NFL Scouting Combine notes

[ChrisPozz]

1st 40s are in the books for the LB


NFL Network Unofficial LB 40 times

Kiko Alonso - DNR (wrist)
Sam Barrington - 4.78 (1.68),
Steve Beauharnais - 4.81 (1.67),
Jonathan Bostic - 4.50 (1.58),
Arthur Brown - DNR (shoulder)
Jamie Collins - 4.60 (1.61),
Zaviar Gooden - 4.50 (1.53),
Khaseem Greene - 4.67 (1.62),
Brandon Hepburn - 4.59 (1.63),
Gerald Hodges - 4.72 (1.68),
Devonte Holloman - 4.72 (1.64),
Jelani Jenkins - DNR
Nico Johnson - DNR
Jarvis Jones - DNR
A.J. Klein - 4.68 (1.60),
Jake Knott - DNR
John Lotuleleli - 4.75 (1.58),
Brandon Magee - 4.69 (1.64),
Michael Mauti - DNR
Lerentee McCray - DNR
Kevin Minter - 4.82 (1.67),
Nick Moody - 4.72 (1.62),
Sio Moore - 4.62 (1.65),
Alec Ogletree - 4.62 (1.60),
Sean Porter - 4.78 (1.63),
Keith Pough - 4.87 (1.64),
Kevin Reddick - 4.72 (1.57),
Etienne Sabino - 4.69 (1.66),
Jonathan Stewart - 4.62 (1.65),
Bruce Taylor - 4.94 (not shown),
Mike Taylor - DNR
Manti Te'o - 4.81 (1.62),
Chase Thomas - 4.88 (1.67),
Cornelius Washington - 4.53 (1.60),
Tom Wort - 4.69 (1.66),

 

[ChrisPozz]

All done.

NFL Network Unofficial LB 40 times

Kiko Alonso - DNR (wrist)
Sam Barrington - 4.78 (1.68), 4.75 (1.67)
Steve Beauharnais - 4.81 (1.67), 4.79 (1.63)
Jonathan Bostic - 4.50 (1.58), 4.57 (1.59)
Arthur Brown - DNR (shoulder)
Jamie Collins - 4.60 (1.61), 4.59 (1.56)
Zaviar Gooden - 4.50 (1.53), 4.56 (1.56)
Khaseem Greene - 4.67 (1.62), 4.69 (1.67)
Brandon Hepburn - 4.59 (1.63), 4.68 (1.63)
Gerald Hodges - 4.72 (1.68), 4.84 (1.67)
Devonte Holloman - 4.72 (1.64), 4.75 (1.62)
Jelani Jenkins - DNR
Nico Johnson - DNR
Jarvis Jones - DNR
A.J. Klein - 4.68 (1.60), 4.75 (1.64)
Jake Knott - DNR
John Lotuleleli - 4.75 (1.58), 4.78 (1.60)
Brandon Magee - 4.69 (1.64), 4.66 (1.62)
Michael Mauti - DNR
Lerentee McCray - DNR
Kevin Minter - 4.82 (1.67), 4.81 (1.67)
Nick Moody - 4.72 (1.62), 4.69 (1.59)
Sio Moore - 4.62 (1.65), 4.63 (1.62)
Alec Ogletree - 4.62 (1.60), 4.62 (1.62)
Sean Porter - 4.78 (1.63), 4.78 (1.63) - On 2nd run he ran side-to-side
Keith Pough - 4.87 (1.64), 4.87 (1.64)
Kevin Reddick - 4.72 (1.57), 4.66 (1.57)
Etienne Sabino - 4.69 (1.66), DNR (Right hamstring)
Jonathan Stewart - 4.62 (1.65), 4.65 (1.61)
Bruce Taylor - 4.94 (not shown), 5.06 (not shown)
Mike Taylor - DNR
Manti Te'o - 4.81 (1.62), 4.80 (1.64)
Chase Thomas - 4.88 (1.67), 4.87 (1.64)
Cornelius Washington - 4.53 (1.60), 4.50 (1.62)
Tom Wort - 4.69 (1.66), 4.75 (not shown)

 

[HammerDown]

That would be tough to do because you have so many holes. Surely they get someone that can excel.

