Combine Stars
 

Every year there are players whom most people aren't aware of who put up superior numbers at the combine, the most significant of which is the 40 yard dash for all players and the bench press for linemen. Does their speed, power, and athleticism translate to what they can do on the football field? Or are they just workout warriors? This thread will compile a list of the top relatively unknown performers from the scouting combine with my take on them.

TE:

AC Leonard, TE, Tennessee State, Junior:

Measurables: 6' 2.3", 252 pounds, 33 inch arms, 9 1/4 inch hands

40 time: Low: 4.43, High: 4.56, Official: 4.5

Jumps: 10'8" broad jump, 32.5" vert

Background: Transferred out of Florida after legal issues involving an altercation with his girlfriend. He played behind Jordan Reed while he was at Florida.

Positives: His speed and explosiveness translates to his play on the field. He has good RAC ability for a TE, which is the reason why Tenn. State used him on sweeps and reverse plays. He is a solid pass catcher and shows good ball skills. He displays the ability to use different gears to lull defenders to sleep and surprise them with a sudden increase in acceleration in order to get open on a route. He has the ability to take the top off of a defense and flashes the awareness to get open in a zone coverage. When he decisively fires off of the line to get into his route pattern, he looks like a dangerous threat in the middle.

Negatives: Although he displays a decent ability to block sometimes, he loses leverage too much and will get thrown around by NFL level defenders if he doesn't improve on his hand usage and leverage. He looks more like a big WR than he does a TE. He can be sloppy in his route running and needs to improve his hand usage and power in getting away from more physical defenders. He is more finesse than he is physical without the ball in his hands. He needs to improve his aggressiveness when firing off the line in the run game and passing game; I don't like how he tends to start out slow in an attempt to get open with a sudden burst of acceleration, it will get him in trouble with safeties and LBs who will press him at the line. He looks like he doesn't play with 100% effort all of the time. His altercation with his former GF is a red flag.

Overview: Leonard is an athletically gifted TE who can truly threaten a defense on all levels of the field; the numbers that he put up at the combine are reflected in his play on the field. Like almost every college TE, he needs a lot of improvement on the consistency of his blocking and route running. He needs to improve his tenacity at the point of attack in the run game in order to be a better blocker. Teams will be concerned, and rightly so, about his character off the field and whether or not he has taken any real steps towards changing and becoming a better person. His upside and best fit in the NFL is as a H-Back similar to Hernandez (before he got caught for killing people) and Delanie Walker with better hands(when he was with SF). He could be a steal for someone in the middle rounds but it all depends on his character whether or not he can become a successful NFL player, and more importantly, a good human being.

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C/OG:

Russell Bodine, C/OG, North Carolina, Junior:

Measurables: 6' 3.1", 310 pounds, 32 1/2" arms, 10 inch hands

Bench: 42 reps (led all OL)

40 time: Low: 5.13, High: 5.18, Official: 5.18, 10 yrd Split: 1.72; 3-cones: 8.26 secs; Short Shuttle: 4.66

Jumps: 9'1" broad

Background: 2 year starter for the Tarheels, pretty clean off the field.

Positives: He does a good job pulling and getting to the second level; he's pretty effective in the screen game as well. Good angle blocker who is able to latch on and control his defender from the side. He flashes the ability to drive his defender off of the ball; he plays with great effort and is tenacious and active as a blocker. He did a pretty good job and held up pretty well when he was lined up against Pitt's potential 1st round DT in Aaron Donald. Smart player who understands his blocking schemes/assignments; good versatility in his ability to play both Guard and Center.

Negatives: One thing I notice is that he struggles with length, longer DTs can get into his pads and neutralize his power. He struggles to re-anchor and recover when he gets beat by either a speed or bull rush. His strength isn't always reflected in his blocking; he doesn't have a particularly powerful or violent punch and is more of a catcher. He has slow feet and gets turned around too easily in pass protection. He drops his head a lot and tends to lunge too often. I don't like how often I saw him getting walked back into the lap of his QB, tells me that, while he may have great weight room strength, it's not really functional.

