2011 NFL Draft: 15 Most Impressive Combine Performances Ever

The 2011 NFL Scouting Combine is just over two weeks away, as this year's event takes place from Feb. 23-March 1 in Indianapolis.

It's a chance for college football's best players to prove to scouts, coaches and teams that they can play at the next level.

But for some, it's straight-up just an event to showoff.

Like paintings at a museum, some guys simply love to be the center of attention.

So who are the Mona Lisas of the NFL Combine?

Well, check out the 15 most impressive performances in the event's history.

15. Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida State (2006)

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JANUARY 3: Brodrick Bunkley #52 of the Florida State Seminoles stands on the field during the Fed Ex Orange Bowl with the Penn State Nittany Lions at Dolphins Stadium on January 3, 2005 in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Lions won 26-23 i

Listed at 6'2", 306 pounds coming out of Florida State, Brodrick Bunkley proved that a little extra "lovehandles" might not always be such a bad thing.

The defensive tackle ran a decent 5.01 40-yard dash time, but he really caught the eye of scouts when he recorded a 33" vertical jump.

Bunkley then topped off his Combine performance with 44 bench press reps at 225 pounds, the fourth most in NFL history.

So he's got agility and strength? That's exactly what you look for in a defensive tackle.

14. Gary Guyton, LB, Georgia Tech (2008)

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FOXBORO, MA - NOVEMBER 13: Gary Guyton #59 of the New England Patriots reacts against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on November 13, 2008 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

In 2008, Georgia Tech's Gary Guyton was the stud of the linebacker class.

The 6'3", 245-pounder performed better than any other linebacker in three categories: the broad jump (10'6"), the vertical jump (36.5") and the 40-yard dash (4.47 seconds).

Guyton still wound up going undrafted, but hey, at least he's in the NFL now.

13. Santana Moss, WR, Miami (2001)

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2 Jan 2001: Wide receiver Santana Moss #6 of the Miami Hurricanes runs against the Florida Gators during the second quarter of the Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, Lousiana. < DIGITAL IMAGE> Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/ALLSPORT

Santana Moss only performed in two drills at the 2001 NFL Combine, but that's all he needed.

The 5'10", 181-pounder out of Miami beasted the vertical jump with a leap of 42 inches.

He then ran the 40-yard dash in a "blink and you'll miss it" 4.31 seconds.

For some reason, I really wanna see Moss in a dunk competition with Nate Robinson.

12. Adam Archuleta, S, Arizona State (2001)

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SEATTLE - OCTOBER 10: Saftey Adam Archuleta #31 of the St. Louis Rams runs during the game with the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on October 10, 2004 in Seattle, Washington. The Rams defeated the Seahawks 33-27 in overtime. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Get

Before Adam Archuleta was selected with the 20th overall pick by the St. Louis Rams, he was destroying the NFL Combine.

The 6'0'', 210-pound safety threw up a nasty 31 bench reps of 225 pounds, ran a 4.42 40-yard dash and did his best Vince Carter impression by recording a vertical jump of 39 inches.

The Rams jumped all over Archuleta, who was officially the first freak of nature at the safety position. 

11. Matt Jones, WR/QB, Arkansas (2004)

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

JACKSONVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 28: Matt Jones #18 of the Jacksonville Jaguars celebrates his touchdown during the game against the Houston Texans at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on September 28, 2008 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Get

Because of Matt Jones, you are no longer allowed to make fun of quarterbacks at the NFL Combine. 

In 2004, the former Arkansas QB—who was in the process of switching to wide receiver—jumped 39.5 inches in the vertical leap and ran a shockingly fast 4.37 40-yard dash.

Those are stellar numbers for a wide receiver.

But for a quarterback? Filthy.

10. Gerald Sensabaugh, S, North Carolina (2005)

Larry French/Getty Images

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 27: Gerald Sensabaugh #43 of the Dallas Cowboys defends against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on December 27, 2009 in Landover, Maryland. The Cowboys defeated the Redskins 17-0. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

At the 2005 NFL Combine, North Carolina safety Gerald Sensabaugh made Tar Heel fans wonder why he never laced up his sneakers and stepped on the basketball court.

In addition to an 11'1" broad jump, Sensabaugh ran a 4.4 40 and capped off his performance with a Combine-record 46-inch vertical jump.

For comparison, the average NBA vertical is believed to be somewhere in the high 20s.

Wow. Not bad, Gerald.

9. Justin Ernest, DT, Eastern Kentucky (1999)

Yeah, Justin Ernest only played one NFL season because he wasn't a very good football player.

So what? The dude was an absolute animal in the weight room.

In 1999, he set the Combine bench press record with 51 reps at 225 pounds.

You read that right: 51 reps!

That's insane.

8. Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina (2008)

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INDIANAPOLIS - JANUARY 02: Chris Johnson #28 of the Tennessee Titans runs for a touchdown during NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

At East Carolina, Chris Johnson never really played in front of a national TV audience, so he made the most of the NFL Combine.

