With the conclusion of the NFL combine, many players helped their stock for the NFL draft. Not all did.
Some hurt their stock at least a little. Who are those players?
Auburn DT Derrick Brown
Brown has great tape but testing very low athletically. His 8.22-second three-cone is in the first percentile of his position group. While mock drafts still have him going in or neat the top ten, unless he tests well at his pro day, he will likely see a slide on draft day.
Arizona State WR Brandon Aiyuk
Aiyuk didn’t test poorly at all. However, he ran slower than anticipated. He was getting traction as a possible first-round pick, but running the 40 in 4.50 seconds is fast but wasn’t the top-end speed some expected. He won’t likely go in the first round.
Iowa EDGE A.J. Epenesa
The edge defender class is not strong outside of Ohio State’s Chase Young, but Epenesa, because of his position, was getting early to middle of the first round buzz.
He ran the 40 in 5.04 seconds, which is slower than several offensive linemen. His shuttle time was slow, too.
Teams needing a pass rusher will not be pleased with the talent in this year’s draft.
Colorado WR Laviska Shenault Jr.
Touted as an athletic freak, he only ran the 40 in 4.55 seconds and now needs offseason core surgery, putting at risk his ability to test at his pro day. In a receiver class with a ton of talent, this was not good for him.
Utah RB Zack Moss
Moss tested slow and got hurt. He was super productive in college and showed good smarts but lacked in athletic traits. The position is already viewed as devalued and if you add low athletic traits, it makes it hard for teams to like that. Of course, that doesn’t matter to the Arizona Cardinals, who appear to be very interested in the running back.
Washington OL Trey Adams
Adams ran a putrid 5.60-second 40. He did not do the bench press, which he supposedly would have done well at. Add those to his history of injuries and his stock is falling.
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Ep. 260
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