Players Each NFL Team Should Be Scouting at the 2017 NFL Combine
Since 1987, the NFL combine has been held in Indianapolis. What first started primarily as a medical evaluation has turned into character and athletic testing, as well.
Now, in today's information age, every aspect of it is picked apart. If a player meets with a team, we hear about it. We know the wingspan, medical information, drug-testing results and bench-press numbers of all these prospects by the end of the cycle.
This year's combine will run from Tuesday to March 6, and every NFL team will be present. After having provided an overview of the top 50 players invited to Indianapolis a couple of weeks ago, we'll now look at the prospects invited to the combine through the lens of the individual teams.
Join us as we explain which handful of players each team should be looking at next week when considering its needs and draft position. Even the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings, teams usually snubbed in first-round mock drafts, get some action.
Arizona Cardinals
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To say the least, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer hasn't been the same since his finger issue developed against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015. Before then, Palmer was an MVP candidate who had 32 passing touchdowns and just nine interceptions.
Since then, including the playoffs, Palmer has thrown for 33 passing touchdowns and 22 interceptions, including postseason numbers. In the 2016 regular season, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers led the NFL with 30 total interceptions and fumbles, with Palmer finishing with the second-worst number in the league with 28.
If the Cardinals are worried about Palmer's future, they need to look early in the draft for his replacement. Their last project, Logan Thomas, didn't workout as a Day 3 selection.
Head coach Bruce Arians runs a vertical system, so don't be surprised if the prospects the team has an eye on are Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes, Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer. Mahomes and Kizer are both risk-takers, where Watson led a matchup-based offense with the Tigers.
All three are "Arians types" and could be candidates to come off the board with the 13th overall pick. Quarterback is the one position in this sport where you want to have an answer before the question even comes up.
Atlanta Falcons
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If you watched the Super Bowl earlier this month, you probably learned the name of Grady Jarrett, the Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle. Jarrett provided constant pressure on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and was the team's best defender on that Sunday.
For most of the year, though, the Falcons lacked an elite rush. Under Dan Quinn, Atlanta tries to mostly get home with a four-man rush, but it just didn't have the horses in 2016 other than Vic Beasley and Jarrett.
If the team wants to match a defensive tackle next to Jarrett, the Falcons won't be missing much by picking 31st overall in this draft. By then, the only 290-pound defensive player who should be off the board is Alabama's Jonathan Allen.
On Day 2, Florida's Caleb Brantley, Alabama's Dalvin Tomlinson and Iowa's Jaleel Johnson should all be in play.
Tomlinson is more of a run-stuffing nose tackle, which could work in Atlanta's favor, as Jarrett is closer to the size and skill set of an under tackle than a nose tackle. Brantley and Johnson, though, could play either nose tackle or under tackle, which would allow Atlanta to use a hybrid tackle scheme. The Carolina Panthers have used the scheme to great effect over the past two years, particularly en route to a Super Bowl appearance to conclude the 2015 season.
Baltimore Ravens
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The Baltimore Ravens need help at pass-rusher. Ozzie Newsome is one of the best general managers in the league. This pass-rushing class is the deepest since 2011.
When you take into account all of that, you get the feeling that the Ravens are going to make out of this draft with a steal at the position. Terrell Suggs is 34 years old. Elvis Dumervil is 33 years old. The time for Baltimore to replace them has come, and this class suggests it's perfect timing for a replacement.
SEC standouts like Tennessee's Derek Barnett and Auburn's Carl Lawson, who both might have been the third- or fourth-best edge defenders in the 2016 draft class, are now being overlooked, going much later in mocks than their talent suggests. Baltimore could land a top-10 talent with its mid-first-round pick this year, simply because of the depth of the position.
A speed rusher like Alabama's Tim Williams could be in play. A low-floor, high-upside player like UCLA's Takkarist McKinley could be in play. A speed-counter rusher like Missouri's Charles Harris could be in play.
All eyes should be on pass-rushers for the Ravens.
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Buffalo Bills
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There has been a lot of talk about the Buffalo Bills moving on from quarterback Tyrod Taylor this offseason, which stems from the Bills' benching Taylor at the end of the season. If Taylor were to hit the open market, the only quarterbacks to net more attention than him would be Kirk Cousins and possibly Tony Romo, depending on what the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys want to accomplish.
If Bills can't make a run at either of those quarterbacks, it doesn't make much sense for them to go after a veteran if they let Taylor walk. That means if they do get rid of Taylor, they will have to focus on this draft class' quarterbacks.
