NFL Combine Flops with the Most to Prove at Pro Days
Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson once said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."
After last week's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, which ended March 5, there are some young NFL hopefuls finding that out the hard way.
Opinion varies on the combine's importance to a young player's NFL draft stock. But there's little question that flopping in Indianapolis doesn't do any favors.
Sometimes it's a poor showing in interviews. Or arriving in town out of shape. Or running a sluggish 40-yard dash time. Or struggling to throw or catch the ball in positional drills.
There will at least be one chance at redemption. As we move farther into March, pro days will heat up at colleges from coast to coast—a "mini combine" of sorts in a friendlier and controlled environment.
For players who fared well in Indy, pro days are at best a formality. Many won't even work out.
But for players like those listed here who fell flat at Lucas Oil Stadium, pro days are now vital. They have one last chance to make a good impression on NFL teams.
Or more importantly, to erase a bad one.
Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
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You know that things didn't go according to plan when a player's workout in Indianapolis generates headlines like, "Did Orlando Brown Just Have the Worst Combine Performance of All Time?"
That's what Bleacher Report's Doug Farrar wrote after Oklahoma offensive tackle Orlando Brown laid a massive egg at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Heading into Indy, the 6'8", 360-pound Brown was in the discussion to be the first player at his position drafted in April—a powerful mauler of a tackle who didn't allow a single sack in 2017.
Now? As Ricky Ricardo used to say, he's got some 'splainin' to do.
To be blunt, Brown's combine was a catastrophe from start to finish. He finished dead last among offensive linemen in the 225-pound bench press (14 reps), the vertical jump (19.5 inches) and the broad jump (6'10"). He ran a plodding 5.85-second 40-yard dash and even more concerning two-second 10-yard split.
Per Farrar, Brown blamed technique for his miserable display in the bench press while pledging to do better in Norman at Oklahoma's pro day.
"I didn't stick to my breathing routine," Brown said. "That's the lowest I have ever done, and I'll redo it at my pro day. Keeping it real, it will be held against me. All my numbers will be held against me. As an offensive tackle, my numbers are going to be compared to other offensive tackles. That's just the reality of it."
Odds are good that Brown will fare better at that pro day, if only because it's hard to imagine him doing worse.
But the big man's odds of being the first tackle drafted in 2018 just took a king-sized hit.
And it's going to take a markedly better performance on March 14 to salvage any chance of being drafted in the first round.
Ronald Jones, RB, USC
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Saquon Barkley is the unquestioned king of the 2018 NFL draft at the running back position. That was true even before Barkley laid waste to the combine with an otherworldly performance.
It's double-super-extra true now.
Behind Barkley, the rest of the backfield pecking order is cloudy. One of the young ball-carriers trying to separate from the pack is USC's Ronald Jones, a 5'11", 205-pounder who piled up over 1,500 rushing yards with 19 touchdowns for the Trojans in 2017.
Jones had a disappointing combine, but not because his vertical leap of 36.5 inches ranked sixth among running backs. Or because his 4.65-second 40-yard dash was well outside the top 10.
As NFL Network's Kimberly Jones reported (h/t Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com), Jones pulled up lame on that 40 attempt, aggravating a hamstring injury that had been plaguing him for a few weeks.
The injury was especially ill-timed given that Indianapolis offered Jones an opportunity to show off his pass-catching chops for NFL scouts.
This isn't to say that Jones can't catch, necessarily. He told reporters in Indy (via Turron Davenport of TheEaglesWire) that he patterned his game after Jamaal Charles, a player well-known for his receiving ability.
"I love his game. He was one of my idols growing up. I've been a fan. Back in his days at Texas and with the Chiefs," Jones said. "Even with the Denver Broncos now, I've always been a fan of his game. He is the reason why I wear No. 25. We both had dreadlocks at the time so it's just stuff like that and he's from Texas!"
But Jones caught only 14 passes in 2017, and that balky hammy prevented him from taking part in receiving drills.
