</a>.</p>
<h3 id="t4TGGt">4. Josh Rosen Makes His Case As Best Quarterback in the Class</h3>
<p id="CryFPP">Friday was a day for proclamations: <a href="https://twitter.com/247Sports/status/969673314468859911">Baker Mayfield</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/PriscoCBS/status/969688473916538881">Allen</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPost_Schwartz/status/969657116372951040">Rosen</a> each declared themselves the best quarterback in this draft class. And while we’ll have to wait a few years to find out who’s right, something Rosen said stood out. When asked about his greatest on-field attribute, the former UCLA signal-caller <a href="http://www.profootballweekly.com/2018/03/02/josh-rosen-says-he-loves-football-and-we-love-the-ucla-passers-display-of-offensive-knowledge/aldcui8/">cited his ability to make quick decisions</a>:</p>
<p id="CVBjuV">“I’m very quick and decisive; I always say that I think if you can [get] three or four reads into your progression, you give yourself more opportunities to get the ball down the field,” he said. “If you’re a one-to-two [read] and run guy, and you throw the ball [30 or] 40 times a game, you’re giving yourself 70 to 80 opportunities to get the ball down the field.</p>
<p id="qnBj71">“If you can get into one, two, three and four [in your read progression], then you’re giving yourself 150 to 160 — twice as many opportunities — to actually push the ball down the field. So that’s where I think my best attribute is: I can sit in the pocket and really pick defenses apart.”</p>
<p id="6pFDDj">That’s an interesting way of trying to quantify his value relative to his peers. The ability to push the ball down the field is <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/nfl-quarterbacks-are-leaning-on-the-short-pass-and-its-not-working/">an important variable in a league that’s leaning increasingly on short passes</a> to move the ball. Part of the reason for that trend is that modern college quarterbacks often find the transition from the college game to the pros difficult: Quarterbacks coming from college spread schemes are used to easy and defined half-field reads with the goal of getting the ball out as quickly as possible. The downside, of course, is that if a quarterback can’t go through read progressions quickly and efficiently, plays completely break down when the primary target isn’t open.</p>
<p id="52onat">Let’s say Rosen’s right, and he can bring an ability to cycle through his options to the pros: That’s a powerful attribute for whatever offense he’s running, and it’ll enhance his team’s ability to create explosive plays in the passing game.</p>
<h3 id="8ukubD">5. The Saquon Barkley Show Continues</h3>
<p id="NRRrpX">This class of quarterbacks represents the biggest draw in Indianapolis this week, but there’s little doubt that Barkley has taken the early lead in the race for the Combine Championship Belt. On Thursday morning, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/1/17069350/combine-five-thoughts-minnesota-vikings-quarterbacks">he pushed out 29 reps in the 225-pound bench press</a> — seventh most all time for a running back — then impressed with a cool, confident demeanor in his press conference later that day. Friday, Barkley ran a 4.40 in the 40-yard dash — good for second among all running backs, just two-tenths of a second slower than position-group leader Nyheim Hines of NC State, whom Barkley outweighs by 35 pounds. With a 4.40 time at 233 pounds, Barkley’s <a href="http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2017/speed-score-2017">speed score</a> of 124.3 <a href="https://twitter.com/BryKno/status/969663229466238983">ranks fourth all time</a> among running backs.</p>
<p id="1kzcA6">Barkley also jumped 41 inches in the vertical, best in the running backs group. For some context of what he did on Friday, consider this:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Penn State RB Saquon Barkley at 2018 Combine: <br><br>- Stronger than Joe Thomas<br>- Quicker than DeSean Jackson<br>- Faster than Devin Hester<br>- Jumps higher than Julio Jones<a href="https://twitter.com/PennStateFball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PennStateFball</a> <a href="https://t.co/usgR6vJvOn">pic.twitter.com/usgR6vJvOn</a></p>— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLResearch/status/969663548484829184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2018</a>
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<p class="c-end-para" id="leil1S">There’s no doubt: Barkley has lived up to the pre-combine hype, and then some.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/2/17073636/combine-five-thoughts-lamar-jackson-quarterbackDanny Kelly2018-03-02T15:14:13-05:002018-03-02T15:14:13-05:00NFL Combine Workouts Don’t Matter … Unless You’re Orlando Brown
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<p>The Oklahoma tackle’s performance wasn’t just the worst among his peers, it’s one of the worst ever</p> <p id="aXnIhw">The NFL combine workouts rarely make or break draft prospects. For all of the hype placed on the 40-yard dash, bench press, and alligator wrestling (or whatever it is they’re having these dudes do now) only two combine events usually matter to NFL teams: medical examinations and interviews. While Saquon Barkley’s ridiculous combine numbers raise eyebrows, everyone already knew he was an athletic prodigy. For a player to get seriously docked on a team’s draft board, he would have to perform stunningly below expectations — the workouts are the easiest part of the combine for players to perform well.</p>
