Combine Wrap-Up: The Quarterback Conundrum Is More Confusing Than Ever

INDIANAPOLIS — Which top quarterback will be selected with the first pick in the 2018 NFL draft? Sam Darnold? Josh Allen? One of the others? None of the above? Does anyone want to pay a lot for Kirk Cousins? Would the the Browns trade down for even more draft picks? 

This year's NFL Scouting Combine offered more questions than answers, particularly at quarterback. So this final edition of the Combine Notebook gets you ready for free agency and draft speculation with all of the quarterback rumors, impressions and predictions you can handle. Plus:

• Quick takes on Monday's defensive back drills;

• A deep dive into draft-board depth;

• The annual Forty Awards for the best hairstyles, beards and interviews at this year's combine;

and much more!

The Post-Combine Quest for Quarterback Clarity

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

If you entered combine week seeking quarterback clarity, you have to wait around two more months for it.

Top prospect Sam Darnold did not throw. Top free agent Kirk Cousins was like Voldemort: Coaches and execs dared not speak his name and risk both tampering charges and sizzling headlines. And Saquon Barkley's workout was so impressive that it ignited a debate—and insider reports—that he may merit the first selection in April's draft. So we may know even less about where the top quarterbacks will end up than we did last week.

Here's one humble set of takes from a week on the combine floor, inside Lucas Oil Stadium and listening down the lane as rumors spread across downtown steakhouses.

• ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Kirk Cousins auction is now a four-team event, with the Broncos, Cardinals, Jets and Vikings leading the bidding. The Broncos would need to make so many cuts to afford Cousins that they would basically be building the 2017 Redskins, but never put it past them to do something counterproductive to prove a point. The Cardinals aren't exactly swimming in cap space, either. Signing Cousins seems like a better way to keep the Vikings on the hump than get them over it; he isn't much of an upgrade over the Teddy Bridgewater/Sam Bradford/Case Keenum quarterback trio they have had for three years, though he will be more expensive. Still, Minnesota is the likely front-runner. Cousins fits best as a stabilizer for a team seeking a fast-track rebuild, so the Jets make the most sense, which means they probably won't sign him.

• Teddy Bridgewater may be the X-factor of the quarterback free-agent group. He could be the best of both worlds for a team like the Cardinals: more affordable and with more upside than Cousins, but safer and more game-ready than a prospect the team would have to trade up to select. Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks is a defense-and-running coach who would love a veteran quarterback who takes care of the ball and improvises a little (but not a lot). Bridgewater would also fit the Broncos, but they appear more eager to pay a premium price for Cousins or for Case Keenum coming off a career year than do something shrewd.

• Eagles general manager Howie Roseman kept the Nick Foles trade rumors alive, probably because he thinks he can hoodwink some team that's rich with draft picks into paying a premium for a quarterback coming off the best month of his life. The Browns might not fall for it, but the Bills could talk themselves into a "winning culture" argument. It would take a whopper of a deal for the Eagles to make a move that would not sit well in the locker room and leave them uninsured against Carson Wentz health setbacks.

• AJ McCarron is somehow still in the mix, although the Browns appear to be the only team interested in him as a starter, according to Peter King of The MMQB. That should probably be enough for the Browns to stop being interested in him as a starter.

• Josh Allen did more to help himself than any of the other top prospects this week. I half-expected Allen to bounce passes off rafters, so his facepalm-free drills were a reassuring sign that his potential can be harnessed. Butter doesn't melt in Allen's mouth, so his team interviews surely went swell. The Patrick Mahomes treatment (a year on the bench to gain accuracy and get used to the NFL environment) would work wonders for Allen, so climbing to the top of the draft board may end up being a mixed blessing.

• Josh Rosen mixed downright-elegant deep passes with one-hopped short ones in his drills. Baker Mayfield looked like the basic spread-offense quarterback who doesn't know how to drop back but will get it down by September. Mayfield and Rosen both used face time with teams to prove they are not Johnny Manziel II and the twerp who asks the teacher for homework just as the bell rings, respectively. Where these two are drafted comes down to comfort and fit. Defensive coaches and old-school guys will prefer Mayfield's get-'er-done personality and playing style, while offensive tacticians and evaluators who have tasted avocado toast will prefer Rosen.

• Sam Darnold should have thrown. It won't matter much in the long run, but Allen (and Rosen) probably helped their causes with imperfect workouts. Right now, Darnold looks like the top quarterback by default: the guy with the least negatives instead of the most positives.

• After all of the hullabaloo about Lamar Jackson being asked to work out as a receiver and passing drills that left much to be desired, I'm convinced everyone is seeing what they are predisposed to see and hearing what they are predisposed to hear about the Louisville quarterback. Due to the traditional predispositions of so many NFL evaluators, that could prove unfortunate for Jackson.

