2009 NFL Combine: Friday's Recap

With the exciting stuff still a day away, offensive linemen, tight ends, and specialists, interviewed with teams while the glamour positions came to town. The quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers were measured today while yesterday's groups hit the bench press. Several players came away as with positive momentum from the day, while others weren’t so lucky.

For once, quarterbacks didn’t steal the thunder today. The measurements and weigh-ins all came in fairly close to what many were expecting. The big news here today was Mark Sanchez, who sounded mature in interviews. He stated that he will be throwing in Indy and an impressive workout could seal the deal for some teams that are salivating over his game tape. Are the Lions in that group? Will he go in the Top 10? Will he pass Stafford? These are all questions yet to be answered.

The running backs also remained fairly quiet today. For many, the top three running backs in the class are Beanie Wells, Knowshon Moreno, and LeSean McCoy, all underclassmen. Wells measured in as expected, while Moreno weighed in at 217 pounds, heavier than expected. Moreno is expected to run in the 4.4-4.5 range and if he cracks the 4.4’s, he could potentially be one of the biggest winners once the week is all said and done. McCoy on the other hand, came in on the wrong side of 200, at 197 pounds with some of the smallest hands of the group. He’ll need to work out superbly in order to maintain status in the top tier with Wells and Moreno.

Michael Crabtree was living proof that colleges love to inflate their players’ measureables. He measured in nearly two full inches shorter than his expected height of 6’3. This is something I was expecting prior to the Combine, but because of precise route running, strong hands, and arm length, this discrepancy in height doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Kenny Britt (6’3), one of my favorite receiver prospects, measured in an inch shorter than listed as well, another inconsequential difference.

Here are some other noteworthy numbers among receivers. Percy Harvin (5’11, 192) looks small, as expected. Some project him as a running back at the next level, but won’t cut it at this weight. He has the body of a receiver. There were some questions about the height of Darrius Heyward-Bey (6’2), but he put those doubts to rest. Marko Mitchell (6’4, 218) has an impressive combination of size and length.

This was the day where offensive linemen tend to make their rise with an impressive showing on the bench press. Baylor’s Jason Smith may have been that winner with 33 reps. He’s known more as a quickness and finesse tackle rather than a bull. Eben Britton (24), Michael Oher (21), and Herman Johnson (21) were all highly unimpressive. In all fairness, Johnson has insanely long arms (36 ½”!) so he has a longer distance to displace the bar.

Finally, I just wanted to quickly talk about Brandon Pettigrew as a name to watch out for. He’s not the typical Vernon Davis/Dustin Keller athlete you talk about at tight end, but he is a deceptive athlete. He’s known primarily for acting as an extension to the offensive line, but he is really a smooth and natural pass catcher. Watch out for him in drills on Saturday and if he runs in the 4.6’s, I’ll be shocked to see him slip past the first half of round one. I’m predicting a 4.73. Let’s see how that number fares!

Join us tomorrow for Live Coverage of the Combine when offensive linemen, tight ends, and specialists take the field for workouts and discuss it with over 40,000 fans on the Forum.

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