OFFENSE
By Josh Martin
Warriors
Knile Davis (Arkansas): Former Razorback Knile Davis was questioning whether or not he would be drafted at all entering the combine on Sunday. In one of the more impressive workouts we have seen from a running back, Davis looked like the best in his class. He ran the quickest 40 time of any RB (4.34) and bench pressed 225 pounds an astounding 31 times. Davis, like the rest of his teammates at Arkansas, struggled in his Junior year, putting up under 400 yards on the ground and 2 touchdowns, but the 5’11 back from Texas will certainly be drafted after that performance in Indy.
Marquise Goodwin (Texas): The mystique of the 40 yard dash is that it is a completely objective look at an athlete’s speed, but it is debatable whether it has any bearing on success at the NFL level. Marquise Goodwin, a 5’9 WR out of the University of Texas at Austin, is the fastest man in the draft class, running a 4.27 40. A projected mid-round pick, it is unknown how much this title will help Goodwin, but it has already helped him score a contract with Adidas.
Geno Smith (West Virginia): Geno Smith helped his draft stock on Sunday, not because his workout was spectacular but because all of the other QBs who made the trip up to Indy disappointed. After his chances of being the #1 overall pick took a major hit as Kansas City seems to have agreed to make a deal for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, Geno reproved his assertion as the best QB in the draft class. Nassib, Wilson and Glennon each were inaccurate in throwing drills and Barkeley didnt have one. His footwork looked good and as the fastest pocket-passer in the 40, Smith looks like he should have solid escape ability in the pocket. I fully expect Smith to be the first QB off the board, it is much more difficult in figuring out who will be the first to bite on one.
Ryan Swope (Texas A&M): Every day Ryan Swope looks more and more like Wes Welker. They are both quick, agile, slot receivers from the state of Texas. The A&M product who ran a 4.34 40 was quicker than welker by .02 seconds. With lots of teams looking for a receiver to step in immediately, Swope looks more and more one of the most reliable options in the draft. Swope has valuable experience in college catching passes from NFL talents like Ryan Tannehill and Johnny Manziel. Swope will leave the scouting combine a winner, but that looks like the only thing he will win this week because despite his Harlem Shake publicity campaign, it appears he will lose the NCAA Football 14 cover vote to Michigan’s Denard Robinson.
Lane Johnson (Oklahoma): Oklahoma’s OT Lane Johnson is a 6’6, 303 lb mountain of a man who ran 40 yards in a lightning quick 4.72 seconds. Lightning quick on his feet, Johnson regained whatever ground he had lost in his sub-standard Senior year. Also benching an impressive 28 times, Johnson looks poised to be a 1st round pick after an incredible workout. Looking forward to seeing him in the NFL.
Clunkers
DeAndre Hopkins (Clemson): When someone mentions Clemson, the first thing that comes to mind is speed. Clemson’s recent skill players are all regarded as blazingly fast. Guys like Sammy Watkins, CJ Spiller, and Taj Boyd are perfect examples. Hopkins was once right in that group. Hopkins, widely considered a top tier WR, ran a 4.57 on Saturday, which is by no means slow, but DeAndre expected better. The scouts expected better. He was in the 2nd half of the wideouts in 40 times, and that could affect his ability to stretch the field at the next level. He will still be a 2nd round pick, however as he should be.
Stepfan Taylor (Stanford): The running back out of Stanford ran the slowest 40 time of anyone drafted in our mock draft. Taylor was definitely not known as a speed back but intstead led Stanford to its 3 consecutive BCS bowl appearances with his strength and vision. That being said, he expected to break 4.75, which he didn’t. While this underwhelming result didn’t surprise anyone, the fact he only bench pressed 15 times did. That pedestrian number was also slightly below average in comparison to other backs and is especially for a supposed power back. Taylor will definitely still be drafted, but I would put a 5th round value on him for now.
DJ Fluker (Alabama): Alabama’s DJ Fluker is a top 5 rated OT entering the draft and a consensus 1st round pick. The 3 time national champion has had lots of success on the gridiron and at 6’5, 339, he has exactly the body type NFL teams want protecting their star QB’s blind side. Fluker ran a 5.31 40. That poor showing is certainly not alarming given that he is an offensive tackle, but he only benched 225 lbs 21 times. At 6’5, 339, the result is disappointing. But with a body like DJ has and a winning pedigree, it is still hard to picture Fluker slipping into the 2nd round.
Mike Glennon (NCST): No prospect in the draft has as many differing opinions about him as North Carolina State’s Mike Glennon. Glennon was above average amongst quarterbacks in drills on Sunday, but that is not what matters from a quarterback. His throwing session confirmed what most already knew: Glennon has an incredibly strong arm, but his accuracy is very poor. We saw it at NCST, we saw it at the senior bowl and we saw it in Indy. Seriously, Glennon’s accuracy is so bad he would struggle to hit water if he fell out of a boat. And doing nothing new, he did nothing to slow the miniature slide he is in.
