NFL Combine- Notes

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February 23, 2005

2005 Scouting Combine Preview

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Scott Wright

President, NFL Draft Countdown

This week 339 top prospects will congregate in Indianapolis, IN at the RCA Dome to work out and test in front of countless scouts, coaches and pro decision makers at the 2005 Scouting Combine. The following is my preview of some of the things to watch for in the coming days.

Perhaps the single most important event at this years Combine will be the measuring of Cal QB Aaron Rodgers. Beyond a shadow of a doubt the number one concern amongst the scouting community in regards to Rodgers is his size but if he checks in close to the 6-3 the school has him listed at he will be the front-runner for the #1 overall pick. However, if he comes in around the 6-0 mark that may be enough to push him down into the 5-15 range and allow Utah's Alex Smith to overtake him as the consensus top signal caller available. The other big story at the quarterback position will likely be Adrian McPherson, who has the type of talent to be the star of this event and dramatically increase his stock. McPherson began his career at Florida St. and was starting by his sophomore year before getting kicked off the team amid a high-profile gambling scandal. He then tried to enroll at Tennessee St. but when it became clear the NCAA wasn't going to allow him to play football he opted to turn pro and sign with the Indiana Firebirds, where he quickly took the Arena Football League by storm. This guy is the first athlete in Florida prep history to ever be named both Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball and if he performs as well as he and his agents feel he will then Day One is not out of the question. It will also be interesting to see how Arizona St. QB Andrew Walter's shoulder checks out in medical examinations.

There should also be some interesting story lines at running back, especially among the Big 3 seniors. It appears Cedric Benson will not work out which opens the door for both Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams of Auburn to step up and impress in his absence. Whether or not they will seize the opportunity is unclear at this point, but Williams appears to have the mindset that he is eager to prove himself after choosing to take part in the Senior Bowl week when all of the other premier prospects did not. This will also be an opportunity for some other runners to seperate from the pack because right now there appears to be a group of about ten guys who all carry 2nd-3rd round grades. Which running back amongst Ciatrick Fason of Florida, Vernand Morency of Oklahoma St., Eric Shelton of Louisville, Marion Barber of Minnesota, Cedric Houston of Tennessee, T.A. McLendon of North Carolina St., J.J. Arrington of California, Ryan Moats of Louisiana Tech, Kay-Jay Harris of West Virginia and Frank Gore of Miami will step up and emerge from the crowd? And then of course there is once again Maurice Clarett, who will need to not only perform in physical workouts but in the interview sessions as well.

At wide receiver the guy everyone is waiting to see run is Troy Williamson of South Carolina, who may be one of the fastest players in the Draft. If Williamson runs as well as most expect he could launch himself into consideration for the Top 10-15 overall. Another wideout who will likely burn up the RCA Dome surface is Jerome Mathis of Hampton, who had a standout performance in the Gridiron Classic and was also a track All-American in college. This will also be an important test for Larry Brackins as it will be the first opportunity for teams to see and size up the JUCO star. Chris Henry of West Virginia will need to make a positive impression in interviews to show teams that his maturity will not be a question at the next level while Vincent Jackson of Northern Colorado will need to run well if he hopes to convince teams that his pro future is at wide receiver and not H-Back or tight end. And finally, it will be interesting to see what kind of shape Mike Williams of USC is in and whether or not he will work out because a good performance in Indy would be just the type of boost he could use to get his name back in the spotlight. At tight end the big story will be Heath Miller of Virginia if he chooses to run because a good forty time could mean the difference between a spot in the Top 10-15 and or late round one.

Along the offensive line Khalif Barnes of Washington has the type of athleticism that could make him a workout warrior. A strong performance in Indy combined with a standout week in Mobile at the Senior Bowl could lead to Barnes being the first offensive tackle drafted come April. There doesn't appear to be many top tackles available this year but Alex Barron of Florida St. is a great athlete who could impress at a venue like this while guys like Jammal Brown of Oklahoma and Adam Terry of Syracuse will try to secure a spot for themselves in round one. Chris Colmer of North Carolina St., Wesley Britt of Alabama and Michael Munoz of Tennessee will be three guys who need to check out medically and there will also be a couple of small school sleepers in Michael Roos of Eastern Washington and Adam Kieft of Central Michigan who hope to make their mark. On the interior North Carolina's Jason Brown figures to be one of the strongest players in the Draft, Marcus Johnson of Ole Miss will have to show in drills whether he is an OT or OG prospect and Chris Kemoeatu of Utah will have to answer some character questions in interviews.

