2022 NFL Combine Takeaways: Georgia Bulldogs Dominate DL Workouts
There's an old saying in the NFL—defense wins championships. And on Saturday, it was the defense's turn to hit the field at Lucas Oil Stadium at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.
With the defensive linemen and linebackers taking center stage, several players expected to be high picks in April's NFL draft were able to show what they can do. But while guys like Michigan edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson had their moments, in many respects the biggest winners were some smaller names.
A linebacker who used to be a quarterback ran the fastest 40 at his position. A Day 3 prospect from Virginia Tech ran the fastest 40 of any defensive lineman in almost two decades.
Still, it was the defending national champions who really stole the show Saturday, with defensive linemen from the University of Georgia dominating workouts just like they dominated college football last season.
That's where we're kicking off this look at Saturday's biggest takeaways, starting with a big defensive tackle who had an even bigger day.
Georgia DT Jordan Davis Made Some Combine History
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There was already plenty of hype surrounding Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis, who Bleacher Report's Scouting Department ranked as the top defensive tackle in the 2022 class.
"Jordan Davis is a rare prospect based on his measurables alone," Derrik Klassen wrote. "There aren't many 6'6", 340-pound players period, let alone those as athletically gifted as he is."
Apparently, Davis came to Indianapolis with the intention of making Klassen look like a wise man.
We were only about 15 minutes into Saturday's festivities when Davis (who actually checked in at the combine at 341 pounds) gave those in attendance the day's first jaw-dropper—by running the 40-yard-dash in an unofficial 4.82 seconds.
His official time? An absolutely ridiculous 4.78 seconds.
Per the NFL Network's coverage, that marks the fastest 40 time ever at the combine who weighed over 340 pounds—by a wide margin.
The Bednarik Award winner as college football's best defensive player last year, Davis already had a reputation as a ferocious run defender and force in the middle, but he told reporters at the combine that he intended to show that he could also be explosive in collapsing the pocket and getting after the quarterback.
"Everybody knows I'm a run stopper, and pass rush kind of goes by the wayside with me," Davis said. "But definitely in the offseason that's something I've been working on. I've called on a few people. I've been working out with Chuck Smith, who's known as Dr. Pass Rush. I feel when I have a disadvantage I want to make sure I try to even the odds and bring it up to the same level. It's just all working and about improving."
That work showed in Indianapolis, and after that 40 time, the odds that Davis gets out of the top 15 have plummeted.
The "Other" Georgia DT Had a Day, Too
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Jordan Davis wasn't the only Georgia defensive tackle who came into the combine with a first-round grade in the eyes of most scouts.
He's also not the only big Bulldog who had himself a day at the combine.
Devonte Wyatt (B/R Scouting Report) was the other half of Georgia's dynamic duo of defensive tackles in 2021, amassing 39 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in helping the Bulldogs win the national title. At Senior Bowl practices, the 6'3", 304-pounder was all but unblockable. And in media availability at the combine, Wyatt wasn't at all shy about how he felt about his NFL prospects.
"If I was writing about myself, I'd write, 'This guy is amazing, he's the best guy I ever met,'" Wyatt said. "Definitely, I'd write, 'I love this guy, he's got a great personality, he can move, and he's definitely going to be a great player in the NFL.'"
Wyatt backed up that braggadocio in workouts. He actually peeled off an even faster 40 time than Davis, and per Dane Brugler of the Athletic, Wyatt's 10-yard spilt was nearly identical to Joey Bosa of the Los Angeles Chargers.
This is the point where we point out that that Wyatt weighs about 30 more pounds than Bosa.
Throw in a strong showing in positional drills and ample tape of Wyatt wreaking havoc on the playing field, and it looks like two Georgia tackles could hear their names called on April 28.
Bulldogs EDGE Travon Walker Continued Georgia Onslaught
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After watching Saturday's workouts, it's a lot easier to understand why opponents had so much trouble scoring on Georgia last season.
