Andrew Luck Combine: Stanford Star Solidifies Top Spot with Spectacular Showing

So, Robert Griffin's 4.41 in the 40-yard dash at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine throws a wrench into the whole "Andrew Luck is the prohibitive choice to be the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft" narrative, right?

WRONG.

As tremendous an athlete as the former Baylor Bear is and proved to be in Indianapolis, he'll still have to sit second behind the same guy who finished as the runner-up to him in the Heisman Trophy race.

Because, believe it or not, Luck is a pretty darn good athlete in his own right.

Officially, Luck posted a 4.69 in the 40, though he was unofficially clocked at 4.59, meaning that Luck was either nearly as fast or exactly as fast as Cam Newton was at last year's combine.

Luck registered a broad jump of 10 feet, four inches—just two inches shy of Newton's mark.

And in the vertical jump, Luck actually beat out Newton's ghost, checking in with a 36-inch leap ahead of Cam's 34.

Not bad, seeing as how Luck was presumed to be more statuesque in the pocket while Newton is widely considered one of the most freakish athletes to ever take snaps under center.

And remember, few folks outside of Phil Simms would ever so much as question Luck's accuracy or his throwing motion, whereas Cam drew plenty of concern for his unorthodox style and his seemingly robotic adjustment to a more fluid delivery last year.

Yet, not even doubts about Cam's quarterbacking skills could keep him off the top of the draft board in 2011. Meanwhile, anyone who's seen Luck play can—and likely would—tell you that the kid clearly has what it takes to succeed in the NFL at the outset, from mindset to mechanics and everything in between. 

Neither Luck nor RGIII participated in passing drills at the combine, with both opting instead to show off their quarterbacking skills at their respective pro days alongside receivers that they know.

But barring a complete disaster of a performance in Palo Alto on March 22nd, Luck, with his Cam-like measurables in hand, can once again pencil himself in as the successor to Peyton Manning's throne with the Indianapolis Colts.

That is, assuming Luck has the ego and the audacity to consider such a thing.

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