I want dominant DE, OL or DT (in that order). I want to stack a Freak, Vanden Bosch and Haynesworth on the same line next year. Now you just watch, we'll go pick another 5' 10" no-name WR. :rollseyes:

 

[HammerDown]

Pozz 100% kicks ass.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[ChrisPozz]

9 teams had a formal interview with Barkley at the combine. The Jets were one of those 9.

 

[deep9er]

ok, 4.8 for a LB isn't impressive, but is it THAT bad?

anyway, the 40 time is only one of many factors they consider. since it is for a LB, don't think its as critical?

 

[ChrisPozz]

Ok. My official lists for DL and LBs are officiall done now with every addition I needed to make. When the rest of the tests are complete I'll add those numbers and then Ray can post them to the front page when the rest are complete. If you wait then the rest of the tests will be in the correct order.

NFL Network Official DL 40 Times -(DE's averaged 4.84 last year)

Trevardo Williams - 4.57 - (T-6th best since 2006)
Barkevious Mingo - 4.58 - (8th best since 2006)
Margus Hunt - 4.60 - (T-9th best since 2006)
Dion Jordan - 4.60 - (T-9th best since 2006)
Corey Lemonier - 4.60 - (T-9th best since 2006)
Ezekial "Ziggy" Ansah - 4.63 (15th best since 2006)
Ty Powell - 4.64
Devin Taylor - 4.72
Michael Buchanan - 4.78
Lavar Edwards - 4.80
Datone Jones - 4.80
Sam Montgomery - 4.81
Joe Kruger - 4.83
Bjoern Werner - 4.83
David Bass - 4.84
Armonty Bryant - 4.86
Malliciah Goodman - 4.87
Nate Williams - 4.88
Sharri Floyd - 4.92
Tourek Williams - 4.92
Nick Williams - 4.94
Damontre Moore - 4.95
William Gholston - 4.96
Sheldon Richardson - 5.02
Sylvester Williams - 5.03
Everett Dawkins - 5.06
Jared Smith - 5.08
Josh Boyd - 5.14
Akeem Spence - 5.15
Jordan Hill - 5.23
Montori Hughes - 5.23
T.J. Barnes - 5.30
Cory Grissom - 5.31
Johnathan Hankins - 5.31
Chris Jones - 5.33
Brandon Williams - 5.37
Kwame Geathers - 5.44


Cornelius Carradine - DNR
Quinton Dial - DNR
Brandon Jenkins - DNR
John Jenkins - DNR
Abry Jones - DNR
Kaplan Lewis-Moore - DNR
Bennie Logan - DNR
Quanterus Smith - DNR
Star Lotulelei - DNR
Stansly Maponga - DNR
Stacy McGee - DNR
Alex Okafor - DNR
Kawann Short - DNR
John Simon - DNR
Damion Square - DNR
Walter Stewart - DNR
Jesse Williams - DNR

-----------------------------------------

NFL Network Official LB 40 times (Avg ILB last year - 4.77)

Zaviar Gooden - 4.47 - (T-6th best since 2006)
Cornelius Washington - 4.55
Jon Bostic - 4.61
Jamie Collins - 4.64
Sio Moore - 4.65
A.J. Klein - 4.66
Brandon Hepburn - 4.68
Jonathan Stewart - 4.68
Alec Ogletree - 4.70
Khaseem Greene - 4.71
Nick Moody - 4.71
Kevin Reddick - 4.72
Brandon Magee - 4.74
Sean Porter - 4.75
Etienne Sabino - 4.75 (only ran once - hamstring)
DeVonte Holloman - 4.76
Gerald Hodges - 4.78
Tom Wort - 4.78
Kevin Minter - 4.81
Manti Te'o - 4.82
Steve Beauharnais - 4.84
John Lotulelei - 4.84
Keith Pough - 4.90
Sam Barrington - 4.91
Chase Thomas - 4.91
Bruce Taylor - 5.01


