The annual NFL Combine is here, sparking much of the same hysteria and overvalue for occasionally meaningless workouts as in the past. But intertwined with all of the unnecessary hype behind “shocking” 40-yard dash times and surprisingly low bench press marks — all of which I am guilty of taking part in — are some interesting things to take note of as some of the NFL’s future stars stand in the spotlight.
On day one, the offensive linemen, tight ends and specialists took the stage. The 2013 NFL draft is considered to be one of the most talent-heavy of all-time in terms of offensive linemen and, as a result, the group of prospects in attendance got a lot of attention.
Here are some of my takeaways from the afternoon:
- Oklahoma’s Lane Johnson and Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Terron Armstead may ride their combine hype to the bank. Both offensive linemen gave themselves a nice boost during the day’s first test — the 40-yard dash. While Johnson’s achievement — an impressive time of 4.72 seconds — was expected. Armstead lit up Twitter with an outstanding unofficial time of 4.65. His official time was still the best among offensive linemen at 4.71, and is better than or equal to five running backs from last year’s combine. Something to note: the Houston Texans’ Arian Foster, one of the NFL’s best running backs, ran a 4.69 back in 2009.
- I’m not impressed by Alabama guard Chance Warmack. Considered one of the draft’s top prospects, I expected a better performance from the 6-foot-2, 317-pound lineman. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock has made it a point that he believes Warmack is the best player available in the entire draft. But the 21-year-old showed poor footwork and athleticism throughout the day. He ran a 5.49-second, 40-yard dash which would have been meaningless had his 10-yard split been more impressive. It wasn’t. At 1.83 seconds, it showed poor burst from the former Crimson Tide standout off of the line of scrimmage. Game tape from Alabama’s game against the Michigan Wolverines early in the season reveals similar concerns. He didn’t do much better in the following drill, stumbling over his feet and moving without any fluidity.
- Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert should be the first tight end off the board in April. He posted solid workout numbers that really just solidify his standing as the top tight end in this year’s draft. He shows great speed (ran a 4.68-second 40-yard dash), great hands and is also a dependable in-line blocker. Like his predecessor Kyle Rudolph of the Minnesota Vikings, Eifert projects as an all-around talent capable of making an impact on every play from day one.
- Similar to Eifert, Stanford’s Zach Ertz did well enough at the combine to ensure he will be one of the top two tight ends taken. I rank him behind Eifert, but the the two men are interchangeable among most. Ertz showed good speed with a 4.76-second 40-yard dash and an even better burst off of the line with a 1.62 10-yard split. The former Cardinal made a sweet over-the-shoulder grab down the field during positional drills and ran solid routes. With San Diego State’s Gavin Escobar putting on a subpar showing, Ertz (as well as Eifert) should still be a late-first or early-second round option.
- Combine performances don’t mean everything. That’s the most vital thing to remember in all of this. Top offensive tackles Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher didn’t set the world on fire, but they didn’t do terribly enough to cause any concern either. For most, the true definition of a prospect can be found on the game film. There’s a ton of highlight reel showing promise for both of these players.
- Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o handled his press conference valiantly. Met with questions that encompassed everything but football — namely the Lennay Kekua “catfish” scandal — Te’o held his composure and answered everything sent his way. He was professional and honest at the podium, garnering my respect at the very least. Should he handle interviews with the teams as well as he did the media, Te’o should have nothing to worry about. A great performance in combine drills should make him a lock to go within the top 20 picks of the draft. Te’o is just eager to leave the past behind.
“It’s been a hard but tremendous ride,” Te’o told reporters. “Hopefully after this I’ve answered the things I needed to answer and we can move on with football.”
Louis Musto is a contributor for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.