Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Footballdiehards.com byΒ Evan Tarracciano.
Now more than ever, the NFLβs calendar provides its fans with plenty of activity during the βDark Ageβ of the sport, from the final snap in the Super Bowl until Roger Goodellβs chorus of boos erupt during the opening of the NFL Draft.
For Fantasy Football fanatics, the month of March marks the beginning of the preparation period for the following season, namely in the form of the NFL Combine. In years past this event was given little national spotlight and attention, viewed as an over-glorified weekend of college athletes running wind sprints in underwear (though to some extent that is still the case, as the 40-yard dash is the most critiqued event of the bunch).
Long prior to the event even starting, you can be sure that all 32 NFL teams have done their due diligence, creating scouting reports on all players that they feel would benefit their club come draft day. Generally speaking, each team has a decent idea of what players will be off the board within the first three rounds, and the real βdirty workβ comes from trying to find athletes from smaller schools or those with a checkered history off off-field issues or specific skillsets (such as special teams mavens).
Strong or weak performances at the Combine present the opportunity for players to either rise or fall on draft boards. Opinions may not be dramatically shifted, but rising to the occasion for some will present a much bigger payday β the incentive is clearly there.
Although the Combine is only half over at this point, all Fantasy-relevant positions have already worked out (QB, RB, WR and TE), meaning that owners will need to wait until a playerβs Pro Day or the Draft to evaluate them further. Similar to the scouts that were in attendance at the event, I was able to jot down several notes on players that caught my attention, many of which I had never watched prior to this in person. Below are my thoughts on each position, in order of their appearance.
Running Backs
Overall Thoughts:
The 2019 RB class is considered on paper to be much thinner than last year, and there is no sure-fire blue-chip prospects that are βslam dunkβ round one selections, akin toΒ Saquon Barkley. Currently I haveΒ Josh Jacobs(Alabama),Β Miles SandersΒ (Penn State) andΒ David MontgomeryΒ (Iowa State) alone in my first-tier, with a significant drop off thereafter.
β’Β Justice HillΒ (OSU) ran the fastest 40-yard dash of the class, at 4.40. He is insanely fast but is very lean, and I donβt think that his slight frame can take the pounding of a true first and second down back. Have to imagine that heβd be best suited as a kick returner. He also led the RB group with a 40 inch vertical and 130 inch long jump.
β’Β Miles SandersΒ (PSU) will draw plenty of comparisons to Barkley given that they went to the same school, but he doesnβt possess the burst or quickness of Saquon. He ranked above-average in all of the drills, from the broad jump (124 inches), vertical jump (36 inches) and finished first in the cone drill (6.89 seconds). His shiftiness will make him a third-down back but I canβt envision a team drafting him as a feature player.
β’Β Devin SingletaryΒ (Florida Atlantic) is a player that other analysts seem much higher on than myself. It was pointed out several times that he has one of the best jump-cuts in college football and is a very patient runner, but his showing in Indianapolis was forgettable for me. Heβs more of a 4th or 5th round player in my estimation. Mike Mayockβs βquicker than fastβ phrase was thrown about plenty.
β’Β Dexter WilliamsΒ (Notre Dame) was impressive whenever I saw him live. His 130-inch long jump tiedΒ Justice HillandΒ Travis HomerΒ for the best of the RB grouping. For being a 5β11 210 lb. back he moves very well. Williams also had a 7 second flat cone drill, just behind the elusiveΒ Miles Sanders.
β’Β Damien HarrisΒ (Alabama) draws constant comparisons toΒ Mark IngramΒ on both the NFL Network broadcast and college experts on Twitter. I went back and watched some of his tape and donβt think that he runs with quite the same ferocity, but similar to Ingram he is a great blocker and capable receiver.
Quarterbacks
Overall Thoughts:
Similar to the running back position, this yearβs crop of signal callers is considered a much shallower pool of talent, with only a few players expected to break into the first round. The name that everyone is discussing isΒ Kyler Murray, who unfortunately didnβt do any of the drills at the Combine. After choosing to stick with football rather than pursuing a baseball career with the Oakland Athletics, Murray immediately vaulted to the top of tier one. Much has been discussed about his height, but I feel that it doesnβt put a black spot on his record like many others. Murray is smart about using his athleticism to his advantage, opting to run out of bounds or slide rather than force unnecessary contact. Think of him as a slightly smaller version ofΒ Russell Wilson. Iβm excited to see what he can do at Oklahomaβs Pro Day.
β’Β Trace McSorleyΒ (Penn State) entered the Combine with a definite chip on his shoulder. He was requested to participate in drills with defensive backs as well as quarterbacks, but he declined stating that this is the position he prefers. He is the most gifted running option of the bunch, leading the group with a 4.57 40 yard dash, and received top marks in the cone drill and jumps. I canβt forsee his skillset translating to an NFL roster though.
β’Β Drew LockΒ (Missouri) benefitted strongly from the spotlight. He showed the scouts his incredibly strong arm, but occasionally missed a receiver with his throws. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein pointed out that he reminded him ofΒ Matthew StaffordΒ β an elite talent with fantastic arm strength that struggles with touch at times.
β’Β Dwayne HaskinsΒ (Ohio State) didnβt have a great 40-yard dash time with over 5 seconds, but no team is drafting him for his legs. Haskins is a pocket quarterback through and through, in the traditional sense. During the passing drills the ball came out of his hand effortlessly, and he led his receivers well. His deep passes had plenty of air underneath them but also didnβt float, and had just the right amount of touch.
β’Β Daniel JonesΒ (Duke) entered the Combine with a decent amount of buzz behind him, as quarterbacks typically do. His passing attempts didnβt have the βwowβ factor of either Lock or Haskins, and he seemed to need much more effort to reach the same distances. Jones was consistently throwing the ball high to his receivers, especially on the slant routes. This might be in part due to his size.
