5 Things to Look for at the NFL Scouting Combine

Once a year, hundreds of college football players try to make the jump to professional football.

Their main gateway? The NFL Scouting Combine and this year, I have five things that you as a fan should be looking for.

The top-end quarterbacks  

My opinion this year has always been that there isn’t a game-breaking quarterback coming out of the draft and the first pick shouldn’t be used to pick one. I still stand by that opinion and if a quarterback (Matt Ryan) is taken first overall it will be out of necessity and desperation. That said, the performance of the top quarterbacks at the combine could validate this, or shove my foot into my mouth.

If Ryan has an outstanding workout, Miami could very-well take him, but my suggestion would be to trade the pick as its value would have skyrocketed and be far more beneficial to the team’s future. If he has a bad showing, then Miami should go with someone else to build around such as defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey or defensive end Chris Long.

Also look to see if Joe Flacco (Delaware) loses any of his luster. He has been red-hot as of late and his name is being thrown around more than Brian Brohm, who many have projected to go in the first round. If he continues to surprise the nation, he could wind-up being drafted much higher than expected.

Who is the next best running back?  

We all know Darren McFadden is the best running back coming out this year, but the jury is still out on who should be taken next.

Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois), Jonathan Stewart (Oregon), and Felix Jones (Arkansas) are the next three and all three should be taken in the first round baring a breakdown during the combine.

Mendenhall is the front-runner right now because of his versatility on offense and his powerful running style. Coming in next is Stewart who would give his team plenty of options to use him, including catching passes out of the backfield and as a return specialist. The dark horse is Felix Jones, who has been overshadowed by McFadden, but has shown that he can be a team-oriented player with great breakaway speed. I would look for him to adjust to the NFL and his new team the quickest of these three backs.

They will most likely be taken in the order I put them in, as expected, but it is just another thing that will get a lot of attention come Saturday.

Cornerbacks: Who will come out on top? 

Another first-round threesome is the trio of corners: Aqib Talib (Kansas), Leodis McKelvin (Troy), and Mike Jenkins (South Florida).

While Talib has the size advantage over the other two, he has been known to gamble and get burned. Talib is also a tremendous athlete and once he cuts down on the mental mistakes, he could be one of the league’s best corners. McKelvin is a fast corner (4.45-second 40) who fills the role of the typical NFL defensive back. The biggest complaint with McKelvin is that he didn’t have big-time competition and may not perform as well on the big stage.

Mike Jenkins is overrated. He is on the bigger side for a corner, yet does poorly against the run and unless he gets his footwork and off-the-field issues straightened out, he won’t be worth taking before Tailb or McKelvin.

The bottom line is Talib and McKelvin will be fighting for the right to be the first cornerback taken and their battle will be fought primarily in the combine where they will take the same field and see how well they stack-up against the other.

Defensive linemen

Defensive ends Chris Long (Virginia), and Vernon Gholston (Ohio State) are looking to go high in this draft along with defensive tackles Dorsey (LSU) and Sedrick Ellis (USC) and have already made a name for themselves, so why do they have something to prove?

The combine won’t be as important to these four as it will be to others, but it will be the start of a battle between the two players in each position, with each trying to one-up the other in order to get taken first. They all have the potential to get taken in the Top 10, but how high is up to them. A great showing could elevate them into the first overall pick, and a bad showing could drop them out of the Top 5.

Will the combine be the only deciding factor for this? Of course not. It most likely won’t be for many top-end players, but it is the start and getting ahead early only helps in the long run.

Someone needs to step up  

This draft has been said to not be as deep as in years past and I agree with this statement, but that isn’t to say that a game-breaking player might not come out of it.

Someone in this draft needs to step up and be the headliner for 2008. Some will argue that it is already McFadden, but unless he comes out and proves that he can’t be passed up and the No. 1 spot, I won’t be convinced even though he is a tremendous athlete.

The lack of depth in safeties could prove to be an open door to an underdog to jump into the second round. My pick? Watch out for Jamar Adams (Michigan) to come into the combine with something to prove. He is one of the biggest safeties in the draft and has tremendous range. Do I think he is second-round material? Not really, but look for him to stand out in shallow safety pool. 

Also, if any of the big-name guys come out and perform better or worse than expected, look for teams that have had their sights on them to make some moves. In particular, watch the Dolphins. I wouldn’t be surprised if they trade down, especially if someone makes himself irresistible after the combine.

No matter what position, whoever does step-up will need to continue to do so in their individual workouts. The combine is like a gateway and if you make some noise going through, someone will take notice.