Kiko Alonso - DNR
Arthur Brown - DNR
Jelani Jenkins - DNR
Nico Johnson - DNR
Jarvis Jones - DNR
Jake Knott - DNR
Michael Mauti - DNR
Lerentee McCray - DNR
Mike Taylor - DNR

 

[4lifer9er]

9 teams had a formal interview with Barkley at the combine. The Jets were one of those 9.

From one underwhelming USC qb to another. They need to stop and evaluate what they want the qb to do. If they want to run a WCO, then either of these two options could be effective. It looks to me they are looking for more of a deep threat, play action style, a la Joe Flacco style. Bray offers the closest comparison both in terms of size and arm strength. Best of luck to a not very well run organization.

 

[Arete Tzu]

ok, 4.8 for a LB isn't impressive, but is it THAT bad?

anyway, the 40 time is only one of many factors they consider. since it is for a LB, don't think its as critical?

it's enough to be considered an athletic d-lineman, but for a linebacker in todays nfl pretty slow, especially when you brought the entire world's attention on to you.

 

[BINGO]

NFL Draft Blog
Draft Buzz: Smith stands out
February, 25, 2013Feb 251:36AM ET
By Todd McShay and Kevin Weidl

INDIANAPOLIS -- In the past two mock drafts between myself and Mel Kiper, only one of us had a quarterback going in the first round.

I had West Virginia's Geno Smith going to Buffalo at No. 8. With his workouts on Sunday at the NFL draft combine in Indy, Smith (Scouts Inc. grade: 89) did nothing to hurt the perception that he'll go in the first round of the 2013 draft.

Smith had best all-around day, in my opinion. He threw the ball well and had good accuracy on deep balls. He also ran the fastest 40 of the QBs with a 4.59, which was the same as Cam Newton. In a league in which mobility is becoming more important, his time doesn't hurt him. He was as top performer across the board with a vertical jump at 33.5 inches and the broad jump at 10-feet-3.

From what I saw of his throws, Smith was the most consistently accurate of all the QBs on Sunday. He had good touch on his throws down the field. As is the case with most of these guys, it matters little. But you'd rather work out well, because it shows that you can handle the pressure of the combine. It also shows that wasn't out there looking tight and tense.

The most important thing is that two different teams that interviewed him have said he has been impressive. Now that we've studied all the tape, the interviews are the most important thing for him from here until the draft. It will help teams to see where he should go. Is he a top-10 pick? Or will a team move back for him or up for him in the middle of the first round?

Will Geno Smith be the first QB taken in the draft?

Whether he is the first quarterback taken depends on how he performs talking football, regurgitating plays and all the things that NFL teams try to do to pick the brain of a quarterback prospect. So far, so good for Smith.

We have a fringe first-round grade on him, and that won't change unless we get significant information one way or another that changes our minds. Quarterbacks always go earlier than their true grade. All it takes is one team to fall in love with him.

As we get closer, we may get more indications, but we need to consider that he could possibly go No. 1 overall. If you look at the history of the NFL draft, especially recent history, quarterbacks go. With the Chiefs, I still think it's a high percentage that it's Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel (Grade: 97), but if Geno wows the Chiefs, that's all it takes.

In terms of throwing on Sunday, the only other guy who stood out was Tennessee QB Tyler Bray (Grade: 81). He showed the best arm talent of the passers during their workouts, which confirms what I have seen on tape. Also, he had a more efficient release than what I had seen previously. He has the physical skills with his arm, but his mental makeup remains the biggest concern.

If he had the intangibles and the character, we would be talking about him as a first-round pick. But, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. I have not gotten any reports back as to how he has performed with NFL teams so far. It will be interesting to talk to more people. From this point on, that's the most important thing for him.