Sitting at 10th overall, the Bills may have to move up for "their guy" if they want to plug and play a rookie. This was a Buffalo front office that traded up from the ninth overall pick to the fourth overall pick for receiver Sammy Watkins in 2014. Imagine what it would do for a quarterback.
If the Bills want to run a system, the best plug-and-play option is North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky. If they want to field a quarterback who will take shots in a system, the man is Clemson's Deshaun Watson. If they want to develop the next Derek Carr-like passer, it's Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes. If they want to ride the highs and lows of a quarterback, like Eli Manning, the passer is Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer.
If one begins to separate himself at the combine, don't be surprised if you start to hear rumors about Buffalo wanting to move up for him in subsequent weeks.
Carolina Panthers
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The Carolina Panthers have very specific needs, but they are at valuable positions. For example, Ted Ginn Jr. is the team's speed receiver next to Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess, and he's about to be a free agent.
If they want to move a bit back in the first round, a speedster like Washington's John Ross could be in play. Offensive tackle, a position the Panthers have lacked average talent at for years, is a possibility should the Panthers trade back, as Alabama's Cam Robinson and Utah's Garett Bolles are mid- to late-first-round prospects.
A 4-3 defensive end is the most valuable position in a 4-3 defense, and the Carolina Panthers don't have a top-tier pass-rusher. Carolina tends to want stouter ends, and Michigan's Taco Charlton and Stanford's Solomon Thomas are right up their alley.
The Panthers run a power scheme on the ground, too, and if LSU's Leonard Fournette starts to slip, there may not be a better place for him to land than the eighth overall pick.
Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears are slated to pick third overall in the 2017 NFL draft. What they do in that slot is anyone's guess.
Unless both Cleveland and San Francisco draft quarterbacks, Texas A&M pass-rusher Myles Garrett should be off the board. From there, do the Bears take Alabama's Jonathan Allen, the class' top senior prospect, to be a 3-4 defensive end?
If the quarterbacks don't get drafted with the first two selections, will they focus on DeShone Kizer of Notre Dame, who played college ball about two hours from Soldier Field? Other than those names, and North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky, there are few players mocked to Chicago in the third slot of the draft.
Maybe we'll get a clear picture during the combine as to which route the Bears are going to follow in April.
Cincinnati Bengals
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Look at the Cincinnati Bengals' top defensive ends. Carlos Dunlap, Michael Johnson, Margus Hunt and Will Clarke all measured in within a quarter-inch of 6'6" at their combines. All four were originally drafted by the Bengals, too.
Cincinnati sure has a type. For a 4-3 team, they put length emphasis on their defensive ends like a 3-4 team. With that in mind, they need to improve as a unit, and their height filters make it easy to figure out who they will target in the 2017 draft.
NFL Draft Scout has height projections on player pages, and four pass-rushers projected to be picked in the first six rounds are listed at over 6'5": Michigan's Taco Charlton, Michigan State's Malik McDowell, Villanova's Tanoh Kpassagnon and Texas A&M's Daeshon Hall.
Charlton is a 4-3 defensive end who may not be the quickest edge defender, but his size should make him a solid base end in the NFL. McDowell played everything from rushing outside of the tight end to lining up over the center as a nose tackle at Michigan State, but the 20-year-old is advanced and athletic for a young player who had to bounce around in college.
Kpassagnon's best trait is length, and in Cincinnati, that might be enough for an early Day 3 selection. Hall was a secondary rusher at Texas A&M, with Myles Garrett stealing the limelight, but he was a big star early on in Senior Bowl practices when he proved that his counter spin move was more developed than it was on film.
Cleveland Browns
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If you've caught any mock draft since the Cleveland Browns locked up the first overall pick, you know who is the consensus favorite to come off the board at the draft's opening. Myles Garrett of Texas A&M was picked as this draft's top player coming into the 2016 regular season, and nothing has changed as of yet.
Like Jadeveon Clowney before him, Garrett is leaving SEC play as a back-to-back All-American pass-rusher. After 31.5 sacks in three years, Garrett doesn't have much to prove. The Browns, who are lacking a top pass-rusher, could use Garrett as an outside linebacker in their 3-4 defense if he shows elite athleticism at the combine.
Cleveland should also be eyeing the quarterback class. At this point, there is no quarterback who everyone believes will be drafted in the top 10, but there are mocks that have North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky, Clemson's Deshaun Watson, Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer and Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes as top-10 draftees.
