March 2, 2020

NFL combine wrap-up

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine wrapped up Sunday with defensive backs taking the field for drills and ended the day with Rich Eisen running a 5.98 40 to benefit St. Judes Children's Hospital. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell agreed to donate $5.00 for every posted video showing anyone running the 40-yard dash with the #RunRichRun, between now, and the NFL draft (April 23-25.)

Small-school safeties shine

Lenoir-Rhyne (Division II) and Southern Illinois (Division I FCS), respectively, both made statements at the combine.

Dugger ran his 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds. He recorded a 42-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot-2 broad jump. Eye-popping numbers for a 6-foot-1, 217-pound safety.

Chinn's, who is slightly taller and heavier than Dugger, had a 41-inch vertical and led all defensive backs with an 11-foot-6 broad jump. He capped his spectacular day with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash.

Kyle Dugger

42" vert (97th percentile)

11'2" broad (97th percentile)

4.50 40 (75th percentile)

Jeremy Chinn

41" vert (95th percentile)

11'6" broad (98th percentile)

4.46 40 (86th percentile)

CB's

Kristian Fulton blazed a 4.46-second 40-yard dash. TCU's Jeff Gladney and Clemson's A.J. Terrell followed suit, as both ranked inside the top five in the 40-yard dash with Terrell jumping a 37.5-inch vertical.

Grant Delpit, consider to be this year's premier safety, didn't participate in any drills as he recovers from a high ankle sprain. His top competition, Alabama's Xavier McKinney, pulled up toward the end of his first 40-yard dash after appearing to suffer cramps. He opted not to participate in the rest of the event, thus ending his opportunity to surpass Delpit.

The cornerback group also suffered a hit to its top prospect. After running the 40-yard dash, Jeff Okudah banged his head on the turf after falling while tracking a pass. He said he had some neck soreness but returned to take part in the vertical and broad jump drills.

Sunday's injuries continued a trend seen throughout the week, with top prospects pulling out of one, or many, events. More eyes were on the players in 2020, but they still missed out on a handful of the league's future stars.

For more winners and losers from the combine, go here 👉

https://www.msn.com/en-us/Sports/nfl/winners-and-losers-from-the-2020-scouting-combine/ar-BB10Bwp2?ocid=st2

Expect viewership numbers to be down when they are released.

Informal polls on Twitter indicated that the viewers will be down by as much as 15%.

QB star

Utah State quarterback Jordan Love had a strong performance at the Scouting Combine. Love looked the part at 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds, and he worked out well enough that there’s increasing chatter that he may be the third-best quarterback in the draft, behind Joe Burrow and Tua.

Looking forward to 2021

Tanking for Trevor.

March 1, 2020

Takeaways from Day 3 at the NFL combine

Defensive linemen and linebackers took the field Saturday night as the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine continued.

Isaiah Simmons' combine performance was mind-blowing.

The defensive unicorn didn't participate in positional drills but dominated in all athletic tests, displaying a unique skill set and elite physical traits. His 4.39 40-yard dash time was jaw-dropping, topping a handful of the NFL's premier players regardless of position. His 11-foot broad jump was equally impressive.

• Taller than DK Metcalf

• Heavier than Roquan Smith

• Faster than Devin Hester

• Jumps higher than Julio Jones

• More explosive than Alvin Kamara

Chase Young, who is not doing drills, is the assumed top defensive prospect in the 2020 class, but Simmons is right there.

Epenesa disappoints

A.J. Epenesa had every chance to make himself some money at Lucas Oil Stadium. Unfortunately, his results were mostly disappointing.

The Iowa product is known more for his pass rush technique and powerful hands than his athleticism, but his 5.05 40-yard dash and, more importantly, 1.81 10-yard split didn't quite hit the mark for a first-round defensive end. Most top players at the position hit under 1.7 seconds.

Epenesa avoided complete disaster and scored slightly better on his vertical and broad jumps (32.5 inches and 9-foot-9, respectively) but he failed to stand out in positional drills, struggling to display explosiveness and lateral agility on the field. He also scored a below-average 3-cone time of 7.34 seconds. He'll need to improve his results at the Hawkeyes' pro day.

Davis twins

It's not often you see a set of twins compete at the combine, let alone perform at the top of their position group.

Khalil and Carlos Davis, a pair of defensive lineman from Nebraska, put on a show Saturday. Khalil ran his 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds, while Carlos ran a 4.82. The former also ranked second at his position with 32 reps on the bench press. According to Next Gen Stats, the Davis twins produced the top two interior linemen athletic scores on the evening.

Simmons, Queen shine as LBs fly in 40-yard dash

Isaiah Simmons was the star of the show with a 4.39 run. The Clemson product cemented his status as one of the class' top players.

