The 2017 edition of the NFL Combine has come and gone, and now all’s left is to analyze, analyze, analyze. Here are some of the best players the Buccaneers and the NFL saw in Indianapolis.
As strange as it might sound to some, the yearly scouting combine is a competition. It’s also the last semblance of competition we’ll see on a pro football field until August. Now it’s back to work for the Buccaneers and the rest of the league in preparation for the draft.
Bottom line, competitors want to compete to see who’s fastest, strongest, and ultimately who’s the best.
Dalvin Cook turned a few heads when he announced he was the best running back in this year’s class; but did he live up to his own hype?
Myles Garrett has been the consensus number-one pick for at least the last three months and was looking to cement his spot.
Many other storylines were present – or not present – and we’ll look at some of the biggest and analyze just how this year’s combine may have impacted the NFL Draft.
QUARTERBACKS
Day two of the combine drills saw the gunslingers take the field, and here were some notable performances:
Fastest 40: TREVOR KNIGHT, TEXAS A&M (4.54)
Slowest 40: SEFO LIUFAU, COLORADO (5.08)
Highest Vertical: TREVOR KNIGHT, TEXAS A&M (35.5”)
Shortest Vertical: JEROD EVANS, VIRGINIA TECH (26.5”)
Best Broad Jump: TREVOR KNIGHT, TEXAS A&M (125”)
Shortest Broad Jump: COOPER RUSH, CENTRAL MICHIGAN (8’9”)
TAKEAWAYS:
At the end of day two, perhaps the biggest takeaways at the combine are that this quarterback class is who we thought it was.
Deshaun Watson looked the most polished. His footwork was smooth and fast, his throws were crisp and mostly on point, and his confidence shined throughout.
Mitchell Trubisky flashed talent and certainly proved his supporters right, while doing nothing to dampen the hype on him to this point.
Patrick Mahomes II and DeShone Kizer still round out the top-four, while the Texas Tech quarterback may have done enough to put him in third on many boards.
The rest looked like mid-round developmental projects, which they all seem to be. Of course, there could be a Dak Prescott lurking among them. Perhaps Trevor Knight can turn out his impressive athletic display into some hard-earned draft hype with a solid pro day down the line.
RUNNING BACKS
The running backs starred on day one of the NFL Combine. While there was plenty of attention on the names in attendance, there was a big name missing as well.
Some top measurables were:
Fastest 40: T.J. LOGAN, NORTH CAROLINA (4.37)
Slowest 40: SAM ROGERS, VIRGINIA TECH (4.93)
Highest Vertical: ALVIN KAMARA, TENNESSEE (39.5”)
Shortest Vertical: MATT DAYES, N.C. STATE (28”)
Best 3-Cone Drill: CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, STANFORD (6.57)
Worst 3-Cone Drill: FREDDIE STEVENSON, FLORIDA STATE (7.65)
TAKEAWAYS:
Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette should still walk away from this as one-and-two depending on who you talk to. Christian McCaffrey however, made things a bit tighter than they were before.
Cook’s 40-yard dash time was right around where you’d expect it to be, but his other drills may have brought him back to earth a bit.
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Specifically, the three-cone drill. For a back who is expected to use his wiggle more than his power, a faster time than 7.27 seconds was expected.
It won’t completely knock him out of first-round talks, but Alvin Kamara’s day one conversation is probably over.
While he didn’t do anything himself to necessarily hurt his case, he certainly didn’t stand out enough to leapfrog the top three.
It should be Cook, Fournette and McCaffrey in the first with Kamara being a candidate to lead off day two.
Not bad position to get drafted in either way, but probably not as successful as the Volunteer back had hoped he’d be.
Then there’s Joe Mixon. The troubled Oklahoma running back was not invited due to a rule which bans convicted or admitted violent offenders.
In a Bleacher Report breakdown of the combine, they quoted Lions general manager Bob Quinn as saying,
"“I think it’s really disappointing that Joe’s not here. We come here to see the best college football…for him not to be here because of those issues, personally I don’t think that’s real fair..” – BOB QUINN"
You can check out the full quote in the link above, but I think it’s clear some NFL teams want a chance to see the young man in flesh so they can get a feel for who he is beyond his past.
