Georgia Football: Tracking 2015 NFL Combine Results for Former Bulldog Stars

The NFL Scouting Combine is something of an oddity. A week-long rite of passage featuring no real football will go a long way in determining the professional status of the best football players in the nation. Pads and helmets are not nearly as important this week as stopwatches and orange cones.

For a handful of eager former Georgia Bulldogs, the hope is that a strong showing in a series of physical and mental tests and interviews will result in a favorable draft selection in a few months.

Here's a closer look at Georgia's participants and their performances at the NFL combine. And be sure to check back throughout the week for updates on each player's performance.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all combine results courtesy of NFL.com.

Chris Conley, Wide Receiver

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Chris Conley hauls in a pass.

Chris Conley is the latest in a series of long-tenured, steady producers at the receiver position for Georgia. Like Mohamed Massaquoi and Tavarres King before him, Conley will hope to convert his well-rounded skill set into an NFL opportunity.

It's hard to argue with what Conley did at Georgia. He amassed 285 or more receiving yards each season and increased in production each year. As a senior, he racked up 657 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches on just 36 receptions (18.3 yards per catch) within a run-heavy offense.

He has good size and should test well in lifts, but he needs to impress scouts with speed and route-running capabilities. A good time on the 40-yard dash could put him on a lot of teams' radars.

One of the more personable Bulldogs in recent history, Conley will undoubtedly be impressive in interviews. Accordingly, he's a prime candidate to make a team fall in love and fly up draft boards.

Conley's Results:

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.35 seconds
• Bench Press Reps: 18
• Vertical Jump: 45 inches
• Broad Jump: 139 inches
• 3 Cone Drill: 7.06 seconds
• 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.30 seconds
• 60-Yards Shuttle: 11.65 seconds

Conley stole the show on Saturday with arguably the strongest physical performance of any athlete. He finished among the top four at his position in the 40-yard dash and bench press and was the best overall performer in the vertical jump and broad jump.

Todd Gurley

Former Georgia running back Todd Gurley doesn't have much to prove physically for two reasons.

First and foremost, what more could a coach or general manager want from Gurley, who boasts solid size, great vision and excellent speed. If you have any doubts about Gurley's capabilities, consider his career production:

• 3,285 rushing yards, 36 rushing touchdowns
• 615 receiving yards, six receiving touchdowns
• 50 passing yards on one attempt
• 422 kickoff return yards, two kickoff returns for touchdowns

Oh, and he did all this in just 30 games. For kicks and giggles, Gurley's average collegiate game saw him rack up more than 145 yards of production and nearly 1.5 scores per game.

Secondly, Gurley is still recovering from a torn ACL. Scouts will need to rely on film to evaluate his speed and strength.

But Gurley can gain some ground in interviews. NFL personnel will undoubtedly pick apart his autograph-selling mishap. They'll want to know if Gurley was a college kid who made a mistake or a young man with character flaws.

Based on sentiments surrounding the Bulldogs in 2014, the incident doesn't appear to be one indicative of systemic moral shortcomings. In fact, the team rallied around the star running back during his suspension. As tight end Jay Rome told Edward Aschoff of ESPN.com, "We're going to play for Georgia and we're going to play for Todd."

Amarlo Herrera, Inside Linebacker

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Amarlo Herrera was a productive Bulldog.

Amarlo Herrera was a statistical monster at Georgia:

• 43 starts
• 334 tackles
• 23 tackles for loss
• Four forced fumbles
• Two fumble recoveries
• Three interceptions

But how will he translate at the next level?

For starters, Herrera is on the smaller side at 6'2". He can't change that. But he can begin to overcome that physical limitation with strong lifts (with stocky and short arms, he should dominate the bench press) and a solid showing in agility drills.

Herrera was born to stop the run, and he's incredibly instinctive. Unfortunately, slow lateral movements often render him ineffective in passing situations. He needs to combat that perception at the combine.

Herrera's Results:

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.83 seconds
• Bench Press Reps: 23
• Vertical Jump: 32 inches
• Broad Jump: 110 inches
• 3 Cone Drill: 7.35 seconds
• 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.27 seconds

Herrera did not have the combine that some expected. He didn't blow doors down with his bench press and poor jumps may have left an impression of lack of explosiveness. Even as a run-stopping specialist, he needed to show more lower body power.

Damian Swann, Cornerback

Like these other potential draftees, Swann has been a staple of the Bulldogs for several years.

The former Georgia defensive back made a mark as a true freshman in 2011 and never looked back. When all was said and done, the versatile athlete had lined up at every position in the secondary and started 40 football games, including every game in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Swann should impress at the combine because of his natural strengths: long limbs, good energy and decent athleticism. The long-term challenge for Swann is to continue to develop as a true cornerback. At 5'11" and 180 pounds, he's not large enough to play safety in the NFL, and he is sometimes slow to react.

But in expected tasks (like cone drills and organized activities), any lack of instinct should be masked. Swann should run well (both in straight lines and laterally), and if he can demonstrate solid lifts and explosive jumps, he may work into a higher round of the draft.

Swann's Results:

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.50 seconds
• Vertical Jump: 33 inches
• Broad Jump: 118 inches

Swann ran well on the 40-yard dash completing the task with a Top 15 time among defensive backs. For a defender known more for his ranginess than his speed, a 4.50 time was impressive. It will be interesting to see if he does further agility testing at Georgia's pro day.

Ramik Wilson, Inside Linebacker

John Raoux/Associated Press

Georgia's Ramik Wilson pursues a Florida receiver.

Linebacker Ramik Wilson experienced a fall from grace in 2014.

Heading into the season, a number of NFL gurus loved Wilson. According to Charles Curtis of NJ.com, expert Todd McShay of ESPN even had the Bulldog as a projected first-round pick (No. 23 overall).

A good but not great 2014 campaign has plummeted Wilson's stock. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller has Wilson projected as a fifth-round pick in a recent mock draft.

Truth be told, Wilson's stock was a bit inflated after a monster year in 2013. Like Herrera, he struggles in pass coverage, but unlike Herrera (who is great against the run), Wilson isn't fantastic at any one phase of the game.

Wilson's speed and agility aren't likely to be questioned, but he needs to measure well (with dense muscle adds) and lift well to demonstrate NFL-ready strength.

Wilson's Results:

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.77 seconds
• Bench Press Reps: 23
• Vertical Jump: 35 inches
• Broad Jump: 110 inches
• 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.51 seconds

Wilson's results were typical of an athlete who's good at a lot of things but not necessarily great at anything. He showed decent speed and strength. He jumped fairly well and showed some agility in drills. But he's likely now viewed as a quality backup and special teams stud as opposed to starter.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all stats courtesy of Sports-Reference.com.