Here were the event's top performers:

Player School Time*

Isaiah Simmons Clemson 4.39

Willie Gay Jr. Mississippi State 4.46

Davion Taylor Colorado 4.49

Patrick Queen LSU 4.50

Top WR prospect Shenault to undergo surgery, out 4-6 weeks

Former Colorado wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. will undergo surgery and be out for four-to-six weeks after battling a core muscle injury and pubic bone inflammation, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Shenault initially opted to avoid surgery, choosing instead to run at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday. But the injury hasn't healed as expected.

The dynamic pass-catcher ran his 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds despite dealing with inflammation. He had hoped to participate fully in drills, but the injury limited him.

Shenault is a projected first-round pick.

Javelin Guidry

Former Utah cornerback Javelin Guidry ran a pair of 40s that were unofficially clocked at 4.3 seconds on Sunday and the official time went in the books at 4.29 seconds.

PREVIOUSLY ===============

February 29, 2020

Takeaways from Day 2 at the combine

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine continued Friday night with running backs, offensive linemen, and specialists taking the field for drills.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Height 5072

Weight 207

Bench 15

Arm 29

Hand 9.6

Don't discount Clyde Edwards-Helaire due to his size. The RB out of LSU rushed for over 1,300 yards last season, and he had an eye-popping day at the Combine yesterday.

The all-purpose back recorded impressive marks of 123 inches on the broad jump, and a shocking 39.5 inches on the vertical jumps, displaying his explosive lower body and quick feet. His 40-yard dash time of 4.6 seconds didn't stand out.

The first-team All-SEC selection likely won't be the first running back off the board come April, but he may be the most complete rusher in the 2020 class. After impressing during interviews and on the field at the combine, his stock is certainly on the rise.

Jonathan Taylor

RB Jonathan Taylor made a statement at Lucas Oil Stadium. The former Wisconsin star ran a blazing 4.39-second 40-yard dash at 226 pounds. He also put his change-of-direction skills on full display with a 7.01-second three-cone time.

Only RBs to weigh 225+ and hit a combine 40 under 4.45 since 2014:

Jonathan Taylor - 4.41 (2020)

Saquon Barkley - 4.40 (2018)

With the devaluation of running backs in today's NFL, and teams reluctant to use a first-round pick on the position the ex-Badger could go near the end of Day 1.

Mekhi Becton is this year's D.K. Metcalf

Becton, with his massive 6-foot-7, 346-pound frame, didn't disappoint. The Louisville product ran the 40-yard dash in an insane 5.1 seconds, including a 1.77-second 10-yard split. His time was the fastest ever by a player weighing over 350 pounds at the combine. Here's how he compared to the draft's other top tackle prospects:

Player - Weight - 40-yard dash time

Mekhi Becton 364 lbs 5.10 seconds

Austin Jackson 322 lbs 5.07 seconds

Tristan Wirfs 320 lbs 4.85 seconds

Josh Jones 319 lbs 5.27 seconds

Andrew Thomas 315 lbs 5.22 seconds

Jedrick Wills Jr. 312 lbs 5.05 seconds

Swift, Taylor among RB standouts in 40-yard dash

Former Wisconsin star Jonathan Taylor led all RB's with a time of 4.39 seconds. D'Andre Swift, another first-round hopeful, impressed with a 4.48-second run.

Player - School - Time

Jonathan Taylor Wisconsin 4.39

Darrynton Evans Appalachian State 4.41

Raymond Calais Louisiana-Lafayette 4.42

Anthony McFarland Jr. Maryland 4.44

Cam Akers Florida State 4.47

D'Andre Swift Georgia 4.48

Joshua Kelley UCLA 4.49

LeVante Bellamy Western Michigan 4.50

Ke'Shawn Vaughn Vanderbilt 4.51

AJ Dillon Boston College 4.53

Rico Dowdle South Carolina 4.54

JaMycal Hasty Baylor 4.55

Ben Bartch entered Division III St. John’s as a 250-pound TE. He weighed in as a top 309-pound offensive tackle. His weight gaining six-ingredient shake he threw in a blender?

7 eggs

Cottage cheese

Grits

Peanut butter

Banana

20 oz. of Gatorade 🤢

PREVIOUSLY ==============

February 28, 2020

Day 1 of the NFL combine

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine kicked off Thursday night, with quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends taking the field.

In the face!

USF TE Mitchell Wilcox took a fastball to the face after looking the wrong way for a ball in the crossing route drill. Props to the QB who threw the pass. Deadly accurate. However, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Wilcox popped a blood vessel in his left eye from the hit.

He ignored the pain and continued to go through the workout despite his vision obviously being affected. The video of the hit made the meme rounds on Twitter (see below.)

His pro day is scheduled for March 30 when he'll get a chance to redeem his pride.

Making Money

For as many impressive performances we saw, nobody made themselves more money than Denzel Mims and Chase Claypool.

If you watched Mims play at Baylor, you knew he was athletic. Mims posted a 4.38 40-yard dash, a 38.5-inch vertical, a 131-inch broad jump, and, perhaps most impressively, a 6.66 3-cone time. That combination of size, speed, explosiveness, and elite short-area quickness is unheard of for a receiver who weighs in at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds.