RECEIVERS AND TIGHT ENDS
As you would assume, the receivers and tight ends took the combine floor the same day as the quarterbacks. One of the deepest tight end classes to ever enter the draft looked to showcase its talents, and did not disappoint.
Some top measurables were:
Fastest 40: WR – JOHN ROSS, WASHINGTON (4.22)
TE – EVAN ENGRAM, MISSISSIPPI (4.42)
Slowest 40: WR – MORGAN DREW, ARKANSAS (4.74)
TE – HAYDEN PLINKE, TEXAS-EL PASO (4.97)
Highest Vertical: WR – SPEEDY NOIL, TEXAS A&M (43.5”)
TE – BUCKY HODGES, VIRGINIA TECH (39”)
Shortest Vertical: WR – DARREUS ROGERS, USC (26.5”)
TE – SCOTT ORNDOFF, PITTSBURGH (27”)
Best 3-Cone Drill: WR – TAYWAN TAYLOR, WESTERN KENTUCKY (6.57)
TE – O.J. HOWARD, ALABAMA (6.85)
Worst 3-Cone Drill: WR – RICKY SEALS-JONES, TEXAS A&M (7.46)
TE – HAYDEN PLINKE, TEXAS EL-PASO (7.55)
TAKEAWAYS:
Of course, the buzz from the weekend came when wide receiver John Ross broke Chris Johnson’s previous 40-yard time with a blazing 4.22 time.
Social media was stirred into a frenzy and I know a few Buccaneers fans who were singing his praises as they target for the team’s top pick.
The stars of the show though, were simply the tight ends.
This weekend in Indianapolis didn’t become so much about who could jump over who, or who could grip their spot tighter. It became more about just observing the physical talent entering the NFL this year at the tight end position.
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While Oklahoma’s star running back wasn’t in attendance to atone for his past, wide receiver Dede Westbrook was.
The Heisman finalist has charges on his record which stem from altercations with the mother of his child back in 2012 and 2013.
When asked about them, Westbrook said,
"“Like, I’ve been to jail, but all the charges [were] dropped. I have no pending charges or anything. So, I think I’m just like you.” – DEDE WESTBROOK"
This was told to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero, and reflects an opinion some may share. While Westbrook certainly has a shadowed past, he’s removed from it by years, and doesn’t have any pending legal issues remaining.
Either you think this points to a young man who is due for another flare-up, or is a sign of a kid who’s grown up a bit.
LINEMEN
The offensive line took part on day one, while the defensive linemen had to wait until day three of the combine drills to showcase their talents.
Some significant numbers coming from these groups were:
Fastest 40: OL – AVIANTE COLLINS, TCU (4.81)
DL – HAASON REDDICK, TEMPLE (4.52)
Slowest 40: OL – DAMIEN MAMA, USC (5.84)
DL – STEVIE TU’IKOLOVATU (5.45)
Highest Bench: OL – ISAAC ASIATE, UTAH (35)
DL – CARL LAWSON, AUBURN (35)
Lowest Bench: OL – CHAD WHEELER, USC (15)
DL – AVERY MOSS, YOUNGSTOWN STATE (14)
Best 20-Yard Shuttle: OL – CHASE ROULLIER, WYOMING (4.47)
DL – CARL LAWSON, AUBURN (4.19)
Slowest 20-Yard Shuttle: OL – DAMIEN MAMA, USC (5.38)
DL – STEVIE TU’IKOLOVATU, USC (5.00)
TAKEAWAYS:
Looking at the combine numbers, it was not a good weekend for Trojan linemen as they consistently came in at the bottom of their groups.
This year’s offensive line talent pool is very shallow, and it doesn’t appear to have gained any depth over the weekend.
There are a few names which could land in the middle to end of the first round, but most seem destined for day two consideration with maybe a few developmental guys in the early part of day three.
Most of the guys you hear called at the tail end of day two or after the big coverage has turned off will likely be practice squad guys.