<p id="tDaXlu">That is, unless you’re Orlando Brown. The gargantuan Oklahoma left tackle, who measured at 6-foot-8 and 345 pounds and was twice named Big 12 offensive lineman of the year and was a unanimous 2017 All-American, entered #draftszn among the top tier of left tackle prospects. That made it all the more shocking when he recorded historically bad combine numbers on Thursday and Friday. He clocked the slowest 40-yard dash (5.85), the shortest vertical jump (19.5 inches), and the fewest bench press reps (14 reps at 225 pounds) of any offensive lineman at the combine.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/MikeMayock?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikeMayock</a>'s #2 ranked OT in this class.<br><br>Orlando Brown (<a href="https://twitter.com/ZEUS__78?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZEUS__78</a>) from <a href="https://twitter.com/OU_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OU_Football</a> runs a 5.86u 40-yard dash! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLCombine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLCombine</a><br><br> : <a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nflnetwork</a> <a href="https://t.co/G9vsC9sjyD">pic.twitter.com/G9vsC9sjyD</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/969577869876719617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2018</a>
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<p id="Wosy3p">According to the Pro-Football-Reference combine database, which goes back to 2000, only one player has been drafted with a time slower than 5.85, and he was a seventh-round pick. In fact, only two players have been drafted since (at least) 2000 running slower than a 5.65.</p>
<p id="sof8Qp">And though an offensive tackle will never be asked to run in a straight line for 40 yards, Brown was flat-out terrible at other, more relevant events, too. Brown entered the combine a near-consensus middle-of-the-first-round pick. Now he’s logged measurables that suggest he may not be worth drafting at all.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Context on Orlando Brown's Combine, per <a href="https://twitter.com/pfref?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pfref</a>'s combine database:<br><br>19.5" vertical (would be worst of any player ever drafted)<br>82" broad jump (also would be worst ever drafted)<br>5.85 40 (2nd-worst, the other was a 7th-rounder in 2001)<br>14 bench reps (tied for 4th-worst amongst OLs)</p>— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) <a href="https://twitter.com/rodger_sherman/status/969643303447814144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2018</a>
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<p id="UTL2oZ">“I didn’t stick to my breathing routine,” Brown <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2762097-combine-notebook-insiders-vs-teammate-on-the-josh-rosen-character-question">told</a> <em>Bleacher Report</em>’s Mike Tanier about his bench press on Thursday. “That’s the lowest I have ever done, and I’ll redo it at my pro day. Keeping it real, it will be held against me. All my numbers will be held against me. As an offensive tackle, my numbers are going to be compared to other offensive tackles. That’s just the reality of it.”</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="oVS6j9">The numbers may not concern teams as much as the reasoning behind them. If Brown doesn’t have an unreported injury that held him back, teams will surely grill him on whether or not he prepared rigorously for the combine, and teams are quick to drop players they fear may be complacent. If Brown logs better numbers at his pro day, he may end up being a bargain for teams on draft day. But if teams get the sense he didn’t take the combine seriously, whether in Indianapolis or in his preparation leading up to it, he could slide down the draft (and cost himself a lot of money). In the meantime, Brown managed the impossible: making the combine workouts matter.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/2/17072372/orlando-brown-combine-workoutsDanny Heifetz2018-03-02T13:46:33-05:002018-03-02T13:46:33-05:00Secrets, Rumors, and Takeaways From the NFL Combine
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<p>Kevin Clark and Robert Mays weigh in on the major talking points coming out of Indianapolis</p> <div id="GsEbiY"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/0EbqWKfpi0t2EUmEtqvfDt" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p class="c-end-para" id="Pwbp1y"><a href="https://art19.com/shows/the-ringer-nfl-show/episodes/b2f1f71e-0734-4338-905c-61d8c859ee41">Robert Mays and Kevin Clark team up</a> in Indianapolis to discuss the dirty little secret of the NFL combine (02:00), what they most anticipated heading into it (05:00), rumor-mongering from scouts (09:00), the draft value of Saquon Barkley (14:30), Jon Gruden’s comments regarding data (25:15), the new confidence of the 49ers (33:15), the brash remarks regarding the QB situation in Minnesota from Mike Zimmer (40:15), and the upcoming on-field workouts for the quarterbacks (48:00).</p>
