2009 NFL Combine: Sunday's Recap

Sunday was the receivers’ time to shine. Hailed as the fastest group by numerous scouts and on-field coaches in Combine history, we now know how much scarier NFL offenses around the league are going to be. The quarterbacks and running backs remained relatively quiet for the most part, but there was some rising and falling within the ranks as well. It was a very productive day with some key questions answered.

Quarterbacks:

This continues to be a weak class for the quarterbacks that will have difficulty matching the production of last year’s spectacular class. Among top prospects, Matthew Stafford chose not to throw today, but participated in just about everything else. He put up some numbers that signify an above average athlete, something that’s been masked by that cannon arm and pocket passing at Georgia. Mark Sanchez proved to be just the type of athlete you look for in a pass-first, pocket passer. He wasn’t impressive in workouts, underthrowing receivers and allowing deep balls to hang in the air. Now, the problem with Sanchez clearly isn’t his arm strength, but it may have been his cautiousness that cost him on the day. Regardless, I don’t put much stock into Combine workouts for quarterbacks when there is a season of game tape with which to evaluate. Still, the Lions may face the difficult decision of taking one of these two junior with the first overall pick. It will be tempting to pass it up, but with such elite offensive tackles on the board, it would probably prove to be a better option in the long run.

Rhett Bomar and Pat White both helped themselves slightly this week. Bomar placed among the top in his position at nearly every drill. Bomar is a superb athlete which will only help his case going forward. White didn’t run the sub 4.5 40 some were expecting, but he still posted the top time among quarterbacks (4.55). This seems to be a slower track in Indy this year however, so we can give players a little benefit of the doubt. More importantly, he mentioned in interviews that he still wished to play quarterback, but if it took another position to make a roster or get on the field, he was more than willing to do that. It’s good to see White soften up his stance because he has a place in the NFL with a creative mind. His arm looked good once again, another promising sign of his success in the NFL.

Running Backs:

What happened to fast running backs? Okay fine, there are no very fast running backs in this class maybe, but why such slow times (fastest time – 4.45 by Cedric Peerman)? It really seemed to be a perplexing with some odd names claiming bragging rights as this year’s fastest straight line backs. Cedric Peerman? Ian Johnson? Andre Brown? These were supposed to be the vision and power backs, so it’s safe to say they’ve all really boosted their stocks. The guy I like is Andre Brown whose low mileage and running style makes a great fit in the NFL. Johnson is a prospect I’ll have to revisit to see if he actually plays that fast. I’ve always thought of him as a 4.6 player. At the combine, he not only ran a 4.46, but pressed 26 reps and performed well in the Shuttle and Cone drills. These three guys are all on the rise as a result of subpar runs from their peers.

The most alarming numbers from the group were Knowshon Moreno and Chris Wells. Wells clocked in officially at a 4.59, good for a tie for 10th among backs. A name I was surprised to seeing absent from that list was Knowshon Moreno whose official time is unknown, but at a 4.60 or slower. I wasn’t expecting either player to run in the 4.3’s, but I was expecting 4.4’s from Beanie and around a 4.5 from Moreno. The good news is that neither player really looked comfortable running the 40. What this means is that if you put a football in their hands, they’ll likely run faster. Neither player exploded off the start and seemed to fight themselves throughout the 40 yards. Moreno may also have been slowed by the added weight that impressed me earlier in the week. Beanie did impress with a 10’8” broad jump which shows some explosiveness. LeSean McCoy, who many call the third best back, decided not to work out because of the flu.

With such slow times by Beanie and Moreno, and the flu holding back Shady, the next best backs had a chance to close the gap. Shonn Greene ran an unofficial 4.63, which all cemented his status in the 2nd round or lower. His physical running style will be adored, but his inability to separate may leave some question marks. Donald Brown was the back to really create some buzz today. He tested well with a 4.49 40, a 41.5” vertical jump, a 10’5” broad jump, and top times in the Shuttle, Cone, and Long Shuttle. Brown is the rare back in the class that truly has vision and understands patience in setting up the blocks. With his junior year production, he could really surprise some people and go a little higher than expected, surely in day one.