The 5'11", 195-pounder posted a 10'10" broad jump, a 35" vertical jump and a blazing 4.24 40-yard dash.

Johnson, once a relatively unknown back, used his performance to crack his way into the top 25 picks of the 2008 draft.

In his second NFL season in 2009, he became just the sixth running back in history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

7. Mario Williams, DE, NC State (2006)

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HOUSTON - NOVEMBER 23: Defensive end Mario WIlliams #90 of the Houston Texans prior to a game against the Tennessee Titans at Reliant Stadium on November 23, 2009 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Measuring in at 6'6", 290 pounds, Mario Williams put up numbers I didn't think were humanly possible.

The NC State defensive end registered 35 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press, a 4.66 40-yard dash and an NBA Jam-esque 40.5-inch vertical leap.

No wonder why they call him "Super Mario."

6. Scott Fujita, LB, California (2002)

Elsa/Getty Images

KANSAS CITY, MO-OCTOBER 20: Linebacker Scott Fujita #51 of the Kansas City Chiefs attempts to tackle Running back Clinton Portis #26 of the Denver Broncos as he rushes for yards against the Chieft during the NFL game on October 20, 2002 at Arrowhead Stad

At 6'5'', 250 pounds, you'd probably expect Scott Fujita to run in that 4.6 range in the 40-yard dash.

But you'd be wrong. Fujita ran a blazing 4.43 40 at the 2002 Combine.

He followed that up with a ridiculously impressive 42" vertical leap.

Only 10 players in Combine history have topped that mark. 

5. Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech (2007)

Scott Boehm/Getty Images

DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 9: Wide receiver Calvin Johnson #82 of the Detroit Lions runs a pass pattern against the Cincinnati Bengals at Ford Field on August 9, 2007 in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions defeated the Bengals 27-26. (Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Image

How would you like to be a 6'5", 240-pound wide receiver who jumps 11'7" in the broad jump?

How would you like to be a 6'5", 240-pound wide receiver who has a 42" vertical leap?

Better yet, how would you like to be a 6'5", 240-pound wide receiver who runs a 4.35 40-yard dash...in someone else's shoes?

If you're Calvin Johnson, you can do all three.

4. Dwight Freeney, DE, Syracuse (2002)

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OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 26: Dwight Freeney #93 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates after a sack against the Oakland Raiders during an NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 26, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty

Standing just 6'1" and weighing 268 pounds, Dwight Freeney is one of the smaller defensive ends you'll find in the NFL.

But his NFL Combine performance was not just big; it was huge.

Freeney had a 37" vertical leap, an impressive 28 bench press repetitions and a blistering 4.48 40 time.

He was selected 11th overall by the Indianapolis Colts, and I'm not quite sure, but I believe he's done pretty well for himself.

3. Bo Jackson, RB, Auburn (1986)

Mike Powell/Getty Images

1991: LOS ANGELES RAIDERS RUNNING BACK BO JACKSON CARRIES THE FOOTBALL DURING THE RAIDERS VERSUS KANSAS CITY CHIEFS GAME AT THE MEMORIAL COLISEUM IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. MANDATORY CREDIT: MIKE POWELL/ALLSPORT

Bo Jackson isn't officially recognized as the fastest player in NFL Combine history—Chris Johnson is—but he's been credited with the fastest actual 40-yard dash ever.

And the time will baffle you: 4.12 seconds.

Don't believe me? Check out this story.

The technology was a little tricky (maybe faulty?) back then, but it doesn't matter what else Jackson did at the Combine.

A 4.12-second 40-yard dash is enough for him to be on this list.

2. Kevin Kasper, WR, Iowa (2001)

Josh Merwin/Getty Images

DENVER - OCTOBER 13: Kevin Kasper #82 of the Denver Broncos prepares to take on the Miami Dophins on October 13, 2002 at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. The Dolphins defeated the Broncos 24-22. (Photo by Josh Merwin/Getty Images)

Kevin Kasper was actually a walk-on at Iowa, but he eventually made his way to the NFL.

Why? Because of his Combine performance, of course.

The 6'1", 197-pound receiver ran a 4.43 40 and has the seventh-best vertical jump in combine history at 43.5 inches, the eighth-fastest three-cone drill time at 6.56 seconds, and the fastest 20-yard shuttle time at 3.73 seconds.

Those drills might not get the publicity some of the other ones do, but the fact remains that Kasper officially owned each one of them.

1. Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland (2006)

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SAN FRANCISCO - DECEMBER 12: Vernon Davis #85 of the San Francisco 49ers runs for a tochdown after a catch against the Seattle Seahawks during an NFL game at Candlestick Park on December 12, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/G

Plain and simple, Vernon Davis is a monster.

The 255-pound tight end out of Maryland's numbers read like this: 10'8" broad jump, 42" vertical jump, 33 bench reps of 225 pounds and 4.38 40-yard dash.

It was like watching the Incredible Hulk combined with the Road Runner and a kangaroo out there.

Davis' incredible performance elevated him all the way to the No. 6 overall pick.