Oregon Football: Tracking 2015 NFL Combine Results for Former Ducks Stars
Coming off a 13-win season that saw the Oregon Ducks reach the second national-title game in school history, it should come as no surprise that seven players were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.
While each of the seven Ducks come into the combine with something to prove, it is 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota who will be under the most scrutiny. That being said, Mariota is a sure-fire top-10 pick in the 2015 NFL draft.
The other six Oregon players—Jake Fisher, Hroniss Grasu, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Troy Hill, Tony Washington and Arik Armstead—need to show out over the next week and establish themselves as true pro prospects.
Oregon’s seven combine prospects each played an integral role in the Ducks’ 2014 season, which will be considered as one of the best in school history. However, the NFL is a completely different beast. Their time to prove themselves to NFL executives begins now.
Here’s a look at how the Ducks are fairing at the 2015 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Check back throughout the week as this slideshow will be updated with the players' results.
Marcus Mariota
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Coming off of a Heisman campaign for the ages, Marcus Mariota will officially introduce himself to the NFL in Indianapolis.
For Mariota, there isn’t a whole lot to prove on the field in Indy. He’s already a hit with the scouts and is a near lock to be a top-10 pick in April. According to Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, Mariota is the No. 2 quarterback and No. 4 player in the draft.
Mariota, who injured his throwing shoulder in the championship game, will throw at the combine, and scouts will be looking to see how his shoulder has healed over the past five weeks.
His main focus this weekend should be on his interviews with individual teams. Those interviews with team executives will go a long way in determining his future destination in the league.
Mariota is going to be a top pick in the 2015 draft regardless of what happens this weekend in Indy. This weekend is all about meeting with teams and proving he’s healthy.
Results
40-Yard Dash: 4.52 seconds - Top Performer
Bench Press: DNP
Vertical Jump: 36" - Top Performer
Broad Jump: 10'1" - Top Performer
Three-Cone Drill: 6.87 seconds - Top Performer
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.11 seconds - Top Performer
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP
* Top Performer designation is determined by NFL.com
Jake Fisher
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Outisde of Mariota, left tackle Jake Fisher might have been Oregon’s most important player in 2014.
Without Fisher in two games, the Ducks struggled to run the ball and ended up losing their only regular-season game to Arizona. With Fisher, the Ducks were miles better offensively and were undefeated until the national-title game.
As good as Fisher was in 2014, he has a lot to prove this weekend at the NFL combine. While the group of offensive linemen this year isn’t particularly deep, Fisher is expected to be a mid-round pick in the 2015 draft. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller has him ranked as the No. 9 offensive tackle in this year’s draft and the No. 77 overall player.
Fisher is suited to play in an up-tempo offense and would set himself apart by performing well in the three-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle.
Results
40-Yard Dash: 5.01 seconds - Top Performer
Bench Press: 25 reps (225 lbs)
Vertical Jump: 32.5" - Top Performer
Broad Jump: DNP
Three-Cone Drill: 7.25 seconds - Top Performer
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.33 seconds - Top Performer
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
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It’s hard to be a first-team AP All-American and see your draft stock drop dramatically, but that’s exactly what has happened to cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu.
Despite his All-American status, Ekpre-Olomu struggled against tall receivers in 2014. Moreover, he suffered a devastating knee injury in practice before the 2015 Rose Bowl.
Before the 2014 draft, Ekpre-Olomu was considered a first- or second-round pick. However, due to his play and injury, it looks like he is more likely to be a mid-round pick.
Ekpre-Olomu is ranked as the No. 18 cornerback and the No. 126 overall prospect by Bleacher Report’s Miller. That being said, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has him ranked as the No. 6 cornerback in this draft, so it seems there’s nowhere near a consensus on Oregon’s best corner.
Because he is still rehabbing his knee injury, Ekpre-Olomu will not participate in drills at the combine, though he will be eligible to meet with teams. His focus will be squarely on talking with teams about his play in 2014 and his knee injury.
Results
40-Yard Dash: DNP
Bench Press: DNP
Vertical Jump: DNP
Broad Jump: DNP
Three-Cone Drill: DNP
20-Yard Shuttle: DNP
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP
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Arik Armstead
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While he was a steadying force along Oregon’s defensive line in 2014, Arik Armstead has a lot to prove to NFL scouts. That being said, his size and athleticism could help him vault into the first round of the draft.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller currently has Armstead ranked as the No. 6 defensive end and the No. 26 overall prospect, meaning he’s projected to be a first-round pick at this point.
