2012 Combine chatter thread

[Cr122]

Failing to impress


Three other offensive linemen also showed some concerning traits:

Ohio State C Mike Brewster
In addition to the subpar first-step quickness he showed in pass sets, Brewster struggled to sink his hips and change directions quickly. His below-average arm length (31½) raises even more concern about his ability to hold up in pass protection at the next level. Making matters worse, he slipped coming out of his stance when asked to pull.

Miami OT Brandon Washington
Washington showed on Saturday why he's a better fit at guard. He doesn't have great length (33-inch arms) or first-step quickness, and he tried to mask these weaknesses during the kick-step drill. Instead of kicking out wide and trying to cut the rusher off, he dropped almost straight back in an effort to beat the rusher to the cone.

That works in the drill, but scouts understand his footwork would get exposed by power and/or inside moves in a game situation. Washington also struggled to bend and sink his hips when forced to slide with defenders.

Boise State OT Nate Potter
Potter has the arm length (34½) teams look for in their edge protectors and he showed good body control for the most part, but his foot speed looked just average when forced to change directions quickly. His athleticism and explosiveness did not stand out, either, and Potter also stumbled when asked to pull around a guard.

 

[Cr122]

OL superlatives

Top broad jumps
Donald Stephenson, Oklahoma (9-6)
Adam Gettis, Iowa (9-4)
Tom Compton, South Dakota (9-0)
Rishaw Johnson, California (Pa.) (9-0)
Amini Silatolu, Midwestern St. (8-11)


Top vertical jumps
Stephenson (35.5)
Desmond Wynn, Rutgers (32.5)
Gettis (31.5)
Johnson (31.5)
Silatolu (31.5)


Top 20-yard shuttles
Johnson (4.53)
Andrew Datko, Florida State (4.54)
David DeCastro, Stanford (4.56)
Senio Kelemete, Washington (4.58)
John Cullen, Utah (4.59)


Top 3-cone drills
DeCastro (7.3)
Kalil (7.33)
Brandon Mosley, Auburn (7.43)
Taylor Dever, Notre Dame (7.49)
Nate Potter, Boise State (7.49)

 

[Cr122]

TE superlatives


Top broad jumps
Michael Egnew, Missouri (10-11)
Ladarius Green, La.-Lafayette (10-4)
James Hanna, Oklahoma (10-2)
Emil Igwenagu, Massachusetts (10-1)
Deangelo Peterson, LSU (10-1)


Top vertical jumps
Egnew (36)
Hanna (36)
Peterson (36)
Evan Rodriguez, Temple (36)
Drake Dunsmore, Northwestern (35.5)



Top 20-yard shuttles
Dunsmore (4.03)
Hanna (4.11)
Rodriguez (4.28)
Egnew (4.32)
Dwayne Allen, Clemson (4.37)


Top 3-cone drills
Dunsmore (6.73)
Hanna (6.76)​
Rodriguez (6.94)
Egnew (7.03)
Allen (7.12)

 

[Cr122]

Workout warrior emerges​

Oklahoma TE James Hanna is the workout warrior of the combine so far. Hanna posted the fastest 40 time (official 4.49), tied for the best vertical (36 inches) and had the third-best broad jump (10-2) at his position. For comparison purposes, the top 40 among tight ends last year was 4.46 (Rob Housler, Cardinals) and the top vertical was 42.5 (Virgil Green, Broncos).

Don't be fooled by the numbers, though. Hanna has never played to his potential, shows stiffness in his movements and does not play to his timed speed. Teams will now go back and take a closer look at his game tape, but don't expect Hanna to suddenly skyrocket up draft boards based on this one workout.

In fact, Hanna's eventual draft slot (he currently carries a late-round grade) should serve as a prime example of how the evaluation process has evolved. Despite public perception, there are no Mike Mamula-like scenarios in the NFL draft these days, with players coming out of nowhere after out-of-this-world workouts. Very few teams still make the mistake of overestimating football potential based solely on workout times and measurements.

 

[Cr122]

INDIANAPOLIS -- ESPN draft analyst

​

Todd McShay

looks at ​

Andrew Luck

and ​

Robert Griffin III

and sees two great prospects.


But the 2012 NFL draft can be broken into Luck, then everyone else, he said.

