The 2019 NFL Scouting Combine is around the corner and players from all around the country are heading to Indianapolis to participate.
They’ll be showing off their athleticism to NFL coaches, general managers, scouts, media members, and fans. After the event, teams like the Chiefs will have better insight with which they can begin to assemble a draft board that will dictate their direction for the 2019 NFL draft.
For the prospects, the combine is really about managing expectations. Every team has an idea of how each player is going to perform in drills and in the interview process beforehand. The prospects’ job is to exceed those expectations and in turn get a better draft grade from each team.
The Chiefs can go a variety of different directions in the 2019 draft.
The current roster breakdown on defense (and specialists) is as follows:
DT: 6
DE: 4
OLB/ILB: 6
CB: 6
S: 4
LS: 1
K: 0
P: 1
The Chiefs have a total of 57 players under contract and need to add 33 more to meet the 90-man roster for offseason workouts and training camp. The team still have the free agency period and potential trades to round out the roster before the 2019 NFL draft.
Let’s take a look at who you should watch during the 2019 Combine.
Trysten Hill DT UCF
If I had to guess one defensive tackle that will help himself with his combine performance it’s Trysten Hill. He has great burst off the snap, and that will likely translate into several of the drills.
One thing that screams athleticism is when 330 pound defensive tackles are asked to play on offense. In 2018, Hill had two rushing attempts for 1-yard and a touchdown. It reminds me of the “Hungry Pig Right” play design the Chiefs had for Dontari Poe back in the day.
Kansas City will likely need to add some bigger bodies on the defensive line with Allen Bailey expected to become a free agent.
Armon Watts DT Arkansas
St. Louis native Armon Watts has been on my radar for a while. I’m curious to see how he compares to the rest of the class of defensive tackles. He doesn’t look overly athletic on tape, but that doesn’t seem to limit him from making plays. He’s very stout in the run game, and gets good gap penetration.
If the Chiefs choose to cut Xavier Williams in order to save money against the cap, Watts could be a late round addition to rotate in on clear running downs.
Brian Burns DE Florida State
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, Brian Burns is a defensive end whose weigh-in will significantly impact his draft position. He’s got a a long and lean frame that isn’t conducive to NFL success. Teams will want him closer to to 250 pounds at that size. It’s unclear if his frame can sustain that weight without having an impact on his explosion.
If he comes in under 240 pounds, he could well be available when the Chiefs are on the clock. If he’s above 240 pounds and tests well, he could be looking at a rise into the top 10 picks of the 2019 draft.
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Shareef Miller DE Penn State
Shareef Miller isn’t getting a ton of hype ahead of the combine, but he probably should be. He’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 248 pounds. He has some natural athleticism to his game. Things like bend, quickness, and explosiveness in particular. Teams will want to know just how athletic Miller truly is. Does he have the change-of-direction required to be a 3-4 outside linebacker or is he a 4-3 end in the NFL.
At Penn State, Miller didn’t always fill up the stat sheet, but he improved consistently from the start of his career to his final season. A strong Combine performance could really help his draft stock and perception among NFL decision-makers.
Darryl Johnson DE North Carolina A&T
The few players from smaller schools that get invited to the Combine have the most to gain and lose. If they’re an upper echelon athlete, they can quickly rise in the eyes of NFL front offices and fans. If they’re a marginal athlete, they can be outclassed by the competition.
Darryl Johnson is intriguing to me for those reasons. I’ve not done much tape study on him, but the few games I’ve uncovered he shows quickness and flexibility. How he’ll test at the Combine remains to be seen, but a good performance could get him noticed by the Chiefs. They’ll likely be looking to add a defensive end at some point in the draft as insurance for Dee Ford if they’re unable to sign him to a long term deal.
Terrill Hanks LB New Mexico State
Terrill Hanks is definitely my early favorite to be this years workout warrior at the Combine. He impressed at the Senior Bowl during the practice week and the game. He’s already built a strong image ahead of the Combine. His chiseled frame and fluidity is something that makes me think he’ll continue to turn heads at the Combine. Guys that muscular are supposed to be stiff, but not Hanks.
He’ll put in one of the top defensive workouts at the linebacker position. I expect top bench press, 3-Cone, and 40-yard dash numbers from what I’ve seen on tape. He’ll likely cement himself within in the top 100 draft picks with a good performance.
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DeAndre Baker CB Georgia
There isn’t currently a clear cut No. 1 corner in this class. For some it’s Greedy Williams, others Byron Murphy. It’s really up for interpretation, which leaves the opportunity for a player to rise to the occasion at the Combine.
