The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off this week, with NFL evaluators from all 32 teams heading to Indianapolis, Indiana. There they will scout the best players that college football has to offer in hopes of finding the next wave of great NFL players in the 2020 draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs have the unique task of adding some young contributors who can help this team repeat their Super Bowl title. Keep an eye on the following players from each position group. They’ll each look to be top performers and boost their draft stock during the upcoming week.
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FIU QB James Morgan
Morgan really impressed during the East-West Shrine game and met with most teams in the NFL down there, including the Chiefs. The quarterbacks at the top of the draft are relatively established but there’s always room for someone to rise up draft boards with a good performance. He’ll have a chance to throw at the combine and impress scouts and coaches.
Will Morgan be able to work himself into Day 2 territory or will he find himself in Day 3 to priority free agent range? Kansas City obviously isn’t in the market for a starting quarterback at the moment. But it could be time to start thinking about developing someone behind Patrick Mahomes instead of surrounding him with veterans.
Ball State OT Danny Pinter
It’s always fun to see players come in and compete that aren’t from Power 5 conferences. Pinter is an interesting athlete, who formerly played the tight end position. He had one of the most fun plays in college football this season, where he declared eligible as a receiver and rumbled in for a score. He’s clearly still learning to play offensive line, but his athleticism should be on full display at the combine.
The Chiefs have invested in a certain type of player at the offensive line position lately. They haven’t been going for the top draft choices, but instead the guys who need to learn and develop for a few years. Pinter likely fits that mold and could be a solid option later in the draft.
Michigan OG Jon Runyan Jr.
Runyan’s father played for Andy Reid at Philadelphia and it’d certainly be fun if he got a chance to coach two generations. The Chiefs will be looking at versatile offensive lineman in the draft and you can tell that Runyan has been well-coached. He played tackle at Michigan, but I think some NFL teams will want him to kick inside playing guard or center.
He isn’t the type of offensive lineman that I expect to light up the combine with his strength. I think he’ll have a chance to impress in testing that is related to agility and quickness. Look for him to have a nice mirror drill. He also should have a good 10-yard split, which is really one of the important tests for offensive line at the combine.
SDSU OC Keith Ismael
Ismael was a player that surprised some folks down in Mobile, Alabama at the Senior Bowl. He held his own throughout the practice week in pass protection and run blocking drills. He performed admirably during the game as well. Now he’ll get a chance to prove what type of athlete he is at the combine.
I expect that Ismael will perform well in the broad jump because he plays with a lot of flexibility, balance and power in his lower half. I’m also interested in seeing how he does in the new pull and screen drills at the combine. He could very well be a surprise standout throughout the entire pre-draft process.
Western Michigan RB LeVante Bellamy
Bellamy weighed in at just under 5-9 and 191 pounds at the East-West Shrine game a few months ago. He’s among the players that the Chiefs met with down there. I’m not surprised they’re interested in this player because he looks to be one of the speedier and explosive players in this class. He could be utilized as a passing-down back in the NFL after catching 45 passes during the past two seasons.
According to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, the Western Michigan strength and conditioning program has clocked Bellamy running a laser-timed 4.28 40-yard dash. He also jumped a 41.5-inch vertical, which is quite impressive at his height. Repeating that type of performance could be the difference between becoming a Day 3 draft pick and going undrafted for Bellamy.
SMU WR James Proche
The wide receiver class is one of the stronger position groups in 2020. Some folks believe there are as many as 35 receivers with a chance to be selected in the first two days of the 2020 NFL Draft. I think that’s a little overkill, but the position is definitely a strength of the class. I’m also curious to see where a player like Proche fits into this group.
Proche had solid production over the past two seasons for the Mustangs with nearly 3,000 receiving yards and 27 receiving touchdowns. But I want to know what type of athlete he is. Is this a guy that’s going to run in the 4.40s range in the 40-yard dash? Is he someone who will do better in the short shuttle and 3-cone drill? He could establish himself as a top 100 draft pick with a solid performance.
