Big NFL Scouting Combine Adds Credibility to Big Ten's Resurgence

The Big Ten's path to restored credibility first took the national stage three months ago with Ohio State's 59-0 Big Ten Championship Game walloping of Wisconsin inside of Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium.

And while there's been plenty of stops in between—most notably with January trips to New Orleans and North Texas—the conference's road to resurgence took a detour back through the Circle City this past weekend at the NFL Scouting Combine.

It was there that Big Ten alums took center stage in the heart of the conference, working out for NFL teams at the annual draft showcase. If NFL talent is any indication of a conference's quality—and there's no reason to think it's not—the Big Ten may have been in better shape than originally thought last season, even after a bowl season that saw the conference compile a 6-5 record, including the Buckeyes' two victories in the College Football Playoff.

Of the 323 prospects invited to this year's combine, 38 hailed from the Big Ten, including players from 13 of the conference's 14 schools, Illinois being the only exception. No, the Big Ten didn't have any quarterbacks in Indianapolis over the weekend, but that's only because potential first-round picks Connor Cook and Cardale Jones each opted to return to Michigan State and Ohio State, respectively.

Signal-caller aside, the Big Ten was well-represented among the remaining position groups, including invites for five running backs, six wide receivers, four tight ends, four offensive linemen, seven defensive linemen, five linebackers, two cornerbacks, three safeties, one kicker and one fullback. The seven defensive linemen invited certainly stood out, as it's no secret success in college football comes from controlling the trenches.

"If you want to have a bad team, have a bad defensive line," Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer said in 2012. "It's over if you have a bad defensive line."

As evidenced by the combine, there were plenty of good defensive linemen in the Big Ten last season, including a trio of potential first-round picks in Nebraska's Randy Gregory, Ohio State's Michael Bennett and Iowa's Carl Davis. Despite his off-the-field issues, Michigan defensive end Frank Clark remains an intriguing prospect, as the 6'3", 271-pounder finished first for all defensive linemen in both the 20-yard and 60-yard shuttles.

Player	Position	40-yd dash	Bench press	Vert Jump	Broad Jump	3-cone	20-yd shuttle	60-yd shuttle
Randy Gregory	DE	4.64 secs	24 reps	36.5 inches	125 inches	N/A	N/A	N/A
Trae Waynes	CB	4.31 secs	19 reps	38 inches	122 inches	N/A	N/A	N/A
Melvin Gordon	RB	4.52 secs	19 reps	35 inches	126 inches	7.04 secs	4.07 secs	11.0 secs
Maxx Williams	TE	4.78 secs	17 reps	34.5 inches	117 inches	N/A	4.37 secs	12.31 secs
Jesse James	TE	4.83 secs	26 reps	37.5 inches	121 inches	N/A	4.50 secs	12.15 secs
Devin Smith	WR	4.42 secs	10 reps	39 inches	122 inches	N/A	4.15 secs	N/A
Devin Funchess	WR	4.70 secs	17 reps	38.5 inches	122 inches	N/A	N/A	N/A
Doran Grant	CB	4.44 secs	21 reps	33 inches	116 inches	N/A	N/A	N/A

The star of the group, however, remains Gregory, whom Bleacher Report NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller currently projects the Jacksonville Jaguars to take third overall in his latest mock draft. No Big Ten player has been selected in the draft's top five since the Miami Dolphins selected Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long with the first overall pick in 2008.

"I think I'm worthy of the No. 1 pick. I would hope anybody in the draft would want to be the No. 1 pick," Gregory wrote in a recent draft diary entry for USA Today. "I know how I am as a player. I know my potential. I know what I can do. I know what I bring to a team. And I understand that this position is a premium."

Yes, linemen on sides of the ball are certainly at a premium, and Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff could very well be the first offensive linemen taken in the draft despite a hamstring injury cutting his strong start to the combine short. But the Big Ten could see plenty of skill-position players selected highly later this spring as well, which hasn't always been the case in a league that's lacked playmakers in recent years.

Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon attempted to strengthen his case to be to be the first running back selected in April, posting a 4.52 time in the 40-yard dash and the top showing in the 60-yard shuttle. NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock recently bestowed a first-round grade on the Heisman Trophy finalist on a conference call, while also noting that he ranks Indiana's Tevin Coleman and Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah as second-round running backs.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Michigan State running back Jeremy Langford also boosted his draft stock, posting the top 40-yard dash by a running back with an official time of 4.42 seconds. Of the seven charted events at the combine, a Big Ten running back finished first in six of them.

A 4.42 40-yard dash helped Ohio State wideout Devin Smith show why he could be taken in the first round, where he could very well be joined by Michigan's Devin Funchess. A strong combine showing also solidified Minnesota's Maxx Williams' chances of landing in the first 32 picks, where he would likely be the only tight end taken.

"Maxx Williams would be the only guy from Minnesota that could be considered a late [first round pick]," Mayock said. "I see him as a second-round pick, but he's a good receiving tight end. Like him a lot as an athlete."

Williams wasn't the only Big Ten tight end to help his cause in Indianapolis, with Penn State's Jesse James earning the status of "late-riser," according to NFL.com's Bucky Brooks.

"The 6'7", 261-pound tight end posted solid numbers in the vertical jump (37 1/2 inches), broad jump (10-foot-1), bench press (26 reps of 225 pounds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.50), while effortlessly catching the ball in drills," Brooks wrote. "James' strong hands and natural ball skills stood out; he has all of the tools to be a tough matchup as a post-up playmaker near the goal line."

Add in Ohio State's Jeff Heuerman, who was limited due to an ankle injury but still posted 26 reps in the bench press (tied for second with James among tight ends), and the Big Ten could see a run of tight ends taken that rivals its crop of running backs. Not bad for a league that's trailed the SEC, Pac 12 and Big 12 when it comes to offensive star power in recent years.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Big Ten also managed to make waves, with Michigan State's Trae Waynes confirming his status as the draft's top cornerback. In an otherwise weak cornerback class, Waynes stood out with a stellar 4.31 40-yard dash, the second fastest of any player at any position in Indianapolis this weekend.

"Trae Waynes is very comfortable in press coverage. He's got length. He jumps up there like all the Michigan State corners do," Mayock said. "When you get a Michigan State kid coming off that defense, he's a tough kid that will tackle that's been well-coached."

The only other Big Ten corner in attendance at the combine also had a nice showing, with Ohio State's Doran Grant posting a 4.44 40-yard dash and 21 reps on the bench press. Michigan State's Kurtis Drummond posted the highest vertical jump of any safety with a mark of 39.5 inches, but the Big Ten's run of linebackers and safeties will likely be limited to middle- or late-round picks.

Nevertheless, this year's crop of Big Ten pro prospects is one of the best in recent memory and a trend that doesn't appear to be stopping anytime soon. This time next year, the conference could boast the 2016 draft's three top quarterbacks in Cook, Jones and Penn State's Christian Hackenberg, as well as a plethora of other highly touted prospects including Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Jack Conklin, Shilique Calhoun, Adolphus Washington, Taylor Decker and Anthony Zettel.

It started with the Buckeyes' playoff-clinching win in Indianapolis last December and continued with big-time bowl wins, attention-grabbing coaching hires and what's shaping up to be a heavy presence in the NFL draft for the foreseeable future. With this rate of momentum, the Big Ten could soon be in the best shape it's ever been in, as the league only continues to gain steam moving forward.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. All NFL combine results courtesy of NFL.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.