<p id="J77mLU"><strong>Subscribe:</strong> <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fthe-ringer-nfl-show%2Fid1109282822%3Fmt%3D2">Apple Podcasts</a> / <a href="https://art19.com/shows/the-ringer-nfl-show">Art19</a> / <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ringer/ringer-nfl-show">Stitcher</a> / <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ringernflshow">RSS</a></p>
https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/2/17071994/secrets-rumors-and-takeaways-from-nfl-combineRobert MaysKevin Clark2018-03-01T19:55:50-05:002018-03-01T19:55:50-05:00The Vikings’ QB Situation Remains Mysterious
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<p>Mike Zimmer pulled no punches when discussing the significance of Minnesota’s decision under center this spring. Plus, more observations from Indianapolis.</p> <p id="0ApjoI"><em>We can’t believe it either, but “Nick Foles, Super Bowl MVP” is old news. The 2018 NFL combine is already here, and a rotating cast of </em>Ringer<em> staffers will provide you with a collection of “five thoughts” from each day in Indianapolis.</em></p>
<h3 id="GPtNNe">1. The Vikings’ Quarterback Situation Remains One of the Offseason’s Biggest Questions</h3>
<p id="aLFRWI">Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer is rarely one to mince words, and his media session on Thursday proved no exception. Several of the questions he fielded pertained to the team’s future at quarterback, and Zimmer didn’t hold back when discussing the significance of that choice. “It’s important for myself and [general manager] Rick [Spielman] and the organization that we pick the right guy that is going to help us to continue to move forward,” Zimmer said. “If we don’t do that, then I’ll probably get fired.”</p>
<p id="APKFUW">Those words may sound harsh for a coach who’s won 39 games in only four seasons on the job, but that’s how large this choice looms for the franchise. Save for a few role players, Minnesota’s stifling defense will remain mostly intact heading into the fall. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs is still on his rookie contract. The offensive line is poised to return four starters. The rest of the Vikings’ roster is primed to compete for championships. It’s now a matter of finding the final, all-important piece to the puzzle. </p>
<p id="xiiyW7">In evaluating all three of his soon-to-be-free-agent quarterbacks, Zimmer voiced his honest concerns. He cited Sam Bradford’s injury history before calling the veteran’s knee problem “degenerative.” He expressed trepidation about whether the 25-year-old Teddy Bridgewater could return to the level he was at before suffering a devastating knee injury in August 2016. And he wasn’t shy in offering doubts about Case Keenum, the 30-year-old who broke through in 2017. “Is he the guy that played for us,” Zimmer asked, “or the guy who played for the Rams?”</p>
<p id="3cVryT">Yikes! Forget pulling punches. Those are haymakers to the diaphragm. Zimmer’s tone about his in-house options opens the door to the rampant speculation about the Vikings’ interest in Kirk Cousins. Those rumors have already started to swirl, and they won’t die down until Cousins is sitting in front of a microphone with a different team’s logo behind him. Zimmer didn’t mention Cousins specifically on Thursday, but he did allude to how making a sizable financial commitment to one player can impact the rest of a roster. “Let’s make sure we keep understanding the team is why we have done good things,” he said. “You just have to pick out the right [quarterback] that’s going to help your football team the best. And where you can still do things at other positions. You don’t want to go crazy here.”</p>
<h3 id="rsX73q">2. Zimmer’s Controversial Move to Block an Interview Speaks to the Challenges That Come With Winning </h3>
<p id="6VY1qW">After former Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur was hired as the new Giants head coach in January, he requested to interview Minnesota quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski for the vacant OC position in New York. Rather than give Stefanski a chance to move up the coaching ranks, Zimmer blocked the interview to keep the 35-year-old position coach in Minnesota. Many head coaches are happy to give their assistants opportunities for upward mobility, but in Zimmer’s mind, losing Stefanski <em>and </em>Shurmur would have made for an exodus that the offense couldn’t easily endure. </p>
<p id="1qmfxh">“I get criticized for blocking guys and stuff like that, but loyalty, to me, is a big thing, right?” Zimmer told local Twin Cities reporters at a breakfast on Thursday. “So I come in here four years ago and the offense is 29th, 27th, 26th. But I keep [my assistants]. So the first time our offense is pretty good, then I’m supposed to let all my coaches leave? I don’t think that’s right. If I’m going to be loyal to them and not fire them after they don’t have good years, then I don’t think they should not be loyal to me.” </p>
