2020 Combine Thread (2 Viewers)

[Iceman03]

Trautman with a 6.78 3 cone... yeesh 

 

[travdogg]

higgins not running is a major bummer.... he's bordering on WR1 for me and wanted to see that 40

It may or may not be the case, but whenever guys don't run, I always make the assumption its because they know they weren't going to do well. Maybe he's a 4.6 guy, and wants to take some time to work on that?

 

[Iceman03]

Herbert 60 MPH Throw

Eason 62 MPH Throw

 

[Ilov80s]

It may or may not be the case, but whenever guys don't run, I always make the assumption its because they know they weren't going to do well. Maybe he's a 4.6 guy, and wants to take some time to work on that?

Have to assume that is why unless there is an injury. Only exception would be a guy like Chase Young where he's locked into his draft slot because he's so damn good. 

 

[Iceman03]

now Aiyuk shows 4.5... was 4.6 earlier

Those were unofficial. A lot of TE’s got hit hard on the official times.

 

[travdogg]

I know everybody is excited about Ruggs, but I think Reagor could give him a run. Shenault is a major one too, if he runs 4.3, that is more impressive than Ruggs breaking the record in my opinion, given he's like 40 pounds heavier.

 

[King of the Jungle]

It sure is hard to not let this stuff over influence my rankings.

 

[Biabreakable]

I know everybody is excited about Ruggs, but I think Reagor could give him a run. Shenault is a major one too, if he runs 4.3, that is more impressive than Ruggs breaking the record in my opinion, given he's like 40 pounds heavier.

According to the run off poll I had to do because Ruggs and Reagor were tied for pick 1.09 but Reagor was preferred 3 to 1.

So Ruggs would have to test exceptionally better to change that outlook I would think.

Reagor testing well as expected might move him up? I am not sure. I will start the post combine polls once these results are actually in for all the players.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Some team is going to absolutely fall in love with Herbert here, for better or worse. He's effortless on these post corners

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Some team is going to absolutely fall in love with Herbert here, for better or worse. He's effortless on these post corners

gonna be the chargers.  sigh

 

[ConnSKINS26]

According to the run off poll I had to do because Ruggs and Reagor were tied for pick 1.09 but Reagor was preferred 3 to 1.

So Ruggs would have to test exceptionally better to change that outlook I would think.

Reagor testing well as expected might move him up? I am not sure. I will start the post combine polls once these results are actually in for all the players.

Those polls serve a purpose and I'm sure we all appreciate that you do them. But they take long enough that they can't keep up with public perception and community consensus this time of year. Even this morning before this workout, I don't think Reagor would have fallen to 1.09 again, just based off of twitter buzz etc. in the last week. That thread you linked is from February 8th. A lifetime in dynasty, this time of year. Nearly 20 days ago, with the earlier polls happening even longer ago? I don't think it tells us anything today. 

That POV might seem reactionary but the truth is that this time of year, tons of dynasty owners are just now getting a feel for these prospects. There are lots of hardcore college guys on here and in the dynasty community. But there's also dudes who use this time of year to catch up, and what can't be denied is that "consensus" market value this time of year is like a yo-yo sometimes, very malleable with all new information as we form our opinions. 

 

[Soulfly3]

It may or may not be the case, but whenever guys don't run, I always make the assumption its because they know they weren't going to do well. Maybe he's a 4.6 guy, and wants to take some time to work on that?

higgins never looked slow to me in pads. Far from it. No idea what his time will be, but he's gonna run at his pro day. 

Anyways, disappointed is all. Still undecided in my top 4 between jeudy, lamb, shenault and higgins

 

[ConnSKINS26]

gonna be the chargers.  sigh

Allbright already reported that it was them, and that he'd have been their top guy last year too. And he rarely misses lately. Doesn't mean they draft him, but I would believe that they are that high on him, yeah. 

 

[ConnSKINS26]

higgins never looked slow to me in pads. Far from it. No idea what his time will be, but he's gonna run at his pro day. 

