O-Lineman and the Combine

[BuffSoldier]

Even though a lot of top players choose not to participate in the NFL combine, the big uglies on the o-line always seem to come out in full force. This years o-line class is a group that is extremely talented and one that doesnt come along very often. At the start of the season 4 tackles were considered top 20 draft picks (Ferguson, Winston, McNeil, Scott) and while all but Ferguson has fallen from this elite status, all of these guys still have a chance to go in round one.

My question is what happens if all of the top 5 , including Justice, OTs have a great combine showing. All of these guys have very good athleticism, which will be showcased by the cone and shuttle drills. Winston, McNeill and Scott, I think , will show out and rep 225 at least 32 times.

If all these guys have a solid combine and jump back up into the round one picture, it will throw off a lot of mock drafts and drop a lot of players to the second round.

This can be a good as well as a bad thing, because we may have the pick of the second round litter at the top of the second where guys like Antonio Cromartie, Marcedes Lewis and Booby Carpenter where may fall. But it may also put us in a bind by forcing us to select Colledge as our franchise LT if e go Bush #1.


How do you guys think the combine will go. Who do you think will show out and who do you think will dissapoint? I think a few players will raise there stock:

Stock raise:

1. Eric Winston- I think that his shuttle and cone drill will go above expectations. He si slowly but shurely recovering from his injury, and I think that he will raise an eyebrow or two with his quickness. I dont think tha his strength was ever a question, I think that he may rep 225 about 35 times.
2. Manny Lawson- His fourty and shuttle time will blow NFL scouts away. he will do a very good job on the vertical and broad jumps as well. Though I think that he will impress with his athleticism, I think that his lack of size and strehght will keep him in the second round, but maybe move him up to the bottom of rioudn 1.
3. Jonathan Scott- He had a lack luster senior year, and I think that his footspeed and agility will show alout of people why he was considered a top 15 lock coming into the 2005 season. He will have a solid showing on the bench. I see him moving up into the first round mix, but in the end falling into the top of round 2.
4. Vernon Davis- he is a workout warior that will have the post fourty times as good as some of the receivers and rub the agility drills extremely well. He wil be a beast on the bench and I wouldnt count him out for reaching up into the 30 rep range and possibly beating a few lineman.
5. Thomas Howard- I think that he will run faster than expected.

 

[TexanSam]

I don't put much stock into what a player does at a combine. Those combine drills don't test your football knowledge.

 

[BuffSoldier]

True, but it wouldnt be such a big deal if the NFL GMs didnt take any mind to it. Remember, last year a lot of people had Ronnie Brown ranked as the #3 RB in the draft. His outstanding combine bumped him up over Cedric Benson and his former teamate Cadallac Williams.

Matt Jones also earned himself a first round pick in last years combine when he rand a 4.37 and showed a 40 inch vertical.

 

[Runner]

I've found that many people think the combine drills are important if the player they favor did well at them and think they are unimportant if their favorites did poorly.

I personally think they have some use for comparison purposes and to put a finer point on some prospects' talent, but game play trumps raw combine numbers. They are also useful look at basic facts - is a player fast for his position, etc. They won't tell much about the odds of a player reaching his potential though.

That being said, if you ever have a chance to sit down with a player ask only one question, make it this: "what is the combine like?" It makes for a pretty fascinating story when told from their viewpoint.

 

[Coach C.]

Honestly Buff I think Winston will do pretty much what is expected. His strength will be lower than you think he will likely only get 28-32 reps on the bench, but everything else should be solid. What will really help him is that he like Mangold has made all the line calls. When you have a LT that can read defenses like a top center you have someone truly gifted. Unfortunately I think that makes him a lock for the first round even though I would trade up to get him if I had to.

Scott I think will show some skill. The guy is a little loss sometimes, but he is athletic. I do question his strength but he has shown a nasty streak on ocassion and that will do wonders for him. He may be our first pick in the second round.

Lawson will answer the questions that people have about him and prove that he is as athletic as everyone thinks. Look for his rise to be similar to Demarcus Ware's from last year.

Maurice Stovall had an impressive Senior Bowl and when he comes in fit and runs in the low 4.4s mid 4.5s he will become a tenative 1st rounder, likely second round selection.

Broderick Bunkley is a man child. The guy is cut up like a sculpture and he will prove that he is athletic enough to even think about as a DE. He is a DT, but he will likely show up and be pretty special.

I will likely edit this more tomorrow, but these are the guys on my mind at the moment.

 

[stevo3883]

just wondering why you think scott had a lack luster senior season? I really dont remember him ever giving up a sack, and i have to strain myself to remember him even getting beat.

the guy gets a bad rap from lots of people, imo its unwarranted.

 

[BlueThunder]

After the combine I'll know exactly who to get.Without that part of the draft I would never know who was the lock pick.I think a player like Issac Sowells will show well and be the next Walter Jones..

 

[YoungTexanFan]

Guys like Ko Simpson are likely to fall, maybe even get passed up by Jimmy Williams, Michael Huff, Darnel Bing because of his "average" combine. However, his game time ability trumps all the aforementioned guys, even though they are very good.

 

[dcarey20]

I don't put much stock into what a player does at a combine. Those combine drills don't test your football knowledge.

you might not, but scouts and general managers do.

 

[cap1]

I don't put much stock into what a player does at a combine. Those combine drills don't test your football knowledge.

Players stock could rise or fall at the combine because of the workouts. First, if the player comes there out of shape then that is a bad sign. Also, they get thier medical exam there. Most GMs and Scouts use the combine to see each prospect side by side with other prospects of the same position. They can watch game film for days, but seeing these what these guys can do in person it what sells thier draftablity ( if that is a word?).

 

[slamdunc]

Draftability is perfectly fine even if Webster's dictionary doesn't.
For O-line, I really could care less about a 40 time. Shuttle/cone drills are what matters. How often are your O-linemen sprinting stright down field except for the occasional screen? Can you pull, what is your lateral movement like, what is your burst, footwork? Strength is great, but good technique is more impoortant imo. Mike Munchack ring any bells? Notthe biggest or strongest, but one of the best due to skill level.

Lots of solid tackles and good centers this year.

 

[kastofsna]

if anything scott's stock will drop significantly from the combine

 

[BuffSoldier]

if anything scott's stock will drop significantly from the combine

Doubt it, Scott is a one of the more athletic OTs in the draft, more athletic than McNeil but less athletic than Ferguson. He may be close to Winston but not quite there.

just wondering why you think scott had a lack luster senior season? I really dont remember him ever giving up a sack, and i have to strain myself to remember him even getting beat.

the guy gets a bad rap from lots of people, imo its unwarranted.

And the reason I say that is because Scott didnt dominate his compitition. He played very well, which is why he is still a top OL prospect, but he didnt man handle DEs the way he did his junior year.

 

[threetoedpete]

just wondering why you think scott had a lack luster senior season? I really dont remember him ever giving up a sack, and i have to strain myself to remember him even getting beat.

the guy gets a bad rap from lots of people, imo its unwarranted.

Agreed, the only thing I can think of is that it is a function of VY's ablity being so great. Didn't have to face a lot of top DE's durring his career.

Had a great block on the Charles run vs OU. Pancaked his guy, got to the second level and took out two more. Awesome. If they do Draft VY/Bush, I'm looking to one of the beast gaurds for the thirty three. Any thing that big/fast, I want on my team. The beginning for a turnaround for this football team, IMO, is a day one monster OL.