With the entire league posted in Indianapolis for a week, expect to hear a lot about how this quarterback class will shake up, as the combine almost always kicks off the start of quarterback prospects rising and falling in mock drafts.
Dallas Cowboys
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There is no developer of talent like Rod Marinelli, the current defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys. Marinelli has had a hand in developing NFL defensive line talent since 1996, when he took the defensive line coach gig in Tampa Bay. He eventually won a Super Bowl there.
His defense needs help in its pass rush, but Marinelli developed under tackle Maliek Collins to a five-sack season as a third-round 21-year-old rookie and end-tackle hybrid David Irving into an undrafted starter at 23 years old. All that should matter when drafting defensive linemen for Marinelli is upside, as he can quickly turn out talent like no one else in the league.
For that reason alone, Dallas should have its eyes on athletic pass-rushers. UCLA's Takkarist McKinley has the highest upside of any pass-rusher in the class, but the junior college transfer only had one year to flash as a starter for the Bruins, and his pad level needs work.
Another name to look out for is Missouri's Charles Harris, who picked up football as a high school junior and declared for the draft with a year of eligibility remaining. Harris has the same speed-to-inside-counter style of play as the Minnesota Vikings' Everson Griffen.
Denver Broncos
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The Denver Broncos are in a weird spot as a franchise. They posted one of the, if not the most, dominant defensive units during their 2015 Super Bowl run.
In the following offseason, though, they lost their top two quarterbacks in Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler, star linebacker Danny Trevathan and defensive lineman Malik Jackson. The only major free agent the team brought in was Russell Okung, an offensive tackle from Seattle, and his option was declined, which will make Okung a free agent after just one season.
Under a new coaching staff, what does this team want to be? Will it try to rebuild its defense, targeting a linebacker like Alabama's Reuben Foster early on? Do the Broncos want to be more of a balanced team and take a quarterback like Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes if they aren't sold on their 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch?
In the later rounds, they should be high on Dalvin Tomlinson, a nose tackle from Alabama. It's hard to get a feel for where the team is headed at the moment, but there are a lot of open doors that the Broncos need to close before the 2017 regular season kicks off.
Detroit Lions
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The Detroit Lions nailed their selection of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in 2010, but since Suh left in 2015, the team has been looking for a top-end 3-technique defensive tackle. There aren't many in this class, but if Alabama's Jonathan Allen shows out in Indianapolis, Detroit's interest in Allen and need of talent at the position could lead to a trade up.
Remember, in the last two draft classes, the top 3-4 defensive end has fallen below projections in Leonard Williams and DeForest Buckner. Even Arik Armstead, who was in the 2015 draft class with Williams, fell on draft day, too.
Their defensive line needs don't stop there, though. You can make the case that Ezekiel Ansah and Devin Taylor were the best pass-rushers from the 2013 draft class, based on their four years of production, but Taylor is a free agent and Ansah will be next year. Their breakout player of 2016, Kerry Hyder, will likely be tagged this offseason and walk into free agency next offseason.
If they want to get ahead of the curve on picking a pass-rushing replacement a year early, to avoid years of soul searching like they've had at three-technique, then now would be the time to act. Names like Michigan's Taco Charlton or Tennessee's Derek Barnett could be in play. With that year of patience, UCLA's Takkarist McKinley, who needs to work on his pad level to be an All-Pro football player to go along with his All-Pro athleticism, could be a match made in heaven.
Green Bay Packers
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The Green Bay Packers are a homegrown team that doesn't often look outside of its own locker room to fill personnel holes. After watching the 2016 Packers, they have three major holes.
The first is cornerback. Ohio State's Marshon Lattimore will likely go 20 picks before the Packers are on the clock. Other height-speed cornerbacks, the type that Green Bay tends to target, are Washington's Sidney Jones and LSU's Tre'Davious White.
The next position is receiver, where they clearly need to add speed to the Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams combo from 2016. The big-name speed receiver in this class is Washington's John Ross, with Western Kentucky's Taywan Taylor and Baylor's KD Cannon being candidates on Day 2.
Another position of need is defensive line. The Packers played nickel defense, even against extra tight ends and offensive linemen, in 2016. If someone like Michigan State's Malik McDowell is still on the board when they pick in the first round, they could find their replacement in the "elephant" role for Julius Peppers and Datone Jones, who are unsigned for the 2017 season.