Anyways, disappointed is all. Still undecided in my top 4 between jeudy, lamb, shenault and higgins

I absolutely love Shenault. Huge mancrush and drafted him in a devy draft more than a year ago. 

But we need to be careful with him, his injury history is already concerning and his play style is highlight-heavy (which entices us) but man does it really beat up his body. 

He might stay healthy from here on out, but we have to factor it in, because it's in the DNA of his skill-set, which makes him exciting but dangerous. And that's not even getting into his polish or lack thereof as a route-runner. 

 

[Iceman03]

Trautman with a 6.78 3 cone... yeesh 

Weird... no TE since 2000 has had above a 4.79 40 and a sub 6.8 3 cone. Not sure what to make of him. Hunter Henry, Kyle Rudolph, Heath Miller and Chris Cooley are about the best of the 40 yd comparables. 

 

[Iceman03]

TE’s > 255lbs with a sub 4.55 40:

Okwuegbunam

Jimmy Graham

Ben Watson

David Morgan

Matt Schobel

 

[travdogg]

gonna be the chargers.  sigh

I think Miami could beat them to it. Not what I would do, but certainly possible.

I absolutely love Shenault. Huge mancrush and drafted him in a devy draft more than a year ago. 

But we need to be careful with him, his injury history is already concerning and his play style is highlight-heavy (which entices us) but man does it really beat up his body. 

He might stay healthy from here on out, but we have to factor it in, because it's in the DNA of his skill-set, which makes him exciting but dangerous. And that's not even getting into his polish or lack thereof as a route-runner. 

Shenault is interesting to me. If he played RB, I think he'd be the top guy in the class, as a WR, its tougher to say, but I suppose its where he'll make more money so its the right spot to be. The lack of polish is certainly there though.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Weird... no TE since 2000 has had above a 4.79 40 and a sub 6.8 3 cone. Not sure what to make of him. Hunter Henry, Kyle Rudolph, Heath Miller and Chris Cooley are about the best of the 40 yd comparables. 

Maybe he's got natural agility and quick feet but poor 40 form?

He has been talking up his ability as a blocker in the run game in the run-up to all this stuff for over a month now, wanting to be seen as that all-around TE teams can rely on every down and now "just" a receiver. He then followed that up by looking the best in the blocking drills today. 

So it's possible he's spent his training time on that and getting more well-rounded than perfecting that 40 form, who knows. Some guys just are sloppy out of the blocks and have poor form. 

 

[travdogg]

TE’s > 255lbs with a sub 4.55 40:

Okwuegbunam

Jimmy Graham

Ben Watson

David Morgan

Matt Schobel

So basically its not something to be too excited about. 

 

[Ilov80s]

TE’s > 255lbs with a sub 4.55 40:

Okwuegbunam

Jimmy Graham

Ben Watson

David Morgan

Matt Schobel

Funny because I saw several film people shocked by Okwuegbunam's time. They said he looked like 5.0 guy lol 

 

[travdogg]

Funny because I saw several film people shocked by Okwuegbunam's time. They said he looked like 5.0 guy lol 

I'm kind of a film guy, and he ran about what I thought he would. I would expect his agility times to be lower than a guy with that 40 should be though. 

 

[Iceman03]

I'm kind of a film guy, and he ran about what I thought he would. I would expect his agility times to be lower than a guy with that 40 should be though. 

If we get a Ben Watson out of what looks like a crappy TE class I’ll take it.

 

[travdogg]

If we get a Ben Watson out of what looks like a crappy TE class I’ll take it.

I really like Hunter Bryant. I think he's a better prospect than Noah Fant was. I agree its not a great class, but Bryant is a really good prospect. 

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I thought Juaun Jennings might be a sleeper but he was actually in a coma.

 

[menobrown]

Did Shenault not run a second time?

 

[travdogg]

I thought Juaun Jennings might be a sleeper but he was actually in a coma.

Yeah, that was a bit disappointing. Was never expecting him to be fast, but 4.6 would have been nice. That said, he's the best RAC guy in the class. I still like him, he's never gonna be a guy running go routes anyway. 