DeAndre Baker has been a shutdown corner for Georgia for the past two seasons. He’s often been mocked to the Chiefs in the first round of the draft, but if he tests strong at the Combine, will he be available when they pick? He could shoot up draft boards if he runs faster than a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, turns in a sub 7.00 3-Cone, and a good broad jump score. The word is out that he’ll impress people with his workouts.
Joejuan Williams CB Vanderbilt
Joejuan Williams is a player that’s recently caught the eyes of Chiefs fans. He appears to be one of the most physically impressive corners heading into the 2019 Combine. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds and I wouldn’t doubt those numbers based on his tape. He often uses his impressive length to his advantage.
I’m curious to see his exact measurements and just how fast he is. If he runs a 40-yard dash in the 4.4 to 4.5 range, he’ll be more highly coveted than he currently is. Will it be enough to vault him past some of the other corners in contention for the first round? If the Chiefs target a corner in round one it may pay to look at some of the rising prospects in the event their top choice is snatched up early.
Hamp Cheevers CB Boston College
The most productive draft eligible corner during the 2018 college football season also happens to be one of the least talked about prospects leading up to the draft. When people are sleeping on your skills, there’s no better place to wake them up than the NFL Combine.
The biggest knock on Hamp Cheevers has to be his size. He’s listed at just 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds and that is vastly undersized for an NFL corner. I want to see if Cheevers has added bulk to his frame ahead of the Combine and if that compromises his quickness at all. If he doesn’t measure well or run well, he’s bound to be a late round player that’s relegated for special teams and nickel duties in the NFL.
Blessuan Austin CB Rutgers
I hadn’t planned to write about Blessuan Austin, but he posted something that was too intriguing to pass up.
In just about two months time, Austin added 7.4 pounds of good weight. That brings him up to 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds. Medical checks on his knees will still be the most important thing for Austin. This only helps his case for a team to take a chance on him, even if it doesn’t come until day three of the draft.
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Taylor Rapp S Washington
There are some pretty varied opinions on the safety class this year. Taylor Rapp is one of the few who can really do everything. He can play in the box against the run or as a blitzer, he can match up and cover tight ends in man coverage, he has range as a deep defender.
Rapp doesn’t currently break into the first round for a lot of people. At Indianapolis is a chance for him to show people he’s a better athlete than he’s currently getting credit for. He won’t win the weigh-in, but look at vertical jump, broad jump, short shuttle, and 3-Cone numbers.
The Chiefs problems at the safety position in 2018 can’t be overstated. They’ll be looking to add a specific type of player to the back end and Rapp fits that profile.
Jonathan Crawford S Indiana
Jonathan Crawford was a four-year starter at Indiana and didn’t miss a single game. His consistency and reliability at the safety position is unrivaled in this class. At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Crawford has good size and length. His range flashes on tape, but he also has man coverage skills.
Scores to watch for Crawford will be the short shuttle, 20-yard split, and broad jump. Teams will want to see just how explosive he is as an athlete and how he stacks up against the rest of the class.
Mike Bell S Fresno State
Mike Bell has quickly become one of my favorites in this draft class. He’ll likely win the safety weigh-in at least from a height perspective as he’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. He doesn’t seem to sacrifice speed or range for his size either. His workout will be an interesting one to keep an eye on and could help gain him some notoriety ahead of the draft.
I know the Chiefs need to work to improve their safety group, and it appears to be one of the deeper position groups. If they miss out on the safety they want early in the draft, they can find value later in players like Bell. They might not have the name recognition of some of the other players, but they have skill sets that translate to the NFL.
Specialists
Matt Gay K Utah
The Chiefs technically don’t have a kicker under contract right now. Harrison Butker is a restricted free agent, but they are expected to bring him back. Specialist testing at the Combine is of little significance, but their position specific on-field work is important for evaluators.
Matt Gay is a former college soccer player who walked on at the Utah football program. He won the Lou Groza Award in that initial season with the Utes in 2017. Gay was 23-of-27 in 2018 with a long kick of 55 yards. He also made 21 straight before his first miss. He’s the top kicker in the draft this year, and if the Chiefs did decide to make a kicking change, he’d be at the top of the list.
Jack Fox P Rice
Dustin Colquitt is getting up there in age, but I don’t see the Chiefs rushing to replace him. Even at 36 years old, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. With the Chiefs’ explosive offense under Patrick Mahomes he doesn’t even have to punt that often.
Jack Fox led the FBS in punting yards during the 2018 regular season and has a career average of 45.5 yards per punt. He’s a St. Louis local and is in consideration for the top punter in the draft. Specialists rarely do much in way of drills, but the weigh-in is important for certain players.
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