From a talent standpoint, he could be a first-round pick, but that's not going to happen. You look at how far he could fall, though, and he could still be on the board at Day 3. That's how important it is for a QB to be a great worker -- first guy in, last guy out, love the game and attention to detail. If you look at the history of all the busts in the NFL, probably 80 percent of them lack the mental makeup. That's what needs to be figured out with him. He has the best arm talent of any QB in this class.

Here's one thing to consider. He was one of the "extra arms" invited to the combine, which means he wasn't invited initially -- which may or may not have been a way of sending a message to him.

Aside from Smith, Florida State's EJ Manuel had the best day in testing. He ran a 4.65 in the 40, which was the second fastest among QBs. He also had a 34-inch vertical and 9-foot-8 broad jump. He was inconsistent and struggled throwing on some deep outs. He's a little mechanical, but you can see the arm strength and the ability to squeeze the ball into tight spots.

With him -- and a lot of the QBs in this class -- it's a lack of consistency. Of all these guys, Manuel is the one guy who can run the zone read at the next level. A team may not draft him solely to do that, but there's value in it. The kind of athletic workout he did today showed that he has the potential to do that.

Mike Glennon has a big arm, but his inconsistency hurts him with coaches and scouts.

North Carolina State's Mike Glennon, with Bray, has the strongest arm, but was inconsistent per usual.

Arkansas' Tyler Wilson was a little inconsistent, but he had one of the better days. He was driving the ball down the field, and also made some strong throws. Glennon and Wilson were a little better than expected throwing the ball down field today. They're in the top five or six QBs of this draft class, and with Smith, they're jockeying for position in the first two rounds.

Kansas State's Collin Klein struggled. It's so frustrating. You want to root for him. By all accounts he's a great guy. He works hard and is a good person, and you want to see him find success at the next level. It's not going to be at QB. I appreciate what he's trying to do. There have been guys in the past who have been told they had to play another position, but don't and still go on to have a great career at QB. But not Klein. The likelihood of him making it as QB is low. He may switch to another position, but it was frustrating to see. He has a long release and had poor accuracy. He just doesn't have the arm talent of an NFL QB.

Other QB notables were Arizona's Matt Scott, who ran a 4.69 40, which was third fastest for the QBs. He had a 31-inch vertical jump and 9-6 broad jump. There's been a buzz about his potential development. He can continue to get bigger and stronger. He also needs to work on the consistency of his delivery and mechanics. He really came on in Rich Rodriguez's offense and he can do some things athletically that other late-round prospects don't have. He has helped himself during this pre-draft process.

You have Smith, then five or six in the second day range, who are the guys who can go after that and Scott is emerging as one of those top Day 3 QBs.

Finally, there's Duke's Sean Renfree (39), who's not working out here but continues to impress when meeting with teams. He has the mind of a great NFL QB and the work ethic, too. He doesn't have the big-time arm and is an average athlete, but this process has been helpful for him.

 

[BINGO]

Receivers take charge on Sunday

California WR Keenan Allen -- the second-ranked wideout on Scouts Inc.'s board -- did not work out at the NFL combine due to a knee injury, but other top receivers on the board did not disappoint when they took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

West Virginia's Tavon Austin made the most noise with a blazing official 40-yard dash time of 4.34 seconds, backing up what we saw on the field and on tape during the season. Austin is undersized (5-foot-8½, 174 pounds), but the strength he displayed with 14 reps on the 225-pound bench press showed his durability in college was no fluke.

He also ran some good routes and flashed the expected pop out of his breaks. Austin has been a bit inconsistent catching the ball at times, but he showed during drill work the ability to catch on the run and pluck the ball away from his frame. All that confirms the explosiveness, playmaking ability, versatility and open-field skills we see on film.

Finally, Austin came into the week with a bit of a chip in his shoulder and was not afraid to talk about his own skill set. That confidence served him well, and scouts we've talked to liked what they saw and heard from Austin during interview sessions.