 

[travdogg]

Did Shenault not run a second time?

I didn't see him out there for a 2nd run, and he came up a bit lame after the 1st one, whether that was frustration or injury is up for debate.

 

[barackdhouse]

I didn't see him out there for a 2nd run, and he came up a bit lame after the 1st one, whether that was frustration or injury is up for debate.

FWIW I thought I saw the same thing.

 

[menobrown]

Anyone else but me think maybe the nightime start might have hurt these WR's time just a tad? Not that they were bad several timed slower then anticipated.  Just small stuff like diet and hydration over course of the day that I can't help but wonder if it had the smallest of impact?

 

[Ilov80s]

Denzel Mims is the real deal huh?

 

[Ilov80s]

Anyone else but me think maybe the nightime start might have hurt these WR's time just a tad? Not that they were bad several timed slower then anticipated.  Just small stuff like diet and hydration over course of the day that I can't help but wonder if it had the smallest of impact?

Not really. Some of the jumping numbers were huge. 

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Anyone else but me think maybe the nightime start might have hurt these WR's time just a tad? Not that they were bad several timed slower then anticipated.  Just small stuff like diet and hydration over course of the day that I can't help but wonder if it had the smallest of impact?

I think it's BS but some agents are pushing this narrative.

No talk about Tee Higgins "resting" in here? 

 

[kittenmittens]

Higgins is slow and didn't want his slow time compromising draft capital. 

That's all I can assume when he doesn't run.   His 40 going into Clemson was pretty bad. 

 

[travdogg]

Denzel Mims is the real deal huh?

He's a late 1st round pick on my board. I like him more than Jefferson.

 

[Biabreakable]

Those polls serve a purpose and I'm sure we all appreciate that you do them. But they take long enough that they can't keep up with public perception and community consensus this time of year. Even this morning before this workout, I don't think Reagor would have fallen to 1.09 again, just based off of twitter buzz etc. in the last week. That thread you linked is from February 8th. A lifetime in dynasty, this time of year. Nearly 20 days ago, with the earlier polls happening even longer ago? I don't think it tells us anything today. 

That POV might seem reactionary but the truth is that this time of year, tons of dynasty owners are just now getting a feel for these prospects. There are lots of hardcore college guys on here and in the dynasty community. But there's also dudes who use this time of year to catch up, and what can't be denied is that "consensus" market value this time of year is like a yo-yo sometimes, very malleable with all new information as we form our opinions. 

Oh absolutely. The small sample from a few weeks ago not representative of everyone at all. Most of those only have 50 votes.

Just that the 50 or so folks who did vote favored Reagor to Ruggs at that time.

It was still close enough it needed a tie breaker poll at that time.

I am sure things will be different in the next set of polls, I am curious about that.

I think it's good to have a record of that before there was new information.

 

[menobrown]

For some unofficial times from Jim Nagy.

He timed Ruggs at 4.27 on his first 40 and 4.24 on his second and said a team in front of him timed his second at 4.22. 

Juedy at 4.42 on first, 4.47 on second.

He had Mims at 4.32, not sure which one.

He had Claypool at 4.38.

I think all of those are a little faster then what was reported on TV, and not yet sure if those TV times were official.

 

[Zyphros]

After looking at a lot of video's/results and everything, I definitely need to dive into Dezmon Patmon and Isaiah Coulter.  Need to take a second look at John Hightower and Chase Claypool.  

 

[travdogg]

After looking at a lot of video's/results and everything, I definitely need to dive into Dezmon Patmon and Isaiah Coulter.  Need to take a second look at John Hightower and Chase Claypool.  

Big fan of Hightower in round 3 or so. He reminds me a ton of Robby Anderson, and will have like 10% the cost.

 

[menobrown]

.  Need to take a second look at John Hightower and Chase Claypool.  

Did this last night with Claypool. Started with the Georgia game, need to do more because I absolutely did not see 4.38 speed on the field.