Houston Texans
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The Houston Texans aren't a hard team to figure out. They have three of the best line-of-scrimmage defenders in the sport and have invested a ton of assets on offensive skill players in the past few years.
Their biggest hole is at quarterback, where Brock Osweiler, after less than one full season, was benched in 2016, only to gain the job again because of an injury. He's not an starting-caliber passer, and the team needs to think about moving on from him already. But with a playoff draft pick, the Texans may not have a chance to land a starting-caliber quarterback in the first round.
If they do, it's likely to be Patrick Mahomes of Texas Tech. The Air Raid passer would be a great fit in a dome, in his home state of Texas. With Will Fuller, a speed receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, an all-around receiver, and Lamar Miller, a back who can catch out of the backfield, there are few fits that work so well for Mahomes' future success.
For that to happen, though, the Texans would have to be willing to move on from Osweiler. If they want to invest in what made them a playoff team last season, the cornerback position makes sense.
Sure, the team just spent a first-round pick on Kevin Johnson in 2015, but A.J. Bouye is going to be a free agent and Johnathan Joseph is a 32-year-old cornerback. If they want to keep the wheels turning on their high-pressure, plus-coverage defense, Sidney Jones of Washington, Marlon Humphrey of Alabama and Teez Tabor of Florida seem like top-end transitional cornerbacks.
Jones may separate himself from the pack at the combine, but Tabor has big questions, too. Tabor was once suspended for refusing to take a drug test, per ESPN's Brett McMurphy.
Indianapolis Colts
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The Indianapolis Colts need more help at 3-4 outside linebacker than anyone else in the league. Robert Mathis retired in December. Erik Walden is a 31-year-old. Trent Cole is a 34-year-old. Neither is an above-average starter.
Will Tim Williams of Alabama be the next Bruce Irvin? An Irvin-like performer would be worth the Colts' first-round pick. Is Takkarist McKinley of UCLA going to turn his upside into Pro Bowl production? Finding out should be worth the Colts' first-round pick.
They have one of the worst pass-rushing units in the AFC when pass rushing is the most important defensive aspect. Just look at the contracts of pass-rushers compared to other positional players.
Even if they can get a low-risk, low-upside pass-rusher like Tennessee's Derek Barnett, that should be a prospect that Indianapolis is all over. In their own city, the Colts should get a good look at edge defenders during the combine week.
Jacksonville Jaguars
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Let's think about where Jacksonville needs to turn this offseason. It failed to make the playoffs last season because of its offense, not its defense.
At receiver, the Jaguars can't make a substantial difference at the top of the draft, with Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns already locked into the team's future. At quarterback, it doesn't seem likely that the team will move on from Blake Bortles, as the squad just re-signed backup quarterback Chad Henne, who Bortles won the job from as a rookie, as his competition in 2017.
On the offensive line, there's no player worth a top-five pick. What does that mean?
The most impactful positions the Jaguars could target for 2017 success are running back and tight end.
At running back, both Florida State's Dalvin Cook and LSU's Leonard Fournette are possible top-10 selections. The team has already selected three straight first-round picks out of the state of Florida, so the addition of Cook would be no surprise.
If O.J. Howard of Alabama has a Vernon Davis-like combine performance, don't underrate his value. According to NFL Draft Scout, Howard is projected to run a 4.57-second 40-yard dash. Maybe fourth overall is a high price for a tight end, but if Jacksonville moves back in the draft a bit, Howard seems like a perfect fit around a team trying to build an offense, as he is one of the more well-rounded prospects at the position in the last decade.
Kansas City Chiefs
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The Kansas City Chiefs have negative cap space, which should change with the release of quarterback Nick Foles later on this offseason. With that being said, though, they still don't have much money to work with in free agency, and two of their stars are about to walk into the open market.
The first is Eric Berry, a former top-10 pick who notably beat cancer and came back to start as a strong safety for the team. Berry's story is a feelgood staple in the NFL, but he may price himself out of Kansas City.
If that is so, then expect the Chiefs to start looking for a strong safety in the draft. The best one is LSU's Jamal Adams, who some are mocking as a top-five pick. Strong safeties are rarely drafted that high, which is why Adams is likely a mid-first-round pick—who may even fall from there—rather than a top-10 player in this class.
Later on in the draft, they might be able to land a strong safety like Obi Melifonwu of Connecticut, a Senior Bowl riser, or Jabrill Peppers of Michigan, a hybrid returner-running back-linebacker who was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2016.
