NFL Combine 2015: Matt Bowen's Day 5 Notebook

INDIANAPOLIS — Throughout the NFL Scouting Combine, former NFL defensive back Matt Bowen will bring you his daily notebook. Here are his notes from Day 5.

Beasley Steals the Spotlight

When Clemson's Vic Beasley weighed in at 246 pounds earlier in the week, there were some questions on his speed and movement skills, since he played in the 230-235 range during the season at Clemson. However, the outside linebacker threw up some ridiculous numbers Sunday to increase his draft stock.

Check out the results from Beasley:

40-yard dash: 4.53 seconds (1.59 10-yard split)    

Bench (225): 35 reps

Vertical Jump: 41"

Short Shuttle: 4.15 seconds

Three-Cone Drill: 6.91 seconds

Broad Jump: 10'10"

With Beasley's added bulk and the speed/power combo he showed during workouts, he should be a lock as a first-rounder and could come off the board much earlier than previously expected. This is how you take advantage of the combine stage as a prospect. Go to Indianapolis and light up the testing drills.

Williams Proves He Is the Top Defensive Lineman in the Draft

USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams has NFL size (6'5", 302 lbs, 34.625" arms), and he did post a quick 10-yard split in the 40-yard dash (1.72 seconds). However, I was more impressed with his movement skills. Williams is a very fluid athlete and looked relaxed, comfortable and agile during drills. Plus, he has the scheme flexibility to play multiple spots on the defensive front. I was also impressed Sunday watching him move laterally.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Depending on where Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota lands, Williams could come off the board as high as the No. 2 overall pick. He has that type of talent on the defensive line, and some consider him the best prospect in the draft.

How Will Dawson's Lack of Speed Impact His Draft Stock?

There was a lot of hype coming into the combine for TCU linebacker Paul Dawson, but he posted times in the 4.9 range Sunday and didn't look as fluid as I expected during change-of-direction drills in positional work. How will it impact his overall grade?

Dawson was a highly productive player at TCU, and we have to remember that the combine drills don't account for the natural instincts at the linebacker position. The 40 (or watching a player backpedal and then transition) can't measure a linebacker's eye placement or ability to read run/pass and attack the ball.

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However, the slow 40 times will force pro scouts to go back and watch more tape on Dawson. Does he play faster on tape? And can teams look past these numbers from Indy when they set their final grade on the linebacker? Dawson will be a good case study on college production versus pro testing.

Fowler Looks Like a Possible Top-Five Pick

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Florida's Dante Fowler was projected as a top-10 pick heading into the combine because of his versatility to play in multiple fronts, and I think he could be a top-five pick after watching him work out Sunday.

At 6'3", 261 pounds, Fowler posted a 4.60 40 time (1.56 10-yard split) and projects as an athletic edge-rusher who can win with speed or power. Fowler played all over the field for the Gators and has an extremely high ceiling in the NFL. Given the demand for edge players who can stand up in a 3-4 and then drop down in sub-packages, Fowler's stock is on the rise after his workout in Indianapolis.

Also on Day 5

• Nose tackle Danny Shelton didn't have good numbers on Sunday, but what do you want to see from a 339-pound nose tackle who is a classic space-eater in the 3-4 front? I watched Shelton compete all week at the Senior Bowl. He's a beast. He takes on double-teams, penetrates and swallows up offensive linemen. That's his game. The 40 time doesn't even come into play when watching him on the field. He could be the pick for the Bears at No. 7 if the top edge-rushers are off the board by then.

• I talked about Beasley's testing numbers above, but what about Kentucky's Alvin "Bud" Dupree? The outside linebacker/defensive end ran a 4.56 40 at 269 pounds and also posted a 42" vertical jump and 11'6" broad jump. That's crazy for a man his size. Excellent workout for Dupree.

• What time do we want to see from Alabama strong safety Landon Collins on Monday? An NFL scout I talked to expects Collins to run in the 4.5 range at 228 pounds.

• Nebraska's Randy Gregory (6'5", 235 lbs) ran in the low-4.6 range, and I thought he showcased enough flexibility during positional work. The outside linebacker can still get his weight up to around 245 and fit in a 3-4 scheme as an outside linebacker. He's a first-round talent who will rush the passer.