The defensive line class is more exciting with names like Jonathan Allen and Solomon Thomas headlining the bunch which should follow Myles Garrett as first round picks.
As many as six players from this group could be day one selections, but it’s Garrett which did the most to impact his status than anyone.
About as sure a top talent as there’s been in some time, anyone who doubted the Texas A&M star’s talent should be just about satisfied now.
Barring any unfortunate tweets or videos coming out, Garrett should be joining the Browns in camp this summer.
LINEBACKERS
If you’re reading this, you’re likely a Buccaneers fan, and not really worried about linebackers. Hey, we’re here though so let’s take a look at how they fared at the combine.
Fastest 40: JABRILL PEPPERS, MICHIGAN (4.46)
Slowest 40: KEITH KELSEY, LOUSIVILLE (4.92)
Highest Vertical: TYUS BOWSER, HOUSTON (37.5”)
Shortest Vertical: BROOKS ELLIS, ARKANSAS (29.5”)
Best 3-Cone Drill: TYUS BOWSER, HOUSTON (6.75)
Worst 3-Cone Drill: DEVONTE’ FIELDS, LOUISVILLE (7.40)
TAKEAWAYS:
Jabrill Peppers was by far the most intriguing member of this group for me.
By far one of the most talented athletes in this year’s class, but the question of where to play him looms over his sinking draft stock.
At one point during the season, Peppers was considered a top talent in the upcoming class. Shortly after it ended, he began sliding to the middle of the first round.
Now, after some time as a favorite for the Patriots to draft at 32nd overall, the Michigan star is even though by some to fall into day two.
Where will he finish? Who knows at this point, but his combine performance did nothing but cloud the water a bit more as he demonstrated exactly what everyone knew about him: he’s a freak athlete.
Tyus Bowser of Houston showed up atop some leader boards in drills, and I for one will be taking a look back at some tape of his season with the Cougars to see if maybe there’s more to this young prospect.
The big loser of this group has to be Rueben Foster who may be the NFL version of getting fired on your day off. How are you going to hurt your stock without even taking the field? Well, he found out.
SECONDARY
The last day was secondary day, as safeties and cornerbacks took the field to close out the 2017 NFL Combine.
Some guys certainly helped their stock in this one, and the big numbers are below:
Fastest 40: JALEN MYRICK, MINNESOTA (4.28)
Slowest 40: LORENZO JEROME, ST. FRANCIS (PA) (4.70)
Highest Vertical: OBI MILIFONWU, CONNECTICUT (44”)
Shortest Vertical: CORDREA TANKERSLEY, CLEMSON (29.5”)
Best 3-Cone Drill: KEVIN KING, WASHINGTON (6.56)
Worst 3-Cone Drill: LORENZO JEROME, ST. FRANCIS (PA) (7.63)
TAKEAWAYS:
Let me tell you how happy I was to see Jalen Myrick run a sub 4.3 40-yard dash. Some of you may know, the Minnesota cornerback is one of my favorite targets for a late round grab by the Buccaneers.
He’s as fast as he is raw, but the young man flat-out scraps, and the mentality he brings to the field could only help the Bucs accomplish their goals.
Obi Melifonwu is a name we should all get accustomed with as he continues his ascension towards the top-tier of safety prospects.
His NFL.com profile compares him to safety George Iloka; a comparison any young safety should be just fine with.
I don’t know that the Connecticut defensive back has moved his way into day one contention, but he’s certainly on the map.
A strong pro day will go a long way to boosting his stock even further, and he’s already got more than one scout going back to the tape to see if they’ve missed something for sure.
He’s a riser, and one of the biggest winners of this weekend as he ranked atop at least three big areas of measurements in his group.
This finishes our snapshot of what the combine had to offer this season. There’s still plenty of time between now and the NFL Draft, so it’ll be interesting to watch what transpires as the dust settles on Indianapolis.
Moving forward we’ve got pro days and plenty more film analysis to come.
Who were your favorite or least favorite performances of the weekend? What did you see from the men on the field, and how much stock do we even put into this event?
Answer those, comment as you will and as always, find me on Twitter to discuss.