Players you're most curious about at the Combine?

[patchick]

If a guy has started for 3 years in the SEC, you wouldn't expect anything at the Combine to override what he's already shown on the field. But for small school players and rawer prospects there's a bit more at stake. What players do you expect to actually learn about from their Combine performances?

3 of mine:

DT Sammie Lee Hill, Stillman
DE/OLB Aaron Maybin, Penn State
ILB/OLB Lee Robinson, Alcorn State

 

[Metaphors]

DE Michael Johnson...if he shows up prepared and aces the measurables, that is a good sign. If he shows potential dropping in coverage (assuming he tests at LB), then the Pats should take a serious 2nd look at his college tape.

You should start an adopt-a-player thread where folks can report results/impressions on their combine favs.

 

[Clonamery]

DE Michael Johnson...if he shows up prepared and aces the measurables, that is a good sign. If he shows potential dropping in coverage (assuming he tests at LB), then the Pats should take a serious 2nd look at his college tape.

You should start an adopt-a-player thread where folks can report results/impressions on their combine favs.

That's a lot of 'ifs.'

 

[Clonamery]

I'll go with these 3:

CB Christopher Owens, San Jose State
DE Zach Potter, Nebraska
DL Khalif Mitchell, East Carolina

 

[Nestapats]

Cornelius Ingram?

 

[dryheat44]

I want to see how fluid Sean Smith is in the CB drills. That and the usual shuttle runs for the WR and CB and OLB candidates.

 

[mike100915]

RB Mike Goodson Texas A&M. This is my binky for the upcoming draft. Goodson woulld be an excellent addition to the backfield, someone they can develop and add an element of speed; something lacking out of this backfield.

 

[bakes781]

I wanna see how WR, Brandon Tate of UNC runs after coming back from an ACL tear. Prior to his injury he was projected by some as a 1st round pick.

As a football fan I wanna watch Mark Sanchez throw and see if he can surpass Stafford for the #1 spot.

 

[Seneschal2]

What players do you expect to actually learn about from their Combine performances?

Too many to list. I'm interested in all of the DB and WR numbers. Want to see if a CB has any leaping ability, overall speed, etc. Interested in a WR's quicks off the mark and in and out of his cuts. Flexibility for all players. Is Pascoe too lumbering to succeed? There's more...

 

[mayoclinic]

If a guy has started for 3 years in the SEC, you wouldn't expect anything at the Combine to override what he's already shown on the field. But for small school players and rawer prospects there's a bit more at stake. What players do you expect to actually learn about from their Combine performances?

3 of mine:

DT Sammie Lee Hill, Stillman
DE/OLB Aaron Maybin, Penn State
ILB/OLB Lee Robinson, Alcorn State

Nice list. Some other folks I'm interested in watching:

- Sean Smith, CB/S, Utah.
- Connor Barwin, DE/LB, Cincinnati
- Jarron Gilbert, DE/DT, San Jose St.
- Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech - NOT because I would consider him for the Pats, but because I hope he wow's the combine and moves into the top 20 and pushes more options down to us.
- Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee. Interested to see what his mobility and agility are like, especially his 3-cone. He was a high school ILB and has played different positions for Tennessee including some LB.

 

[Seneschal2]

Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech - NOT because I would consider him for the Pats, but because I hope he wow's the combine and moves into the top 20 and pushes more options down to us.

I agree (not w/ Johnson), but hoping come CB or WR blazes the 40, moves into the first, sliding a Pats prospect downward.

Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee. Interested to see what his mobility and agility are like, especially his 3-cone. He was a high school ILB and has played different positions for Tennessee including some LB.

Also interested in Ayers. BB likes the SEC, (and the Tenn uniforms) -- can't think of a better reason.

 

[mayoclinic]

I agree (not w/ Johnson), but hoping come CB or WR blazes the 40, moves into the first, sliding a Pats prospect downward.

I'm praying that Vontae Davis blows away the combine and becomes a top 10-15 pick again, and that Malcolm Jenkins runs under 4.45. I would also be happy to see both Sanchez and Stafford look great, and to see BJ Raji look less than stellar so that he comes down a bit form his current pedestal. Would also like to see Will Moore look good and confuse people some more, and Herman Johnson look good (he's supposedly lost 30 lbs. since the Senior Bowl) to the same effect as with Moore.

The more non-Pats players excel, the more talent gets pushed down to us.

 

[mayoclinic]

Sorry, forgot to mention but I'm really rooting that Darius Heyward-Bey blows away the combine and becomes top 20, and that Maclin wows people and solidifies himself as a top-10 pick.

 

[My2Cents]

CB-Sean Smith, Utah - I expect a big jump into round 1, and a ton of "buzz."

DE-Everrett Brown, FSU- Needs to do something special to hold off English.

DT-Ron Brace, BC -Powerful. Could outperform BJ Raji and most others at DT.

FS-Rashad Johnson, 'Bama -He's answered all questions but his speed, so far.

CB-Mike Mickens, Cin - If he proves healthy and runs a 4.4, he's the #3 CB.

CB-Joe Burnett, UCF - If he can run a 4.4, he'll shoot up to round 2-3.

CB/FS-Sean Smalls, UMass - Again, speed is in question. He could climb.

LB-Darry Beckwith, LSU - Needs to prove healthy or he may go undrafted!

DE-Robert Ayers, Tenn- A good 40 moves the 4 star LB recruit back to LB.

DE-Aaron Maybin, PSU- Raw and *undisciplined* but athleticism will impress.