If Jones is to become the second running back off the board, he's going to need to display a featured-back skill set (that includes soft hands) when scouts come to L.A. to watch USC's pro day on March 21.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
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As Peter Schrager reported on Good Morning Football, there was chatter at the combine that some teams wanted Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson to work out as a wide receiver. Jackson denied those rumors, telling reporters, "No teams have asked me to play wide receiver," Jackson said. "I don't even know where it comes from. I'm strictly a quarterback."
Jackson then put his money where his mouth is, by eschewing the 40-yard dash and the other athletic drills. He was going to throw the ball in Indy, and that was all he was going to do.
He was, as he said, strictly a quarterback.
It was a bold and admirable gambit. But as Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman pointed out, it didn't pay off.
"Jackson's throwing performance at the combine wasn't great," Freeman said. "His dropback was rough, and he didn't always show great anticipation on his throws."
The passing drills may be magnified because they were sole ones Jackson completed. It's also possible that answering 9 million questions about working out as a receiver got in the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner's head a bit.
There are still plenty in the draft community who are as high as ever on Jackson. Freeman, for example, has the 6'3", 200-pounder ranked as the No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2018.
On March 29, Jackson will take the field at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium for one last time. Per Freeman, it's believed this time he'll run the 40 and show the electrifying athleticism that made him one of the most talked-about players in college football the past couple of years.
But just as in Indy, those throwing drills will define Jackson's pro day—and his odds of being a first-round pick on April 26.
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Sam Darnold, QB, USC
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USC quarterback Sam Darnold took a calculated risk at the combine. Per Tom Rock of Newsday, the 6'4" 220-pounder made it clear going in that he wasn't going to throw and instead would wait for the Trojans' March 21 pro day to show off his arm.
"I felt like it was the best decision for me," he said. "Obviously, I'm going to throw at my pro day and I think that's a good opportunity for teams to be able to look at how I can spin it."
It was an understandable choice. By waiting for his pro day, Darnold will have the added benefit of throwing in familiar surroundings to equally familiar receivers. There's less risk of a bad day like the ones by Lamar Jackson and Luke Falk in Indy.
There is, however, a down side. One of the other leading contenders to be drafted first at the position (Wyoming's Josh Allen) not only threw in Indianapolis, but looked very good doing so. He may have picked up some ground on Darnold, who was neither great nor awful in the other drills.
The decision not to throw also re-ignited concerns about Darnold's elongated throwing motion—and he told reporters at the combine, per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com, he's not interested in tinkering with it.
"The motion I have is what got me to this point, and I really haven't gotten into trouble with it. It doesn't change how fast I get the ball out. If I need to shorten up and get the ball in right now, I'm able to shorten my release and get it to them," he said. "But if I need to throw it downfield, I've had a tendency of really cocking back and trying to let it go, where I just have to get my hip through more. That's something I've been working on, but I don't think it's changing. My throwing motion is fine."
If Darnold wants to be the No. 1 overall pick, his accuracy and arm strength need to be on full display in Los Angeles later this month.
Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State
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In many respects, former Florida State Seminole Tarvarus McFadden is just the sort of modern cornerback that NFL teams covet. At 6'2", 198 pounds, McFadden is long and physical. His eight interceptions in 2016 (tied for the FBS lead) demonstrate a nose for the football.
But there was one number from McFadden's combine workout that left NFL scouts shaking their heads—and not in a good way.
On a day where a handful of cornerbacks ran in the 4.3s, and safety Derwin James logged a 4.47 (at 215 pounds), McFadden's 40 time was among the worst of the defensive backs.
Per Wayne E. McGahee III of the Tallahassee Democrat, things got worse from there.
"McFadden started his day off with a rough 40-yard dash and it got worse in position drills," McGahee said. "He never looked comfortable during the drills, and former FSU cornerback Deion Sanders suggested that McFadden may be a safety at the next level."
For a player with hopes of being selected on the second day of the 2018 NFL draft, it was a hot mess of an outing—one that will serve to reinforce reservations about a youngster whose production (zero interceptions) was way down in 2017 relative to the season before.