The other major position of need is nose tackle, as Dontari Poe, another former first-round pick, is a free agent, too. The best nose tackle prospects in a weak nose tackle class are Carlos Watkins of Clemson and Dalvin Tomlinson of Alabama, who both did well in Senior Bowl run game drills but struggled a bit as one-on-one pass-rushers.
Los Angeles Chargers
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Under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, the Los Angeles Chargers are going to need strong safety play from their free safety position. In that single-high defense, Bradley basically needs an Earl Thomas-like defender to play center field while the ball is in the air.
Malik Hooker of Ohio State won't be participating at the combine, as he's recovering from labrum surgery. Hooker is the best free safety prospect, and junior Budda Baker, an undersized defensive back out of Washington, is high on that list, too.
There are two more names to watch: Marcus Williams of Utah and Josh Jones of North Carolina State. If either is able to crack the 4.4s in the 40-yard dash, expect him to rise quickly.
Los Angeles Rams
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It's too early to believe that the Los Angeles Rams are going to give up on Jared Goff. With that being said, they need to give him all the tools possible if they want him to improve on what was a terrible rookie season.
They traded first- and third-round picks in this draft to select Goff with the first overall pick last season. They still have two Day 2 picks, including their tradable compensatory third-round pick, to use on wideouts for Goff.
Despite Tavon Austin's large extension, they still don't have a deep threat. Oklahoma's Dede Westbrook, a Heisman Trophy finalist, or Ohio State's Curtis Samuel, a Percy Harvin clone, could be second-round picks.
Later on in the draft, Alabama's ArDarius Stewart, who was hidden a bit as a No. 2 receiver catching balls from a true freshman (Jalen Hurts) in 2016, and Western Kentucky's Taywan Taylor, a two-time All-Conference USA first-teamer, are possible speed demons who could be had outside of the top 50.
Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins have a lot to work on for a playoff team. They have their quarterback situation figured out, but on just about every other level of their team, there are questions.
At receiver, Kenny Stills, a 24-year-old, is a free agent. Jarvis Landry is basically a screen machine, while DeVante Parker, a former first-round pick, is a virtual unknown. Is it worth it to address the position in the first round with a Corey Davis-like talent or in the second round with JuJu Smith-Schuster of USC?
In the mid to-late-first round, they will be in position to take one of the top tight ends in the class in Alabama's O.J. Howard or their hometown Miami's David Njoku. Their current starting tight end, Jordan Cameron, is going to be a free agent and has had a history of concussions in the NFL.
At defensive end, the team released veteran Mario Williams but extended Cameron Wake. Starting opposite of Wake in 2017 may be Andre Branch, but he's also a free agent. Michigan's Taco Charlton and Michigan State's Malik McDowell would fit as long-armed Williams replacements.
Minnesota Vikings
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When the Minnesota Vikings traded a first-round pick for quarterback Sam Bradford last season, they knew they were locking themselves into a situation where they were selling long-term health of their roster for short-term wins. After an 8-8 season, the experiment didn't turn out great.
No team was as limited by its offensive line as the Vikings in 2016. Unless they are able to trade up into the first round, Alabama's Cam Robinson and Utah's Garett Bolles should be long gone.
The top names the Vikings should be watching at the combine, based on the fact that Minnesota's first pick will either be the 46th or 48th overall pick, are Troy's Antonio Garcia and Western Michigan's Taylor Moton. Both did well at the Senior Bowl as mid-major prospects.
Garcia is a long, athletic tackle, while Moton has a guard background and is a plus run-blocker. For whatever the Vikings' taste is moving forward, they still have options if they want to pick up a bookend in the second round.
New England Patriots
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The New England Patriots are so adaptive that they may be the hardest projection for this draft class.
For example, the team may lose LeGarrette Blount, who led the NFL in rushing touchdowns, in free agency. Still, the Patriots never value running backs much and decided to lean on James White and Dion Lewis during their Super Bowl run.
If backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is traded for picks, the Patriots will have more cap and draft pick flexibility combined than any other playoff team in 2017. Could they use that on a potential quarterback of the future like California's Davis Webb or Pittsburgh's Nathan Peterman? It's within the realm of possibilities.
Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard are going to be free agents at defensive end. Someone like Derek Rivers of Youngstown State, a potential combine riser, makes sense for the team on Day 2 of the draft. The biggest free agents, though, are linebacker Dont'a Hightower, cornerback Logan Ryan and tight end Martellus Bennett.