Post-Combine Draft Board Reset

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

With the dust settling and workout results getting digested, this is a good time to go position-by-position and get a sense of the breadth and depth of this year's draft class. The quarterbacks were covered above.

Running Back

This group is as deep and strong as advertised pre-combine. Saquon Barkley will be gone in the top 10, while Derrius Guice, Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and Ronald Jones will go off the board by the middle of the second round as teams gobble up the sure things. The intrigue starts from there, as teams comb through combine winners with questions like Alabama's Bo Scarbrough (whose injuries and upright style are a concern), Arizona State's Kalen Ballage (not a featured back in college), Oregon's Royce Freeman (too much of a featured back in college), NC State's Nyheim Hines (too one-dimensional) and Jaylen Samuels (too pan-dimensional) and others.

Wide Receiver

A flawed group coming on the heels of several outstanding wide receiver classes. Phenomenal results from players like LSU's D.J. Chark and South Florida's Marquez Valdes-Scantling will make the middle and late rounds intriguing as teams try to project athletic receivers from run-heavy and mid-major systems. The only way there's a top-15 pick in this crop is if a needy team like the Bears reaches for the dynamic-but-twiggy Calvin Ridley, but Oklahoma State's James Washington and Texas A&M's Christian Kirk lead a Day 2 group that could help teams immediately as role players.

Tight End

Penn State's Mike Gesicki pushed himself into the first-round conversation this week. Central Michigan's Tyler Conklin is going to rise once teams review his pre-injury tape. This is a deep group which will only get deeper after South Dakota State's Dallas Goedert and Wisconsin's Troy Fumagalli (a Senior Bowl star) generate some pro-day results.

Offensive Tackle

A weak class made weaker by the Orlando Brown catastrophe.

Interior Offensive Line

Notre Dame's Quenton Nelson is a top-10 lock who leads an outstanding guard crop, with UTEP's Will Hernandez and Georgia's Isaiah Wynn possibilities to join him later in the first round. Billy Price's pectoral injury during the bench press thins a typically shallow center class.

Interior Defensive Line

There are plenty of Hog Mollies, from athletic nose tackles like Vita Vea (Washington) and B.J. Hill (NC State) to quick-footed 3-techs (Florida's Taven Bryan) and two-gappers who can do more than munch double-teams (Alabama's Da'Shawn Hand and others). Middle-round depth is strong.

Edge Rusher

Once you get past sure thing Bradley Chubb of NC State, small-program phenom Marcus Davenport (UTSA) and cone-drill standout and late bloomer Harold Landry (Boston College), this class is full of workout warriors who don't produce on tape and productive guys with so-so measurables, making it a dangerously thin crop for sack-needy teams like the Buccaneers.

Linebacker

Georgia's Roquan Smith and Virginia Tech's Tremaine Edmunds headline an impressive class at an often-overlooked position. Teams will like the coverage potential of Edwards and combine standout Malik Jefferson (Texas) more than they like the coverage tape. Conversely, they will have to collate the so-so workout of Boise State's Leighton Vander Esch and a truly disappointing one by Iowa's Josey Jewell with their strong film and reputations.

Secondary

This is a lousy draft for finding a traditional shutdown cornerback on the edge, but it's a great one for finding slot hybrids, nickel-safety-moneybacker types and smaller matchup defenders. That isn't a bad thing since those specialized players are what make NFL defenses tick nowadays, but this class lacks the almost exhausting cornerback depth of the 2017 class.

Defensive Back Notebook

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Hey, the defensive backs worked out Monday! And we have some quick-hitters on the day's best performances:

• Tulane's Parry Nickerson merits first-round consideration after Monday's 4.32-second 40-yard dash and other results. Nickerson's speed is fully functional on the field: he recovers quickly, can peel off his receiver when the ball is in the air to impact the play and can chase down quarterback mistakes for interceptions. Nickerson is also scrappy in press coverage and on tackles. He's a lean 180-pounder, but Nickerson is one of the best options in this draft class for teams seeking a matchup defender against pure speed receivers.

• Donte Jackson's 4.32-second 40 on a cramped-up calf would be one of the grittiest moments of the combine if Shaquem Griffin didn't spend the week performing one-handed feats of strength. The 175-pounder needed to show a little grit with his track-star speed, because he's more likely to stand on the fringe of a pile or get wired in run support than the scrappy Nickerson.

• Florida State's Derwin James posted a 40-inch vertical jump, ran a 4.47-second 40 and benched 21 reps. He has great instincts, the athleticism for man coverage against top tight ends and leadership traits. The only thing that will keep him out of the top 10 in this year's draft class is a quarterback feeding frenzy. He won't make it past the Cowboys with the 19th pick, but he probably won't make it there, either.