β’Β Tyree JacksonΒ (Buffalo) is one of those quarterbacks that catches my attention every year with the βwhat ifβ factor. A team willing to take the time and hone his skills and groom him for a year or two would be well rewarded. He has a very strong arm and easy-going demeanor.
Tight Ends
Overall Thoughts:Β
Of the offensive positions, tight end is by far the deepest this year, and there are a number of players who will be drafted as plug-and-play choices. Expectations around the league have teams selecting two or three from this group in the first round, namelyΒ T.J. HockensonΒ andΒ Noah FantΒ from Iowa and Irv Smith from Alabama.
β’ When comparing the two Iowa players, Hockenson is more of the βtraditionalβ tight end, with Fant being more of a prototype βmoveβ option that is becoming more commonplace within the league. Hockenson is an adept blocker, but Fant is the superior pass catcher. Hockenson may be drafted first of the two due to a more complete overall skillset, but for teams simply looking for a slot presence or someone to open up the seam, Fant would be the guy. Fantβs 40-time of 4.50 led the tight end group, and he was the talk of Indianapolis after Day 2. Fant and Hockenson also finished 1-2 in both jumping drills and the cone drill as well. Each player had a fantastic day.
β’ Irv Smith had a solid day, and Iβll agree with the comments made by Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network on him. Lazy analysis will compare him toΒ O.J. HowardΒ since they went to the same school, but Smith isnβt nearly the same size as Howard, nor does he possess the same ceiling. Smith does have strong hands and excelled in the drill when he as peppered with targets. Smith fell to the ground early on both deep targets thrown his way and failed to catch either reception.
β’Β Drew SampleΒ (Washington) was repeatedly named by Bucky Brooks as a sleeper candidate to keep an eye on. I didnβt recall much of anything in particular that he excelled at.
β’ WithΒ Rob Gronkowskiβs future uncertain and the team recently releasingΒ Dwayne Allen, it stands to reason that the New England Patriots would have interest here.
Wide Receivers
Overall thoughts:
The 2019 crop of WR talent has plenty to offer across the board, from physical freak athletes, speed demons to slot receivers or pure route runners. Iβd fully expect there to be at least two or three wideouts taken on Day 1.
β’ Ohio State officially rules the roost when it comes to speed demon wideouts. Three of the top eight 40 times were recorded by Buckeyes, including the top performing candidate inΒ Parris CampbellΒ (4.31). Campbell is regarded as a game-changing speedster and converted track star, but doesnβt run very polished routes, akin to aΒ John Ross. Still, weβve seen in the past that teams value speed much more than other attributes (the Al Davis Oakland Raiders come to mind).
β’ Apparently, a glitch occurred on Saturday morning with the electronic systems that measure the 40 βΒ Andy Isabella(UMASS) was expected to have one of the fastest times in the entire class, but initial numbers tracked him at 4.56 and 4.41. In actuality it was a 4.31. Given his size and body type (5β9 and 188 lbs.) it wouldnβt be a stretch to peg him into a slot receiver role, but Isabella is fully capable of being a downfield threat as well, akin toΒ Phillip Dorsett. Larger cornerbacks pressing at the line of scrimmage could be an issue for him to overcome.
β’Β D.K. MetcalfΒ from Mississippi is officially the talk of the Combine world after running an absurd 4.33 40 and putting up 27 reps on the bench press, at a size of 6β3 and 228 lbs. To further cement his claim as the top receiver in the draft, Metcalf finished third in the vertical jump (40.5 inches) and fifth in the long jump (134 inches). He doesnβt have a lengthy career to pull data from as his redshirt sophomore season was cut short by a severe neck injury, but any scout with functioning eyeballs will tell you that he fits into the βphysical freakβ category, akin to Calvin Johnson orΒ Josh Gordon. There are definite holes to his game and areas to refine, but Metcalf has the highest ceiling of any receiver. His performance cemented him as a top-10 selection.
β’Β Riley RidleyΒ (Georgia) reminds me of a younger (and less physical) version of Anquon Boldin. He doesnβt have top-end breakaway speed, nor does he have the downfield blocking skills of Boldin, but he does have fantastic hands and above-average route running skills. He isnβt a true βXβ option, but as a larger slot option or second receiver, the upside is certainly there.
β’Β Hunter RenfrowΒ (Clemson) has some of the best hands at the position and is tough as nails β yet I still canβt see him being drafted in the first five or six rounds. Renfrow doesnβt have breakaway speed or separation, and his smaller stature will present further limitations. Iβm envisioning a career path more in line withΒ Danny AmendolaΒ thanΒ Julian Edelman.
β’ For teams not willing to spend the draft capital on a Metcalf, they should strongly considerΒ Miles BoykinΒ (Notre Dame). He wasnβt nearly as touted, but his measurables are equally impressive. A 6β4, 220lb outside receiver, Boykin finished FIRST in the three-cone drill (6.77 seconds) at receiver, second in the long jump (an absurd 140 inches) and first in the vertical jump (43.5 inches). His college tape consistently showed him out-leaping smaller defenders and out-muscling them on back shoulder throws. Definitely a name to remember.
β’Β A.J. BrownΒ (Mississippi) was the Robin to Metcalfβs Batman during the drills, and I have to admit β I really enjoyed watching him catch the ball. Some smaller receivers allow the ball to reach them fully before cradling it next to them, referred to as βbody catchingβ. Others snatch the ball out of the air with ease. Then there is Brown. In every session when the ball came his way there was an audible βpopβ when it hit his hands, and didnβt move. An inch. Early reports say that Brown is being targeted by teams as a larger slot receiver. A bigger version ofΒ Jarvis LandryΒ sounds good to me.