 

[Iceman03]

After looking at a lot of video's/results and everything, I definitely need to dive into Dezmon Patmon and Isaiah Coulter.  Need to take a second look at John Hightower and Chase Claypool.  

Not as excited about Coulter. He played second fiddle to Parker. He’s definitely the more athletic of the two though.

 

[Iceman03]

The elephant in the room on Claypool is that, in at least Peter Howard’s formula, he just had the second best WR combine since he’s been tracking to only Calvin Johnson. I try not to overreact to these things but he got a healthy bump up my board, at least until I can get a read on Hamler, Tyler Johnson and a few others.

 

[tangfoot]

The elephant in the room on Claypool is that, in at least Peter Howard’s formula, he just had the second best WR combine since he’s been tracking to only Calvin Johnson. I try not to overreact to these things but he got a healthy bump up my board, at least until I can get a read on Hamler, Tyler Johnson and a few others.

The difference being that Calvin came into the combine as the consensus #1 WR and was already widely viewed as a generational talent.  His combine performance was really just the cherry on top, but I don't think it changed his draft position in any meaningful way.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

For comparison sake, the all-time best numbers from the Combine.

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The All-Time All-Combine Team: Football’s greatest workout warriors ever 18 Here’s a team made up of the best performers in the history of the NFL Combine.

 

[Iceman03]

The difference being that Calvin came into the combine as the consensus #1 WR and was already widely viewed as a generational talent.  His combine performance was really just the cherry on top, but I don't think it changed his draft position in any meaningful way.

Correct. It also doesn’t inspire confidence that Matt Jones was third on that list. Still it can’t be ignored. It put Chris Conley and Miles Boykin in the first three rounds and what he did is more impressive than them at his size.

 

[menobrown]

Read a tweet last night that was the most don't overreact to combine 40 thing I think I've ever read.

Henry Ruggs is 7th WR to run a sub 4.3 in the 40 since 2003. The previous 6 have averaged 24.9 yards per game in their careers.

 

[zeeshan2]

INDIANAPOLIS — The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine began in earnest on Thursday, with quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends performing their on-field workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The vast majority of young men at the combine perform as expected. A few "winners" exceed those expectations, though, or at least meet the very high expectations placed on them coming into the event. A strong combine is unlikely to push a Day 3 prospect into the first round, but it can allow him to win tiebreakers over other similarly valued players at his position. Unfortunately, others fail to change scouts’ minds about deficiencies keeping them from being at the top of the class. Thankfully for those players, the combine is only one part of a robust evaluation process. Teams will add the workout data from Indy to the prospects’ game tape, all-star game performances, interviews and background checks to determine their final grade.

Winners
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon: Nothing surprising about Herbert’s athleticism or his throwing prowess Thursday night. The ball came out very well and the placement was plus. The arc on his deep throws was impressive. Receivers didn’t have to work too hard to bring in his passes, whether on in-routes or speed outs. The Oregon product was also smiling and joking during the workout, showing plenty of personality. Yes, everything was against air, but I’ve seen other talented passers look far less polished in the same situation. Mission accomplished.

Harrison Bryant, TE, Florida Atlantic: Bryant not only ran well (4.73 40), but he was the most consistently smooth mover during the various position drills, just besting Dayton’s Adam Trautman (4.80 40, 6.78 three-cone) for this spot. He adjusted to throws all around him, snatching the ball with strong hands, while also moving quickly around cones with impressive footwork. Bryant also was one of the few tight ends to push the blocking sled, staying low and moving his feet while others pushed the sled upward and failed to generate movement.

Aaron Fuller, WR, Washington: Fuller’s lack of size (5-foot-11) and below-average 40 time (4.59) mean little to me. The former Husky was the most natural hands-catcher in the first group of receivers. While not huge or extremely fast, his route-running was quick and reliable. I don’t know how high Fuller will be drafted, but he’ll likely still be waiting to go long after his quarterback has heard his name called. Teams willing to overlook his measurables and rely more on his game tape and combine performance, however, should take a shot on his talent.

