The old adage goes, offense sells tickets, defense wins championships. Teams in need of boosting the defensive side of the ball perked their ears up a bit on Saturday with the defensive linemen and linebackers participating in on-field drills. Who among the front seven playmakers was able to climb up draft boards?
Ohio State Defensive Tackle Davon Hamilton
The 6-feet-4, 320-pounder from Pickerington, Ohio had a nice day on the field inside Lucas Oil Stadium. He ran a 5.14-second 40-yard dash but the most impressive number was probably his 33 reps on the bench press. He was also able to reach 29.5 inches in the vertical jump. Reminder, he is 320 pounds. The former Buckeye displayed promising technique while running through drills and showed he can change direction at a nice pace for a player his size. Penciled in as a traditional nose tackle, he proved that he could be versatile enough to play different interior positions along the defensive line.
TCU Defensive Tackle Ross Blacklock
Another big man who can move, Blacklock was clocked in the 40-yard dash at 4.9 seconds and followed that up with a jump of 29 inches in the vertical. At 6-feet-3 and 290 pounds, he was most likely the apple of the eye of 4-3 coaches. Now that his quick feet were shown off for all to see, there will be some 3-4 coaches moving him up their boards. Blacklock wasn’t expected to put a lot of pressure on Big 12 quarterbacks but he should have higher expectations once he hears his name called in Vegas.
Clemson Linebacker Isaiah Simmons
The Olathe, Kansas native is a consensus top-10 pick but somehow he was able to make eyes pop with his combine workout. First things first, he weighed in at 238 pounds and stands at 6-feet-4, which is the ideal size for an inside backer. Then he set the NFL world ablaze when he posted a 4.39 forty which was faster than every running back in attendance except for Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor who posted the same as Simmons. The former Olathe North turned Clemson Tiger standout moved like a safety all day but is built like a man who can hold down the middle for the next decade and a half. The Redskins, Lions, and Giants are all going to have to dissect their top needs and really examine if Simmons could be that game-changing factor that every team covets. Anything beyond pick five is a steal for Simmons.
Colorado Linebacker Davion Taylor
Davion Taylor made a little bit of a name for himself after coming in as a relatively unknown prospect. Putting up good numbers in every measurable event, if nothing else he proved he has been gifted with God-given ability. Whether or not teams believe that will translate onto the field is yet to be seen. Regardless, the former Buffalo had a solid day and carried himself well during drills. This is a thin linebacker group and with Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray and LSU’s Patrick Queen injuring themselves during their 40-yard dash attempts opens up some opportunities.
Florida Defensive End Jonathan Greenard
EDGE rushers are always being sought out and 2020 will be no different. With Chase Young’s stranglehold on the top prospect honors, the rest of the group could all shift around between now and draft day. Greenard did himself a lot of favors by running a 4.87 40-yard dash at 263 pounds. He put up 22 reps on the bench press and looked like a fluid athlete all day. Whether he plays with his hand in the dirt, as a stand-up edge rusher or a true outside backer depends on where teams find him the most valuable. The most important thing is that he has shown the ability to play in each spot.