There wasn't much that Trayvon Walker didn't do along the defensive line at Georgia, and as Derrik Klassen wrote in his scouting report for the 6'5", 272-pounder, Walker has the potential to play either end spot in both three and four-man fronts.
"Walker's easiest projection is as a strong-side defensive end in an even front, but he could just as easily add a few pounds to be a 3-4 defensive end or drop a few to be a full-blown edge player. His run-defense skills and athletic profile will allow him to be a functional player early on as he works on becoming a more consistent pass-rusher."
Klassen tagged Walker as a mid-second rounder, but after the show he put on Saturday, there will be quite a few NFL teams bumping him up their boards.
The athleticism that Walker displayed was among the most impressive of all the edge-rushers. Walker posted a solid 35.5" vertical and 10'3" broad jump. He showed outstanding change-of-direction, bend and hand work in position drills. And most impressively, Walker ran the third-fastest 40 of any edge-rusher at 4.51 seconds.
Walker's collegiate production wasn't jaw-dropping (37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and six sacks), but his workouts speak to a player who is only just scratching the surface of what he could be capable of—and a potential first-round pick.
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A Potential Shortcoming for Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson?
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Sift through some mock drafts, and it won't take long to find one with Michigan edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson (B/R Scouting Report) coming off the board among the first few picks. While speaking to Colin Cowherd on his radio show, the 6'7", 260-pounder admitted that he has long aspired to be not only a first-round pick but the first pick.
"It's something that I've wanted for so long," Hutchinson said." "I wrote that in my freshman year dorm, saying, 'I'm going to be the No. 1 pick in the draft,' and now I'm starting to see it come true."
After setting a single-season sack record at Michigan with 14 in 2021, Hutchinson's a near-lock to be among the first handful of picks. He was a terror as a pass-rusher and an excellent edge-setter for the Wolverines. And for the most part, Hutchinson had a good workout in Indy. He fared very well in position drills and posted a 1.62-second 10-yard split.
By weight of comparison, that falls between T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers (1.61) and Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns (1.63)
But the day wasn't without a potential setback. Hutchinson's arms measured at just 32⅛"—the second-shortest of any edge-rusher at the event. While speaking to reporters, Hutchinson downplayed the meager measurement as a non-factor.
"Um, yeah, there might be questions along that," he said. "I guess we'll see. But I'm not too worried about it. I'm very confident in my ability despite how long I am or whatever you say. So it doesn’t really matter to me."
Whether teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions and Houston Texans agree or not remains to be seen.
More Controversy for Oregon EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux
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Where talent is concerned, there's no question that Oregon edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (B/R Scouting Report) is one of the most gifted players at his position in this class. The 6'4" 254-pounder showed flashes of game-wrecking talent over his collegiate career. And while speaking to reporters, Thibodeaux showed that he clearly isn't lacking in confidence.
"You look back at (Jadeveon) Clowney, he was great, but he didn't have all the skills and the tools as far as pass-rush skills," Thidodeaux said. "Me, I feel like I can build off of him—I'm like Jadeveon 2.0. I feel like I have the skills and I have a hunger to keep going.’’
For a time Saturday, it appeared that Thibodeaux was going to back up that big talk. He logged 27 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press and posted a 4.65-second 40-yard dash with a 1.62-second 10-yard split.
But then, to the surprise of those in attendance, Thibodeaux called it a day, choosing not to participate in position drills.
Per Willie McGinest on the NFL Network's telecast, Thibodeaux claimed that he wanted to do drills as both a defensive lineman and linebacker. He will reportedly do both at Oregon's pro day April 2, but doing so in Indy would have made for a prohibitively long day.
This may well be much ado about nothing. But for a player who has already had to address effort concerns, it's not a great look—especially after Thibodeaux reportedly said that he would participate in everything at the combine.
