NFL Combine '06 and Pro Days

[Displaced]

Tye Hill just ran an unofficial 4.36.  Other than getting burned at the senior bowl, by Moss this guy continues to look more and more impressive.

[PhillyPhreak54]

on NFL Network last night, i saw that Chad Greenway only did 16 reps on the bench press.  DB's were out lifting him.

And he stunk in the positional drills. Mayock said that Iowa didn't blitz as much and they had Greenway playing drops most of the time. Then he proceeded to round off his drills when shedding bags and rushing the passer.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

that mock does seem pretty ridiculous.  as much as i don't think we should get hali, if we do draft him, i immediately replace my patterson jersey with a hali.

Sacrilege.

[ice grillin you]

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/closer/020228test.html

[PhillyGirl]

Maryland's Davis a lock for top 15
Insider
By Todd McShay
Scouts Inc.

Maryland's Vernon Davis stole the show on Monday, when he turned in arguably the best workout for a tight end in the history of the scouting combine. At 6-3¾ and 254 pounds, Davis ran the 40-yard dash in an unprecedented 4.38 seconds. He finished atop the tight end group in both the broad jump (10-foot-8) and vertical jump (42 inches), while also impressing with his time in the three-cone drill (7.0 seconds) and the short shuttle (4.17 seconds).

Over the past decade, only five tight ends have been selected in the top 15 picks: Rickey Dudley, 1996; Tony Gonzalez, 1997; Bubba Franks, 2000; Jeremy Shockey, 2002; and Kellen Winslow Jr., 2004. Following his jaw-dropping performance on Monday, Davis is a lock to join that group.

Most of the talk prior to the second group of defensive linemen (Group 9) working out Monday afternoon centered on Mario Williams' decision to participate fully, despite his status as a potential top-five selection. The N.C. State product certainly lived up to the hype.

At 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds, Williams recorded an impressive time in the 40-yard dash (4.66), posted the second-best vertical jump (40½) among defensive linemen, and showed great body control and agility during individual position drills. Williams' strong showing solidified his standing as one the elite prospects in the 2006 class and also could lead to him being the first defensive player taken in April's draft -- possibly No. 5 overall to the Packers.

The following is a more in-depth breakdown, by position, of Monday's combine results:

Tight Ends

Teams in need of a tight end had a lot to smile about during Monday's workouts. Davis certainly set the tone for the group, but others such as Georgia's Leonard Pope, Colorado's Joe Klopfenstein, Wisconsin's Owen Daniels, Western Michigan's Tony Scheffler and Tulsa's Garrett Mills displayed the type of athleticism and pass-catching skills that make this year's tight end crop so special.

The first tight end selected in last year's draft was Heath Miller (Steelers) with the 30th overall pick, while the next tight end did not come off the board until Round 3. This year's draft could feature four tight ends taken in the first round -- with Davis possibly sneaking into the top 10 -- and no fewer than six taken by the end of the first two rounds.

There were questions regarding Pope's participation this week, but he silenced critics with an excellent overall workout on Monday. Pope, who measured out as the tallest tight end in Indianapolis (6-7¾), has room to improve in terms of his strength and overall blocking skills, but he showcased his impressive speed in the 40-yard dash. Pope also displayed big, soft hands during individual drills.

Scheffler is one of the most underrated prospects in this class and proved his worth at the combine this week. He is the shortest tight end prospect at the combine and struggled early in his career due to some durability issues. He also suffered from spending the majority of his offseason playing baseball for Western Michigan. However, Scheffler was a highly productive receiver at the mid-major Division I-A collegiate level during his final two seasons.

Since focusing solely on football, Scheffler has made enormous strides. He ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash of the participating tight ends on Monday and also posted solid results in the broad jump (9-7), three-cone drill (6.81), short shuttle (4.01) and long shuttle (11.41). Scheffler's strong showing gives him a chance to sneak into the first day.

After Davis and Scheffler, here are the fastest 40-yard dash times of the tight end group: Klopfenstein (4.62), Pope (4.62), Mills (4.64), Daniels (4.65) and Texas' David Thomas (4.67).

For all the positives that came out of the tight end workouts, UCLA's Marcedes Lewis turned in an uninspiring performance. Lewis has a lot of potential because of his wingspan, big hands and smooth athleticism. He also is a proven receiver, with 120 catches during his final three collegiate seasons. However, his lack of explosive strength and ideal bulk remains a concern, particularly because of his below-average technique as a blocker.

While he fared well in the broad jump (10-8) and vertical jump (37), Lewis ran the 40-yard dash in the 4.8 range, leading to questions regarding his ability to stretch the seam against faster defenses in the NFL. Improving on that time will be important for Lewis during his pro day in March.

Notre Dame TE Anthony Fasano did not run the 40, but he had a solid workout during pass-catching drills and also displayed good body control and change-of-direction skills by running the third-best time in the three-cone drill (6.94).

Michigan TE Tim Massaquoi did not work out because he is still recovering from injury.