Potential plug-and-play answers in the first round for those players are Vanderbilt's Zach Cunningham, Alabama's Marlon Humphrey and Miami's David Njoku.
New Orleans Saints
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The first order of business for the New Orleans Saints should be to find a pass-rusher to pair with Cameron Jordan. Jordan was a 2011 first-round pick who moved from 3-4 defensive end and became one of the better 4-3 defensive ends in the league, but he can't do it all on his own.
In 2014 and 2015, the Saints had the second-worst defense in the NFL. Last year, they still lost shootouts because of their defense. At some point, they are going to have to put pressure on the quarterback, and signing Paul Kruger late in the summer isn't going to cut it.
Both Kruger and Darryl Tapp are going to be free agents in March, and the likes of Obum Gwacham aren't ready to contribute as starters. New Orleans needs speed rushers opposite of Jordan's power, and there's no better place for speed rushers to land than in a dome.
Missouri's Charles Harris should get a look, as he's a speed-counter rusher like Minnesota's Everson Griffen. Takkarist McKinley of UCLA is a bit of a project, but there may not be a pass-rusher who puts up combine numbers like him this year.
Should Tim Williams of Alabama, who was a rotational player for the Crimson Tide, slide in the draft, that'd be as good of a fit as you could imagine for the Saints. Williams would return to Louisiana, where he played high school ball (in Baton Rouge), in what could be considered a dream situation.
New York Giants
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The New York Giants need help on the offensive line. Will Beatty started 47 out of 48 possible games for the Giants from 2012 to 2014, but after an offseason lifting injury in 2015, he hasn't started a game since.
Beatty will be a free agent this year after playing just seven games since December 2014. His replacement was supposed to be Ereck Flowers, a 2015 top-10 selection out of Miami.
Two years into his career, though, Flowers is one of the worst starting left tackles in the NFL. There are real questions as to whether his talent will ever match up with his 6'6" frame. It might be time to think about moving him to the right side or moving on from him completely.
Marshall Newhouse has been the team's starting right tackle for the majority of the last two seasons, but the 6'4" tackle bounced around three rosters from March 2014 to March 2015 for a reason. He is also a free agent and also needs to be replaced.
New York needs to take an offensive tackle early. Period.
Ryan Ramczyk of Wisconsin will not participate in combine tests because of hip surgery, but the Giants can't get picky. Garett Bolles of Utah is talented but is going to be a 25-year-old before he can suit up in an NFL game. Again, beggars can't be choosers.
Cam Robinson of Alabama had a run-in with the law in Louisiana last year but was cleared of all charges. Those are the names New York has to choose from, but they must choose one.
New York Jets
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Don't expect cornerback Darrelle Revis to be on the New York Jets roster by mid-March, when his $2 million roster bonus is due, per Spotrac, as the team would save more than $9 million by cutting him.
Under head coach Todd Bowles, New York plays a lot of man coverage, with inside linebackers blitzing more often than they do in your run-of-the-mill 3-4 defense. That means the team is only going to be as good as its cornerbacks, which is why Revis' drop-off was as big a part of the Jets' 5-11 record as anything else.
Man cornerbacks need one skill above anything else: speed. That's why this combine could be huge for Bowles' squad.
If Marshon Lattimore of Ohio State can run a sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash, does it need to think about moving up for him? Will the Florida pair of Teez Tabor and Quincy Wilson, and Alabama's Marlon Humphrey, test more like cornerbacks or safeties?
Will Sidney Jones of Washington establish himself as the second-best cornerback in the class? Will LSU's Tre'Davious White or UCLA's Fabian Moreau rise?
One of the more conservative teams in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers, drafted Damarious Randall in the first round in 2015 to play cornerback, despite Randall never having played cornerback at the FBS level, so it would be foolish to say teams use the combine to heavily evaluate defensive backs. Bu if everyone bombs their tests, New York could be in big trouble.
Oakland Raiders
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If you look at how Mark Davis' Oakland Raiders have functioned, it's a reflection of how his father, Al, ran the team. Mark Davis found a Ron Wolf disciple to be general manager, is flirting with leaving Oakland and has put athleticism in high demand.
Think about this draft class in terms of what Al Davis would do. Standouts like LSU running back Leonard Fournette could fall as teams dig into more than just their explosive traits. You know who would have liked that? Al Davis.