<p id="vxrpqW">The merits of that reasoning notwithstanding, Zimmer’s frustration points to how turnover can eat away at the coaching staffs of successful teams. Winning brings opportunity, and coordinator changes or position-coach shuffling brings uncertainty. Look no further than the 2017 Falcons, who looked completely different on offense under coordinator Steve Sarkisian than they did under Kyle Shanahan a season earlier. </p>
<p id="Vt4c8V">Zimmer has caught a lot of flak for blocking Stefanski’s interview, but there’s no denying that success comes at a price. And the difficulty of retaining coaches is just one more reason that it’s hard for teams to stay in Super Bowl contention over extended periods of time. </p>
<h3 id="9oJnUV">3. A Wave of Young Offensive Coordinators Is Coming</h3>
<p id="X73wQY">During his press conference on Thursday, Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn was asked how he thought former wide receivers coach Nick Sirianni would fare as the Colts’ new offensive coordinator. Lynn offered a glowing response that spoke to Sirianni’s meteoric rise through the ranks.</p>
<p id="2dLXn6">Sirianni is only 36 and served as the Chargers wideouts coach for the last two seasons. Before that, he worked as Philip Rivers’s position coach for two years. Sirianni is an admitted football junkie who pores over tape for pleasure as much as work. And he’s one of several young offensive coordinators getting their first crack at that job in 2018. </p>
<p id="z2s8tm">New Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur is 38 and comes to the gig after spending one year with the Rams. John DeFilippo, who was recently snatched away from Philadelphia to coordinate the Vikings’ offense, is only 39. Rather than seek out retread NFL lifers to run their offenses, Indy, Tennessee, and Minnesota have sought out infusions of energy from coaches on the rise. This feels like a direct response to the success that 30-somethings Shanahan and Sean McVay had in their debut seasons as head coaches. It goes a step further in the case of LaFleur, who has spent a chunk of his career working for both men. </p>
<p id="CVEDib">In a league where schematic changes are happening faster than ever, finding guys who relish the creative aspects of the job is paramount. </p>
<h3 id="QUOgiQ">4. The Jimmy Garoppolo Buzz Is Approaching a Full-Throated Roar</h3>
<p id="RWV6xV">49ers general manager John Lynch spent the first four and a half minutes of his interview session on Thursday fielding questions about his starting quarterback. One was a simple yet understandable: “Do you feel like you hit the lottery?” It drove home how the talks around the Niners at this year’s combine couldn’t be more different than the ones that happened in 2017. </p>
<p id="z20Ik4">In their initial offseason in San Francisco, both Lynch and Shanahan took very measured approaches. Patience was the theme, and Shanahan made it clear that he was in no hurry to draft a quarterback he didn’t feel would be the best option moving forward. Those days are a distant memory. </p>
<p id="bdQktm">Garoppolo’s presence alters the entire complexion of the 49ers’ offseason, starting with how he can help the team lure some of the biggest fish in free agency. From the day Jimmy G got into the building, San Francisco’s brass hasn’t been hesitant about trotting him onstage. The marketing machine has been operating at full capacity for some time, and soon, it’ll be time to reap the benefits. Players on the market, even those who are defenders, see a franchise quarterback as an alluring factor when making their choices. </p>
<p id="331LM5">“It will be nice in free agency when anybody we’re going for doesn’t ask me who our quarterback is going to be,” Shanahan said. “They know. That’s nice. I don’t have to always say, ‘We’ll have one, I promise. Just can’t tell you. Just wait, we’ll see.’ That makes it easier.”</p>
<h2 id="xp6TyN">5. The Saquon Barkley Show Has Begun</h2>
<p id="dooIBt">The Penn State running back completed only one drill on Thursday, and even that was enough to leave some jaws on the floor. Barkley ripped off a ridiculous 29 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press. Don’t worry, that’s just the <a href="https://www.mockdraftable.com/search?position=RB&beginYear=1999&endYear=2017&sort=DESC&page=1&measurable=bench">seventh-highest running back total</a> in Mockdraftable’s database—which dates back <em>19 </em>years. Barkley’s absurd skill set and ability with the ball in his hands are what make him a surefire top-five pick, but his supernatural athletic gifts have a chance to steal the week in Indianapolis. </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="3geBeQ">Barkley reportedly clocked a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at Penn State. That time may have been helped by home cooking and has to be taken with a grain of salt, but it makes his performance in Indy all the more intriguing. If he’s anywhere near 4.4 after weighing in at 233 pounds, that’s outrageous. </p>
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https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/1/17069350/combine-five-thoughts-minnesota-vikings-quarterbacksRobert Mays2018-03-01T06:20:02-05:002018-03-01T06:20:02-05:00Who Has the Most to Win at the NFL Combine?