Several more notes from the Combine. Kory Sheets looked very quick all day and had a great Combine. New Mexico Bowl wonder, Gartrell Johnson showed off some gigantic tree trunk thighs. Small school prospects Bernard Scott (Abilene Christian), Javarris Williams (Tennessee State), and Rashad Jennings (Liberty) also had good workouts this week in Indy.

Wide Receivers:

The two wide receiver groups were the ones to follow today. Darrius Heyward-Bey’s 4.30 official 40 time was the second fastest time since 2000 (Jerome Mathis – 4.28). His numbers were all-around impressive and this week should solidify him in the first round of the draft for nearly every NFL team, if he wasn’t already. It was a little disappointing not to see Jeremy Maclin and Percy Harvin join Bey in the sub 4.4 40’s, but it shouldn’t make an ounce of difference in their respective draft stocks.

Kenny Britt, my second ranked receiver, had an outstanding Combine. As I’ve been saying, Britt has an incredible work ethic inside the weight room. Though he measured in at a hair under 6’3 and 218 pounds with long arms, he finished second among receivers with 23 reps on the bench press. He followed up by running a sub 4.5 40 yard dash, which should be enough to land him in the first round. He’s a complete wide receiver who has run nearly the entire route tree and does it well. Hakeem Nicks also surprised me a little with an unofficial 4.49 40 yard dash. I had always thought of him as a little slower on the field.

In the workouts and drills, Brian Robiskie continued to shine, something he did often in the Senior Bowl early this offseason. He’s a 4.5 player, but looks incredibly smooth and efficient with his steps. He doesn’t have the upside and flashiness to reach the first round, but he’s as sure a bet as you’ll see in the second round. I liken him a little to Jordy Nelson a year ago, who went under the radar, but just had great instincts and efficiency. As far as route running and football I.Q. are concerned, Robiskie is the crème-de-la-crème among wide receivers this year.

The other two speedsters were Johnny Knox and Mike Wallace. Knox recorded the fastest unofficial time at 4.25 before having it dropped to an official 4.34. Knox should certainly get drafted now, while Wallace continues to work his way into the middle rounds. Wallace has had an outstanding offseason thus far earning himself some money at every step of the way. Jarrett Dillard proved to be an explosive athlete with a 42.5” vertical and a 10’9” broad jump. This, along with incredible collegiate production, should be enough to get him drafted in the first three rounds. Rutgers’ “other” receiver, Tiquan Underwood, worked his way back onto the map after a dismal senior season. Running a 4.41 40 with a 41.5” vertical and a 10’9” broad jump, he tested through the roof as an athlete. Now if only he could consistently catch the ball…

The same goes for Oregon’s Jaison Williams. He was dropping nearly every ball in his routes and in the gauntlet. He’s an interesting physical specimen, but just unable to consistently bring the ball in. His size will allow him to project as more of an H-back then a full time wide receiver. Another disappointing prospect was Penn State’s Derrick Williams. Expected to challenge for the best 40 time or among the best, he instead came out to run an unofficial 4.58. Rumors say that he had the flu, but decided to run anyways. We have the times of teammates Deon Butler (4.38) and Jordan Norwood (4.57), so we should be able to compare them with Pro Day times to get a more accurate measure as to how fast Williams actually is. With the way he looked in the season and Senior Bowl, I wouldn’t put it past him to run in the 4.4’s.

Sunday concluded workouts for the offensive side of the ball. With two days remaining in the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine, we head over to the defense with defensive linemen and linebackers up on Monday. Coverage begins at 11 AM so be sure to tune in to Football’s Future for the latest results and discuss it with over 40,000 fans on the Forum.

Results: QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | ST