2015 NFL Combine Recap

The book has closed on the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine. A number of players had their draft stock impacted by their performance throughout the past week, and here we will take a look at some of the notable performances.

West Virginia WR Kevin White may have pushed himself to the top of the receiver rankings after his impressive all around performance. He checked in at 6'3 215lbs, blazed a 4.35 40, and was impressive in every receiving drill. White had a tremendous season on the field, but there were some questions about his true straight line speed and change of direction ability. He eased all concerns this week. Alabama's Amari Cooper has topped the WR rankings all season long, but White may have jumped ahead of him in the race to be the top receiver selected.

Florida OT DJ Humphries has always had impressive athleticism and agility, but his frame raised major red flags. He had a very lean frame and some durability concerns along with it. Checking in at the combine 307lbs - 20lbs over his playing weight, has helped his stock tremendously. Humphries may be the best pure left tackle in the class based on his movement skills, and the added weight was a must to survive in the NFL. The weight and durability questions gave him a third day grade prior to the combine. The added weight and potential as a true left tackle have catapulted him into day two, with an outside chance at landing in the first round.

Another Gator, DE/LB Dante Fowler had a great showing in Indianapolis. He carried a definite first round grade entering the combine, but may have catapulted himself to the top of the edge rusher position. Fowler's football intelligence, versatility, and motor have never been an issue. He has played a variety of roles for Florida and done well in all of them but there was some lingering doubt about just how good of an athlete he was and if he could be a playmaker on Sundays. After clocking a 4.60 40 at 261lbs and looking good in positional drills, Fowler looks capable of playing a standup linebacker position or lining up with his hand down. That versatility and athletic ability should make him a top ten lock, with a shot at landing in the top five.

Another edge rusher, Clemson's Vic Beasley had a fantastic showing this week. He's been praised as one of the draft's most explosive edge rushers, and he showed exactly that, clocking a 4.53 40 with a 10 yard split of 1.59. That much was expected. Running that in a 246lb frame was not. Beasley played at 235lbs and many feared he might be even lighter than that. Proving he can still fly at 246lbs should make him a top 15, maybe even top ten selection in April. Cornerback Trae Waynes of Michigan St entered the combine as the top corner on many people's boards, but many expected players like Marcus Peters, PJ Williams, or Quinten Rollins to push him for that title. Waynes blew that trio and all other comers away and may have locked up the #1 corner ranking on everyone's board. Waynes was praised for his length, toughness and ball skills prior the combine, then showed up and blew everyone away with his speed and athleticism. He ran the top time for defensive backs, clocking a 4.31 40 and looking every bit the potential shut down corner on Sundays. The NFL wants tall corners that can run, and Waynes showed he can do that better than anyone else at his position. He now has the look of a top 15 pick.

There may not have been a bigger freak at the combine than UConn corner Byron Jones. He set a combine record(and possible world record) with a 12'3” broad jump, then knocked out a near record 44.5” vertical jump. That is some serious explosion in the lower half. Jones had shoulder surgery which limited him at the combine, but what he did participate in, he was amazing. He is not just a physical freak however. Jones is a very good player on the field, but one with some speed questions. He did not run the 40, so there are still things left for him to prove. But, he went from a mid day three prospect to a guy that every team will watch at his pro day. A good showing there and Jones could make himself a second round selection.

Michigan WR Devin Funchess had a lot to prove entering the combine. Some say he's a wide receiver, some say tight end. He was used as a WR for the Wolverine's and he appears set to try and play WR. He might be better off focusing on packing on some pounds and becoming a tight end after his performance this week. Funchess only managed a 4.7 40, while standing 6'4 232lbs. He is a very good athlete and at that size, is a very difficult matchup out wide. The lack of speed though will cause him problems getting separation from corners consistently in the NFL. He can still be a productive player in the NFL, but a better 40 time, and Funchess could've been a top 25 pick. He's a day two pick now, and the doubt around which position suits him best is still out there.

Washington LB/S/RB Shaq Thompson is another player who failed to impress in Indianapolis. Thompson was a standout LB/RB for the Huskies this year but some felt safety would be his best position. He is adamant that he is a linebacker, however. At just 6' 228lbs, he makes plays because of his range and ability to cover ground. Standout times and agility were expected, but he only managed a 4.64 40 and looked average in drills. Thompson is a playmaker on the field, and the tape does not lie. He can cover ground and get to the football. He needed a good workout though to convince teams of his future position, and that didn't go as planned. He had a chance to be a top 20 selection, because teams want linebackers that can run line defensive backs. His Indy performance has likely pushed him to the draft's second day.

TCU LB Paul Dawson is another light linebacker that plays sideline to sideline and chases plays down. He was receiving a lot of hype leading up to the combine, but he struggled mightily in his workout. Dawson is a tackling machine and plays with great speed and instincts on the field. At just 6' 235, he needed to prove that he had the movement skills to translate that playmaking ability to the NFL. His performance was one of the more disappointing, clocking a 4.93 40 and looked sluggish in drills. On the field, Dawson looked like a second round pick, although he does have some character concerns that clouded his draft stock. His combine performance clouds his stock even further. There should be more importance placed on the tape but Dawson's struggles this week were very surprising and definitely hurt.

Miami(OH) CB Quinten Rollins has seen his stock continue to rise all season long. This was his first year on the gridiron, playing basketball for four years prior to the season. His basketball skills translated very well to the football field, as he plays with tremendous athleticism, agility, and has great ball skills. Many people had him going in the first round, and possibly pushing himself into the top corner ranking with a standout performance this week. Unfortunately for Rollins, that did not happen. He ran a 4.67 40, raising real questions about his ability to play on the outside in the NFL. He failed to capitalize on his shot to move into the first round, but he's still an intriguing day two prospect. The athleticism, ball skills, and toughness are still there but the upside may be a bit limited after this performance.

It is important to note that the good and bad performances in Indianapolis do not mean a player will or will not succeed in the NFL. It's a great place to get all the prospects together at one time and test them out. These performances do impact draft position and have to be taken into consideration, but once the pads are on, that's where it matters.