• I need to watch some tape on UCLA's Owa Odighizuwa. The 6'3", 267-pound outside linebacker/defensive end has a quick first step and showcased his athleticism during Sunday's workout. He ran a 4.62 40 (1.63 10-yard split), posted a 39" vertical jump and looked pretty smooth in positional drills.

• Iowa defensive tackle Carl Davis was the defensive star of the Senior Bowl as he lived in the backfield during practice sessions because of his burst off the ball. On Sunday, Davis posted a 1.73 10-yard split. That's a good number at 6'5", 320 pounds. Davis has an NFL frame and can play the 3-technique or the 5-technique.

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

• The "versatility" of Washington's Shaq Thompson was discussed all week in Indianapolis (safety, linebacker, running back). On Sunday, Thompson ran in the 4.6 range. That's not a great time, but this guy is a football player. And I think he can play multiple roles for an NFL defense.

• Mississippi State defensive end Preston Smith (6'5", 271 lbs) has the versatility to play on the edge in a 4-3 and also slide inside to play the 3-technique in a sub-package front. He played good football in Mobile and ran a 4.74 on Sunday (1.63 10-yard split). Smith is a solid Day 2 prospect.

• Melvin Gordon ran a 4.52 40 on Saturday. That's a solid time for the 6'1", 215-pound running back. However, did the rest of the workout numbers match with the tape? Gordon posted a 35" vertical and 10'6" broad jump, along with running the short shuttle in 4.07 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.04 seconds. It was a very good workout for the Wisconsin product.

• Defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Danny Shelton deserve the top-10 hype, but don't forget about Oklahoma's Jordan Phillips. At 6'5", 329 pounds, Phillips posted a 1.84 10-yard split. Talking with league sources in Indianapolis this week, Phillips is a name that kept coming up in discussions.

• Miami linebacker Denzel Perryman posted some disappointing 40 times in the 4.8 range. At 236 pounds, Perryman isn't going to project as a three-down 'backer with that speed. I think he needs to get down to around 225 pounds to play in the sub-package.

• At 6'3", 250 pounds, Utah outside linebacker Nate Orchard (4.80 40) doesn't have the straight-line speed of Fowler, Gregory or Beasley. But he was one of the top players I watched at the Senior Bowl. He can be a fit in a 3-4 as a rush 'backer. This guy can play.

• There are NFL teams that won't even look at corners under 6'0", but keep an eye on Texas product Quandre Diggs when the defensive backs run on Monday morning. The 5'9", 196-pound corner is very competitive and can play the nickel. There is some talk on Diggs with NFL scouts right now.

• Norfolk State outside linebacker Lynden Trail (6'7", 269 lbs, 34.875" arms) is an incredibly raw prospect. At the Senior Bowl, Trail flipped over to the offensive side of the ball and ran some red-zone routes at tight end during one-on-one drills. However, with 40 times in the 4.9 to 5.0 range, does he have the speed to rush off the edge and play in space at the linebacker position in the NFL? He looked tight in his hips when asked to change directions during drills.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

• His 4.61 40 time will boost the stock of UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks (6'0", 232 lbs). Kendricks also posted a 38" vertical jump and a 10'4" broad jump. He has solid tape, was very productive in the Pac-12 and should fit as a 4-3 outside linebacker. Good numbers for the former Bruin.

• Ole Miss safety Cody Prewitt caught my attention at the Senior Bowl because of his range and the competitive style he brought to the field. I'm looking forward to getting some testing numbers on Prewitt tomorrow.

• Another defensive back I want to focus on Monday is Miami cornerback Ladarius Gunter. He has size outside the numbers (6'1", 202 lbs) and was consistently around the ball down in Mobile. I'm looking for a 40 time in the 4.4 to low-4.5 range.

Check back to Bleacher Report on Tuesday morning for my final wrap-up from the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine—notes on what we learned in Indianapolis plus my break downs on the defensive backs who will work out Monday.

Seven-year NFL veteran Matt Bowen is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report.

Follow @MattBowen41