John Hightower, WR, Boise State: After posting testing results that were among the best in his group (4.43 40, 1.49 10-yard split, 38.5-inch vertical), Hightower caught the ball well in drills. He displayed a nice catch radius, snatching high passes out of the air smoothly on multiple occasions. Teams looking to find a potential playmaker in the vertical game late on Day 2 of the draft should have been paying attention.

CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma: The competition between the top three receivers in the class (Lamb, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III) remained tight after Thursday’s workout. Lamb won out with the catch of the night, displaying his elite body control and superb hands to stretch for a high, hot pass on the sideline, keeping his feet in-bounds. The other receivers shouted in approval after the grab. Jeudy also had a nice night, besting Lamb slightly in the 40 (4.45 vs. 4.50) and showing off his elite agility and late hands to snatch the ball from the air. The final member of the top-notch triumvirate, Jeudy’s Tide teammate Ruggs, had to ice his quad after his combine-best sub-4.3 40-yard dashes, sitting out the rest of the night. That helped Lamb’s circus catch make a final, lasting impression to add to his solid overall evening — giving him the crown as the best of the trio.

Quez Watkins, WR, Southern Miss: Watkins made headlines with a 4.35 40, but that’s not the primary reason I included him on this list. Effortless movement in drills and smooth hands on catches made him a standout among the first group of receivers. The underclassman entrant did not get much pub while starring in Conference USA the past two seasons. Scouts noted his all-around effort on Thursday, though — he’s likely to have clinched a top-150 spot with his performance and on-field production. The ultimate test for Watkins (and the other receivers listed here) will be trying to get off physical coverage at the next level, something he didn’t have to do on Thursday.

Losers
Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia: There were no major surprises with Fromm’s mostly average measurements earlier this week (despite the chatter about his hand size). His arm strength during workouts was also adequate, as expected. However, his throws fluttered at times, and his deeper tosses were not as strong as those of Herbert and Washington’s Jacob Eason. When he tried to push his arm past its limits, the ball came out poorly. Again, none of this was shocking to anyone who watched Fromm play live at Georgia. Unfortunately, these deficiencies were exacerbated by the side-by-side comparison with the other well-known quarterback prospects competing on Thursday night. Does this mean Fromm will fail in the NFL? Absolutely not. He is a guy I’d take on my team any day, and I suspect he’ll have a solid career. However, his combine workout did not push him into the elite category of this QB class.

Jared Pinkney, TE, Vanderbilt: Pinkney put himself on NFL scouts’ radars as a junior, but he saw his production drop in 2019. A strong combine may have pushed him into the top-150 conversation, but his workout did not go as well as planned. It started with the slowest 40-yard dash among the tight ends (4.96 seconds). Stiff movement and his struggles catching passes during drills also did not help his cause.

Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Colorado: It was expected that Shenault would run in the 4.5s but he posted a time on the low end of the expected range (4.58 seconds) and then didn’t run a second 40 or compete in any other drills. It’s not yet clear if he suffered an injury during his run, but it was certainly not the showing he hoped for in a year that features an extremely deep pool of talent at his position. His 40 time is not bad at all for a 227-pound receiver, and I suspect it will improve at his pro day (40 times are usually better at pro days). Shenault’s run-after-catch ability is among the class’ best, and no workout can (or should) take that away from him. However, on this occasion, he was unable to close the gap on the top-end receivers in the class.

Mitchell Wilcox, TE, South Florida: It was a tough day for Wilcox, who took a ball to the face during the gauntlet drill. To his credit, he vowed to bounce back from the "rough day at the office." But there’s no denying he fought the ball while trying to secure several other catches during the workout, as well, seemingly losing confidence in his hands. Wilcox was not able to show above-average athleticism in drills with a 31-inch vertical and a 4.88 40. Teams going back to the tape will see a productive player, but Thursday was not his day.

Chad Reuter: NFL combine winners and losers from Day 1

 

[barackdhouse]

Read a tweet last night that was the most don't overreact to combine 40 thing I think I've ever read.