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<p>The physical tests are often overrated, but a few players could bump up their draft stock with a standout performance</p> <p id="lZCSV2">The combine is a multiday job interview for prospective NFL players. The speed, explosiveness, and agility testing it’s best known for represent just the tip of the iceberg for the players this week—and in many cases, are of secondary importance to other facets of the event. Franchises place a high value on the information they get out of medical checks, interviews, and on-field drills the prospects go through. And unless a player tests really poorly relative to his peers, his 40 time or vertical jump scores aren’t likely to make or break his grade.</p>
<p id="bke7zr">That said, players who truly stand out in the athletic testing portion of the event—those who challenge for a combine record in one category, or even better, exhibit rare athletic ability across them all—can dramatically boost their stock going into the draft. Last year, Washington receiver John Ross shattered the all-time NFL combine 40-yard dash mark by running it in 4.22 seconds, a performance that helped turn him into top-10 pick, and Connecticut safety Obi Melifonwu saw his stock rise after he posted a combine record in the broad jump (11-foot-9) and hit 44 inches in the vertical jump with a 4.40 40-time. This year, a handful of combine participants have the potential to blow the doors off Lucas Oil Stadium, and over the next few days, they could shoot up draft boards around the league. Here are a few names to keep in mind. </p>
<h3 id="5fkHkC">QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville</h3>
<p id="vZvNLJ">Jackson is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound playmaker with a quick-flick throwing motion and the ability to pick up big chunks of yards with his feet. And as <a href="https://3sigmaathlete.com/">ThreeSigmaAthlete’s</a> Zach Whitman told me, the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner (and 2017 second runner-up) has the potential to be one of the best athletes the combine’s ever seen at quarterback. Let’s put it this way for all you degenerate gamblers: The over/under for Jackson’s 40-yard dash time <a href="http://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2018/02/nfl_combine_2018_prop_bets_saquon_barkley_or_lamar.html">is set at 4.35</a> seconds. That’s a high bar—only two <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/nfl-combine-results.cgi?request=1&year_min=2000&year_max=2017&weight_min=149&weight_max=375&pos=QB&show=all&c1stat=forty_yd&c1comp=lt&c1val=4.4&order_by=forty_yd">quarterbacks since 2000</a> have run faster (Michael Vick in 2001 and Robert Griffin in 2012)—but Jackson <a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/louisville/2017/03/09/lamar-jackson-runs-40-yard-dash/98930194/">ran a 4.34 at this time last year for the Louisville combine (on a track)</a> and has spent the past couple of months preparing for this event. We’ll have to wait to see if he can hit that mark on field turf. </p>
<h3 id="FHpkLk">RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State</h3>
<p id="c9yXjl">Barkley looks like a top-five pick, and the hype around the versatile Penn State running back prospect could hit a fever pitch this week if he performs as expected in a few of the tests. Barkley measured in at 6 feet, 233 pounds on Wednesday—heavier than most of the other “big backs” in this draft like Royce Freeman (229 pounds), Bo Scarbrough (228 pounds), Nick Chubb (227), and Derrius Guice (224), by the way—but he’s got a shot to break the 4.40 mark when he runs the 40 on Friday (Penn State <a href="https://twitter.com/PennStateFball/status/836951916412305409">posted a video which hand-timed him at 4.33 last spring</a>, for what that’s worth). </p>
<p id="HBCFn3">Barkley’s likely going to test really well in the agility events―the three-cone and short-shuttle―and <a href="https://twitter.com/ACallahan_247/status/897523367095525381">may jump over 38 inches</a> in the vertical jump. Oh, and he’s probably going to blow up the bench press, as well. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here Saquon throws up 30 reps at 225 on bench - I’m just at a loss at this point.<br><br>McCaffrey managed 10 reps last year.<br><br> <a href="https://t.co/tsvBBF76v0">pic.twitter.com/tsvBBF76v0</a></p>— Curtis Patrick (@CPatrickNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/CPatrickNFL/status/968502606325800960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a>
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<h3 id="Y4ZLMT">RB Derrius Guice, LSU</h3>