Dalvin Cook, a running back from Florida State, may be a better running back prospect, but unless you're the complete package like Ezekiel Elliott was a year ago, it's hard to get drafted in the top end of the first round. Don't be surprised if the Raiders, a team that sees a championship window opening, trade up for one of those two plug-and-play backs in the first round.
Beyond those players, look at the splashy narratives in this draft. Zach Banner of USC may be a legitimate 6'8", and as the biological son of All-Pro right tackle Lincoln Kennedy, he checks the legacy box the elder Davis used to be fond of. Across the board, think size, speed and story, and you might be able to pin down Oakland's selections months before they come in.
Philadelphia Eagles
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The Philadelphia Eagles have a lot of young, high draft picks at receiver, but that wasn't enough to get the ball moving in 2016. While many credit Carson Wentz for a quality rookie season, the 2016 second overall pick tied for second in the league with 28 interceptions and fumbles, and the Eagles went 2-9 during the middle portion of the season.
Only five quarterbacks who threw more than 100 passes last season had a worse yards-per-attempt average than Wentz: Los Angeles' Jared Goff, San Francisco's Blaine Gabbert, Houston's Brock Osweiler, Cleveland's Robert Griffin III and the New York Jets' Bryce Petty. Wentz needs help if he's going to improve.
Dorial Green-Beckham was a second-round pick two years ago. He had 36 receptions over 15 games, including seven starts, last season.
Nelson Agholor was a first-round pick out of USC two years ago. He had 36 receptions over 15 games, including 14 starts, last season. Agholor was even a healthy scratch on a Monday Night Football game last season.
Both players are on the roster bubble heading into 2017. Philadelphia needs to add competition, if not direct replacements.
The Eagles don't own their first-round pick, as they traded it to Cleveland for the second overall pick last year, but they do own Minnesota's first-round pick after they leveraged quarterback Sam Bradford to the Vikings just before last season.
In the middle of the first round, the likes of John Ross of Washington, a DeSean Jackson clone, may be appealing to a team that hasn't won much since Jackson left. Corey Davis of Western Michigan could give Philadelphia two long receivers to work with outside the numbers (with Jordan Matthews), but Davis will not run at the combine since he recently underwent ankle surgery.
Curtis Samuel of Ohio State is another playmaker with Jackson-like potential. He's more of a Day 2 selection than a mid-first-rounder, though. JuJu Smith-Schuster could go anywhere from the first to the third round, but the Eagles may not want to give another former Trojan receiver a hard look so early.
Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Pittsburgh Steelers are thought of as a top offense because of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le'Veon Bell and receiver Antonio Brown, but they could use some help on that side of the ball.
Roethlisberger is a soon-to-be 35-year-old who takes hits that quarterbacks like Tom Brady don't. Bell may be on a one-year franchise tag by this time next month. Brown is great by himself, but he could use a complementary receiver to line up opposite of him in 2017, and Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote last month that "Brown's antics are wearing thin on some of his teammates and certainly his coaches."
Is this a look-ahead year for the Steelers? The only active quarterbacks to win the AFC are Brady, Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco, who had one lucky postseason, so Pittsburgh can almost assume an appearance in the AFC Championship Game.
Could the Steelers find time and assets to mold Patrick Mahomes, the Texas Tech air raid passer who has better tools than Jared Goff? Is this the floor for a runner like Christian McCaffrey, who, like Bell, can split out as a receiver as well as run power plays?
Can the team trade up for a receiver in Corey Davis of Western Michigan or Mike Williams of Clemson? Every single one of those players has a fluid draft stock right now, but the combine should help settle that.
San Francisco 49ers
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No team needs a star more than the San Francisco 49ers. Their offensive playmakers are receiver Torrey Smith and running back Carlos Hyde, and there's otherwise little appealing to fantasy football types.
On the offensive line, there's Joe Staley at tackle. On the defensive line, the team has spent its last two first-round picks on 5-technique defensive ends in Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner of Oregon, who may split time at left defensive end in the Seattle-Jacksonville style of 4-3 under defense the 49ers will now run.
Pairing Texas A&M's Myles Garrett opposite of Aaron Lynch, a young, talented player who was suspended for part of last season, could be great for the team's pass rush. If it can't rely on Lynch, it won't have much left in the unit.
With head coach Kyle Shanahan coming in after a two-year stint as Atlanta's offensive coordinator, many believe he will be asked to find a quarterback sooner rather than later. If he wants a "gamer," there's no better candidate than Deshaun Watson of Clemson, a passer who stood out in back-to-back national championship game appearances.