Overall, he continues to nail the predraft process and could very well have locked down a spot late in the first round with his showing at the combine.



Hunter's sneaky-good day

Tennessee's Justin Hunter quietly turned in one of the best overall days of the combine so far, showing off impressive athleticism to go with this long (6-4, 196), athletic frame.

Hunter is taller and leaner than current Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones (6-2¾, 220 at the combine), but Hunter's numbers show he has the same kind of explosiveness and athletic ability Jones displayd when wowing scouts in 2011.

Hunter posted a nearly identical 40 time (4.44 to 4.42 for Jones), was an inch better than Jones in the vertical jump (39.4) and had the same result in the broad jump (11-foot-9). All that translates into the ability to open up and run during routes, the explosiveness to high-point the ball in one-on-one matchups, and the flexibility and body control to make contested catches down the field.

Throw in the focus he showed in the gauntlet drill, and the ball skills Hunter flashed when snatching passes outside his frame, going down low for a ball on an out route and tracking the deep ball, and he is an intriguing prospect.

There are questions about his toughness and overall focus -- Hunter did have his share of drops in 2012 -- but he has all the physical tools and is a better overall receiver at this point than college teammate Cordarrelle Patterson. He's a more polished, fluid and savvy route-runner, and Hunter has the look of a good No. 2 receiver at the next level, and even a No. 1 if the light comes on and puts it all together.

As for Patterson (6-1⅞, 216), we knew this forum would be good for him and he didn't disappoint in terms of testing. His 4.42 in the 40, 37-inch vertical and 10-8 broad jump were what we expected.

However, while he did catch the ball well down the line in the gauntlet drill, he failed to finish the drill and also had a drop when tracking the ball downfield, which is also an issue when you put on the tape.

Beyond that, there are concerns about Patterson's lack of experience. He is a former juco transfer who played only one year at Tennessee, and his instincts are a question mark. It also remains to be seen how quickly Patterson can absorb an NFL playbook and its various option routes and coverage reads.

He is great with the ball in his hands in the open field and will offer something immediately in the return game, but teams will have to dig deeper on his intangibles. Patterson still carries a first-round grade and could very well turn into a good NFL player, but he is definitely a raw, boom-or-bust prospect.


Wide receiver notebook

• USC's Robert Woods was overshadowed some by teammate Marqise Lee during the season, but Woods (6-0⅜, 201) began building some momentum in Indianapolis. His 4.51, 33.4 vertical, 9-8 broad jump and 14 reps are not off the chart, but he ran good routes and caught the ball well.

He's not exceptional in any area, but Woods is decisive in his routes and with the ball. Some people fell asleep on him, but people are going to hear more about Woods going forward and he's solidly in the second-round range.

• Clemson's DeAndre Hopkins (6-1, 214) came in with questions about his top-end speed, and his 4.57 in the 40 is about what we expected. His game is more about being physical, though, and Hopkins showed good ball skills. He is was one of the most natural pass-catchers on the field, with good focus in the gauntlet drill and the ability to extend fully for balls.

It remains to be seen whether he has the quickness out of his breaks to separate from NFL coverage, but Hopkins is right in the second-round mix at this point thanks to his ball skills.

• Washington State's Marquess Wilson showed off smooth, easy movement skills, and the soft hands and flexibility that make him another very natural pass-catcher. He moved well during the gauntlet drill. However, intangibles are a big question mark for Wilson (6-25, 194), who clashed with his coaches at Washington State and eventually quit the team.

Scouts and front-office personnel want to know whether he has the thick skin to take NFL coaching. Wilson has the skills to be in the Day 2 mix, and if he interviews well he could push his stock solidly into the second round. If not, he could struggle to hold on to remain in Day 2 at all.

• Baylor's Terrance Williams (6-2, 208) has shown plenty of big-play ability, and his 4.52 in the 40 is not bad for a player his size, though his 32.4 vertical and 9-11 broad jump make for an overall day that was somewhat underwhelming. Williams has shown he can stretch the field, but he's inconsistent catching the ball and that keeps him in the later part of Day 2 at this point.