• Penn State's Troy Apke was the MVP of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl (one of the second-tier all-star games) before turning in a 4.34-second 40 at a robust 6'2" and 198 pounds. With just one year of starting experience as a safety with bad open-field tackling chops, he needs all the accolades and measurables he can muster. Apke may max out as an Eric Rowe-type situational defender or a Chris Conte-type Tampa 2 safety. After Monday's workout, he at least will get a shot.

• Wisconsin's Natrell Jamerson switched from wide receiver in his freshman season to dime defender to cornerback to safety, so he is obviously a work in progress. Jamerson's 4.40-second 40 and 25 bench reps will coax teams to take a second look at his scant starts for the Badgers. Jamerson projects as either a puny 198-pound safety, a cornerback who lacks experience and nifty-shiftiness or (ideally) a slot package player and return man with explosive potential when he gets his hands on a football.

Bleacher Report Proudly Presents the Sixth Annual Forty Awards!

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The Forties: How can we explain it?

That's easy. They are the combine equivalent of the Academy Awards, only we celebrate The Shape of Matt Patricia's Beard instead of The Shape of Water.

The next few slides award outstanding combine achievements in the fields of grooming and public speaking. Because while every 40-yard dash looks about the same (give or take some wobble and a second or two), combine interviews and hairstyles are as unique as snowflakes.

Best Hair: Alex Cappa, Offensive Lineman, Humbolt State

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Somewhere between Blue Oyster Cult roadie and background extra in Thor: Ragnarok resides Alex Cappa, the Humboldt State marvel who impressed at the Senior Bowl and ran a 5.39-second 40 while overcoming  the wind drag of blonde trusses that crossed the finish line two seconds after he did.

Cappa is agile, surprisingly polished for a guy who attended what sounds like a fictional liberal arts college from a John Updike novel and is just as nasty on the field as his heavy metal hairstyle suggests.

And here's the kicker: Cappa grew up as a Raiders fan.

"They're turning it around," he said of the Raiders. "Had some rough years growing up, but they look great now."

Cappa looks like a 1970s Raiders lineman. Let's hope Jon Gruden doesn't introduce him to his barber.

Best Hair Runner-Up: Dante Pettis, Wide Receiver, Washington

Mike Tanier

Dante Pettis didn't work out at the combine because he is still recovering from a late-season ankle injury. He also didn't plan to match his purple hair with his official purple combine pullover.

"It really wasn't even intentional or anything," he said. "I didn't know that was the color or anything. A lot of people joked about that."

Pettis has a chance to be among the top wide receivers drafted in April if he performs well at Washington's pro day this weekend. The son of perennial Gold Glove center fielder Gary Pettis, Dante has his father's hands and is a fundamentally sound route-runner. But the injury and the absence of John Ross drawing coverage away from him limited his production last season.

So, will Pettis change hair colors to coordinate with the team that drafts him?

"I'd be open to anything," he said. "If I go to a team and they want it, I'll do that."

Good idea. Cornerback Jalen Mills arrived at his first Eagles camp with bright green hair. Two years later, he helped the team win a Super Bowl.

Best Beard: Matt Patricia, Head Coach, Lions

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

This may be the most controversial selection in the history of The Forties.

Patricia, after all, was a first-class beardo during his coordinator days. He's trimmed everything back to business-casual acceptability now that he is a head coach, looking more like a scruffy high school history teacher than the bouncer at the kind of bar where there's sawdust both on the floor and in the drinks. Patricia trimming his beard was like Bob Dylan going electric, Metallica cutting their hair or the Houston Astros getting rid of their day-glo sunset uniforms.

Well, Dylan made his best music after going electric. The Astros won a World Series (eventually) with uniforms that don't cause eyestrain. And short-haired Metallica...

Anyway, part of achieving excellence is knowing both when and how much to compromise. 

Patricia made a great first impression as Lions head coach. He was less of a Bill Belichick clone than a cross between Doug Pederson, Rex Ryan and Jerry Glanville, but with a Patriots drive train under the hoodie. The controlled mayhem of the Patricia 2.0 Beard reflects this harmonious blend of those contrasting styles.

Now he just has to help the Lions get some pass-rushers. And running backs. And... 

Best Storyteller: Mike McGlinchey, Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame

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As perhaps the most reliable, fundamentally sound tackle in this year's class, Mike McGlinchey may be at the start of a 12-year NFL career. Followed by a 30-year NFL broadcasting career.