Of course, those concerns are counterbalanced by McFadden's length and size. And there were no shortage of teams interested in talking to him at the combine—just as there's no shortage of good game tape of McFadden.
But 4.67.
When the Seminoles gather for their pro day on March 20, McFadden has one goal. One singular, overriding goal that towers above all the others.
Better that time (substantially) and allay concerns about his straight-line speed.
Or else a Day 3 call and switch to safety could be in his near future.
Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
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It's not really fair to call Maurice Hurst's combine a "flop." It was over before it started. The circumstances behind that premature finale, however, have left big-time questions swirling around the 6'2", 282-pound All-American defensive tackle.
Hurst received a medical red flag at the combine after an EKG revealed an irregular heartbeat. Doctors shut Hurst down, although, via Angelique S. Chengelis of the Detroit News, the same thing happened at Michigan and Hurst hopes to be cleared ahead of Michigan's March 23 pro day.
"It was an irregular EKG. Same thing (happened) at Michigan," Hurst told NFL Network. "Went through a lot of tests and got that all figured out and was cleared, so hopefully just do the same thing once I get back to school and come back for rechecks."
If Hurst is right and he's cleared to participate in the pro day, he should be able to put much of his combine disappointment in the rearview mirror. The same explosiveness off the snap and athleticism that will appeal to NFL teams looking for a 3-technique tackle should help him test well in Ann Arbor.
Even in a best-case scenario, there's going to be a medical exam at just about every stop Hurst makes on his tour of teams this spring. Clubs are going to want their own doctors to take a look before they even consider spending a first- or second-round pick on him.
But if for whatever reason Hurst isn't medically cleared in time for that pro day, it would be a disaster—the sort of nightmare in which a player's draft value goes into a tailspin due to factors over which he has zero control.
Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa
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Former Iowa Hawkeye Josh Jackson had the best chance at the combine to unseat Ohio State's Denzel Ward as the No. 1 cornerback in the class of 2018. When asked by reporters (via Jennifer Lee Chan of NinersNation.com) whether he was the top prospect at the position this year, Jackson didn't mince words.
"I believe so," Jackson said. "I'm a playmaker. Whatever team I go to they're going to be able to rely on me to be accountable. I'm a playmaker."
However, questions existed about Jackson. The 6'1", 192-pounder was wildly productive in 2017, making eight interceptions, but it was Jackson's lone year as a starter, and some were concerned about a perceived lack of straight-line speed.
As it turns out, that lack of wheels might be more than just perceived.
As Bucky Brooks reported for NFL.com, Jackson ran a slower-than-expected 40 and didn't look fluid or smooth in position drills.
"Posting a pedestrian 4.56-second 40," Brooks said, "Jackson also disappointed scouts with his movement skills and unpolished backpedal in drills. He didn't look comfortable with his turns and transitions, and his upright stance could be an issue as a young player."
It was a troubling workout for a potential first-round pick. Two of the most important traits prospects can display at corner are speed and the ability to turn on a dime.
He struggled badly in both.
Jackson won't get a shot at redemption until later March 26, and there may not be a player on this list with more pressure to make the most of that second chance.
Run better and look more fluid in drills, and it's going to be a lot easier for NFL teams to chalk the combine up as just a couple of rough days.
Scuffle again, though, and the "one-year wonder" chatter is only going to grow.
Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech
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To be fair, no one expected Virginia Tech defensive tackle Tim Settle to light up the 40-yard dash at the 2018 combine. At 6'3", 335 pounds, one does not generally tear down the track in 4.4 seconds. Or 4.5 seconds. Or even 4.9 seconds.
But even so, Settle's 5.37 40 was concerning—especially when combined with nearly non-existent efforts in the vertical (23.5") and broad (8'0") jumps.
Those jumps were more like hops.
Add in poor times in the three-cone (7.95 seconds) and short-shuttle (4.83 seconds) drills and struggles in positional workouts, and you have a player that just looked slow. His lateral movement and change of direction left much to be desired.
