What are the big things that matter from Day 3 of the 2019 NFL Combine, the defensive ends, defensive tackles and linebackers.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
Position Rankings, Draft Projection, Analysis
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE | DT | OLB | ILB | S | CB | Top 50
The 2019 NFL Combine continued with the defensive ends, defensive tackles, and the linebackers. And they could all move.
5. These Linebackers Can MOVE
UCF’s Shaquem Griffin and Wisconsin’s Leon Jacobs each broke the 4.5 mark in the 40 last year. Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers was the only one who did it in 2017, Ohio State’s Darron Lee was the only one under the mark in 2016, and over the last ten years of combines from 2006 to 2015, just 11 linebackers ran a 4.5 or better.
This year?
Four linebackers – Montez Sweat of Mississippi State, LSU’s Devin White, Michigan’s Devin Bush, and Gary Johnson of Texas – destroyed 4.5 by going 4.43 or better. Two more – Minnesota’s Blake Cashman and Oregon’s Justin Hollins – ran a 4.5.
In all 15 linebackers were 4.6 or faster. Again, to keep doing this, just two were there or faster in 2013, two hit that in 2014, and eight hit the mark or were stronger 2015. Five in 2016, two in 2017, and then came the spike with 14 in 2018.
It’s part of the new world of football with the athletes being moved where needed, and with the greater emphasis on speed over bulk.
Whatever. The linebackers out there on Sunday could really, really move.
NEXT: Montez Sweat Crushed The Combine
4. Montez Sweat Crushed The Combine
4.41.
Everyone knew that Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat was going to be athletic and he was going to come up with a solid workout.
But to come up with one of the greatest Combine performances for a defensive end/outside linebacker ever? That wasn’t quite on the radar.
He started out his career at Michigan State, but ended up transferring to Mississippi State. and it all came together with 101 tackles, 22.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss over his two seasons. Jeffery Simmons was the dominant force on the inside, Sweat crushed it on the outside, and the Bulldog defense was among the best in the college football.
And now for the slight bad. The 21 reps on the bench the day before was just okay, and he looked a little stiff in the shorter drills, but that’s nitpicking to the nth degree for a 6-6, 260-pound defensive end. So he’s not a linebacker. Big freaking deal.
He’s the same size as Jadeveon Clowney, and his 4.41 was 0.01 slow than Saquon Barkley’s 40 time last year, and was only bested by seven wide receivers at this year’s Combine.
He was faster than every linebacker on Sunday, and no other defensive end broke the 4.5 range.
The vertical was a fantastic 36″, the broad jump and cone drill were each the fourth-best among the defensive linemen, and everything else around his Sunday was enough to look like a must-have in the top 15.
NEXT: The Day Of The Devins
3. The Day Of The Devins
Devin White of LSU is a top ten talent.
He came into Indianapolis with few obvious flaws, bringing the reputation for his tremendous leadership, hair-on-fire style, tough hitting ability, and the potential to be the star of stars for a linebacking corps and a defense.
There’s some tweaking to be done, but there’s nothing that can’t be fixed and worked on – there are no major red flags.
At 6-0 and 237 pounds he looked the part of an inside linebacker, and the 22 reps on the bench were good enough. And then came Sunday.
White exploded with a vertical close to 40″, and he broad jumped a decent 9’8″. The cone drill was quick enough, and 20-yard drill was great, and the 40 was the best of the linebackers, tearing off a 4.42. Since 2006, only two linebackers ran faster – Stanford’s Jon Alston in 2006, and UCF’s Shaquem Griffin last year.
In that time, only five linebackers were faster than the 4.43 ripped off by Michigan’s Devin Bush.
His vertical was the best among the linebackers at this Combine, and it’s the 13th-best in the last 14 years.
The 5-11, 234-pound guided missile came up with a tremendous broad jump of over ten feet, was smooth-quick through the short drills, and looked the part of a first rounder after coming to Indy as a decent-looking top 50 pick.
He might not be huge, but his speed and athleticism more than make up for it, and he’s a killer of a tackler with 172 stops, ten sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss in his three year career.
He’s a starting NFL linebacker.
NEXT: The Wide Receivers Were HUMMING
2. Quinnen Williams Might Be The No. 1 Prospect In The Draft
You did see what an impact that Aaron Donald guy had on the turnaround of the Rams franchise, right?
You do get that defensive tackle is among the NFL’s most glamorous positions now.
But this is an amazing draft for defensive tackles, with Houston’s Ed Oliver the real deal of an athlete, Clemson’s Christian Wilkins as safe as they come, and fellow Tiger Dexter Lawrence a force of nature on the bench press and with ridiculous athleticism for his size. But as deep as this class is, Alabama’s Quinnen Williams stood out on Sunday.
In his one big year with the Tide as a full-time starter, he came up with 71 tackles with eight sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss as he took over game after game.
He measured in at 6-3 and 303 pounds – more than good enough – but he didn’t get on the bench press. No one’s questioning his playing strength, and now, no one’s questioning his explosion after broad jumping 9’3″, coming up with a vertical of almost 31″, and running a ridiculously fast 4.83.
If nothing else, his workout confirmed that he’s good enough to be considered a top three overall pick with San Francisco and the Jets drafting after Arizona at the one. The buzz is only going to continue through his Pro Day, as more and more the Cardinals might have to think of him as the anchor to rebuild the franchise around.
Williams’ workout also begs the question …
NEXT: Is Nick Bosa REALLY No. 1 Worthy?
Position Rankings, Draft Projection, Analysis
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE | DT | OLB | ILB | S | CB | Top 50
1. Is Nick Bosa REALLY No. 1 Worthy?
No one’s questioning whether or not Nick Bosa is a top prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft.
He has the skill, the upside, and the talent to be a special franchise pass rusher, but is he really worth the No. 1 overall pick to Arizona, or No. 2 to San Francisco?
Assume that Kyler Murray really is more than just a smoke screen as the No. 1, or at least he’s going somewhere in the top ten. Considering Alabama’s Quinnen Williams showed off the tools to be a historic defensive tackle, other ends looked a whole lot faster and athletic – like Michigan’s Rashan Gary, Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat and Florida State’s Brian Burns – running just a 4.79 in the 40.
And there’s still the one big thing no one seems to want to acknowledge.
He was just a very, very good college player. He wasn’t transcendent.
He only played 29 games and made a mere 77 tackles with 17.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss. That’s terrific by most standards, but he also disappeared for long stretches and he only saw time in three games last year.
By comparison, Sweat made 101 tackles with 22.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss in 26 games. Burns made 123 tackles with 23 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss in 33 games.
And his brother, Joey? 148 career tackles with 26 sacks and 51 tackles for loss, playing in 38 college games.
Now, with all that said, even with his slow 40 time, his ten-second split was the third-best among the ends. His vertical (33.5″) and broad jump (9’7″) were strong, and the 29 reps on the bench were excellent.
How did Joey do? He ran a painful 4.86 40 at the 2016 Combine, had 24 reps on the bench, and was a little less quick and explosive than his younger brother.
So is Nick Bosa REALLY worthy of potentially being the No. 1 overall pick? Absolutely, but with what’s happening at this amazing NFL Combine, there are a whole lot of other guys worth the spot, too.