Overview: Bodine made a mistake in declaring so early for the draft. He has too many areas of his game that need work and is a few years removed from being ready to play in the NFL. He needs to improve his ability to anchor and his hand usage. While he shows good movement skills in his ability to pull and swing out on run plays and screen plays, his poor pass blocking technique is going to keep him off the field. The straight line speed that he displayed at the combine is there in his tape, but his bench press numbers are fluff. He's a project.

He wear's #60.

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OT/OG:

Matt Patchan, OT/OG, Boston College, Senior:

Measurables: 6' 6.2", 302 pounds, 33" arm length, 9 3/8" hands

Bench: 22 reps (lower than I like)

40 time: Low: 4.84, High: 4.90, Official: 4.97, 10 yrd split: 1.59 secs (fastest among the OL group)

Jumps: 32" vert

Background: Played 11 games as a freshman along the DL. He has an extensive injury list: Oct. 2009 ACL tear that made him miss all of 2010 as well; back injury that made him miss Florida's bowl game vs Ohio State in 2011; and he missed all of 2012 due to a pectoral injury that he got during summer camp. However, in 2013, he managed to start in all 12 games for the Golden Eagles after transferring from Florida. Former top 20 college recruit who had an up and down college career due to injury.

Positives: Patchan was a very good run blocker for BC and helped the Eagles average 218.1 yards a game on the ground. He has a strong punch that he uses regularly to drive defenders out of the hole and stone pass rushers; he plays with controlled aggression and finishes his blocks well. He is patient in his pass blocking sets and doesn't panic when a defender gets under his pads, he is able to re-anchor consistently. His speed and athleticism is on display whenever he is run blocking or releasing for a screen play; he does a good job at getting to the second level and could be moved inside to OG and fill in for either tackle position. He's pretty good at dealing with speed rushers due to his patience and athleticism.

Negatives: His injury history is a big knock on him; he hasn't been able to stay healthy until last season when he played at BC. Patchan also needs to add more strength because he can get driven back by bull rushers when he lets his pad level get too high in pass protection. He needs to improve his knee bend and be more consistent with keeping his pad level down. His lack of arm length can also hurt him on the outside, he may need to consider a move inside.

Overview: Patchan is a good player who needs to add more bulk and power to his frame in order to withstand the power rushers and rigors of the NFL. If he can remain healthy, I believe that he has a bright future ahead of him.

He is #77, LT.
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OG

Trai Turner, OG, LSU, Sophmore (RS):

Measurables: 6' 2.5", 310 pounds, 34" arms, 9 1/2" hands.

Bench: 25 reps (much lower than I anticipated)

40 time: 4.84, Official: 4.93, 10 yrd split: 1.72

Background: Pretty clean player, redshirted his freshman year and played in 25 games with 20 starts for the LSU Tigers. Was moved from OT to OG where he anchored the RG position.

Positives: The first thing that stands out on tape about Turner is his power and quickness; he had 64 knockdowns in his second year of starting. He plays with an aggressive edge to him that allows him to maximize his power; once he latches his hands on a defender it's over. He uses his long arms well and consistently delivers a powerful punch to the body of the defender. He's an exceptional run blocker and his athleticism shows up on tape.

Negatives: Unrefined, he's a raw player who should have stayed in school for at least another year. Sometimes his aggression gets the best of him and he can be caught out of position in pass blocking, needs to improve his patience as a pass blocker in order to become more effective in the NFL. His pass blocking technique needs work; he wins with his pure athleticism, raw power, and aggression at the college level but that won't be enough against veteran NFL DL players. He needs to learn to keep his head up.

Overview: Turner is too raw of a player at the moment to immediately start in the NFL; he won't be able to consistently win with just his power and aggression alone at the next level. With good coaching and more experience, I can see Turner becoming a dominant player at his position.

He's #56. Here are some examples of him in pass protection.