Robbie Rouse (Fresno State): The 5’6 Running back prospect out of Fresno State had once been compared to Darren Sproles, back when we thought he had electrifying, make-you-miss speed. But in the combine, when he was asked to run 40 yards in one direction, he did it in 4.80 seconds. Sproles ran his in sub 4.5 time. Not surprisingly, Rouse could only muster 15 reps in the 225 bench press, which is definitely unimpressive for an NFL running back and definitely very impressive for a man Rouse’s size. But Rouse needed speed if he was going to get drafted, and he was at the very bottom of the list of running back hopefuls at the combine. He will have to campaign to get drafted at this point.
DEFENSE
By Julian Passman
Warriors
David Amerson, CB (NC State): Coming into the combine, we had Amerson projected as an early third round pick. After his impressive 4.44 40-yard dash time, and a 10 foot 7 inch broad jump, Amerson certainly has moved himself into the second round. In the pass-happy league, having bigger cornerbacks is a must; therefore many teams will value Amerson as he measured in at 6’2 this past weekend. Look for the NC State standout to be the 5th or 6th Cornerback taken in this year’s draft.
Margus Hunt, DE (SMU): If you didn’t know the name before the combine, you certainly do now. Hunt is a world-class athlete, and he showed off his abilities this weekend by running a 4.6 second 40-Yard Dash and bench pressing 225 pounds 38 times. Hunt weighed in at 227 Pounds, and measured at 6’8. Although it wouldn’t be surprising to see Hunt go in the late first round, it seems more realistic to project him somewhere in the early to middle second round. Either way, whoever selects him, will have an outstanding pass-rusher.
Dion Jordan, DE/OLB (Oregon): Despite battling a torn labrum, Jordan turned in an impressive performance at the combine. Originally projected as a late first round pick, the Oregon standout has propelled himself into the top ten on many big boards. Similar to Hunt, Jordan is a stellar athlete, he too ran a 4.6 second 40-yard dash and had a 10-foot broad jump. What separates Jordan from the pack is his ability to cover down the field; this attribute is highly coveted in the NFL, and will help his draft- stock tremendously.
Dee Milliner, CB (Alabama): Before the combine Milliner was rated as the best overall Cornerback in this year’s draft, after the combine, he remains in the top slot. Coming into this weekend, many had questions about Milliners speed. He silenced the doubters by running a 4.37 second 40-yard dash, which was 2nd best among all Cornerbacks. Milliner’s cover ability is excellent and he is essentially a lock to be selected top 10 in April.
Jamie Collins, OLB (Southern Mississippi): It is quite possible that Jamie Collins is the best athlete in this year’s draft class. Weighing in at 250 pounds, Collins ran an impressive 4.64 second 40-yard dash, however it was his jumping ability that made his combine so remarkable. In the vertical jump, Collins reached 41.5 inches, and in the broad jump he reached 11’6. If those numbers don’t stand out, I’m not sure what will. Despite his outstanding performance, Collins still projects in the late 2nd round to early 3rd.
Clunkers
Damontre Moore, DE/OLB (Texas A&M): At one point, Moore was the 5th overall pick in our mock draft, that is no longer the case. Many considered the standout lineman to be one of the top defensive players in the draft class, however after his abysmal combine performance, his stock will fall tremendously. Moore ran a 4.95 second 40-Yard Dash, and could only manage 12 reps on the bench press. Moore was never known as an outstanding athlete but those numbers are certainly below expectations. Despite his performance, Moore still has a lot of upside as a pass-rusher and should be selected somewhere in the late first round.
Manti T’eo, MLB (Notre Dame): The past couple months have been disastrous for Te’o. Once a unanimous top 10 selection, Te’o has fallen to as low as the second round on many draft boards. Everyone knows about his issues off the field, but his performance on the field at the combine will certainly hurt his stock. The Notre Dame linebacker ran a 4.82 second 40 Yard Dash, which, for a linebacker, is extremely slow. Many will question his ability to cover down the field with his lack of speed. Te’o is still a talented player and will help any team who drafts him, but it would not be surprising to see him fall to the mid second round.
Jonathon Banks, CB (Mississippi State): Coming into the combine, Banks was rated as the second best Cornerback available in our mock draft. After running a 4.61 40 Yard Dash and bench-pressing only 10 reps, all that has changed. His 40-Yard Dash time was second slowest among the Cornerback group, and in a league where speed is imperative, Banks did not help himself. Now rated as the 4th or 5th best Cornerback available, expect Banks to be selected in the late first round or early second.
Jarvis Jones, OLB (Georgia): Jarvis Jones did not workout at the combine, so maybe it is unfair to put him on this list. However, Jones has a condition called Spinal Stenosis, which is a serious issue. USC revoked his scholarship after finding out about his condition, forcing Jones to transfer to Georgia where he had an outstanding career. There is no doubt Jones is one of the best available players in this year’s draft, yet many teams will be cautious with him because of his Spinal issue. Despite all this, Jones will certainly be a first round pick, and we have him being selected 15th overall in our mock draft.
Star Lotulelei, DT (Utah): The Utah Defensive lineman falls in the same category as Jarvis Jones. He did not participate in the combine because of a heart condition that was discovered during a physical. Star was rated as high as the 4th overall pick in our draft before the news, now he has only fallen slightly to the 11th pick. Many teams will want to wait and see what this condition means for his future football career but I still expect Star to be selected in the mid first round barring any horrible news about his heart.
Beneath The Helmet 