NFL Draft 2011: Why Blaine Gabbert Will Benefit from the NFL Scouting Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine is less than a week away and Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert is one player that will benefit from the drills and rigorous scrutiny of NFL scouts and executives.

During the scouting combine, players will participate in a multitude of drills that will test their strength, athleticism and agility. Blaine Gabbert is one prospect who could solidify his spot in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft with a strong performance. I will run down some of the drills that the Missouri quarterback will participate in and explain why Gabbert could especially benefit from the scouting combine.

40-yard dash

Gabbert has deceptively quick speed and excelled in scrambling situations during his time at Missouri. Blaine was clocked as running a 4.65 40-yard dash coming out of high school, according to rivals.com, and amassed eight rushing touchdowns during his past two seasons at Missouri. The 40-yard dash at the combine could be an area where Blaine distinguishes himself from some of the other quarterbacks in his class.

Throwing

It’s uncertain whether Gabbert will throw at the combine, but his arm strength is one aspect of his skill set that NFL scouts are enamored by. Part of the Missouri quarterback’s rapid ascension up draft boards is due to his ability to throw the deep ball and also put a feathery touch on his shorter routes.

Not everyone chooses to throw at the combine, and just last year Tim Tebow caused uproar when he decided not to throw at the scouting combine. It’s in Blaine’s best interest though to show off his arm strength and accuracy, but his participation in the drill hasn’t been confirmed.

Interview

Blaine has not been arrested or ticketed for any crimes and this clean record will be to his benefit in his interviews with NFL executives. Executives will most likely want to talk to Gabbert about the offensive system he played in at Missouri where five wide receiver sets out of the shotgun were the norm. Questions will most likely be posed about Gabbert’s ability to make the transition to more of a pro style NFL offense and the onus will be on Blaine to minimize any fears that NFL execs might have.

Bench Press

This another area where Gabbert’s strong build should work to his advantage at the scouting combine. In this exercise the player is asked to bench press 225 lbs as many times as he can. According to Rivals.com, Gabbert did 10 reps on the bench going into Missouri and his time in the Mizzou weight room should help inflate that number for the combine. The bench press is a test of strength in its purest form and the number of reps is no doubt an aspect of the workout that will be heavily scrutinized.

Vertical Jump 

In this drill players stand flat footed and try to swat as many flags as possible that are sticking out from a cone. This drill is used to either showcase a prospect’s athleticism or reveal his lake of explosiveness. Obviously the NFL places a high value on explosive athletes and looks closely at what type of athleticism a prospect possesses.

Rivals.com clocked Gabbert's vertical leap at 31 inches, which is 7.5 inches less than the impressive 38.5-inch vertical leap that Tim Tebow put up at the combine in 2010. This will be a crucial area for Gabbert as he will be competing with fellow first-round quarterback prospect Cam Newton.

The combine sets up nicely for Blaine Gabbert and many of the drills that he will be participating in should highlight his assets. A good showing would put to rest any talk that he will not be one of the first quarterbacks taken in April’s NFL Draft, and it will be up to Gabbert to take advantage of this opportunity.