“Not even close,” he said.

I had a chance to ask McShay about the difference between the players expected to go first and second in the draft.

“It’s everything, it really is everything,” he said. “It’s the size. Durability. More consistent accuracy. Better decisions top to bottom. Don’t get me wrong, I love RG3, I think he’s the fourth-best player in this draft. But it’s almost like Luck, and then we start the rest of this draft."​

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/po...rg3-no-contest

 

[Cr122]

• It's important to understand the purpose and design of the drills when evaluating prospects. Take Oklahoma State QB ​

Brandon Weeden

, for example. He threw two incompletions on post-corner routes, but he's not supposed to throw to the receiver. He's supposed to throw it to a cone so the receiver can go get it. Weeden showed above-average touch and timing on both throws, but the receivers failed to go get the ball.

• Oregon QB ​

Darron Thomas

looked overwhelmed, especially early on. His first pass was badly underthrown and his accuracy was inconsistent throughout. Yale QB ​

Patrick Witt

flashed a strong arm, but he missed the strike zone too often and has a funky release.

• Arizona State WR ​

Gerell Robinson

didn't perform as well as expected. He didn't make crisp breaks and he fought the ball, dropping at least two passes. Robinson also appeared to pull back on a ball that he could have gotten his hands on. In contrast, Toledo's ​

Eric Page

failed to come up with a diving catch, but scouts will take note of his competitiveness and willingness to go after every ball.​

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/blog/...ay-nfl-combine

 

[Cr122]

• A pair of big-bodied wideouts ran quick 40 times as well. Georgia Tech's ​

Stephen Hill

(6-foot-4, 215 pounds) clocked a 4.30, confirming the athleticism we see on tape. He's very raw overall, though, and at this point looks like a midround developmental prospect.

Notre Dame's ​

Michael Floyd

(6-2⅝, 220) came in at 4.42, and both he and Hill caught the ball well during drills. Floyd is in the first-round mix at this point because of his elite ball skills down the field, but both he and Hill didn't sink their hips and cut as sharply as some of the other receivers.

• Oklahoma State WR ​

Justin Blackmon

-- the clear-cut No. 1 receiver on the board -- did not run the 40, double-caught one pass during the gauntlet drill, and had two other drops, Still, he looked smooth and sudden at 6-foot and 207 pounds, and while his hands were inconsistent he showed the ability to aggressively snatch the ball out of the air at times.

• Arizona QB ​

Nick Foles

-- who is fighting for position on the board with the likes of ​

Brandon Weeden

(Oklahoma State) and ​

Brock Osweiler

(Arizona State) -- failed to stand out this morning. Unfamiliarity and a lack of timing with the receivers likely played a role, but he didn't show great foot speed in his drops and took too long to get the ball out on deeper throws. Michigan State QB ​

Kirk Cousins

, on the other hand, looked comfortable and confident and showed good accuracy in the process.​

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/blog/...-5-nfl-combine

 

[Cr122]

• Nebraska OLB ​

Lavonte David

added eight pounds between the Senior Bowl and the combine, and he's up to 233 pounds. David looked no worse for it during position-specific drills, though. He could have shown a little more control, but he looked quick when asked to change ​

directions

quickly and was fluid in coverage drills. While he has small hands (10 inches) and dropped a pass, he shows good focus looking the ball in.

• Texas OLB ​

Keenan Robinson

(6-foot-3, 242 pounds) certainly looks the part, and he flashed on Monday. Robinson is rangy and he shows a strong punch, but he didn't fare as well in cover drills. He is high-cut and has a hard time changing directions quickly, and its takes him more steps to redirect.

• A pair of Alabama linebackers didn't look great in space, so they aren't great fits for schemes that ask a lot of their linebackers in space. However, ​

Courtney Upshaw

(6-2, 272) and ​

Dont'a Hightower

(6-2, 265) are excellent fits for a base 3-4 scheme -- Upshaw at outside linebacker and Hightower at inside linebacker. In addition, Upshaw could even line up at end in a four-man front, so don't expect their average showing in drills to hurt them too much.​

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/blog/...rs-nfl-combine

 

[Cr122]

• South Carolina's ​

Melvin Ingram

has a short frame (6-foot-1, 264 pounds) and short arms (31½ inches), which raise concerns about his ability to line up at defensive end at the NFL. However, he made the most of his chance to show teams he has the ability to line up at outside linebacker.