Claypool is an imposing 6-foot-4, 238 pounds. The Notre Dame product turned heads in the 40 with an official 4.42 time. That puts him alongside Calvin Johnson as one of only two receivers since 2006 to post a sub-4.45 run after measuring in at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds or bigger, according to NFL research. He had a 40.5-inch vertical.

Hurts impresses

Jalen Hurts ran for 1,323 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, and that speed was on display with a time of 4.59 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Punt king

Arizona State's punter, Michael Turk, put up 25 reps in the bench press. More than any wide receiver and more than a lot of the DE's.

Bench king

Fresno State's OL Netane Muti puts up 44 bench press reps.

Ruggs lives up to the hype

Henry Ruggs III certainly did not disappoint. The 4.27 40-yard dash is what everyone will be talking about, and for good reason. He didn't come all that close to challenging John Ross' combine record, as many had hoped, but Ruggs has elite speed. Ruggs III was forced to sit out the rest of the on-field drills after suffering a quad injury during his run.

Peoples-Jones

Michigan's Donovan Peoples-Jones had a 44.5-inch vertical, which is the second-best receiver mark since 2006. He also led this year's receiver class in the broad jump (139), and his 4.48 40-yard dash is plenty good for a 6-foot-2, 212-pound playmaker.

February 24, 2020

Hand measurements at the NFL combine

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has one thing on LSU's Joe Burrow: Tagovailoa’s official hand size measurements at the Scouting Combine included a 10-inch measurement for his left hand, but a 9-7/8 for his right.

Tagovailoa learned to throw with his left when he was a child but does pretty much everything else with his right.

Eyebrows were raised when Joe Burrow measured with a 9-inch hand this morning, definitely on the small side for what scouts want to see.

On the other end of the scale was Michigan State QB Brian Lewerke, who measured a gigantic 10 5/8 inches via Tom Pelisserio of NFLNetwork,

Previously ================

February 26, 2020

Combine weigh-ins to be done twice

The NFL has instituted a second weigh-in, just before players do their on-field workouts. A committee of General Managers requested the change, to make sure players are working out at their listed weights, as they do in a pro day setting.

For example, receivers were weighed and measured on Monday, but won’t run until Thursday night, and players’ bodies can change significantly in a short amount of time.

A number of players go to extreme measures to hit certain numbers during the pre-draft process.

A year ago, Florida State pass-rusher Brian Burns played at 230 pounds, but bulked up to 253 in two months for his Combine weigh-in (oh, you know, a 10 percent of his body weight increase). After proving he was the size of an actual NFL outside linebacker, the Panthers drafted him in the first round. Once he went through OTAs, he was back down to 243 by the middle of June, and he referred to the 253 as his “max weight.”

The swings won’t be as big in four days, but the league wants to make sure they’re getting a representative measurement.

2020 NFL Scouting Combine

Dates: Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 – Sun, Mar 1, 2020

Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

Combine coverage on NFL Network continues with seven hours of live coverage of the running backs, offensive linemen and special teams on Friday, February 28 at 4:00 PM ET, and seven hours of live coverage of the defensive linemen and linebackers on Saturday, February 29 at 4:00 PM ET.

NFL Network's Combine coverage concludes with five hours of live coverage of the defensive backs on Sunday, March 1 starting at 2:00 PM ET.

The NFL has invited 337 college prospects to participate in this year's scouting combine. Seventeen quarterbacks were given invites, including projected first-round picks Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Justin Herbert.

Among the schools with the most invited players are LSU with 16, Michigan and Ohio State with 11 each, and Alabama and Georgia with 10 apiece. The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine will be held from Feb. 27 to March 1 in Indianapolis.

Thursday, Feb 27

4-11 PM ET

TE, QB, WR

Tight ends, quarterbacks and wide receivers take the field for the first day of on-field workouts.

Friday, Feb 28

4-11 PM ET

PK, ST, OL, RB

Place kickers, special teams, offensive linemen, and running backs take the field for the second day of on-field workouts.

Saturday, Feb 29

4-11 PM ET

DL, LB

Defensive linemen and linebackers will take the field for day three of on-field workouts.

Sunday, Mar 1

2-7 PM ET

Watch as defensive backs take center stage and the incomparable return of #RunRichRun!

For complete combine results, go HERE http://www.nfl.com/combine/tracker#day=thursday

RELATED ====================

January 28, 2020

How players are selected to participate

Participants are determined annually by a Selection Committee. The Directors of both National and BLESTO scouting services, which combined represent twenty-five NFL teams, are joined by members of various NFL player personnel departments to form the committee.

The participating NFL executives can rotate on a yearly basis, and remain anonymous. ALL eligible players are reviewed and voted on by the committee members.

Each athlete receiving the necessary number of votes, by position, is then extended an invitation.

While it is not a perfect science, the goal of the committee is to invite every player that will be drafted in the ensuing NFL Draft.