NFL PING
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Posted on 02/26/2008 3:25:40 PM PST by The Pack Knight
We asked NFL scout and draft partner Frank Coyle of draftinsiders.com to pick out some players who have helped - and hurt - themselves thus far at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Monday: Helping their cause
DE Chris Long, Virginia
This blue-chip defender ran excellent 4.71 and 4.77 times with a 34-inch vertical leap. His agility drill numbers were equal to any linebacker in an excellent showing. His overall effort was one of the best of the event. He did not lift, but will at the Virginia pro day.
DE/LB Cliff Avril, Purdue
Classic defensive "tweener" hopes to follow the Purdue tradition of turning out top edge pass rushers. He ran fine 4.51 and 4.56 times at 253 pound. He also turned in a very strong 6.91 three cone drill in addition to a 9'2" broad jump and 17 reps in the 225-pound bench press.
DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State
Gholston had one of the strongest showings at the combine. He ran an outstanding 4.67 time at 266 lbs. He also tied Jake Long with 37 reps for the most reps at the event. He added a good 35.5" vertical leap, which probably guarantees him a top-eight selection.
DE Quentin Groves, Auburn
This fast edge rusher displayed top athleticism with blazing 4.52 and 4.57 sprint times. He added 33 reps in the lifting and had a 10-foot broad jump.
DT Trevor Laws, Notre Dame
Explosive tackle continued his terrific postseason following a strong week at the Senior Bowl. He ran 5.08 and 5.09 times and did 35 reps in the lifting. He performed very well in the agility drills and is the one shining light in a dismal ND football season.
Monday: Hurting their cause
DE Phillip Merling, Clemson
This big, mobile base end came in at 6'4" and 276 pounds, but did not run. He did only 17 reps and needs a big Clemson workout to maintain a top 30-40 draft grade.
DT Letroy Guion, Florida State
This athletic junior has been hyped since he declared in January, but he ran a subpar 5.30 time. He did well with 26 reps in the lifting. Guion needs a big Pro Day in Tallahassee to move into top rounds.
DT Frank Okam, Texas
Okam, a massive tackle, came in at 347 lbs. and was totally out of shape. He ran a poor 5.35 time and looked worse in the agility drills. He may have eaten himself out of the Top 150 prospects.
LB Ali Highsmith, LSU
This outside linebacker ran poor 4.95 and 4.96 times that will hurt his current grade. He did not lift and has to make up some ground at the LSU pro day in March.
LB Jo-lonn Dunbar, Boston College
This savvy senior middle linebacker ran a poor 4.92 time that makes his pro day critical if he expects even a middle-round grade.
NFL Ping.
Caught Long’s agility drill last night. It was unbelievable for a D-Lineman—more like a linebacker, as the article notes. He made almost all the other linemen look like they have two left feet. It was so good that it had the commentators raving and laughing aloud about it as they re-showed it. That boy can move.
I am assuming they are talking about a standing broad jump. If so, ten feet is astounding.
Yup. And yup.
Let’s all do a standing broad jump right now and post our results. Be right back.
I'm gonna miss that guy. (15 year Rutgers season ticket holder.)
Especially for a 250 lb. man like Groves.
I did 67” - which is equal to my height.
A lot of speed at RB in this draft. I’ve seen at least 5 or 6 sub-4.4 times in various reports, including ECU’s Chris Johnson’s Combine-record-tying 4.23.
Ten feet just sounds amazing.
Also, that says a lot for Rice. I’ve always thought agility was more important than straight-line speed in the NFL, where you have to be able to run between the tackles and get into the secondary to make big plays. No one’s fast enough to beat NFL DEs and LBs to the outside, after all.
This guy was traded for what turned out to be Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks
I don’t remember what I jumped in high school. I barely even remember going to high school. But I could touch the basketball rim—barely.
I jumped five feet seven inches 10 minutes ago in a standing broad jump— at 5’7” tall, onehundredninetysomething pounds, 40+ years after high school, and 10 or 12 years after heart surgery. Yeehah!
And you’re right. 10 feet is amazing.
I’m a falcons fan. I’d be freakin jumpin through the ceiling if they pick either Sedrick Ellis or Glen Dorsey at #3. Nor would trading down hurt my feelings.
GOT 'ROIDS?
And we're going to need to do so badly, and I've been going back and forth on if I want to see Long or Dorsey in Silver and Black...
At 350lbs, 6’0”, my three inch vertical leap was overshadowed by my prowess at the standing broad jump.
The only problem was finding a broad who would let me jump her.
There is a saying in track which is actually true. "Al good sprinters are good long jumpers, but not all good long jumpers are good sprinters". I suspect the long jumpers who are not good sprinters would be very good at the standing long jump.
He's from Westchester County, NY, I believe, and a solid citizen.
ping
As things stand right now, Long isn’t likely to be around when the Raiders pick, but Dorsey probably will. Plus, if you’re pretty much starting from scratch like the Raiders are, I’d say a tackle is a better foundation to build your defensive front on than an end.
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