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Run Blocking:
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another combine star so far

martavis Bryant almost 6-4 210lbs unofficial 4.34.

it will be interesting to see what la'damian Washington runs

RB/Slot WR

Dri Archer, RB/WR/KR, Kent State, Senior:

Measurables: 5' 7.3", 173 pounds, 31" arm length, 8 7/8" hands.

Bench: 20 reps

40 time: 4.26 official time

Jumps: 38" vert, 10'2" broad

Background: Played multiple positions in college: He lined up at RB, WR, and was a dynamic kick returner for Kent State. He played as a backup in 2009 to 2010 and didn't start until 2012 where he exploded on the scene for 1,429 yards rushing on 159 attempts for 16 TDs and 561 receiving yards on 39 catches for 4 TDs. He missed time in 2013 due to a bad ankle injury that he suffered in his first game of the season.

Positives: In one word: Dynamite. Archer is the most explosive player in this draft and it shows on the field. When he is given a lane to run through, expect him to get through the hole and into the secondary faster than any player currently in the NFL. He uses his pure speed and explosion to get open when lining up in the slot and has good hands and ball skills to bring the ball in. He is a phenomenal kick returner and is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball; his straight-line speed is second to none and he has the ability to just eliminate angles. Contrary to what people might think, he is a very tough runner who isn't afraid to mix it up and lower his pads into a defender. He plays with a very high motor and doesn't give up on plays. Instinctively, he shows the patience to wait for his blocking to develop and the ability to shoot through the hole once a lane opens up. He showed the ability to play the slot position as Kent State used him there more often as his career progressed.

Negatives: He is small and has a thin lower body, he goes down too easily on first contact even if it's just an arm tackle; if the blocking isn't there, don't expect Archer to be able to create plays by himself like power runners such as Lynch and AP can. He can be easily tripped by opposing players and doesn't get very many yards after contact. For a player of his stature, he runs too high most of the time which negates any power he might have; it also affects his balance on some cuts and prevents him from translating his explosive power laterally. He runs like a track guy, elite straight-line speed but just average cutting power and ability. Sometimes, like Barry Sanders, he tries too hard to make a big play and ends up losing yards instead.

Overview: For Archer to succeed in the NFL, he will have to do it in the slot position and as a kick returner. He'll have to make the switch like McCluster did and dedicate himself to becoming a good WR. I believe that his perfect fit would actually be with us, the Kansas City Chiefs, because Reid's offensive scheme really takes advantage of getting players open in space instead of always trying to force guys to win their 1 on 1 match-ups. Archer could provide us with the game breaking plays that only Charles is currently able to produce on a regular basis. I would have no problem with drafting Archer as soon as the 4th round as long as Reid has a plan for him.

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RB Jerick McKinnon - go look at his stats from the combine.

Mike Mamula, Vernon Gholston and Darius Heywood-Bey
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Mike Mamula - Andy Reid liked him.

Nope. 3 or 4 years before Reid.
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[QUOTE=OldSchool;10448926]RB/Slot WR

Dri Archer, RB/WR/KR, Kent State, Senior:
40 time:[B] 4.

if the blocking isn't there, don't expect Archer to be able to create plays by himself like power runners such as Lynch and AP can.
Insightful.

He can be easily tripped THAT'S ****ING ILLEGALby opposing players and doesn't get very many yards after contact. For a player of his stature, he runs too high most of the time which negates any power he might have; it also affects his balance on some cuts and prevents him from translating his explosive power laterally. He runs like a track guy, elite straight-line speed but just average cutting power and ability. Sometimes, like Barry Sanders, he tries too hard to make a big play and ends up losing yards instead.

Overview: For Archer to succeed in the NFL, he will have to do it in the slot position and as a kick returner. He'll have to make the switch like McCluster did and dedicate himself to becoming a good WR. I believe that his perfect fit would actually be with us, the Kansas City Chiefs, because Reid's offensive scheme really takes advantage of getting players open in space instead of always trying to force guys to win their 1 on 1 match-ups. Archer could provide us with the game breaking plays that only Charles is currently able to produce on a regular basis. I would have no problem with drafting Archer as soon as the 4th round as long as Reid has a plan for him.


