With the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine getting underway this week in Indianapolis, Alex Kozora and I thought we’d team up in a post and let you know which players we look forward to participating in the Underwear Olympics and why. After reading these, add a few of your own in the comments below.
Here are my four players:
Clemson DE/OLB Vic Beasley – How much does Beasley weigh and if he indeed put on some pounds since the 2014 season ended, what kind of workout numbers will he post? The weight reports on Beasley have been all over the place the last few months with a low of 220 pounds actually being noted. The scales in Indianapolis will hawk down Beasley in the coming days and at least we’ll have a new official number on the pass rushing demon.
Miami (OH) CB Quinten Rollins – Thanks to the Senior Bowl we now know that Rollins really wasn’t 6’1″, 203. While the one-year player and former basketball point-guard certainly produced a lot of great tape in 2014, there are still questions about his long speed and overall agility. It will be interesting to see his 40 time this coming week in addition to what he’s able to run the short-shuttle in.
Stanford CB Alex Carter – Carter is another top-rated cornerback that I really want to see run. He doesn’t appear to mirror well on tape so I expect he won’t blow things up in the agility drills. I also look forward to seeing how he flips his hips in the defensive back drills as he looks stiff at times on tape. Make no mistake, Carter is very talented and he’ll likely hear his name called in the second or third round, but I’m really wanting to see if what I saw on tape matches what I’ll see in Indianapolis.
Oregon State CB Steven Nelson – Yes, another cornerback. Nelson looks like he would fit in perfectly with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a nickelback. However, even after watching three full games of Nelson’s from last season, I still don’t have a good feel for his overall speed and short area quickness due to him not being thrown at much. I’m also expecting an average or below-average vertical from Nelson based on those games I watched. He should do well on the bench, however.
Here a few players that Kozora looks forward to seeing:
Florida State CB P.J. Williams – Williams is unlikely to run a blazing 40 time but you can almost guarantee he’ll be the top performer in some of the lower body explosions tests – the broad jump and vertical. He’s been working with famous trainer Tom Shaw in Florida, posting an 11’1″ in the broad and 41’5″ in the vertical.
Northern Iowa RB David Johnson – He should blow up the Combine, similar to how Jerick McKinnon did in 2014. Johnson is a tremendous athlete for his 224 pound frame and will time well. He should also steal the show as the runners work out of the backfield. You could argue he’s a better receiver than he is a runner. If I’m a scout, I’m putting him through the wide receiver drills, too.
Kansas State WR Tyler Lockett – Lockett isn’t even a player I’ve spent dedicated time watching. But each time I throw on a Wildcats’ game, he captures my attention. A small but speedy receiver, he owns some of the quickest feet and will wow fans with his agility and times in the shuttle drills. I do want to see him catch the ball cleanly and consistently. Though some coaches hate it, I will be paying special attention to him in the gauntlet.
Louisville RB Michael Dyer – Dyer has a Bryce Brown feel to him. Great start to his career at Auburn, rushing for over 2300 yards his first two years. He wound up at Louisville and basically fell off the map. Perhaps the Combine will throw his name back into the mix.