Other quarterbacks who could be in play are Mitch Trubisky of North Carolina, a one-year wonder, and DeShone Kizer of Notre Dame, who didn't win the starting job for the Fighting Irish until after the regular season had already kicked off.
If San Francisco chooses a different route, another player who should be on its radar is Jonathan Allen of Alabama. Allen can play a 3-technique role, and in that new 4-3 defense, the 49ers need a body more than anything else on the defensive line right now.
Seattle Seahawks
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The time for games is over. The Seattle Seahawks have been kicking the can on their offensive tackle situation for years, and after moving 2014 second-round pick Justin Britt inside to guard and then center, Germain Ifedi, their 2016 first-round pick, couldn't fill a bookend opening last season.
The team needs to draft a high-end tackle prospect, especially since the free-agent market looks so weak at the position. Seattle might have to find two starting tackles in this draft, as cutting corners by trying to convert basketball players doesn't seem to be working out.
Picking 26th overall, the Seahawks aren't promised anyone. The top offensive tackle prospects this year are Utah's Garett Bolles, Wisconsin's Ryan Ramczyk and Alabama's Cam Robinson. Bolles and Ramczyk have just one year each of experience as an FBS player, and Robinson has some off-field and effort questions.
Still, this year, they may all be top-20 picks. If any of those players slip, they should be considered home runs by Seattle. If they don't, expect the likes of Western Michigan's Taylor Moton and Troy's Antonio Garcia, two mid-major prospects who shined at the Senior Bowl, to become likely projections.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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The majority of the country doesn't catch many of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' games, but if it did, it'd know that their issues at receiver haven't been solved by Mike Evans. In fact, quarterback Jameis Winston may be going to Evans more often than he actually should, as he lacks downfield threats.
Only Philip Rivers had more combined interceptions and fumbles than Winston in 2016. Already with a big body in Evans, the Buccaneers could complement him with a shorter, faster wideout. In the top 100 selections, keep an eye on John Ross of Washington, Dede Westbrook of Oklahoma, Curtis Samuel of Ohio State and Taywan Taylor of Western Kentucky.
Later on in the draft, Clemson's Artavis Scott, Miami's Stacy Coley, Baylor's KD Cannon, West Virginia's Shelton Gibson and Texas A&M's Speedy Noil will come up. Forty-yard dash times will be huge for every single one of these prospects.
Tennessee Titans
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The Tennessee Titans need big help outside on both sides of the ball. At receiver, they have virtually no one you have to game plan for outside the numbers.
They won't get a look at Corey Davis of Western Michigan, maybe the top receiver in this class, as he'll miss the combine with an ankle injury. Other big names that should be full participants, though, are Clemson's Mike Williams, who has a Dez Bryant body, and Washington's John Ross, a DeSean Jackson-type of speed receiver.
The team also needs help at cornerback, and the top-tier player at the position is Ohio State's Marshon Lattimore, a rangy athlete with ball skills. With the fifth and 18th overall picks, the Titans could easily move up or down to target a specific talent.
Keep an eye on the top receivers and cornerbacks in Indianapolis. If one performs well beyond expectations, Tennessee could narrow its focus.
Washington Redskins
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The Washington Redskins passing offense is based around their offensive skill talent. Receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson are both free agents this offseason, though, and the team's top tight ends are Vernon Davis, a 33-year-old, and Jordan Reed, who has had six concussions.
Could Washington target an offensive skill player early in the draft? If the team elects to re-sign Kirk Cousins, the quarterback it slapped with the franchise tag with last offseason, then there's a good chance of that happening.
Mitch Trubisky of North Carolina could be a replacement candidate for Cousins, but there are star wideouts in this draft class: the Washington Huskies' John Ross, a speedster who could replace Jackson, and Clemson's Mike Williams and Western Michigan's Corey Davis, two possession types who could play Garcon's role.
Davis will miss the combine because of ankle surgery, so Ross and Williams should be the Redskins' main focus on their testing days. Don't be surprised if the team decides to take a chance on Miami's David Njoku or Alabama's O.J. Howard, two elite tight end prospects, in the middle of the first round.
If Washington wants to get ahead of the hole Davis and Reed might put it in, now is the time to make a move. Last year, the team spent a first-round pick on receiver Josh Doctson of TCU even though it knew he was going to sit on the bench for a season before Jackson and/or Garcon departed to open up reps for him in 2017.
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