Wyoming LB Chad Muma Continues to Impress
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In the opinion of most draftniks, the top-two off-ball linebackers in the 2022 class are Georgia's Nakobe Dean and Utah's Devin Lloyd. Dean chose not to work out at the combine, and while Lloyd had just a so-so workout (he ran a 4.66 40) he's still all but certainly going to be one of the first 32 picks.
However, there's another young linebacker from a smaller program who gave his already-rising stock a nice boost in Indianapolis—Wyoming's Chad Muma (B/R Scouting Report).
After playing behind Logan Wilson of the Cincinnati Bengals in Laramie, Muma finally got a chance to show what he could do in 2021. All the did was lead the NCAA with 142 total tackles, adding three interceptions, a pair of pick-sixes, eight tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. He told Aric DiLalla of the Broncos website that production shows he can be a three-down starter in the NFL.
"I think I just kind of proved that I can go out there and make plays, and I can lead everyone on that defense because I know what I have to do and what everyone around me has to do," Muma said. "I think I proved that in my play. I can go side to side and just make any play."
Muma's momentum has carried over into draft season. He was a star of Senior Bowl practices, led that game in stops and had a strong showing in Indy, running a faster 40-yard-dash than Lloyd, pacing all linebackers with 27 reps in the bench press and adding a 40" vertical and 10'9" broad jump.
Virginia Tech EDGE Amare Barno Can Fly
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Virginia Tech edge-rusher Amare Barno isn't a first-round prospect. Entering the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, he probably wasn't a Day 2 prospect on most teams' boards. As Joe Marino wrote for The Draft Network, the 6'5" 246-pounder will be something of a project for the team who drafts him.
"If offensive linemen can get their hands on him, Barno is guilty of getting pushed around. The key for him moving forward is getting stronger and refining his hand technique to produce more consistent results. In Year One, Barno should have some appeal as a designated pass rusher on long and late downs. By year two or three, he could develop into a prominent piece of a defensive front that’s multiple in alignments and understands how to unleash his skill set to attack gaps, play in space, and tap into his overall versatility while not exposing his limitations."
Saturday's workouts left NFL teams with something else to ponder though. Barno is fast. Really fast. Like historically fast for a player at his position at the combine.
It was Barno who ran the very first 40 of the afternoon Saturday. It also happened to be the best—not just among the defensive linemen, but also among all the linebackers as well. In fact, Barno's ridiculous 4.36 40 was the fastest time by a defensive lineman since the league started using laser timers back in 2003.
Being the fastest player at your position in two decades is going get a guy noticed.
Because you can't teach speed.
Montana State LB Troy Andersen Continues to Make a Name for Himself
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Every year, there are young players from smaller programs who take full advantage of draft season to improve their draft stock.
Not many have a story like Montana State linebacker Troy Andersen.
Andersen started games for the Bobcats as a running back. And a quarterback. And a linebacker. In 2018, he was an All-Big Sky quarterback and set school records for both rushing touchdowns and yards per carry. In 2021, he tallied 150 tackles at linebacker and was the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. That season got the 6'3½" 243-pounder an invite to the Senior Bowl, where he made a major impression on Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy.
"I think Troy's going to end up going probably in the back end of day two," Nagy said, via 406mtsports.com. "I don't see him getting to day three after his performance down here. All the speed data is really going to help him. You saw a fast guy on tape, you saw a guy that can close, but now having that data, which is more important than a 40-yard dash in shorts and a T-shirt. The fact that this guy can carry his pads and play at that speed is really going to help him."
That speed was absolutely om display in Indianapolis. Andersen roared down the track on his first 40 attempt in 4.41 seconds—the best time of all the linebackers.
Lack of experience at his position and the level of competition he faced are legitimate concerns with Andersen. But given the combination of size, speed and athleticism he showed off at Lucas Oil Stadium, Nagy may well be spot-on about Anderson's status as a Day 2 pick.
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