The NFL draft combine started on Saturday Feb. 27, and will run until March 2. The offensive players performed drills this weekend, and the defensive players started on Monday. Every year there are players that do well and in turn, get drafted higher. There are also players who go the other way and lose a lot of money by dropping. Here are the five offensive players that helped their draft stock, and the five that hurt it.
Stock up
Dorin Dickerson-TE/WR-Pittsburgh - Dickerson is the classic tweener prospect for the NFL draft. He is an incredibly athletic football player that could play multiple positions at the next level. Dickerson first came to Pitt as a wide receiver, but soon got moved to linebacker. Dorin finally found a position that stuck when he switched to TE as a junior. Dickerson has greatly improved his draft stock by running a 4.40 forty-yard dash, and he really stood out in every drill at the combine. Dorin not only had the fastest forty time for tight ends, but the longest broad jump and the highest vertical leap. Dickerson caught the ball very well in positional drills, and showed that he has the ability to run crisp routes.
Golden Tate-WR-Notre Dame - Tate is definitely one of the most productive college wideouts in this year’s draft, but there have been other players getting more hype that did not produce as well. Tate showed his speed at the combine, running the fastest 40 sprint time of his group with a 4.42.
Most people did not think that Tate was this fast. Tate’s combine was mostly about ensuring people that there were reasons outside of the system that he was in for why he was so productive. Tate is a shorter wide receiver and is a Hines Ward type of receiver with more speed. He is the kind of player that will block and do the dirty work for you.
Jacoby Ford-WR-Clemson-Ford ran a blazing 4.28 40 sprint. Ford was not previously talked about as a top five wide out, but seems to be on the edge of that area after his performance at the combine. Ford caught the ball really well, but will need to work on his route running at the next level. He also reportedly had some really good interviews with some GMs and coaches.
Trent Williams-OT-Oklahoma - Williams was the top rated offensive tackle for the draft going into last season, but got jumped by many other players on many draft boards. Now, he is working his way back up to the top two or three tackles in people’s minds. He showed great footwork throughout his workout, and was giving his best effort during every drill. He even ran a 4.88 forty.
Bruce Campbell-OT-Maryland - Campbell was definitely a workout warrior. Campbell came in at a slimmed down 314 pounds and is 6’7”. Now that is a big guy, and not a guy you would expect to run a 4.85 forty. Campbell showed great footwork, and may have made himself a lot of money by putting himself into the first round.
Stock Down
Tim Tebow-QB-Florida-Tebow once again wowed in his interviews, and performed great in the tests, but what scouts wanted to see from Tebow is his arm. Everyone knew that he was a high character guy that was really athletic. Tebow has been shown changing his throwing delivery recently, and he wanted to hold off on throwing for scouts until his pro day when he would have had an ample amount of time to work on his new throwing motion. For right now Tebow’s stock is down.
However, if he shows up to his pro day without the long arcing loop in his throwing motion and can show a quick release, his stock will skyrocket. We know he's strong, fast, athletic, a great leader, and that he has the heart and work ethic to perform at the NFL, but can he throw the ball quickly and accurately?
Jermaine Gresham-TE-Oklahoma- Gresham came out early as a junior this year after missing his whole junior season from injury. Going into the season he was the top rated tight end prospect, and one of the top prospects of the whole draft. Now, he is he struggling to be considered a top three tight end in the draft. He needed a big workout at the combine to get back on track, but throughout his workout he could not show the amazing athleticism when he was healthy. He didn’t catch well, and his routes just looked lazy. He is going to have to have a great workout at Oklahoma’s pro day to get back into the front of the draft.
Taylor Price-WR-Ohio- Price was athletically impressive, but that is what everyone already knew he was. Price needed to come into the combine ready to catch the ball, to run crisp routes, and to show a tough effort every time out. He did none of the three. Price has already been labeled as lazy, and that is a tough label to get rid of when you get a ball thrown to you by Tony Pike and you don’t even put your hands out. It seemed like Pike may have overthrown him, but the ball dropped quickly and would have been an easy catch if he would have tried.
Vladimir Ducasse-OT-Massachusetts- Ducasse has been looked at as one of the top small-school prospects. He is a huge man at 6’5” and 330 pounds
Ducasse wanted to come in and show that he was quicker and more athletic than previously thought, but instead he just looking slow and clumsy. His footwork was very poor, and he just didn’t seem to have much motivation at all.
Quarterbacks- The quarterback position in this draft is the weakest position. Outside of Jimmy Clausen, Sam Bradford is the only top quarterback in this draft, and even then there are many questions about Bradford that can only be answered by a chance to play in the NFL. Colt McCoy, Dan LeFevour, Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen all joined Tebow as quarterbacks who did not throw. The only quarterback that really stood out during the workouts was WVU’s Jarrett Brown.
He ran a 4.54 40 sprint and showed off a really nice arm. Brown only had one season as a starter, and is looked at as a late pick, but could have helped himself. However, he seems to be the only quarterback to do so.
For more info on the NFL draft and to see my five up five down defensive players, check out my blog at http://pintos.wordpress.com
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