[PhillyGirl]

Defensive Line
The first group of defensive linemen worked out after the tight ends on Monday morning, and the second group wrapped things up in the afternoon. Of the 51 defensive linemen in attendance, 44 participated in the running drills. Three were excused due to medical reasons. Penn State DEs Tamba Hali and Matt Rice, Miami DT Orien Harris and LSU DT Claude Wroten all chose not to run, while 13 of the defensive linemen will also work out as linebackers on Tuesday.

Williams was the headliner of the unit, but his teammate, DE Manny Lawson, also impressed with his exceptional showing. Lawson finished with the best 40-yard dash time (4.43) of all the defensive linemen and also ranked near the top of the group in the vertical jump (39½), broad jump (10-4), three-cone drill (6.90), short shuttle (4.18) and long shuttle (11.08). An undersized DE/OLB tweener, Lawson projects as a situational pass-rusher early in his NFL career, until he can add bulk as a 4-3 DE or adjust to playing OLB in a 3-4 scheme. In the meantime, he also has value on special teams, especially blocking kicks.

Alabama DE Mark Anderson put up some shockingly good numbers during his workout session on Monday. Anderson was a productive starter during his final two collegiate seasons, using good technique and a high motor to overcome his seemingly below-average speed and athletic ability.

But Anderson excelled inside the RCA Dome, as he finished near the top among defensive linemen in the 40-yard dash (4.61), broad jump (10-7), vertical jump (42), three-cone drill (6.95), short shuttle (4.22) and long shuttle (11.75). This type of showing could land Anderson in the latter portion of Day 1, after previously being considered nothing more than a second-day prospect.

One of the great stories of this draft process has been that of Cal-Poly's Chris Gocong. A versatile defensive lineman who played end and tackle in college, Gocong led the Division I-AA ranks with 19 sacks as a senior in 2005. Gocong will obviously be forced to make a huge transition in the NFL. He does not have the size (6-2, 264 pounds) to play inside, but he did show the speed in the 40-yard dash (4.7) and overall athleticism in the vertical jump (38½), broad jump (10-2), three-cone drill (7.03), short shuttle (4.08) and long shuttle (11.35) to be a DE/OLB-type. If nothing else, Gocong should prove to be an effective situational edge rusher in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme, which is why I think he's moving up to the early-Day 2 range of this year's draft class.

The big knock on Purdue DE Ray Edwards is his inconsistent motor. He clearly had some issues with Joe Tiller and the Purdue coaching staff, which does raise a red flag for NFL teams interested in him. However, with a clean slate and good coaching -- both technique-wise and motivationally -- Edwards could turn out to be one of the steals of this year's draft as a late second- or third-round selection.

Edwards has impressive size and the frame to grow. He ran well in the 40-yard (4.7 range) and displayed outstanding leaping ability in the vertical jump (39) and broad jump (9-6). More importantly, Edwards showed very good athleticism and agility for such a tall player during his position drills.

Oklahoma DT Dusty Dvoracek impressed on the field with a high motor and great quickness in drills. Also, despite off-the-field baggage -- three alcohol-related incidents while at Oklahoma, including one that resulted in a yearlong suspension in 2004 -- Dvoracek has reportedly handled himself well by showing a lot of maturity during some tough interview sessions.

Michigan NT Gabe Watson has also impressed with his quickness and agility for such a big defensive lineman. However, the interview sessions have not been so kind to Watson, who has had many questions to answer regarding his inconsistent motor and production throughout his collegiate career. One defensive line coach from an AFC team reportedly called out Watson for taking plays off during the season and only playing hard when "money was on the line" at the Senior Bowl.

The weigh-in portion of the combine can be especially important for defensive linemen, as height and weight play a big part in determining the proper position for some DE/DT tweeners as well as DE/OLB tweeners. Surprisingly enough, Texas A&M's Johnny Jolley was the heaviest of the defensive linemen and looks every bit the part of a two-gap nose tackle who would fit well in a 3-4 scheme. Kansas' Charlton Keith weighs only 237 pounds and will need to make the position switch to outside linebacker in order to survive in the NFL.

Louisville DE Elvis Dumervil was the shortest defensive lineman in this year's combine group (5-11). Unfortunately for Dumervil, who led the nation in sacks (20) and forced fumbles (11) last season, he does not show the athleticism to make the move to outside linebacker at the next level. He did turn out one of the top 40-yard dash times (4.75) for the defensive linemen, but Dumervil still lacks the explosive initial burst that a player like Dwight Freeney uses to overcome his marginal size. Freeney timed out in the 4.5-range in his official 40-yard dash attempts prior to the 2002 draft. As a result, Dumervil's stock has continued to fall at the combine, after an equally unimpressive showing at the Senior Bowl last month.

Supreme among defensive line bench pressers were Ohio State DE Mike Kudla (record-tying 45 reps), Florida State DT Brodrick Bunkley (44), Northwestern DT Barry Cofield (35), Ohio State DT Marcus Green (33) and Georgia DT Kedric Golston (31).

Syracuse defensive linemen Ryan LaCasse (4.54) and James Wyche (4.63) recorded impressive times in the 40-yard dash.

