NFL combine Day 1 Recap
NFL combine Day 1 Recap
The NFL combine is a huge opportunity for draft-eligible players to show off their physical abilities and really set themselves apart from other prospects. While these workouts aren’t necessarily the defining tests of a player’s worth, the combine has proven over the years to elevate or decimate the draft stock for certain players; a good showing can help make a case for teams taking a shot at a player they would still need to develop, while a poor showing from highly rated prospects could scare teams away and cause their stock to fall back on draft day. On the first day of workouts, the offensive lineman and running backs were put on display for all the football world to see. Without further ado, for people who think football is nothing but running fast and being strong, let’s break down who ran the fastest and lifted weights the best. (Kickers and punters were also there).
N.C. State center Garrett Bradbury may have solidified himself as a strong first round pick with an excellent showing in his combine drills. With a sub-5 second 40 yard dash and 34 reps on the bench, Bradbury showed all the tools necessary to be a boon on any offensive line.
Texas A&M lineman Erik McCoy paced all lineman with blinding (for a guy over 300 pounds) 4.89 40 yard dash time. He showed good foot speed during individual drills and good strength in the bench press. He certainly made a good case to be one of the top offensive lineman drafted this year.
Chris Lindstrom from Boston College also had a strong showing on day 1. He had a good 40 time, displaying good foot speed and body control. He showed good quickness and agility that will be necessary to handle defensive rushers at the next level and showed off good strength at the bench press.
These are my top lineman from day one of the combine. Let’s take a look at the running backs. This running back class has been considered on the slower end, and there has yet to be a clear-cut first-round talent in the backfield.
The most talked about backs in this draft missed an opportunity to set themselves from the rest of the field. After a strong senior bowl for Memphis running back Tony Pollard, he was only the 10th fastest running back with a 40 time of 4.52 seconds. While the bench press may not be as important for this position, he had the fewest reps of any running back.
Iowa State running back was a perfect example of someone that could have significantly raised his draft stock with a strong combine showing. Unfortunately, after running a 4.63 40 yard dash, he seemingly failed to do so.
One rusher that may have improved his draft stock was Justice Hill from Oklahoma State. He ran the fastest 40 of any running back in his class. One of his biggest criticisms was that he lacked top end speed, and while this may seem true compared to current NFL running backs, he showed he’s the fastest back in the rookie class.
While there is certainly more to cover in the 2019 NFL combine, this is a quick peek at the notable performers from Day 1. Look for more coverage and more in-depth analysis for each of the top players.
-By: Nick Selko