Ingram showed above-average foot speed, fluidity and balance for a player with his size, and his violent hands and initial burst stood out during bag drills.

• West Virginia's ​

Bruce Irvin

ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, which is faster than most outside linebackers, let alone defensive ends. That's good for Irvin, who projects as a pass-rushing outside linebacker. He's undersized (6-3, 245) and lacks the power to anchor against the run as an end. He would have been better off working with the linebackers at the combine because he is a developmental prospect, and it showed in his footwork when he dropped.

• Syracuse DE ​

Chandler Jones

showed above-average balance and flashed a strong punch during bag work. Jones also got adequate depth and did a decent job of coming up with the ball when asked to drop, but he didn't appear comfortable or look fluid in space. He is high-cut, and he had a tough time changing directions quickly.

And although there's a lot to like about the way Jones competed and flew around, he sacrificed body control in an effort to get to points on the field quicker. Penn State's​

Jack Crawford

is another high-cut player who struggled to sink his hips during drills.​

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/blog/...12-nfl-combine

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Trio who are growing on us

Illinois G Jeff Allen did not reach the top five in any major category during testing but stood out during drill work. Allen appears to be a bit knock-kneed, but he displayed good flexibility with natural bend throughout the workout. He also did a nice job keeping his feet within his frame, short-stepping and maintaining balance. He showed well during the short-pull drill, running a tight loop while staying low and keeping his feet moving after hitting the bag.

I like this guy. Starting OT in college, so his athleticism is maximized at OG.

Not very impressed with Courtney Upshaw.

 

[dbair1967]

Just stay away from Ingram. Please let this guy get drafted ahead of us.

Not really sure why you dont like Ingram any.

 

[dbair1967]

• Midwestern State G Amini Silatolu looked explosive and showed above average lateral quickness when asked to drop and slide in space

This guy is very interesting.

 

[Cr122]

I'm really starting to like Bruce Irvin. Also Andre Branch.

 

[Cr122]

And wtf happen to Sean Spence in the weight room? 12 reps?

The dude should've had at least 20 reps.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

I'm really starting to like Bruce Irvin. Also Andre Branch.

I knew some of you would come around.


I'm really liking Cordy Glenn right about now. I'm liking him not just because of the measurables, but I am hopeful we could trade down and get him along with another 2nd maybe or even a 3rd. Glenn's not the pure guard that DeCastro is, but he has the added benefit that he could play two other positions on the OL. Im not buying that crap of him being another Leonard Davis. Davis was/is lazy. He relied on his size too much and had poor work ethic, which comes with that sense of entitlement that is typical of being a Longhorn. If anything, Glenn somewhat reminds me more of Randal McDaniel---just more athletic, than of Davis.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

And wtf happen to Sean Spence in the weight room? 12 reps?

The dude should've had at least 20 reps.

You know something... I wouldn't worry much about that. Jared Allen could only do 12 reps. I can hear Extreme calling me a hypocrite, but an OLB/DE with a weak bench press isn't as much a big deal as an OLineman---especially an interior one, with a bench press.

 

[Cr122]

You know something... I wouldn't worry much about that. Jared Allen could only do 12 reps. I can hear Extreme calling me a hypocrite, but an OLB/DE with a weak bench press isn't as much a big deal as an OLineman---especially an interior one, with a bench press.

Wow. Never knew Jared Allen only had 12 reps. Interesting.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

Wow. Never knew Jared Allen only had 12 reps. Interesting.

I seem to recall that was reported. This discussion was on this very board last year.

 

[Cr122]

DBs that I'll be watching today and hope we draft.

Alfonzo Dennard, Chase Minnifield, Stephon Gilmore, Casey Hayward, Trumaine Johnson, Jamell Fleming, Leonard Johnson.

I'd like us to draft one of these prospects.

 

[Bonecrusher#31]

DBs that I'll be watching today and hope we draft.

Alfonzo Dennard, Chase Minnifield, Stephon Gilmore, Casey Hayward, Trumaine Johnson, Jamell Fleming, Leonard Johnson.

I'd like us to draft one of these prospects.

Jamell Fleming ---4.43 -unofficial