NFL Combine 2015: Matt Bowen's Day 3 Notebook
INDIANAPOLIS — Throughout the NFL Scouting Combine, former NFL defensive back Matt Bowen will bring you his daily notebook from Indianapolis. Here are his notes from Day 3.
Alabama Safety a Top-10 Pick?
TOP NEWS
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Colts Release Kenny Moore
Projecting Every NFL Team's Starting Lineup 🔮
Rookie WRs Who Will Outplay Their Draft Value 📈
Alabama safety Landon Collins is the top-rated safety on the majority of team boards, but does he have the type of talent that warrants a top-10 grade?
Scouts say Collins has "some thump to him" when he plays downhill and also displays the flexibility/range to get off the numbers in the deep half. He is a solid blitzer off the edge, and he has the ball skills to finish at the point of attack. He shows up consistently in critical situations to make a play for his team.
Some scouts want to see more from Collins in man-coverage situations, but that's a developmental skill, from my perspective, that improves with pro coaching and technique.
On tape, his footwork is controlled when he drops down into the front (with little wasted movement), and he has the versatility to play a variety of roles for NFL defenses that utilize their safeties underneath in nickel and dime packages. That's where Collins can produce as an underneath defender who "matches" (or carries) the seam with help rolling over the top.
Think of a system that is similar to Gregg Williams' defense in St. Louis—a scheme that maximizes the talent of defensive backs by putting the safeties in multiple alignments to produce and create chaos.
I do see Collins as a first-round pick, and his stock should increase given the lack of overall talent in the draft class, but is he a top-10 guy? I don't know about that. If you are going to grab a safety near the top of the draft, he needs to be a unique talent like my former Redskins teammate Sean Taylor—the type of player who changes the game.
Winston Will Throw on Saturday
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston spoke Friday and said he was in Indianapolis to "gain the trust of all 32 teams" along with stressing the need (multiple times) to become the "face of a franchise" in the NFL.
However, more importantly, he announced that he would throw on Saturday morning during the quarterback workout. That wasn't expected earlier in the week, but now it sounds like we will see both Winston and Oregon's Marcus Mariota on the field working with receivers.
The quarterbacks will throw the entire route tree Saturday morning. As I said before, Winston and Mariota are working with new receivers. That could affect timing, ball placement, etc. But you can still focus on mechanics, footwork, release point and velocity. Those elements are more important than the end result of a curl, slant or skinny post during a workout. I'm excited to watch these two compete.
LSU Offensive Tackle Displays his Athletic Ability
LSU's La'el Collins displayed fluid movement skills throughout drills on Friday, and that backs up what I saw from him at the Senior Bowl. Given his size and frame (6'4", 305 lbs), Collins stood out during the workout because of his lateral movement and quickness out of his stance. And he also has the power at the point of attack to move defenders off the ball.
Collins produced a 1.86 10-yard split in the 40 and displayed the type of athletic ability in positional drills that does transition to his game tape. He solidified his stock as a first-round prospect with his workout Friday and could be a top-20 pick this April in the draft.
The Tight Ends Get on the Field
The 2015 tight end class isn't deep and lacks the overall top-end talent we have seen in previous years. Maxx Williams (Minnesota) and Clive Walford (Miami) are considered the top two prospects at the position, but neither posted a 40 time on Friday that jumps out. Williams (6'4", 249 lbs) ran a 4.78, and Walford (6'4", 251 lbs) checked in at a 4.79.
Williams is a classic "in-line" tight end who can block in the run game, and he did catch the ball cleanly during workouts while showing solid route-running technique. Walford has the ability to win on the route stem and can create some matchups versus a linebacker or safety (as he displayed at the Senior Bowl).
However, if you are looking for a top-tier tight end who can consistently stretch the field and take over inside of the 20-yard line, this class doesn't have a true "matchup weapon" at the position.
Gregory's Weigh-In Creates a Buzz in Indy
When outside linebacker Randy Gregory weighed in on Friday morning at a lean 235 pounds, the Nebraska product became the topic of discussion on the media room floor. Why was his weight down? Can he add more size? How would the weigh-in impact his stock and his future as an edge defender in the NFL?
From what I hear, NFL teams aren't concerned at this point. The former Cornhusker can still add around 10 pounds to push the scale up to 245, plus he isn't a fit as a defensive end in a 4-3 front. Gregory is being projected as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme and should showcase his athletic ability during testing on Sunday morning inside of Lucas Oil Stadium.
Where is the Hype for Duke Johnson?