An excellent effort.

This is where I draw the line on the analysis. While he certainly is a hybrid slot/rb type, definitely going to be a returner, I don't think he'd fit all that well into our system here in KC. While his size will draw comparisons to McCluster, I don't find the two comparable in the way that they run.

From the limited highlight reels I've watched, especially highlighted in the ones you posted, he doesn't attack defenders with his pad level. He seems to avoid contact if given the opportunity, and his vision between the tackles leaves a lot to be desires. In the open field, he looks pretty good, though he seems to have a serious problem with his stability, despite being exceptionally gifted with agility and jump cuts. I don't believe he's got a quick enough first step to really cut it against against man/pressman coverage in the slot, and seriously lacks the physicality to engage and get open when in man/pressman.

I know a lot of people hate McCluster on this forum because we reached on him and he hasn't put up JC's numbers when asked to, but he plays with all heart, attacks defenders and fights for every single inch he can possibly scrape up (the countless highlights of him diving and rolling for extra yards underneath guys shins), and he's not afraid to get across the middle.

At the next level, I don't don't see Archer transitioning well into a pure slot receiver type. I believe that his best usage is going to come as a 3rd down back type, catching balls out of the backfield in open space where he can really make some moves and use his elusiveness to get the extra yardage to convert those 3rd and mid/long types.

Also, I'd like to add John Brown here, guy looked great in his drills yesterday, from Pitt State, so you know we've got scout coverage on him to some degree ahead of many other teams, looks like an absolutely solid slot receiver/returner. Very fast, very quick first step, and tracks the ball pretty well with some decent hands.

Only cons I can find so far are his hand size (pretty tiny), and his route running needing some polish to it.

What I really would like to find is some footage of him in some jump ball scenarios to see how he manipulates his smaller frame against larger corners and safeties.

Extremely limited tape on the guy.

CB

Phillip Gaines, CB, Rice, Senior

Measurables: 6' .3", 193 lbs, 31 7/8" arms, 9 5/8" hands.

Bench Reps: 11

40 time: 4.35 unofficial, 4.38 official

3-cone: 6.62

Short Shuttle: 4.04

Background: Played CB at Rice. He was a dominant CB in his senior year. He was targeted 40 times in 2013 and allowed 13 receptions while making 4 INTs with 9 PBUs, 32.5% success rate. He has 38 PBUs in his career at Rice which is their career record. Gaines had legal troubles in 2011 when he was arrested for possession of 2 ounces or less of weed.

Positives: Aggressive defender in coverage, he plays fearlessly and isn't afraid to challenge receivers at the line. He's experienced as a press-corner and looks comfortable in the zone as well. He has great ball skills and broke up a ton of passes when playing at Rice. He has tremendous speed and quickness to mirror even the fastest WRs to go along with his good length, great closing speed. He was left on an island for most of his career and performed at a high level in that role; shows good awareness in coverage to fall off his man and make a play on the ball when it is thrown elsewhere. Very fluid athlete who is a willing tackler.

Negatives: Needs to improve his technique to in order to be more effective as a press corner (though he is fine in his trail technique). Struggles to get off of blocks in the run game; needs to add more strength to deal with WRs blocking him or improve his physicality at the point of attack. Needs to do a better job of catching the ball when he gets an opportunity.

Overview: Gaines is a confident, aggressive, and physical corner who has the potential to become a top cover corner in the NFL in either zone or press-man schemes. He has all of the tools to succeed but could stand to improve his strength, teams also have to check out his character. I would take him as soon as the 4th round in this draft in order to improve our pass coverage.

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If by 'tape' you mean 'YouTube clips' then sure. But there's just as much actual gametape on John Brown as there is for any player in the country. All of the MIAA conference schools have multiple cameras at every game.