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At defensive end the situation is similar to the one at running back where there is a glut of players all rated about equally and we are just waiting for someone to emerge. Erasmus James of Wisconsin will likely face a battery of medical tests while Dan Cody of Oklahoma and Demarcus Ware of Troy will probably be asked to take part in linebacker drills to see if they have the ability to play there (much like Jason Babin did a year ago). Marcus Spears of L.S.U. will look to build on his Senior Bowl momentum while David Pollack of Georgia has a lot of questions to answer since he didn't take advantage of the opportunity that presented itself in Mobile. One interesting guy to watch will be Justin Tuck of Notre Dame, who is an amazing athlete and could really impress in a setting like this. Another intriguing situation is that of Virginia's Chris Canty, who was on his way to being a 1st round pick before a major injury and how he checks out with team doctors will likely play a big role in where he is ultimately chosen. Want a sleeper to watch out for? How about Jovan Haye of Vanderbilt, who came out as a junior and could impress with his physical tools. At defensive tackle there aren't a lot of premier prospects like there have been in the past so this is a chance for someone to emerge. A couple prospects to keep an eye on are Luis Castillo of Northwestern and C.J. Mosley of Missouri. A guy who could really make a name for himself this week is Sione Pouha of Utah, who has tremendous size, strength and athleticism. Defensive tackles are usually coveted early in the Draft for the spots are there for someone to step up and seize them.

At linebacker two juniors could really take the event by storm with Shawne Merriman of Maryland and Darryl Blackstock of Virginia figuring to show tremendous athleticism if they choose to workout. Another junior, Channing Crowder of Florda, will need to make an impression in interviews as well as with the team doctors to alleviate concerns about his maturity and health. This will also be a great place for mid-round prospects to emerge because after the top elite group there is still a lot of uncertainty at the linebacker positions. Watch for Robert McCune of Louisville to make a huge impression though both on the track and in the weight room. He could very well be one of the top workout warriors this year.

Perhaps no position will be more affected by workouts than cornerback and it will be interesting to see how many guys choose to run in Indy. It has been rumored that Pac-Man Jones of West Virginia can run in the 4.3 range and if that is the case he will likely be the top corner drafted. Antrel Rolle of Miami will need to run well to show scouts that he can play outside at the next level because as of now some teams are viewing him as a potential safety. The same can also be said for Marlin Jackson of Michigan and Ronald Bartell of Howard. A guy who could impress is Brandon Browner of Oregon St. because he has tremendous size and if he can show the speed to go along with it his stock could soar. Justin Miller of Clemson could also standout with his speed and athleticism while Corey Webster of L.S.U. will look to bounce back after a lackluster Senior Bowl performance. Want the name of a guy who could workout well and really make a move? How about Fabian Washington of Nebraska. At safety Thomas Davis of Georgia and Ernest Shazor of Michigan are both S / OLB 'tweeners who could help or hurt themselves in position drills. Also watch out for Brodney Pool of Oklahoma to really impress with his speed and athleticism if he decides to take part in the activities. A guy to really watch as a workout warrior among the defensive backs if Hamza Abdullah of Washington St.

This will also be a chance for kickers and punters to show their stuff and while kicker Mike Nugent of Ohio St. and punter Dustin Colquitt are locks for Day One it will be interesting to see if anyone else emerges as draftable prospects on special teams.

As you can see there is no shortage of story lines and this is sure to be an interesting week. The developmentals of the next few days will likely have a major impact on how the NFL Draft unfolds in April so be sure to check back often as NFL Draft Countdown brings you FREE up-to-the-minute coverage of the 2005 NFL Scouting Combine.

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NFL news leading up to the combine

By Pat Kirwan

NFL.com Senior Analyst

I feel sorry for the top 10 teams

I don't want to overstate nor understate the perceived talent at the top of the draft, but one prominent NFL personnel director said to me, "I feel sorry for the 10 teams at the top of this draft." He doesn't see a way out of the slots they are in because no one wants to pay top-10 money anymore unless they see a franchise quarterback, a dominant pass rusher, a bell cow running back or a lockdown corner. Right now, some describe the draft talent pool as cloudy and there is a great hope that the combine clears up the mess.

As another high-ranking personnel man said, "Of all years, this is not the one to sit out the combine activities. A great performance in front of a bunch of GMs and head coaches who are scratching their heads in search of the top 10 players is a golden opportunity, and only a fool would miss it on purpose."

Mark my words -- a guy or two we aren't hearing about as a top 10 player will emerge from the scouting combine, and some guy who thinks he has a top-five spot locked up and doesn't work out will slide this year.

Finally, one scout said to me, "If a guy with a late first-round grade comes into Indy and tears it up, he could make a big jump." I asked which players could make a leap with an Indy performance and the names were TE Heath Miller (Virginia), LB Derrick Johnson (Texas), DE/LB Shawne Merriman (Maryland), LB/S Thomas Davis (Georgia) and OT Alex Barron (Florida State), among others. I'll report back as to how many of these players pass on the opportunity to show people why they belong in the top 10 in this draft.

This is something that has been discussed- there really is no sure fire top guys in the draft this year- so it is very possible teams are not going to want to pay top dollars for those slots and will look to trade down