<p id="F3uHEi">The consensus no. 2 back in the draft is no athletic slouch, either, and his over/under in the 40 is set at 4.38 seconds. The 5-foot-10, 224-pound Guice looked a tick slow in 2017 as he battled through injury, but he was hand-timed at 4.32 at 219 pounds back in 2014 and reportedly has been <a href="https://twitter.com/LedyardNFLDraft/status/957282516267950081">running in the low 4.4s of late</a>. Most recent mocks <a href="http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/mock-drafts">have Guice going somewhere in the late first round</a> or early second, but if he could break into the 4.3s this week, he could see his stock jump into the teens. </p>
<h3 id="i8JBzO">RB Nyheim Hines, NC State</h3>
<p id="GPlWQd">Hines has caught the attention of scouts this year with <a href="https://www.ndtscouting.com/ledyard-attention-zone-heavy-nfl-teams-nyheim-hines-mid-round-huckleberry/">a combination of explosive cuts and vision</a>, and the former track star’s pure speed should be on full display in Indy this week. Hines boasts sprinter’s speed—he <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/nc-state/article152842919.html">ran the first leg for the Wolfpack’s 4x100 relay team</a> and posted a <a href="http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000000810904">personal best time of 10.42 seconds in the individual 100-meter</a> event last year. Don’t be surprised if the 5-foot-8, 198-pound former NC State star who ran for 1,112 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2017 <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/lifesyourcup/status/952073391657312257">breaks the 4.40 mark</a> in the 40. </p>
<h3 id="Pl9gop">RB Kalen Ballage, Arizona State</h3>
<p id="tP6oO7">”Mark this down,” <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000915591/article/sources-tell-us-asus-kalen-ballage-will-be-star-of-nfl-combine">an NFC director of college scouting recently told NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein</a>, “nobody will be talking about [Ballage] until he gets to the combine, where he will lift well, run well and jump out of the stadium. Then, he’ll be the hot name.” </p>
<p id="vxtvWy">He weighed in at 6-foot-1 and 228 pounds on Wednesday, and now has a shot to live up to ASU head coach Todd Graham’s <a href="http://draftbreakdown.com/2017/07/31/asu-coach-predicts-rb-kalen-ballage-will-run-a-4-4-at-nfl-combine/">prediction from last spring that Ballage would run a 4.4 at the combine</a>. The former Sun Devil may not hit that mark, but he’ll jump well and should challenge for some of the best agility scores in his position group (<a href="https://draftwire.usatoday.com/2017/09/18/meet-kalen-ballage-the-freak-athlete-ready-to-be-the-next-leveon-bell/">he posted vertical jumps</a> of 37-plus inches last summer and clocked in at 4.03 in the short shuttle, which would’ve led all running backs at the 2017 combine). </p>
<h3 id="Z9Ddy7">RB Nick Chubb, Georgia </h3>
<p id="pIO2xn">As a high school senior, Chubb finished <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000839736/article/after-knee-injury-georgia-rb-nick-chubb-has-nfl-back-in-sight">second in the 2013 national SPARQ championship</a>, clocking in at 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash with a 40-inch vertical. The elite athlete became a star at Georgia as a freshman in 2014, but his path to the draft was disrupted when he dislocated his knee and tore three ligaments (MCL, LCL, PCL) early in his 2015 campaign. He still ran for more than 1,100 yards in both 2016 and 2017, but he didn’t look like <em>quite</em> the same guy—apart from a few flashes last year. The combine gives the 5-foot-10, 227-pound Chubb a great chance to prove to NFL teams that he’s close to being back to his pre-injury form, and <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/02/27/nfl-draft-combine-2018-nick-chubb-georgia-training">he’s set his sights on a time in the low 4.4s</a> in the 40-yard dash. </p>
<h3 id="WTNk5l">RB Ronald Jones II, USC</h3>
<p id="v9hDlc">Jones is an über-athletic back who rushed for more than 3,600 yards and 39 touchdowns in three seasons at USC, emerging as a dangerous home run threat with a combination of <a href="https://www.ndtscouting.com/solak-ronald-jones-first-round-diamond-hiding-rough/">lateral agility</a>, a <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/MattBowen41/status/968335061828370432">nifty jump cut</a>, and <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/lifesyourcup/status/960022011115225088">top-end speed</a>. He measured in a little lighter on Wednesday (<a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/CharlesRobinson/status/968872474095046657">5-foot-11, 205</a>) than some would want to see from a potential three-down back and early-round pick, but he’s got a chance to put concerns about his size to rest on Friday with an outstanding performance in the speed and agility drills. </p>