Henry Ruggs is 7th WR to run a sub 4.3 in the 40 since 2003. The previous 6 have averaged 24.9 yards per game in their careers.

Nice. How many of those 6 actually accumulated any stats at all? Is this 24.9 average coming from like just 2 of them? Probably exclusively from Goodwin. Actually I was surprised the number was as high as 24.9. 

 

[zeeshan2]

What was the biggest takeaway from Thursday’s workouts?
McShay: OK, we didn’t break the 40-yard dash record, but man, this receiving group is as talented as we thought. Henry Ruggs III ran a 4.27, five one-hundredths off John Ross III’s 2017 record of 4.22. Ruggs has easy speed, and he somehow looked like he could have run even faster than he did. Seriously. The big names in this deep receiving class — Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, Ruggs and Justin Jefferson — showed up, and a few of the Day 2 guys popped. As we’ve been saying all along: If you need a receiver this year, all you’ll have are options come April.

Kiper: The receiver class is incredibly deep, Todd; there are going to be some receivers with fourth-round grades on my board going late on Day 3. But let me focus on the quarterbacks here, because it was an interesting day without Burrow or Tagovailoa going through workouts. And my biggest takeaway is that there could be five quarterbacks in the first round, just like there were in 2018, with Justin Herbert, Jordan Love and Jacob Eason rounding out the list. Once free agency shakes out next month, we’ll have a much better feel for which teams in Round 1 need quarterbacks. But prepare yourself for a fun night on April 23.

Biggest risers from Day 1
Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
I put Jefferson to the Packers at No. 30 in my Mock Draft 2.0, but I was too low on him. I didn’t expect him to run a 4.43 40, which solidified his spot in Round 1, and he could move all the way up to the top 15. That’s a phenomenal time for the 6-foot-1 Jefferson. He had an unbelievable season, catching 111 passes with 18 touchdowns from Burrow, and he emerged as a legitimate No. 1 receiver option for the NFL. He can move all around the field, lining up outside or in the slot. In a loaded class of top-tier wideouts, don’t leave out Jefferson as one of the top three off the board. — Kiper

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State
He ran a decently quick 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, and his overall workout was really strong. Aiyuk has plenty of explosion in his game, and it showed up in a 40-inch vertical jump. He averaged 18.3 yards per catch, 16.1 yards per punt return and 29.7 yards per kickoff return in 2019. I love his after-the-catch potential, and he looked natural running his routes and plucking the ball on Thursday night. He is my No. 25 prospect overall and No. 7 receiver, and his performance in Indy solidified his serious Round 1 consideration. In fact, he’s going to be in the mix for fourth receiver off the board with Jefferson and a handful of others behind Jeudy, Lamb and Ruggs. — McShay

Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri
I mentioned Okwuegbunam in our combine preview as a potential workout warrior, and he went out and ran a blazing 4.49 40-yard dash at 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds. It was the fourth-fastest time for any tight end since 2006. So while I’ll call Okwuegbunam a riser here, it’s because his 2019 tape wasn’t close to his 2018 tape, and he had a tough season with just 26 catches. I need to go back to the tape on him. He was ranked fourth in a lackluster tight end class, and I still think he’s likely to be a third-round pick. But when a guy this big runs this fast, he has to be considered a riser. — Kiper

Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Michigan
The explosive Peoples-Jones posted an absurd 44.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot-7 broad jump. The only players at the combine to jump that high and long since 2006 were Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones (44.5 inches, 12-foot-3) and Jaguars receiver Chris Conley (45 inches, 11-foot-7). The Michigan receiver, who is No. 46 on my board and my 11th-best receiver, capped off a good workout with a solid 4.48 40 time. With inconsistent quarterback play in 2019, Peoples-Jones’ numbers didn’t pop, but he’s a natural hands catcher and is super smooth transitioning upfield. — McShay

