Thread: 2014 NFL scouting combine

I haven't been keeping up with this year's combine as much as I did last year, but there were some interesting notes yesterday and today.

JFF ran well, as expected.
Clowney's combine was much like his season; flashes of brilliance, then taking the rest of the day off. He blazed the 40, then decided he was done due to a "hip flexor".

If you could combine the size/talent in Clowney with JFF's heart you would have a sure fire #1 pick, and barring injuries probably a HOFer. As it stands both of them scare me as a potential #1 pick as there is tons of potential, but also tons of risks.

In other interesting news Dri Archer is FAST, like really fast. He ran the second fastest 40 in the history of the combine at 4.26. Chris Johnson was a little nervous that he might not be able to con the Titans out of even more money soon by claiming he was the fastest man in the NFL. No clue if Archer can play, but if you are starting an NFL track team he is a top pick.

I haven't kept up much either, didn't realize it was even going until yesterday (been checking out Walterfootball since then). Clowney's 40 was insane, as was Archer's. Shame in Archer's case his numbers (in term of size and hands) seem too small to make it, but could be easily wrong.

One of the guys, I forget his name, put up a pretty quick time for a 290lb linemen, iirc they said his 10-yard split was close to Clowney's.

Might of been Aaron Donald, put up a 4.68 official, 4.65 unofficial with 35 reps in the bench press, a 10 yard spilt of 1.59 (Clowney's was 1.56) (weighs in the 280 range though)

Howard Jones numbers look good (no idea who he is), 4.60/4.57 40, 25 reps, 158 10-yard, 40.5" vert, 10-4 broad jump (same as Clowney).

The receiver class has been pretty impressive this season. Looks to be a very very deep group...good year for Pittsburgh to need one.

By the way, reading Walter Football, Jerick McKinnon sounds interesting. Best bench of RB's (32), had the same 10-yard split as Archer and ran a 4.41 40 (unofficial 4.35), bit bigger then Archer but about the size of Ka'Deem who I've heard is thought to be small (I think so anyways?).

First look thought Ka'Deem Carey's numbers were bad, don't know why. Every time I saw him he seemed more of a pound it, break tackles guy then a burner, so shouldn't be a surprise. Hell I was shocked when one of the games I was watching they mentioned he was "short."

Can't say I disagree with Civil. For JFF, the last two games of the season trouble me. I thought JFF would actually run faster, but I think maybe his time in a shuttle run would better reflect his talent on his feet. I'm not impressed that JFF didn't do the entire combine. AJ was painfully slow. Evans and JFF would have done well with another year in college, imo. No real opinion on Clowney.

I'm still looking forward to seeing them play on Sundays.

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As a Texans' fan, it's an exciting time. Though we really need a QB, I don't feel any of the "top talent" are #1 pick worthy, or at least there are more worthy candidates. Personally, Clowney is too big a risk to take. Work ethic is EVERYTHING. Even Clowney's ex-head coach at South Carolina said he has major work ethic problems, which was said right before the draft. And coming from your previous head coach, that's a big deal. But I also feel it's a big risk to pass on him since his potential is insane.

Manziel should definitely not be picked #1. Clowney should be passed on. Bridgewater has the drive, but lacks in the size department. Reminds a lot of scouts of a smaller Tom Brady since his football IQ is through the roof. So if it was my decision, my top two choices as of right now are Blake Bortles out of UCF and OLB/DE Khalil Mack out of Buffalo Uni. Both have crazy good work ethic, both have that drive to be the best, and quite honestly, both are the most talented players in the draft. Bortles is a Roethlisberger-like player that has pin-point accuracy while Mack has all the tools to excel in the NFL (watch his game against Ohio State this past season; he was insane).

Overall though, I feel our need for a QB can be had in the later rounds by drafting either Derek Carr (Fresno State), Jimmy Garoppolo (Eastern Illinois), Tajh Boyd (Clemson), or AJ McCarron (Alabama), though I doubt Carr and Garoppolo fall past the 1st round. I wouldn't be upset though if they drafted Clowney since we just lost Antonio Smith and have a gap on our DL.

This qb class is not a strong/deep one.

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If I were the Texans GM I would be shopping that pick like crazy to pick up more picks in later rounds. I am not keen on JFF or Clowney, so I would personally prefer to drop to 3rd or 4th, get someone else, and pick up some later picks. That being said one or both of them may turn out to be amazing, but the risk is also high that neither of them live up to expectations.

I think the only top 10 picks that are locks to be special are Mack, Watkins, and Robinson. Everyone else I feel is high risk. I don't see any of the QB's as sure things. I think Bortles and Bridgewater will probably end up being solid starters though. I won't even try to guess with JFF...he has all the fire in the world, but I don't know if he can take the beating he'll get playing in the NFL...he doesn't have the mass to shake off and absorb hits like a Roethlisberger or Newton does.