Earlier this week we covered some of the players who should be removed from the Chiefs’ draft board following the 2019 NFL Combine. Now we’ll take a look at those who’ve truly helped themselves through the process. The Chiefs should consider moving each of these 12 players up on their final draft board due to their performances in Indianapolis.
Offense
Miles Sanders RB Penn State
No running back put up a more well-rounded day than Penn State’s Miles Sanders. Sanders placed in the top-10 for the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, and 20-yard shuttle. He also had the top score in the 3-Cone drill, which got a lot of people talking about this player. Sanders measured in at 5-foot-10 5/8 and 211 pounds, which is right under where the Chiefs like their running backs to be in terms of height and weight. He looked the most comfortable out of any running back going through the on-field workouts too. I had Sanders penciled in as a late third round guy, but teams would be wise to move him up the board.
Ryquell Armstead RB Temple
Ryquell Armstead has consistently been rising throughout the pre-draft process. He had one of the better weeks at the Senior Bowl, and I really felt like the one last thing he had to prove was his long speed. He did that at the combine by posting a 4.45 40-yard dash, which was good for second-best among the group. At 5-foot-11 and 223 pounds, that’s a really good time. He also backed it up with a solid on-field workout where he looked smooth catching the ball. He answered a lot of the remaining questions and I think teams will be confident taking him earlier than previously slotted.
Darius Slayton WR Auburn
It’s always a risk leaving school as an underclassmen. Many of them go undrafted before they bet on themselves too early. Auburn receiver Darius Slayton was smart to bet on himself though. He weighed in at a solid size of 6-foot-1 and 188 pounds. He put up a blazing fast 4.39 40-yard dash which tied for sixth-best among receivers at this years combine. He also had one of the top 10-yard splits at 1.45 seconds. Slayton tied D.K. Metcalf for third in the vertical jump with 40.5 inches. Ultimately Slayton has vaulted himself into third round consideration with this performance.
Josh Oliver TE San Jose State
My original evaluation of Josh Oliver had him as a sixth-rounder, but he actually outperformed expectations at the combine. His 4.63 40-yard dash tied for the third-best among the tight end group. His bench press number (22) was good for a four-way tie for second-best. He ranked in the top 15 in every other drill he participated in. During the on-field workout he also had an incredibly athletic one-handed grab. It drew some audible noises from the crowd of scouts and NFL folks. I could see this player sneaking his way into the third round if a team likes him enough.
Iosua Opeta G Weber State
Few players helped themselves as much as Iosua Opeta did at the combine. He’s a player that many fans didn’t know of ahead of the event, and his workout has thrust him into position to be drafted. Opeta had 39 repetitions of 225 on the bench press. That was good for five more than the closest offensive lineman. He had really good numbers in the broad jump (112 inches) and the 40-yard dash (5.02) as well. Even during his on-field workouts he looked the part of an NFL offensive lineman. Most teams probably have him as a day three prospect, but that’s a lot better than going undrafted.
Erik McCoy C Texas A&M
People might be paying most attention to Garrett Bradbury’s performance at the center position, but I thought that Erik McCoy put up a really solid combine as well. He had the best 40-yard dash, running a blazing 4.89. He tied for the sixth-best numbers on the bench press of all offensive linemen. This is a guy that I was looking at late in the third round, but with this performance I might consider him a bit earlier.
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Defense
Rashan Gary DE Michigan
Rashan Gary proved to be quite the freaky athlete at the NFL combine. At 277 pounds Gary ran a 4.61 40-yard dash. That’s quite unheard of for someone of his size. He didn’t look like a defensive end going through these on-field drills either, his athleticism was more on par with an elite tier tight end. I know that there are other questions with Gary in the NFL, but checking off the box for athleticism will only help him. If he’s around when the Chiefs come on the clock at pick No. 29, he might be worthy of a selection.
Ben Banogu DE TCU
As far as a complete combine is concerned on the defensive side of the ball I thought TCU’s Ben Banogu was a winner from the start. He checked all the boxes in the height, weight, and length categories. On top of that he put up scores that rank above the 80th percentile in the 40-yard dash, broad jump, vertical jump, 3-Cone, and Short Shuttle. I don’t think teams doubted Banogu’s athleticism coming into this, but now that they know for certain it’s easier to be confident in an evaluation.
Jamel Dean CB Auburn
The Chiefs covet length in their corners and Auburn’s Jamel Dean checked that box by measuring in at 6-foot-1 and 206 pounds. He put up second-best 40-yard dash of all positions at the combine with a 4.3 second run. He didn’t stop there though. He placed in the top-15 in every other drill he participated in and put together a nice on-field workout. Most of the standout corners were guys considered to be mid-late round prospects. Now the Chiefs get to go back, watch the tape, and weigh Dean’s performance against it. Then they can move him up the board accordingly.
Isaiah Johnson CB Houston
Houston’s Isaiah Johnson is one of the freakier athletes in this class. He ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds. His 6.81 3-Cone and 11’1″ broad jump were both good for top performances on the day by the CB group. Most impressive to me was the smoothness of Johnson in transition drills on the field. Usually guys of that size are a little bit more stiff when getting their hips flipped around. I had a late-round grade on Johnson coming into this, but I think his athleticism will push him up into day 2 consideration.
Justin Layne CB Michigan State
Justin Layne is a converted wide receiver and he’s only been playing the corner position for a few years. He measured in at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds with nearly an 81 inch wingspan. With a 4.50 40-yard dash Layne ran his way from day 3 consideration into day 2. Especially from a team like the Chiefs who covet length. Layne’s on-field workouts showed surprisingly good footwork for a converted receiver. He also showed great change in direction abilities for a corner of his size.
Darnell Savage S Maryland
Another player who has been flying up draft boards throughout the pre-draft process is Maryland’s Darnell Savage. He had a tremendous week down in Mobile and only improved on that performance at the combine. He had the second-best time in the 40-yard dash among safeties with a 4.36 score. He also had a 39.5 inch vertical jump. Those scores show up on his tape in form of his explosion and reaction time in both the run game and defending the pass. With his combine performance I’d feel comfortable taking this player in the second round.
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