7 NFL Draft Prospects with Most to Prove After Combine
The combine is the most high-profile event of the NFL draft process, but it's far from the last chance for prospects to answer questions.
In fact, the combine sometimes raises more questions than it answers for certain prospects.
The following slideshow features seven prospects who either failed to answer certain questions about their health, athleticism or off-field concern—or whose performance raised further questions about their NFL future.
For these prospects, pre-draft visits and pro days will be critical to solidifying their draft stock in the coming months.
Paul Dawson, LB, TCU
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Paul Dawson was arguably the most disappointing prospect in Indianapolis.
He started the combine by measuring in at 6'0"—two inches shorter than his listed height at TCU. Based on his production, no one would dismiss Dawson simply for being undersized, but he followed up his measurement with a poor showing in the workout portion of the combine.
Most notably, he managed just a 4.95 in the 40-yard dash, which ranked among the worst times for all linebackers. Despite Dawson's response on Twitter, the performance was damaging.
"I'm an awesome football player. The best/most productive linebacker in this draft. Not a track Star. #meetmeonthefield
— Paul Dawson Jr (@PjDawson47) February 22, 2015"
Character concerns have already marred Dawson's draft stock, and now teams have even more reason to drop him on their boards. If he doesn't rebound in a big way during his pro day, a fall to Day 3 of the draft is possible.
Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana
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Tevin Coleman's pro day on April 15 will be one of the most important of the offseason. After offseason toe surgery, the Indiana running back was still in a walking boot during the combine
This is the second consecutive year Coleman has spent his offseason rehabbing an injury. He also missed the final three games of the 2013 season with an ankle injury.
He clearly has the speed to be a weapon at the next level, but teams will be interested to see if he's fully recovered by April.
A running back who relies on speed is certainly a candidate to fall on draft day if teams have lingering injury concerns.
David Cobb, RB, Minnesota
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David Cobb's 4.81 in the 40-yard dash immediately stands out, but it's one of the numbers teams will be throwing out from this year's combine.
Cobb reportedly pulled a quad during the run, ending his workout in Indianapolis. Unfortunately, the combine was an opportunity for the running back to answer questions about his speed and athleticism.
To make matters worse, Minnesota's pro day is scheduled for March 2, which is presumably too soon for Cobb to make a full recovery and join in the workouts.
Ideally, Cobb will find another time to run in front of teams, but he is also a strong candidate to receive a high number of private-workout requests from teams in the weeks leading up to the draft.
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Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
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Dorial Green-Beckham's workout numbers were respectable, so teams don't necessarily need to see anything else from him on the field. But off the field is another story.
While he met with a few teams at the combine, he'll be among the most sought-after prospects in during pre-draft visits.
Any team entertaining the idea of drafting DGB early will want to spend more time getting to know him in order to ease concerns about his character. Green-Beckham was kicked off the team at Missouri after multiple drug-related incidents and was forced to sit out the entire 2014 season after transferring to Oklahoma.
How he handles the interview process in the coming months will determine if his draft status matches his obvious first-round talent.
Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
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The interview process is arguably the most important part of the combine, and it might not have gone smoothly for Maxx Williams.
An NFC scout told NFL.com that Williams came across as too arrogant and said his team's executives and coaches "were a little turned off by him."
Additionally, his on-field performance was less impressive than expected.
Williams ranked in the middle of the pack for tight ends across the board in the combine workouts, most notably posting disappointing 10-yard split times in his 40-yard dash.
He has a quick turnaround for his pro day (March 2 at Minnesota), so he'll have a chance to turn things around before he begins his pre-draft visits.
Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami FL
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The NFL has warmed up to undersized linebackers in recent years, but only if they have the speed and athleticism to make up for their lack of size.
Denzel Perryman only measured 5'10" and 236 pounds, so explosive workouts were a must for him in Indianapolis. Unfortunately, he managed just a 4.78 40-yard dash, which ranked in the middle of the pack for linebackers.
Additionally, Perryman only posted a pedestrian 32-inch vertical leap and elected not to participate in the short shuttle or the three-cone drill.
A number of teams will likely ignore Perryman due to his size alone, fearing that he doesn't fit their scheme. As a result, a strong showing at his pro day is essential to convincing the remaining teams that he has the athleticism to make up for his size.
Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
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Sammie Coates was supposed to be a star at the combine. Instead, he looked like just another receiver who can't catch the football.
There certainly wasn't anything wrong with his workouts—and his 41-inch vertical is certainly an asset—but he needed to show something special to help teams forget about his inability to haul in the football.
With fairly average combine numbers, it's hard to view him as anything more than a developmental project.
The key for Coates now is to impress teams during the interview process. He needs to convince coaches that he is willing and able to put in the work to fix the many flaws in his game.
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