<h3 id="Fd7auQ">WR D.J. Chark, LSU </h3>
<p id="FTI4kB">Chark’s a prototypical deep threat. At 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds, <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/dj-chark-1.html">he averaged 20.5 yards per reception over the past two years for the Tigers</a> before lighting up the Senior Bowl to the tune of five catches for 160 yards—including <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-draft/0ap3000000911418/Top-5-D-J-Chark-plays-Reese-s-Senior-Bowl">a pair of deep-ball catches, one of which went for a touchdown</a>. He’s got a chance to break into the 4.3s this week, and if he does, it could provide him a nice bump come draft weekend. </p>
<h3 id="7Ia9Yb">WR Dante Pettis, Washington</h3>
<p id="rLqwAf">Pettis used his quickness and burst to set a new <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/dante-pettis-breaks-ncaa-record-with-ninth-career-punt-return-for-a-touchdown/">NCAA record with nine career punt return touchdowns</a>, and those traits helped him rack up an additional 24 career reception scores. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound wideout <a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/college/pac-12/university-of-washington/huskies-insider-blog/article64461152.html">ran the 40 in 4.39 seconds at the UW combine in 2016</a> (for what it’s worth, Ross ran a 4.25 at that same event, then ran 4.22 here in Indy the next spring) and <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/JaredStanger/status/966817128253767680">should challenge to run in the 4.3s</a> in that event this Saturday. He could find himself among the leaders in the three-cone and short-shuttle drills as well. </p>
<h3 id="qtgGfN">WR Courtland Sutton, SMU</h3>
<p id="NUgzTo">At 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, Sutton’s one of the bigger receiver prospects in this year’s draft, and with an outstanding combine performance, he could move more firmly into the first-round discussion. Sutton <a href="http://www.nfl.com/labs/rr/pathtothedraft/sutton?campaign=tw-cf-sf182859093-sf182859093&sf182859093=1">predicted that he’ll run in the 4.4s this weekend</a>, and if he can hit a solid vertical-jump number, say 35-plus inches, he’s going to make plenty of teams pay attention. </p>
<h3 id="DQrH6I">TE Mike Gesicki, Penn State</h3>
<p id="EZp8Z0">Gesicki is going to be the next Jimmy Graham, at least in the fact that every time he does anything cool in a game, you’re going to hear about his background in basketball (he was the New Jersey Player of the Year and won the state’s slam dunk contest in high school). Like Graham, Gesicki has the potential to turn into a unique red zone target for the team that drafts him, and he could get chosen as high as the early second or late first round if he posts outstanding numbers this weekend—especially in the explosiveness events. </p>
<p id="N9c216">As <a href="https://www.ndtscouting.com/">NDT Scouting’s Benjamin Solak</a> told me, “[Gesicki’s] got the chance to broad-jump somewhere around 11-feet and vert around 37 inches, which is wild for a guy who’s already 6-foot-5.” It’s hard for any defender to match up with that combination of size and speed, so Gesicki could see his stock rise with a big performance. </p>
<h3 id="eBfEQ8">OT Brian O’Neill, Pitt</h3>
<p id="1Q95kM">O’Neill’s got a background in basketball, too—the <a href="http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/brian-oneill?id=2560112">winner of the Delaware state Player of the Year award in high school</a>. Offensive line numbers are never quite as important as those from other positions, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 6-foot-7, 297-pound O’Neill break the 5.0 mark in the 40-yard dash and test out as one of the most athletic tackles in the class. </p>
<h3 id="43B57g">CB Donte Jackson, LSU</h3>
<p id="UcjtIR">Jackson’s another <a href="https://www.seccountry.com/lsu/lsus-donte-jackson-talks-college-footballs-fastest-player">former track star</a>, and the former Tiger corner could challenge for the new combine record in the 40-yard dash. Jackson hit 6.63 seconds in the 60-meter event and claims to have been timed in 40-yard dash at 4.24 seconds. A blazing 40 time could help distract from the fact he measured in at just 5-foot-11, 175 pounds. </p>
<h3 id="KGN1kK">CB Tony Brown, Alabama</h3>
<p id="fhQ67Z">Brown won the high school Texas state Class 4A championships in the 110-meter hurdles back in 2013, was named a first-team All-American as part of Alabama’s 4x100 track team in 2015, and was <a href="https://247sports.com/college/alabama/Bolt/WATCH-Tony-Brown-works-on-his-40-ahead-of-2018-NFL-Draft-114545695">reportedly clocked at 4.38 in the 40</a> last year during Alabama’s spring testing. </p>
