This weekend saw the beginning of the NFL Combine's onfield drills. In recent years the public exposure has been ratcheted up, with coverage available on NFL.com, as well as, on the NFL Network. Since nobody is interested in hearing my breakdown of every player, so I'm simply going to mention observations from watching individual drills by group. Day 1 was composed of offensive lineman, tight ends, and special teamers (namely kickers and punters).
Offensive Line
40 yard dash
The full 40 time is virtually meaningless for O-lineman, but the 10 and 20 yard splits can provide a lot more important information. Jason Kelce of Cincinnati and Ryan Bartholomew of Syracuse did both manage sub 5 seconds.
Bench Press
This drill is simply the maximum number of reps at 225lbs. This event actually occurred yesterday but there was a quick recap this afternoon. Bartholomew again paced the field putting up a very impressive 34 reps and supposedly maxes out at 585 lbs, which is spectacular even for an NFL lineman.
Footwork and Blocking Drills
The players also go through a battery of mobility, blocking and footwork drills that are not measured quantitatively. In my estimations the clear standouts here were unsurprising, being Anthony Castonzo and Gabe Carimi. The top 2 O-line prospects did nothing to hurt themselves here.
Other notes
Brandon Fusco of Slippery Rock is “looking to be the first player from his school to get drafted” and based on what he showed today, he should be drafted. In addition, he looks to be a high energy guy that will give full effort on every play. James Carpenter of Alabama was the most intimidating player at today's combine. The wild dreadlocks and beard makes a big guy look even larger and makes him look slightly crazy. Carimi looks like a TE with his relatively slim build for a tackle, despite that his strength, size and hands make him a great candidate for stopping speed rushers. Adam Grant of Arizona has classic lineman size and strength, but his technique and footwork looked poor. He'd need a lot of coaching from whoever drafts him.
Tights Ends
40 yard dash
Nobody came close to Vernon Davis' absurd 4.38 with Florida Atlantic's Robert Housler winning with a 4.55 (which is still pretty quick). The other top performers Virgil Green and Jordan Cameron, but more on them in the 'other notes' section below.
3 Cone Drill
This drill is a great measure of agility and quickness in and out of cuts. The top TEs in this drill are virtually WRs in bigger bodies (think Dallas Clark). Jordan Cameron put up the winning time edging out Schuyler Oordt of UNI and Zack Pianalto of UNC all of whom ran below 6.90, which was the time put up by Mike Wallace of the Steelers when he was at the combine.
Bench Press
Charlie Gantt of Michigan St., Luke Stocker of Tennessee, Lee Smith of Marshall, Lance Kendricks of Wisconsin are all put up at least 25 reps in the bench. They are all big and strong enough to survive as blocking TEs in the NFL but likely will not excel in the passing game.
Footwork, Blocking and Catching Drills
The inconsistency of the combine QBs had a distinct effect on the TEs performance in the basic route running drills. Personally I love the “Gauntlet” drill which requires a quick succession of 7 passes both stationary and on the run. I was disappointed in Lance Kendricks' which almost ensures that he won't be targeted much at the next level. Zach Pianalto was particularly impressive in the catching drills, where he caught almost everything while snatch the ball out of the air well away from his body.
Other notes
Virgil Green of Nevada won the Broad Jump and Vertical Leap while finishing top 3 in the 40 yard, the 20 yard shuttle, and 60 yard shuttle. Supposedly, Green may have problems grasping a complex offense, but I imagine that athleticism will be enticing to many. Jordan Cameron of USC won the 3 cone drill, 20 yard shuttle, and 60 yard shuttle. Finished top 3 in the 40 yard, Vertical Leap, and Broad Jump. Still developing as a blocker due to his basketball and WR background, but a lot of former college basketball players are having great success in the pros right now.
Special Teamers
There weren't any real drills shown for the kickers and punters, but this is a position at which the transition from college to the pros is relatively easy. The combine doesn't mean much for these guys because past performance is the major indicator, unless you're David Buehler and want to show off in the bench press and 40.
Offensive Line
40 yard dash
The full 40 time is virtually meaningless for O-lineman, but the 10 and 20 yard splits can provide a lot more important information. Jason Kelce of Cincinnati and Ryan Bartholomew of Syracuse did both manage sub 5 seconds.
Bench Press
This drill is simply the maximum number of reps at 225lbs. This event actually occurred yesterday but there was a quick recap this afternoon. Bartholomew again paced the field putting up a very impressive 34 reps and supposedly maxes out at 585 lbs, which is spectacular even for an NFL lineman.
Footwork and Blocking Drills
The players also go through a battery of mobility, blocking and footwork drills that are not measured quantitatively. In my estimations the clear standouts here were unsurprising, being Anthony Castonzo and Gabe Carimi. The top 2 O-line prospects did nothing to hurt themselves here.
Other notes
Brandon Fusco of Slippery Rock is “looking to be the first player from his school to get drafted” and based on what he showed today, he should be drafted. In addition, he looks to be a high energy guy that will give full effort on every play. James Carpenter of Alabama was the most intimidating player at today's combine. The wild dreadlocks and beard makes a big guy look even larger and makes him look slightly crazy. Carimi looks like a TE with his relatively slim build for a tackle, despite that his strength, size and hands make him a great candidate for stopping speed rushers. Adam Grant of Arizona has classic lineman size and strength, but his technique and footwork looked poor. He'd need a lot of coaching from whoever drafts him.
Tights Ends
40 yard dash
Nobody came close to Vernon Davis' absurd 4.38 with Florida Atlantic's Robert Housler winning with a 4.55 (which is still pretty quick). The other top performers Virgil Green and Jordan Cameron, but more on them in the 'other notes' section below.
3 Cone Drill
This drill is a great measure of agility and quickness in and out of cuts. The top TEs in this drill are virtually WRs in bigger bodies (think Dallas Clark). Jordan Cameron put up the winning time edging out Schuyler Oordt of UNI and Zack Pianalto of UNC all of whom ran below 6.90, which was the time put up by Mike Wallace of the Steelers when he was at the combine.
Bench Press
Charlie Gantt of Michigan St., Luke Stocker of Tennessee, Lee Smith of Marshall, Lance Kendricks of Wisconsin are all put up at least 25 reps in the bench. They are all big and strong enough to survive as blocking TEs in the NFL but likely will not excel in the passing game.
Footwork, Blocking and Catching Drills
The inconsistency of the combine QBs had a distinct effect on the TEs performance in the basic route running drills. Personally I love the “Gauntlet” drill which requires a quick succession of 7 passes both stationary and on the run. I was disappointed in Lance Kendricks' which almost ensures that he won't be targeted much at the next level. Zach Pianalto was particularly impressive in the catching drills, where he caught almost everything while snatch the ball out of the air well away from his body.
Other notes
Virgil Green of Nevada won the Broad Jump and Vertical Leap while finishing top 3 in the 40 yard, the 20 yard shuttle, and 60 yard shuttle. Supposedly, Green may have problems grasping a complex offense, but I imagine that athleticism will be enticing to many. Jordan Cameron of USC won the 3 cone drill, 20 yard shuttle, and 60 yard shuttle. Finished top 3 in the 40 yard, Vertical Leap, and Broad Jump. Still developing as a blocker due to his basketball and WR background, but a lot of former college basketball players are having great success in the pros right now.
Special Teamers
There weren't any real drills shown for the kickers and punters, but this is a position at which the transition from college to the pros is relatively easy. The combine doesn't mean much for these guys because past performance is the major indicator, unless you're David Buehler and want to show off in the bench press and 40.
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