What are the big things that matter from Day 1 of the 2019 NFL Combine, the running back and offensive lineman workouts?
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The 2019 NFL Combine is underway with the offensive linemen and running backs getting a workout. In general, the O linemen were a pleasant surprise and the running backs were underwhelming, but the big story of this whole thing continues to be around a short quarterback, and now …
5. Kyler Murray Isn’t Going To Workout
It’s as if the whole world has changed because of one inch.
Because Murray measured in at 5-10 and not 5-9, and because he busted it to get up to 207 pounds, now he’s apparently a lock for Arizona to take with the No. 1 overall pick.
Forgetting that the Cardinals already have a great passing prospect in Josh Rosen to still develop, and blow off a historic class of defensive tackles, a potential superstar DE in Nick Bosa, and a big bomber of a quarterback in Dwayne Haskins to go after, the momentum for Murray to be the guy in this draft isn’t slowing down.
And with the chance to set the world on fire and become the alpha-pick in the 2019 NFL Draft process, he tapped out …
It’s technically the smart move, considering he doesn’t have to do anything at this point and he’s still likely going to be a top five overall pick, if not No. 1, but it certainly would’ve been nice to see him get out there and throw against air.
If he’s really that much quicker, that much more athletic, and that much better than everyone else, then this was the chance to prove it.
The comparisons to Baker Mayfield and Russell Wilson keep on coming – two other smallish quarterbacks who turned out to be okay – but there’s one giant difference. Those two quarterbacks had experience.
Mayfield threw almost 1,500 college passes and played in 48 college games before going to Cleveland. Wilson played in 50 career games and, like Mayfield, threw almost 1,500 passes.
Murray threw 519 passes and played in just 29 games, and started in just over half of them.
He’ll rock at his Pro Day and everyone will gush, but the expectation as the No. 1 pick in the draft is to be the guy who leads the way to Super Bowls – plural – for Arizona.
NEXT: Jonah Williams Is A Tackle, But …
4. Jonah Williams Is A Tackle, But …
The Alabama star offensive lineman has short arms. And because of that, he’s being seen as a guard at the next level.
Forgetting that the 6-4, 302-pounder’s 33 5/8″ arms are roughly the same length as his idol’s – Cleveland Brown legend Joe Thomas – he was smooth as silk in the various drills. The problem was the rest of the workout.
The 23 reps on the bench were way light, and the 28″ vertical wasn’t explosive, but he ran a good-enough 5.12 in the 40, but he wasn’t all that quick in the cone drills. Even so, his the other parts of the workout, he looked like a tackle.
Texas A&M’s versatile interior lineman Erik McCoy blazed away for a 4.89 40, and Boston College guard Chris Lindstrom and Washington State tackle Andre Dillard made themselves plenty of money.
Dillard led the way in the short drill – with an O line-high 4.4 in the 20-yarder – was second in the cone drill, jumped out of the stadium with close to ten feet in the broad jump to go along with 29″ in the vertical, while Lindstrom jumped close to 31″ and almost matched Dillard on the broad jump.
But it was NC State’s Garrett Bradberry who stood out the most, with a 31″ vertical, 34 reps on the bench, 4.92 40, and an O line-leading 7.41 in the 3-cone drill.
Along with his great 40 and the 29 reps on the bench the day before, McCoy also came up with a 31″ vertical and was fantastic in the short drills, too.
NEXT: The Running Backs That Rocked
3. The Running Backs That Rocked
Chicago Bears – who need a running back and don’t pick until the 3rd round – target Memphis RB Darrell Henderson, and hope and pray that he slides.
The Tiger home run hitter ripped off a 4.49, jumped over ten feet in the broad jump, and was smooth and quick all day long.
Oklahoma State’s Justice Hill led the backs with a 4.4 40, Temple’s Ryquell Armstead ran a 4.45, and Ohio State’s Mike Weber might have raised himself about the “just a guy” status with a fast-looking-and-timed 4.47.
But even more than the 40, it was Hill’s 40″ vertical that became a part of the day’s narrative, and he tied for the position lead in the broad jump.
Kansas State’s Alex Barnes became the workout warrior king, building on his 34 reps on the bench with a 4.59 40, and being among the leaders in the rest of the drills. Miami’s Travis Homer helped himself, too, along with Notre Dame’s Dexter Williams.
Penn State’s Miles Sanders generated a big buzz, too, with a 4.49 in the 40 and a fluid workout looking quick, fast, smooth, and every bit the part.
And then there was …
NEXT: Elijah Holyfield’s Very Bad Day
2. Elijah Holyfield’s Very Bad Day
It was a rough, rough workout for the son of the legendary boxer, Evander.
Holyfield’s game is all about his power, but it was hard for the 5-10, 217-pounder to show that off. The 26 reps on the bench weren’t bad, but he was painfully lacking in the broad jump, failed to hit 30″ in the vertical, and was the slowest running back in the 40 by a mile – only Wisconsin fullback Alec Ingold was slower.
Boise State’s Alexander Mattison ran a 4.67, and LSU’s Nick Brossette ran a 4.72.
Holyfield ran a 4.78.
It was a really, really rough day for two of the other stars in the mix, Florida Atlantic’s Devin Singletary and Iowa State’s David Montgomery. Singletary ran a painful 4.66 40, and Montgomery wasn’t much better with a 4.63.
Worse yet, Singletary hurt his “quicker than fast” tag by not being all that quick in the short and cone drills. Montgomery didn’t run at all in the quickness drills.
But the big thing that flew under the radar overall was …
NEXT: Josh Jacobs Didn’t Run
Position Rankings, Draft Projection, Analysis
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE | DT | OLB | ILB | S | CB | Top 50
1. Josh Jacobs Didn’t Run
This is a weak running back class up top. There are plenty of decent ones in the mid-to-late rounds, and the depth after the third should be fantastic, but there isn’t anyone who stands out as a possible franchise-maker like Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley, or Leonard Fournette.
Except for Jacobs.
The hype has been off the charts from the start of the offseason draft process, even thought the former Alabama back ran just 251 times in his career to go along with 48 catches in his three seasons.
The one key knock is also part of one of his positives. He might have a ton of tread left on the tires, but he’s never had to push it. He’s never been a workhorse, and he always got to run fresh.
Did he look that amazing because he worked behind the great Bama line and carried the ball fewer than ten times per game?
So this week, when he had a chance to drop a hammer and be the Barkley-like star of the Combine, he didn’t lift on the bench, and didn’t run because of a minor groin injury.
He’ll take his talents to his Pro Day, where he’ll likely give everyone the exact workout they’re looking for, but that’s not the point. He doesn’t have the body of work like a Barkley, or a Fournette, or an Elliott, and they all ripped it up when they got their chances in Indy.
It was the safe call – he was quoted saying that he thought he was at 85% – and now March 19th in Tuscaloosa will matter.