It was a far cry from the quickness that Mike Mayock of NFL Network saw in tape of Settle, according to Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times.
"I know he can stop the run. When he stays low and plays with leverage, he's hard to move, even with the double-team," Mayock said. "He's got short-area quickness that he can threaten the pocket. And he plays hard. I can't remember which tape it was, but he chased down a screen pass about 30 yards from behind. You don't ever see 335-pound guys do that. So I really like everything I saw."
Mayock wasn't alone in his assessment. Some pundits, including Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice, had mentioned Settle as a potential first-round pick given his combination of size and burst.
Only one of those qualities was in evidence at the combine. If Settle's going to get his draft stock trending upward again, he needs to work on the other at his March 14 pro day in Blacksburg.
Maybe something in a lightning-fast 5.1 seconds or so.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
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Heading into the scouting combine, Alabama's Calvin Ridley was generally considered the No. 1 wideout prospect in 2018 after a season in which the 6'0", 189-pounder hauled in 63 passes for 967 yards and five scores for the Crimson Tide.
Ridley may still wind up as the first receiver drafted in 2018—but he didn't do his stock any favors in Indianapolis.
Ridley's 4.43 40-yard dash was fine. But his broad jump (9'2") was the worst among participating wide receivers at the combine, and his vertical jump (31") was fifth-worst. The totality of Ridley's workout placed him in the seventh percentile in the SPARQ performance metric.
That ranked dead last at wide receiver.
If Ridley's workout at Lucas Oil Stadium was the bad news, there's at least a modicum of good news too.
There won't be a long gap between the combine and Ridley's pro day for scouts to stew on those numbers.
As a matter of fact, the Crimson Tide are one of a handful of teams that have already held their pro day.
As Bleacher Report's Tim Daniels reported, outside of running a few scripted plays with the Tide offense (a position drill of sorts), Ridley chose to stand on his combine numbers from last week when Bama held its pro day on March 7.
Ridley looked good running routes on those plays (his strength), but it was was a curious choice given that, outside of his 40 time, his numbers were less than impressive. But per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com, Ridley believes his tape speaks for itself.
"I just know whoever takes me is getting a guy who can play," Ridley said.
Apparently the 23-year-old didn't feel he had anything to prove after all, although Alabama has a second pro day on March 28 (because Alabama), so there's a chance Ridley could make an appearance there.
Luke Falk, QB, Washington State
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Lamar Jackson wasn't the only quarterback in Indianapolis who was looking for a mulligan after Saturday's passing drills.
The combine presented the 6'4", 215-pound Falk with an opportunity to jockey for position among the second tier of QB prospects—a tier that includes Jackson.
As Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz reported for USA Today, the only jockeying Falk did was a steady slide down.
"Looking to close the gap on the top tier of passers, he instead showed how far behind he still is," Middlehurst-Schwartz said. "He was one of the most erratic passers in drills and struggled with his ball placement. Falk's workout might not override his robust college workload, but questions still linger about how he will transition from the 'Air Raid' offense."
The prevailing knock against Falk is that he's a "system" quarterback whose numbers were inflated by Mike Leach's wacky offense at Washington State, and that he took so many sacks in Pullman, he's gotten "happy feet."
Sailing and/or one-hopping passes all over Lucas Oil Stadium isn't going to help dispel either of those notions—especially since Falk struggled with the intermediate throws that were supposed to be his specialty.
This sort of workout is exactly why Sam Darnold elected not to throw at the combine.
It appeared at first glance that Falk wouldn't have to wait long to get his opportunity for redemption. Washington State held its pro day last Thursday. But Falk didn't throw. As Field Yates of ESPN tweeted back in February, Falk decided to work out at Utah State's pro day on March 28 instead (he's a native of Logan, Utah).
Either Falk's really into the idea that you can, in fact, go home again, or he was afraid he'd have to drop back behind the Cougars' dreadful offensive line one last time.
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