McGlinchey was a limited participant at the combine, but there was nothing limited about his loquacious interview session, the highlight of which was a story about playing football at the beach with his first cousin, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

"I think I was either a junior or senior in high school at the time," McGlinchey said. "I was playing tight end, and we all needed to work out. I had already committed to Notre Dame, so people knew who I was down at the shore. There were a lot of Irish Catholics down in the Philadelphia area and Jersey shore that followed me around.

"We all went to a field. [Matt] needed to throw; I played tight end. I said 'I'll go catch for you.' I was running routes for him and he was throwing the ball over my head and I was like, 'What are you doing?' and he's like 'That's where Julio goes up and gets it.' I said, 'Alright, I'm not that guy!'"

That was more information about Ryan than Ryan himself has conveyed in a decade of NFL interviews.

McGlinchey later revealed that Uncle Steve Sarkisian was the one who kept telling Ryan to overthrow young McGlinchey on fade routes to the boardwalk. (Just kidding.)

Best Smokescreen: Cleveland Browns

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Based on which insider report or general scuttlebutt you believe, the Browns could do anything from selecting Saquon Barkley with the first pick in the draft to—get this—trading it away.

That trade rumor is not a rumor at all. It came straight from the horse's mouth (and made headlines) after GM John Dorsey spoke Thursday.

"My door is wide open," he said. "If somebody wants to come up and talk to me about a trade, I'm willing to trade.

"Any good GM wants to field phone calls from his peers, so why wouldn't I?" Dorsey added. "So that's why I say, 'You know guys, just give me a call and see what's up.'"

Folks, folks, folks. You have to recognize general manager boilerplate when you hear it. Can you imagine what an actual call to Dorsey about the top pick would sound like? It would probably go something like this:

OTHER GM: "Hey Dorse the Horse. I'm calling about the No. 1 pick in the draft. We can hook you up with a ton of draft picks."

DORSEY: "Buddy, if we get any more draft picks and any fewer players, we're going to become a purely hypothetical team. Like...our hands will phase through the walls here at team headquarters or something."

OTHER GM: "How's about a veteran player?"

DORSEY: "Who are you willing to part with on your roster who is better than Saquon or one of the top QBs?"

OTHER GM: "Well, um, er...I thought you said you were open for business! And the Browns are always down for trading down for extra picks and doing that Moneyball stuff."

DORSEY: "C'mon, buddy: What's the first rule of NFL general management?"

OTHER GM: "Always say that you are open to trades at press conferences?"

DORSEY: "And the second rule?"

OTHER GM: "Always do the exact opposite of what got the last guy fired?"

DORSEY: "Correct-amundo. See you at the league meetings!"

Worst. Combine. Ever: Orlando Brown, Tackle, Oklahoma

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Poor Orlando Brown. He was thoughtful and engaging in his interview, wearing fashion-framed glasses that Von Miller would be proud of. Then he abysmally tanked each and every workout in one of the most disastrous combine performances ever.

It didn't help that Brown offered a lame excuse for the first of his disappointing results, 14 reps on the bench press.

"I didn't stick to my breathing routine," he explained, prompting yoga and Lamaze jokes on Twitter.

How does a breathing error turn a 345-pound mountain of a power-conference lineman into someone who gets out-lifted by 189-pound wide receiver Calvin Ridley?

Little things can get into an athlete's head, throw them off their game and snowball into catastrophes. A swim-coach friend once told me that young swimmers get obsessed with the fit of their goggles. A budding Ryan Lochte when everything feels just right can suddenly get the yips and turn into a near-drowning victim if they think the seal around their eyes is less than watertight.

It's a reasonable explanation for Brown's almost self-destructive workouts. Then again, no one wants to come away from the combine drawing comparisons to a junior high swimmer.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Shaquem Griffin, Linebacker, Central Florida

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

It isn't just about benching 20 reps with a prosthetic left hand.

It isn't just about the eye-popping 4.38-second 40, the fastest by a linebacker in over a decade.

It isn't just about the triumph-over-adversity story of becoming an NFL prospect after losing a hand to amniotic band syndrome at an early age.

It's about that smile.

It never wavers. We see it in every interview. We see it in dozens of file photos. We saw it on any Saturday when we happened to watch Central Florida football—an increasing number of Saturdays each year—and it was permanently plastered on his face throughout Senior Bowl week.

No prospect has ever relished his opportunity to compete at the combine as thoroughly and obviously as Griffin. Lots of players have an infectious love of the game. Griffin has an infectious love of the grind that goes with the game. 

The best thing about Griffin's performance this week is that it guarantees that we will see more of him. He will be drafted thanks to his combine workouts, probably in a middle round, and some lucky team will add a tremendous individual to their locker room. Not just a great player. Not just a feel-good story. But someone whose passion for both football and life is contagious.