UCLA TE Devin Asiasi
Asiasi is underrated right now, but his tape shows that he’s one of the most athletic tight ends in this draft class. Listed at 6-4 and 260 pounds, he’s closer to an old school TE than a new age flex TE. He’ll often line up inline and he’s efficient as a blocker, but where he really impresses is getting open at all levels of the field from different alignments.
The TE position has plenty of room for upward mobility in this draft class. Look for Asiasi to be among the top performers in this position group. He could improve his stock quite a bit by the end of the week. For Kansas City, this is a player that could be a perfect complement and understudy to TE Travis Kelce.
Oklahoma DT Neville Gallimore
Gallimore has plenty to gain at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. Most pre-draft big boards have him ranked somewhere between pick No. 20 and pick No. 55. He displays some impressive strength on tape, but people will be interested in seeing his 40-yard time.
News of Gallimore’s freakish speed has made the rounds. According to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, Gallimore has been clocked running a 4.76 40-yard dash. The fastest 40-time by a player above 300 pounds came from Alabama DT Quinnen Williams in 2019. If he can repeat that time, it would be a truly impressive feat and prove that Gallimore is one of the best athletes (regardless of position) in this class.
Auburn DE Marlon Davidson
One player expected to rise up draft boards with a good combine performance is Davidson. This season at Auburn, he showed that he can win 1-on-1 matchups next to a high-caliber player like Derrick Brown. At the Senior Bowl, he proved that he can win 1-on-1 matchups regardless of who is lined up next to him. If he turns out to be more athletic than teams thought, he could be drafted early.
At 6-3 and a hair over 300 pounds, Davidson has some versatility to his game. He can be utilized inside and play three-technique or he can play the strong side defensive end position. Look at his three-cone time if you like him at defensive end and his broad jump if you like him at the interior defensive line.
Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks
The linebacker position seems to be full of intriguing athletes this year, but one that isn’t getting enough attention is Brooks. He has some of the best range and acceleration that I’ve seen on tape from anyone not named Isaiah Simmons and Patrick Queen. Add that to his play recognition and aggressive play-style and you’ve got a winner.
Brooks looks to be a better athlete than he’s currently given credit for. A big week in Indianapolis at the combine could help solidify his draft stock right among some of the top linebackers in this draft class. Look for him to have a good short shuttle time and perhaps run a faster 40-yard dash than expected.
Florida CB CJ Henderson
The top cornerback in this class is very much set in stone with Ohio State’s Jeffery Okudah. After that, things are much more up in the air for the various players at the position. Henderson figures to be in the mix and he’ll look to prove it at the combine. Kansas City, of course, could be looking at cornerbacks at pick No. 32.
Henderson is one of the smoothest athletes at the corner position in this class. He’ll stand out in the on-field drills with his backpedal and how easily he gets his hips flipped. Henderson could also stand out as one of the top performers in the measurable drills. According to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, he has previously benched 16 reps of 225, has a 40.5-inch vertical and a 124-inch broad jump.
Lenoir-Rhyne DB Kyle Dugger
Dugger already impressed in Moblie, Alabama by going against the best college football has to offer in the Senior Bowl. Now he gets a chance to showcase his elite athleticism. A good performance for Dugger at the combine could be the difference between becoming a top-100 draft choice and going on Day 3.
I expect Dugger to have a good showing in the on-field position drills for defensive backs. The measurable drill that I’m most interested to see from Dugger is his bench press reps. He weighed in at 6-1 and 217 pounds at the Senior Bowl. Is he strong enough to play in the box in the NFL? If so, he could be a good nickel safety option for Kansas City to consider.
Syracuse P Sterling Hofrichter
Hofrichter is among the most decorated punters coming out in 2020. Listed at just 5-9 and under 200 pounds, I’m curious how he’ll compare to some of the bigger punters competing in Indy. Do his kicks get the same amount of hangtime? Does he have the same type of accuracy given his size? Is he quicker getting down the field than some other guys?
The Chiefs might be looking at punters in the 2020 draft class. Dustin Colquitt is the longest-tenured Chiefs player, and now that he has a Super Bowl ring, retirement could be nearing. While Colquitt had virtually the same stats in 2019 as he did the season prior, Kansas City may be forced to go cheaper at punter.