<h3 id="tFx680">DT Vita Vea, Washington</h3>
<p id="Qa3SGJ">I’ll just let the venerable Mike Mayock lay this one out: On Mayock’s <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000917566/article/mike-mayock-six-qbs-in-play-for-first-round-of-2018-nfl-draft?campaign=tw-nf-sf183069929-sf183069929&sf183069929=1">pre-combine media conference call</a>, he spoke excitedly about Vea’s chances of blowing up the testing portion of the combine. “He’s a dancing bear. He’s a freak,” said Mayock. “He’s 340 pounds and everybody says he’s going to run a sub-5.0 40. The last defensive lineman to do that was Dontari Poe. He went at no. 11. Vea is a better player than Poe was coming out of college. ... If he runs 4.85 or 4.9 at 342 pounds, to me, that’s more impressive than watching John Ross run 4.22.”</p>
<p id="88KrOm"><em>Insert *eyeballs* emoji.</em></p>
<h3 id="sDfHjg">DE Kentavius Street, NC State</h3>
<p id="jPdq3E">Street can generate some hype this week with an eye-opening performance, and that’s something that both <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/02/27/draft-defensive-backs-specialization-minkah-fitzpatrick-donte-jackson-joel-iyiegbuniwe-kentavius?utm_campaign=themmqb&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social">NBC/<em>Rotoworld</em>’s Josh Norris</a> and <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2760203-hidden-gem-draft-prospects-who-will-shine-at-the-nfl-combine"><em>Bleacher Report</em>’s Justis Mosqueda</a> think could happen. Per <a href="https://www.si.com/college-football/2017/07/07/freaks-list-workout-warriors-2017-part-3">Bruce Feldman of <em>Sports Illustrated</em></a>, Street jumped 40 inches in the vert last spring—at 6-foot-2, 283 pounds—and ran a 4.58-second 40. </p>
<h3 id="GttYEl">DE Josh Sweat, Florida State </h3>
<p id="ahehbK">As <a href="https://seattleseamocks.com/2018/02/20/combine-preview/">Jared Stanger of <em>Seattle SeaMocks</em> writes</a>, Sweat may be the best athlete in this defensive line group. At the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2014/7/8/5881543/2014-sparq-combine-results-the-opening">Nike SPARQ Combine</a> as a high school senior, Sweat <a href="https://247sports.com/Bolt/Josh-Sweat-runs-a-freaky-40-29512466">ran a 4.41 40-yard dash, registered 4.0 seconds in the short shuttle, and jumped 38.5 inches in the vertical</a>. Sweat never managed much production in college—14.5 sacks in three seasons—but he’s still got plenty of upside in the pros. He can <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/JonahTulsNFL/status/966123824327614464">bend</a> around <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/JohnOwning/status/964203836284940289">the edge</a> and knows how to <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/ChiefinCarolina/status/968584516775370753">convert speed to power to go right through a block</a>.</p>
<h3 id="xjT9Of">LB Malik Jefferson, Texas</h3>
<p id="dmUHUk">Speaking of <a href="https://twitter.com/JaredStanger/status/956779255999811584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fseattleseamocks.com%2F2018%2F02%2F20%2Fcombine-preview%2F">players that could end up being better in the NFL than they were in college</a>, Malik Jefferson was another standout from that 2014 SPARQ Combine, <a href="https://twitter.com/SBN_Wescott/status/486564262844702720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2Fcollege-football-recruiting%2F2014%2F7%2F8%2F5881335%2F5-star-malik-jefferson-posts-absurd-4-38-40-yard-dash-at-the-opening">running a 4.39 40 at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and jumped 39.5 inches in the vert</a>. Jefferson’s listed at 230 pounds now and it wouldn’t be shocking if he runs in the 4.5 range or better. That could be enough to help him generate a little bit of hype as a potential run-and-chase ’backer in a 4-3 scheme. </p>
<h3 id="ZCW6nJ">S Derwin James, FSU and DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama</h3>
<p class="c-end-para" id="OY2t9r">Both James and Fitzpatrick are potential top-10 picks, so neither of these names should be new to you. But both guys are top-echelon athletes that should impress in every event across the board. <a href="https://www.si.com/college-football/2018/02/26/nfl-scouting-combine-prospects-results-donte-jackson">Feldman</a> notes that James weighed in at 222 pounds last summer and claimed he was hitting 41 inches on the vertical and benching 450 pounds. Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2018/02/nfl_combine_2018_prop_bets_saquon_barkley_or_lamar.html#incart_river_mobile_index">the over/unders</a> on Fitzpatrick’s 40-time and vertical jump are 4.42 seconds and 37.5 inches. </p>
https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/1/17065174/nfl-combine-primer-lamar-jackson-saquon-barkley-vita-veaDanny Kelly