How other top prospects fared on Day 1
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
I thought Herbert, my third-ranked quarterback, was extremely smooth on Thursday night, and he is crushing the pre-draft process. It started at the Senior Bowl, where he was the MVP. And it has continued in Indianapolis. He ran a 4.68 40, which tied for second best among the quarterbacks, and he had a 35.5-inch vertical. He’s an athlete. Herbert made every throw look easy in the drills. It’s really tough to evaluate these quarterbacks throwing to receivers they’ve never met, but Herbert looked sharp. He’s going in the top 10, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he lands in the top five. — Kiper

Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
You better get your checkbook out, Mel. For those of you who missed it, Kiper and I have a bet riding on whether Herbert or Love will be selected first in April. The loser donates $5,000 to the Jimmy V Foundation. After yet another strong workout from Love at the combine, following that great Senior Bowl week, I’m not too worried. I truly believe he will be the third quarterback off the board. No, the production wasn’t great this season, but remember that the Aggies lost a ton from their offense, including the coordinator. Love, No. 26 on my board, has been working with Jordan Palmer on tightening up his mechanics and being more efficient, and it’s already showing. He also ran a smooth 4.74 in the 40, for what that’s worth. He has a big arm and some twitch, and he plays the game aggressively and instinctively. — McShay

Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia
The lack of arm strength was on full display. I do really love his football intelligence and the way he can throw his receivers open, but he just can’t consistently drive the ball downfield. He seemed to be grinding everything out early to get velocity on the ball and just wore down because he naturally doesn’t have that arm strength. He’s going to struggle in the NFL on vertical throws and when trying to hit tight windows. There are limitations, and Fromm is likely a Day 2 pick and a very good backup at the next level. But again, the accuracy and mental makeup are terrific, and I’d actually take him over Eason. — McShay

Jacob Eason, QB, Washington
Eason had the best deep ball accuracy of any of the quarterbacks (including Herbert) … but was pretty underwhelming in interviews. He has a monster arm, and he puts the ball right where it needs to be on the vertical throws. It stood out on the field on Thursday night. But I’ve heard from a handful of teams that were pretty unimpressed with the interviewing process off the field. That was a big thing coming into the combine for Eason, and while these are short sessions that will later be expanded on, it didn’t do him any favors. — McShay

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
Jeudy is an elite route runner and smooth hands catcher who put up big numbers for the Crimson Tide over the past two seasons (24 TDs). And he showed Thursday why NFL teams love him so much, running clean routes in drills and running a 4.45 40, with a 35-inch vertical. Those are numbers I expected, so my top-ranked receiver is staying where we had him heading into this week. — Kiper

CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
Lamb is always open on film; he averaged 21.4 yards per catch and had 14 touchdowns as Jalen Hurts’ top target last season. But Lamb isn’t a burner, and we knew that going into the combine. So I wasn’t surprised with Lamb’s 4.50 40, a solid if unspectacular time from him. He’s still one of the best receivers in this class, and he’s still battling Jeudy to be the top guy off the board. — Kiper

Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
That 4.27 proved just how fast Ruggs is, but the 42-inch vertical also showed his tremendous explosion. Since 2006, no other player has produced both a sub-4.3 40-yard dash and a vert of 40 inches or more. As one of four elite receivers in perhaps one of the greatest collegiate receiving corps we’ve ever seen, the numbers weren’t always there, but Ruggs was still frequently the primary look and had just one drop all season. And Alabama designed screens and reverses for his skill set, something the NFL team that drafts him will also take advantage of. If he develops his route running, there’s a solid chance we look back on this 2020 draft class, the same one that features all these outstanding receivers, and pick him out as the most successful pass-catcher of the bunch. — McShay

