NFL Combine: Speed is the Name of the Game

Several things that I noticed from Sundays combines. I was lucky enough to be assigned coverage of the quarterbacks and Wide Receivers on behalf of the Pro Football Writers of America. If speed is your game than this year’s group did not disappoint as 17 wide receivers ran 40 times of 4.4 or better.  This may have been the fastest WR group in combine history.

Quaterbacks

Heisman Trophy winner and Texas A&M signal caller Johnny Manziel, Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, and Fresno State’s Derek Carr did not participate in throwing drills to wide receivers. Their agents may have requested they stay stay idle but what may have ensued could come back to hurt them regardless of what they do on their individual pro days. Other quarterback’s seized the moment in their absences.

University of Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles now looks to be the odds-on-favorite to the be the Houston Texans’ overall number one pick in the upcoming NFL draft if the team keeps that pick and goes for an offensive player. He was the only top quarterback to throw and that should cement his status as the true Number One quarterback in the draft. His size and arm strength were on display during the morning workouts. He has great touch on his passes and has a certain command on the field.  I was really impressed with his mechanics as he got the ball out quickly. He may need some work on his drops but that should not keep the Texans from shying away. New Houston head coach Bill O’Brien, who recently worked at Penn State with freshman phenom Christian Hackenberg, must notice that Bortles looks very close in stature — if not bigger — than his former QB.

Tajh Boyd from Clemson certainly has arm strength but his accuracy needs work. He is trying to convince scouts that he is more than just a great athlete.

David Fales from San Jose State made some great deep ball throws and may have opened a few eyes… at least where I was sitting I could see some scouts were impressed.

Wide Receivers

With all of the talent that was on display during the wide receiver drills, it was hard to narrow down a few from the group but there were a couple that stood out.

Kelvin Benjamin out of Florida State is imposing. At a legit 6’5′ and 240lbs., the guy showed soft hands and more speed than I was expecting. I liken him to a bigger (albeit not as polished) version of Larry Fitzgerald. He ran all of the routes that Kansas City Chiefs WR Coach David Culley asked and I was impressed with his awareness as he seems to know where he is on the field at all times.

Sammy Watkins from Clemson wowed with his athleticism.  His top end speed and quickness to break on the ball were something to see. He had a few drops but nothing that will keep him from being one of the top three receivers taken of the board early in the first round.

Mike Evans from Texas A&M looks as advertised — his size jumps out as soon as you see him. He looks more like a strong safety than an elite wide out. His 40 time of 4.4 should solidify his place as an early first rounder.

Oregon State WR Brandon Cooks, who clearly was one of the three fastest players here at the combine posting a 4.33-yard-40, showed smooth route running and power out of his cuts.

Ohio State’s Philly Brown looked impressive and ran all of the routes with precision and confidence. He could be a mid round steel for a team in need of wide out depth.

Jared Abbrederis from Wisconsin could be the new likes of Wes Welker or Julian Edleman as he has power and soft hands to man the middle of the field in the slot.

Another receiver that caught my eye was sleeper Brandon Coleman. The Rutgers player listed in at 6’6′, 225 lbs. He may need to work more on his route-running — specifically in getting out of them — as he tends to run upright and this keeps him from exploding out of his cuts. But his size and hands were really impressive. He is yet another player who could be an asset for teams looking to upgrade their size at WR or get help in their red zone offense.

Martavis Bryant out of Clemson may have played in the shadows of guys like Watkins and DeAndre Thompkins the past two seasons but his combine skills showcased that he is a legit player.  He posted one of the top 40 times in posting an impressive 4.42. He showed good hands — which have been a major concern for scouts — and top end speed to go along with size and power.  Listing at 6’4″, 211 lbs., I think he has pushed himself into a 3rd round selection at worst.