Last season, he only managed 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a single forced fumble in 13 games. More importantly to scouts, he didn’t really make a difference at the line of scrimmage in terms of knocking down passes.
That being said, his size—6’8”, 290 lbs—might be too much for scouts to overlook. Armstead is the type of player who could shoot up the draft boards after the combine.
He is absolutely capable of being a “workout warrior” and showing up his fellow 2015 prospects at the combine.
Results
40-Yard Dash: 5.10 seconds
Bench Press: 24 reps (225 lbs)
Vertical Jump: 34"
Broad Jump: 9'9"
Three-Cone Drill: 7.57 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.53 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP
Tony Washington
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No Oregon player had a weirder year than Tony Washington. His two most memorable moments were polar opposites of each other.
A late penalty versus Arizona in early October was one of the reasons Oregon lost its only regular-season game. However, he saved his best moment of the year for the Rose Bowl against Florida State. His 79-yard fumble-return touchdown after Jameis Winston’s flop-fumble will go down in Oregon lore.
As for Washington’s draft prospects, Bleacher Report’s Miller has him ranked as the No. 11 outside linebacker and the No. 175 overall prospect.
He had 11.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and three forced fumbles in 2014 and turned into one of Oregon’s most reliable defenders.
He’s not going to blow anyone away with his speed or strength, but he’s a solid prospect who is likely to be a late-round pick. If he’s able to impress scouts with his lateral speed, he might be able to move up into the middle rounds.
Results
40-Yard Dash: 4.99 seconds
Bench Press: 17 reps (225 lbs)
Vertical Jump: 32.5"
Broad Jump: 9'2"
Three-Cone Drill: 7.20 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.31 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: 12.83
Troy Hill
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Hill, who took over as Oregon’s No. 1 CB when Ekpre-Olomu went down with an injury before the 2015 Rose Bowl, has more to prove than any other Oregon prospect at the combine.
According to Matt Miller’s rankings, Hill is not currently a top-35 cornerback prospect. That being said, he might have been Oregon’s most productive corner this past season.
In 14 games, Hill led the Pac-12 with 18 pass breakups. Hill also registered 71 tackles, four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and an interception.
He is going to have to prove to scouts that he’s a pro prospect with his combine performance, but he’ll also have to explain his domestic-violence arrest from 2013.
As one can imagine, domestic violence is something NFL teams take very seriously, especially following the Ray Rice situation.
Hill has an uphill battle heading into the combine, and it’s a bit of a surprise that he was invited. That being said, he played really well for Oregon in 2014 and has a chance to be drafted toward the end of the 2015 draft.
Results
40-Yard Dash: 4.55 seconds
Bench Press: DNP
Vertical Jump: 32.5"
Broad Jump: 10'0"
Three-Cone Drill: 6.81 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.21 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: 11.77 seconds
Hroniss Grasu
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Despite the fact that Hroniss Grasu might not be a first- or second-round pick in the 2015 draft, he’s certainly been the most reliable center in the nation during the past three seasons.
Grasu, who was named an AP second-team All-American in 2014 and a first-team All-Pac-12 player three times, was a stabilizing force behind Oregon’s offensive line and one of the team's best leaders.
In terms of Grasu’s professional outlook, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report currently has him ranked as the No. 3 center and the No. 112 overall prospect.
Grasu isn’t a particularly powerful center, but he moves well for a center and should be able to perform in a variety of offensive systems. He plays bigger than his size, and his game doesn’t have a whole lot of holes. More importantly, he’s a leader and a winner.
He likely won’t be a “workout warrior” but should perform decently in the combine drills. Grasu should be able to make a great impression in individual team meetings; GMs and executives will love his leadership and attitude.
Results
40-Yard Dash: DNP
Bench Press: DNP
Vertical Jump: DNP
Broad Jump: DNP
Three-Cone Drill: DNP
20-Yard Shuttle: DNP
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP
Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise stated. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.
Jason Gold is Bleacher Report’s lead Oregon writer. Follow Jason on Twitter @TheSportsGuy33.
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