Additional thoughts from Day 1
Kiper:
• • • I wrote in our combine preview that Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet, my top-ranked tight end, needed to run a 4.70 40, and that anything slower than that could cause him to drop. So what did he run? Exactly a 4.70 40. Kmet also posted the top vertical jump at his position (37 inches). He’s going to stay atop my list of tight ends.
• • • I was disappointed that LSU tight end Thaddeus Moss and Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins weren’t able to work out. Moss’ medical revealed a broken foot that will require surgery; that’s a tough break for a prospect who could have risen — he’s my eighth-ranked tight end — with a strong combine. Higgins is choosing to work out at his pro day next month, and scouts will be watching his 40 time closely. I still have a first-round grade on him.
• • • Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts had a good workout, and you can tell he has worked on his mechanics. Hurts, who came in at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, ran the fastest 40 of the quarterbacks (4.59). I have a fifth-round grade on him right now, but I want to hear how he did in the interviews with teams.
• • • SMU wide receiver James Proche didn’t run the 40, but he was extremely impressive catching passes on Thursday, looking fluid and catching everything with his hands and away from his body. He had more than 200 catches with 27 touchdowns over the past two seasons, and he’s a potential Day 2 riser.
• • • How about Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims’ workout? He’s not in my list of top 10 wideouts right now, but I’m going to reconsider. He ran a 4.38 40 at 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds for one of the fastest times of the day. He also had outstanding numbers in the vertical jump (38 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 11 inches). I’m going to go back and watch more of his film.

McShay:
• • • First off, back off Justin Jefferson, Mel. He has been in the top 32 on my board for quite a while now. The 4.43 in the 40 headlined a great workout, and I loved one of the over-the-shoulder catches he made on a vertical throw without breaking stride.
• • • Texas receiver Devin Duvernay was flying in the 40, posting a 4.39. He has the speed, and he certainly produces: Duvernay had 106 catches for 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns in 2019. He ranks No. 69 overall and No. 13 among receivers.
• • • Wow, that 4.47 is pretty disappointing for TCU receiver Jalen Reagor. He entered the combine all the way up at No. 20 in my rankings — my fifth-best receiver — and expectations were sky-high in the 40. I thought he might even have a chance to be one of the fastest of the weekend and was looking for something in the 4.3s.
• • • Since 2003, only two receivers have measured at least 6-foot-4 and weighed at least 235 pounds and run the 40-yard dash in under 4.45 seconds. The first was Calvin Johnson. The second? Notre Dame’s Chase Claypool (4.42), who is No. 108 on my board.
• • • USC’s Michael Pittman Jr. continues to be overlooked. I see a nice parallel to Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster here. Pittman will likely end up a second-round pick, land somewhere as a WR2 and just go off. He knows how to separate, and he’s a meticulous worker. He posted a 4.52 in the 40, and wouldn’t you know it, Smith-Schuster ran a 4.54.
• • • What is going on with Vanderbilt tight end Jared Pinkney? If he had come out last year, he probably would have been a Round 2 pick. But now a dip in production this past season, a disappearance at the Senior Bowl and most recently a rough 4.96 40 have scouts asking a lot of questions. Listen, he still has a chance to do very well in the NFL, but that 40 time hurts, especially considering the speed from some of the other tight ends.

What is one thing you’re looking for on Day 2 of workouts?
Kiper: I want to see the biggest offensive lineman in Indianapolis — Louisville’s Mekhi Becton — go through athletic testing, because I think he’s going to do some eye-popping things and impress scouts. The 6-foot-7, 364-pound offensive tackle is like a dancing bear playing on the end of the line, with great feet and a mean streak. He’s my top-ranked tackle, and there’s a chance he could go in the top five.

McShay: I’m excited to see how the top four running backs in the class run — as long as all four do work out. Georgia’s D’Andre Swift (No. 12 overall), Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins (No. 28), Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor (No. 35) and LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire (No. 42) could all make a statement with a fast 40 time and/or a standout performance in the pass-catching drills. Swift is the most explosive back in the class, and I think he’ll have the best workout of the group.

2020 NFL combine recap: Kiper, McShay on top draft prospects, risers, best of workouts, more

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

mims 3cone? 6.66?

 

[menobrown]

Nice. How many of those 6 actually accumulated any stats at all? Is this 24.9 average coming from like just 2 of them? Probably exclusively from Goodwin. Actually I was surprised the number was as high as 24.9. 

John Ross, Jerome Mathis, Goodwin, Tyrone Calico, JJ Nelson, Jacoby Ford and DHB.