• Texas A&M's Ryan Swope surprised everyone by equaling Austin's time of 4.34 in the 40. Swope doesn't appear to have that kind of elite speed on tape, so scouts will now go back for another look. He also posted a 37-inch vertical and 10-5 broad jump, and despite letting balls into his body at times and dropping some passes, Swope (6-01, 205) turned some heads and might have begun boosting his stock into the early part of Day 3.

• TCU's Josh Boyce is strapped together at 5-10 and 206 pounds, and he had the best bench press among the wide receivers with 22 reps. He also went 4.38 in the 40, and despite some inconsistency catching the ball Boyce created a little buzz among scouts who were getting their first up-close look at the mid-round prospect.


Todd McShay
Scouts Inc.

 

[deep9er]

it's enough to be considered an athletic d-lineman, but for a linebacker in todays nfl pretty slow, especially when you brought the entire world's attention on to you.

no argument on "world's attention", he got it on him and thats that. but does a girlfriend problem mean you're supposed to run faster? will running faster erase the girlfriend problem? ie why are you connecting the two for combine purposes?

anyways, it seems like the average LB speed was 4.70? so if a LB is playing in a game, will 0.12 seconds in the 40 be THAT noticable? all things equal, of course you want the faster guy, but since this factor isn't big compared to film, don't feel this is "earth shattering"?

IF his ability to play LB is very good, wouldn't shy away from him because he ran .12 slower in the 40. i'd think he'll play inside LB, not outside.

 

[ChrisPozz]

Tyrann Mathieu put up 4 reps on the bench just a few minutes ago. Not surprising.

 

[Tubbs1518]

it's enough to be considered an athletic d-lineman, but for a linebacker in todays nfl pretty slow, especially when you brought the entire world's attention on to you.

The other ILB Minter ran slower. The 40 time isn't important for an ILB IMO. He did VERY well in the drills. Showed good hip movement and fluidity.

 

[Tubbs1518]

Tyrann Mathieu put up 4 reps on the bench just a few minutes ago. Not surprising.

He isn't going to wow at the combine as far as numbers go.

 

[NinerSickness]

Not a lot of surprises in the DL group so far. Sheldon Richardson didn't wow me with his time, but I don't think a 40 time matters all that much for a 3-4 DE.

I knew Trevardo Williams was going to impress, but he's significantly exceeded my expectations at teh combine. 30 rep's, 38 inch vertical, 124 inches on the broad jump. 4.57 in the 40 w/ a 1.61 10 yard split? Heck of an athlete at 241 pounds.

 

[Tubbs1518]

Not a lot of surprised in the DL group so far. Sheldon Richardson didn't wow me with his time, but I don't think a 40 time matters all that much for a 3-4 DE.

I knew Trevardo Williams was going to impress, but he's significantly exceeded my expectations at teh combine. 30 rep's, 38 inch vertical, 124 inches on the broad jump. 4.57 in the 40 w/ a 1.61 10 yard split? Heck of an athlete at 241 pounds.

Richardson won't be playing 3-4 end. I will almost guarantee that.

 

[NinerSickness]

Richardson won't be playing 3-4 end. I will almost guarantee that.

Well, he would if the Niners drafted him. I was thinking in terms of if the Niners traded up for him.

Sean Porter's 40 was a little disappointing. Wonder if that drops his stock a tiny (I hope it does).

 

[Tubbs1518]

Well, he would if the Niners drafted him. I was thinking in terms of if the Niners traded up for him.

Sean Porter's 40 was a little disappointing. Wonder if that drops his stock a tiny (I hope it does).

That would be as big a waste as putting Dorsey as a 3-4 end in KC. I don't know why teams keep wanting to do this. Also you'd more than likely have to trade into the top 5 to get him. I don't think you are gonna do that.