The 2015 running back class has generated a lot of buzz in Indianapolis. This group is deep, and both Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon and Georgia's Todd Gurley could potentially come off the board at the back end of the first round.
However, for all the talk surrounding the talent level of this class, where is the talk, or the hype, for Miami running back Duke Johnson? He measured in at 5'9", 207 pounds and played in a pro-style offense under Al Golden, plus his skill set should quickly transition to the NFL game.
A prospect with a compact build, he has the acceleration to produce in a pro system, can catch the ball out of the backfield and will block in the passing game. And pass protection is the key to getting on the field early for any rookie running back.
Johnson is expected to showcase his speed when he runs with the rest of the backs on Saturday, but the game film should be the true factor with his final grade. He is a solid, second-round prospect who is flying under the radar here.
Gurley Declines Medical Exams for His Injured Knee
According to NFL.com's Michael Silver, via NFL.com's Chase Goodbread, Georgia running back Todd Gurley declined to have his knee examined during medical checks after suffering an ACL injury during the season.
The medical exam is one of the most important aspects of the combine for prospects as they run through a gauntlet of joint testing, etc., with NFL teams in Indianapolis. Doctors and trainers for every club will pull, push and rake on knees and shoulders during these exams to check for possible injuries or instability. I went through it as a player back at the 2000 combine, and it is an exhausting experience that exposes even "minor" deficiencies in your body.
Some teams will question Gurley's decision to pass on this exam (which is rare), but I can also see why the Georgia running back would decline to have a team doctor aggressively test his surgically repaired knee at this point in the rehab process.
Now, Gurley will eventually have to get his knee checked out before the draft so teams can sign off on his health/rehab. That's a must. But I don't believe Friday's decision ultimately has any impact on his draft stock. With Gurley not working out this week—or at his pro day next month—as he continues the rehab process, the game tape is the key grading tool. And that passes the test.
Also on Day 3
• Clemson defensive end/outside linebacker Vic Beasley weighed in at 246 pounds. That's a jump from the 230-235 pounds he played at in college. With the weight gain, I'm interested in seeing how Beasley moves when the defensive players start working out on Sunday. Can he change direction with speed and showcase a sudden burst in positional drills?
• Offensive guard Ali Marpet (Hobart College) generated some buzz at the Senior Bowl with an impressive week of practice, and he continued to boost his stock on Friday during testing. Marpet (6'4", 307 lbs) posted the fastest 10-yard split of the offensive lineman at 1.74.
• Before having to shut down offensive line drills with a hamstring injury, Iowa's Brandon Scherff turned in a 1.78 10-yard split in the 40 (5.07 time). That's a solid number for the projected first-round pick at 319 pounds. Scouts will have to get the change of direction times (short shuttle, three-cone) on Scherff at his pro day.
• Florida defensive end/outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. talked about his versatility on Friday, and that's the major reason his stock is climbing. At 6'3", 261 pounds, he can fit in a 4-3 or 3-4 front on the edge. With a good workout on Sunday, Fowler should come off the board as a top-10 pick in the draft.
• Washington's Shaq Thompson will work out at both linebacker and running back over the weekend at the combine. There has been talk of Thompson making the move to safety at the NFL level, but there is no question about his versatility and athleticism in Indianapolis.
• Southern Illinois' MyCole Pruitt ran the fastest 40 of the tight end class at 4.58 seconds. That's moving for a prospect who measured in at 6'2", 251 pounds. And he also posted 38 inches on the vertical jump.
• Miami's Ereck Flowers has the measurables you want at the tackle position (6'6", 329 lbs, 34 1/2-inch arms), plus he put up 37 reps on the bench and posted a 1.78 10-yard split in the 40 on Friday morning during workouts. However, is Flowers another college tackle who will slide inside to the guard position at the pro level? Based on what I heard in Indianapolis, he could come off the board in the first round, but there are still questions about his ability to handle speed off the edge.
• Melvin Gordon produced a ton of explosive plays during his time at Wisconsin, but that doesn't mean we will see the running back post a 4.4 time on Saturday morning. Gordon has the burst/acceleration to get up the field, but he is expected to run in the 4.5-4.6 range.
• The wide receivers will be on the field Saturday morning for workouts, and that will give us a chance to check out the vertical speed of Kevin White, Dorial Green-Beckham, Amari Cooper, DeVante Parker, Sammie Coates, etc. White is expected to run in the 4.5 range, and Green-Beckham (at 237 lbs) could post a time in the 4.4s.
Seven-year NFL veteran Matt Bowen is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