Finally, here's a look at some of the other top performers from the different drills that took place during the defensive line workouts:

40-yard dash:
Florida State DE Kamerion Wimbley -- 4.61
Clemson DE Charles Bennett -- 4.70
Tennessee DE Parys Haralson -- 4.76
Boston College DE Kiwanuka -- 4.78

Three-cone:
Purdue DE Rob Ninkovich -- 6.96
Florida State DE Kamerion Wimbley -- 6.97
Florida DE Jeremy Mincey -- 6.99
Kansas DE Charlton Keith -- 7.03
Arizona DE Copeland Bryan -- 7.11
Stanford DE Julian Jenkins -- 7.11

Short shuttle:
Boston College DE Kiwanuka -- 4.13
Purdue DE Rob Ninkovich -- 4.18
Stanford DE Julian Jenkins -- 4.23
Florida DE Jeremy Mincey -- 4.25
Tennessee DE Parys Haralson -- 4.26
Syracuse DE Ryan LaCasse -- 4.30
Arizona DE Copeland Bryan -- 4.30

Long shuttle:
Purdue DE Rob Ninkovich -- 11.33
Arizona DE Copeland Bryan -- 11.83
Kansas DE Charlton Keith -- 11.98
Clemson DE Charles Bennett -- 12.04

Vertical jump:
Auburn DE Stanley McClover -- 39
Florida State DE Kamerion Wimbley -- 38½
Ohio State DE Mike Kudla -- 37
Grambling DE Jason Hatcher -- 35½
BYU DE Manaia Brown -- 34½
Stanford DE Julian Jenkins -- 34½

Broad jump:
Arizona DE Copeland Bryan -- 9-9
Clemson DE Charles Bennett -- 9-7
Tennessee DE Parys Haralson -- 9-7
Florida State DE Kamerion Wimbley -- 10-9
Boston College DE Kiwanuka -- 10
Purdue DE Rob Ninkovich -- 9-8
Florida DE Jeremy Mincey -- 9-8

[ice grillin you]

i dont care what the eagles needs are...id give up 15 years off my life to get him

[rjs246]

Get VD!

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

i dont care what the eagles needs are...id give up 15 years off my life to get him

Unfortunately for you, you're slated to die 14 years, 11 months, and 28 days from now as is.

[troyhstewart]

I have to agree with most on Vernon Davis. Already the #1 TE by all of the experts I've read, Davis had an outstanding workout, outshining IMO Bunkley, Mario Williams, Cutler, etc.

I want the Eagles to draft a player that has the potential to dominate and be an all pro, regardless of position.  Mario Williams would be ideal in terms of player/position, but I don't see it happening. If Davis were there at 14, I'd grab him.  Bunkley is moving up after that performance. I see a lot of value in rounds 2 & 3, so I wouldn't be upset with trading down and getting more picks.

[PhillyGirl]

I have to agree with most on Vernon Davis. Already the #1 TE by all of the experts I've read, Davis had an outstanding workout, outshining IMO Bunkley, Mario Williams, Cutler, etc.

I want the Eagles to draft a player that has the potential to dominate and be an all pro, regardless of position.  Mario Williams would be ideal in terms of player/position, but I don't see it happening. If Davis were there at 14, I'd grab him.  Bunkley is moving up after that performance. I see a lot of value in rounds 2 & 3, so I wouldn't be upset with trading down and getting more picks.

Holy crap! Who are you!?? 

[The BIGSTUD]

As great as Vernon Davis looks, and he looks like he could be a top TE in this league, I think defense is more important. Now draft is all about value. If the Eagles can't trade up for Mario Williams, and we are sitting there at 14 and Vernon Davis is there, then I have no problem with taking him. Mostly because players like Kiwanuka and Greenway would be reaches. But is also depends on who falls to 14.

But somewhere during this offseason the defensive line and linebackers need to be addressed or I don't see us getting deep into the playoffs.

[troyhstewart]

No doubt the defense needs addressed, and as much as I like PSU and Tamba Hali, there will be similar players available in the 3rd and 4th round.  Which is why I mentioned the possibility of trading down. I have no doubt they can find another Trent Cole in the middle of the draft.
I have very little faith in them drafting a LB of any consequence.

I think a top flight TE would help this offense greatly. Sure, LJ will make a few plays in the passing game, but he is inconsistent, doesn't secure the football, and is a non factor in the running game. Not only would a top TE like Davis help the running game, he would make average WRs look better.

If we do not bring back Runyan, WHitworth from LSU just looks the part as a replacement.  There are alot of WRs and pass rushers that will be available late day1/early day2.  This draft looks very intriguing to me in terms of depth and the quality of athletes at several positions. Even if we don't get VD, I'd take a long look at another TE like Klopfenstein.

And let's not forget FA... we have no idea what the team will do here.

PG, I've been very busy lately.

[The BIGSTUD]

If Vernon Davis and Lendale White are both there at 14, who do you take? That is a tough one.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

If Vernon Davis and Lendale White are both there at 14, who do you take? That is a tough one.

Vernon Davis without even taking half a second to think about it.