TE-Cornelius Ingram, Florida- Come back from torn ACL needs to prove 100%.

WR-Jarrett Dillard, Rice- Scouts rave about his hands and routes, but speed?

WR-Austin Collie, BYU-Collie is in the same situation as Dillard but less speed.

RB-Shonne Greene, Iowa-If he can run a 4.4, he may be the top back taken.

RB-Andre Brown, NC St- Already pushing round two, could shoot up higher.

RB-Rashard Jennings, Liberty -Only a slim margin separates Jennings and Brown.

 

[upstater1]

4.4 for Greene at 235 pounds? He's a bulky back.

The top burners in this draft, Moreno and McCoy, won't break a 4.4, and they are 30 pounds lighter than Greene.

 

[dryheat44]

I'm praying that Vontae Davis blows away the combine and becomes a top 10-15 pick again, and that Malcolm Jenkins runs under 4.45. I would also be happy to see both Sanchez and Stafford look great, and to see BJ Raji look less than stellar so that he comes down a bit form his current pedestal. Would also like to see Will Moore look good and confuse people some more, and Herman Johnson look good (he's supposedly lost 30 lbs. since the Senior Bowl) to the same effect as with Moore.

The more non-Pats players excel, the more talent gets pushed down to us.

So basically, you want the players you want the Patriots to draft perform below expectations, and the players you don't want the Patriots to draft to perform lights out.

I think that's a common sentiment, but what are you going to be watching for specifically, if anything?

 

[mayoclinic]

So basically, you want the players you want the Patriots to draft perform below expectations, and the players you don't want the Patriots to draft to perform lights out.

I think that's a common sentiment, but what are you going to be watching for specifically, if anything?

Bingo. :agree:

Of course you're right, that's too much to expect. Other than Raji I didn't mention anyone I like performing "below expectations". I don't expect Raji to do poorly, but I think that after his Senior Bowl high he will likely come down a bit at the combine, as combine drills won't play to his forte and will allow others to shoot up a bit.

What I would like is to see solid but not spectacular performances from players whom I think are good fits for the Pats, combined with "lights out" performances form workout warriors whom I don't particularly want. DHB has Chad Jackson written all over him; I want him to blow away the combine so that Chicago takes him at #18. No matter how fast he runs I would take Alphonso Smith and DJ Moore over Vontae Davis at CB; etc. I don't want Michael Johnson as a DE/LB conversion no matter how great he works out, and I hope he does so well that Washington jumps all over him at #13, or Houston at #15. I hope Chris Wells blows away the combine with his size/speed ratio and becomes a top-15 pick again. I hope that Michael Oher's athleticism makes people forget his inconsistency and puts him back in the top 10. I would be thrilled if Brian Cushing blows people away. I hope that William Moore makes people forget his senior season and Senior Bowl and becomes a late 1st round pick again. And I truly hope that Josh Freeman looks like the second coming of God so that the Jets jump all over him at #17 (or, better yet, trade up to get him).

I would be quite happy if Clint Sintim looks a little stiff and athletically limited, if Sean Smith runs around a 4.45 40 and looks good but not 100% convincing as a big CB prospect, if Connor Barwin shows good athletic ability but appears a bit raw and awkward in LB drills, if Eric Wood looks athletically limited, if William Beatty doesn't put up a lot of reps and looks a bit on the weak side to be a franchise LT, if Robert Ayers and Larry English show a good shuttle time but less than stellar speed off the edge, if Brian Robiskie runs a 4.6 40, if Sammie Lee Hill looks a bit on the "soft" side (he's gained a fair amount of weight in the past year), if Jarrett Dillard looks slow, if Joe Burnet runs a 4.5 40, etc. And I'm happy that Devin Moore didn't get an invite at all. The Pats are going to look at more than their 40 and shuttle times, or how many reps they can do at 225# on the bench press. A lot of teams are more likely to be swayed by combine numbers than the Pats (not that we are immune, as Chad Jackson proved).

As I've said before, I love the combine. It allows freakish athletes to impress people and lets football players fall to the good teams. Where would we be without all the Jamarcus Russells, Vernon Gholstons, Vernon Davis', Troy Williamsons, Kyle Bollars, DeWayne Robertsons, etc.?

 

[My2Cents]

Actually, many scouts believe Shonn Greene has sub 4.4 speed,
and I agree. He just needs to be in the ballpark. A 4.45 will do.

http://iowa.scout.com/2/834412.html

 

[upstater1]

Actually, many scouts believe Shonn Greene has sub 4.4 speed,
and I agree. He just needs to be in the ballpark. A 4.45 will do.

Scout.com: NFL Draft: Greene Gearing Up for Combine

I read your link. It doesn't say anything about a scout thinking he has sub 4.4 speed. That would be the fastest 235+ pound RB in NFL history.

Also, campus 40's are notorious because they are usually timed by hand. You always hear about certain schools with blazing skill players, and then they get to the electronic timing of the combines, and it's a different story.

Greene himself says: "Where do you think you need to be time wise to help yourself in this draft or where would you like to be for the scouts?

I would like to be somewhere in the high 4.4s, like 4.47-4.49. That’s pretty good. The highest would be like a 4.52. If I can stay in the area from like 4.47 to 4.52, I think I’ll be good. "

I love Greene, I think he's a fantastic back, but if he gets to 4.4, I want the Patriots taking him in the first round.

 

[bakes781]

I only put value on the 40 time when it comes to WRs and CBs.