NFL Combine 2011 Results: Jake Locker and 10 Players Who Could Slip from Round 1
The NFL Scouting Combine often has this sense of "make it or break it."
If a prospect performs well, he'll often jump up from underrated way up to overrated. But if a highly touted player doesn't measure up all that well, he'll often take a considerable fall down draft boards.
It's a double-edged sword if you will, as the combine seems to carry too much weight for a sport that can't be broken down based on drills that take less than five seconds.
But alas, it exists. And it will continue to cause prospects to rise to the top of the draft.
Or vice versa.
Here are 10 players whose combine performances could cause them to slip out of Round 1 of the 2011 NFL Draft.ย
10. Justin Houston, OLB/DE, Georgia
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Justin Houston entered this week's NFL combine as a late first-round prospect who would probably be drafted to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
But the former Georgia star showed up at 270 pounds, 13 pounds heavier than his college playing weight, and there are now some concerns over his position at the NFL level.
Is he a bit too heavy to play OLB? Would he benefit from making the switch to end in a 3-4 scheme?
Though Houston performed well in the bench press (second among LBs with 30 reps), questions remain about how his game will translate to the NFL.
He needs to keep his weight in check if he wants to stick out as a 3-4 OLB.ย
9. Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
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There is a bit of a logjam at offensive tackle in this year's draft class. Tyron Smith, Gabe Carimi, Anthony Castonzo and Nate Solder are all seen as good prospects, but none of them really separating themselves from the rest of the pack.
When NFL scouts first saw Solder for his meeting with the media on Thursday, though, everyone thought that the monstrous 6'8", 314-pounder would be the guy to do that.
They thought wrong.
Though Solder posted a solid 40-time, he shocked scoutsโand not in a good wayโwhen he managed just 21 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press, the fourth-fewest among all offensive linemen.
Anything less than 30 for Solder probably wouldn't suffice, and this isn't a good sign of his upper body strength, orย lack thereof.ย
8. Derek Sherrod, OT/G, Mississippi State
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Derek Sherrod entered the NFL combine as an offensive line prospect without a true position.
Is he a guard? Is he a tackle? No one really knew.
Well, Sherrod showed up at this week's event at a flabbergasting 321 pounds, about 16 pounds heavier than his playing weight at Mississippi State, and only added further fuel to speculation he'd be a guard rather than a tackle in the NFL.
It wasn't the good kind of weight, either. It was the cheeseburger and French fries type of weight.
Too bad that added bulk didn't help Sherrod in the weight room, though.
He managed just 23 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press and may have actually dropped himself to late in the second round.ย
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7. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
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Adrian Clayborn's listed as the No. 15 overall prospect according to ESPN, but that rating might be a little too generous given his NFL combine performance.
When other defensive ends like Ryan Kerrigan ran a 4.67 40-yard dash, Clayborn clocked in at an unimpressive 4.81 and 4.82 in his two 40s.
He also did not participate in the bench press, and has a condition called Erb's Palsy, which causes paralysis of the nerves in the upper arm.
But that 40 time, coupled with lackluster production (just four sacks) during his senior season and questionable character (plead guilty to assault in Feb. 2010), could be a big turnoff come draft day.
6. Allen Bailey, DE, Miami
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Once as high as the No. 20 overall prospect according to ESPN, Allen Bailey's stock has consistently plummeted over the last couple of months.
And it did the same this week.
Bailey was supposed to be one of those defensive linemen who wows the crowd at the NFL combine, but he ran a so-so 4.77 40-yard dash time, and lacked any type of fluidity in his hips during drills.
He never racked up great stats in college and was seen as a bit of a project, so his less-than-stellar combine showing will be a huge blow to what once was his first-round caliber draft stock. ย
5. Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland
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Though he showed good speed (4.43 seconds), former Maryland wide receiver Torrey Smith is causing some concern among scouts because ofโget thisโhis hand size.
Smith's hands measured in at just 8 5/8", which is apparently small.
Who knew?
And though Smith possesses some of the best playmaking ability in this year's wide receiver class, scouts are worrying that his tiny hands will lead to too many drops at the NFL level.
After all, he's been known to catch the ball with his body too often, and maybe now we finally know why.
4. Cameron Heyward, DE/DT, Ohio State
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One good way to drop out of the first round of the NFL draft? Be unable to participate at the NFL combine.
That's the fate that befell former Ohio State defensive end Cameron Heyward, who is still recovering from recent elbow surgery.
Rated as a fringe first-rounder at season's end, Heyward has been unable to take part in any drills this week, which might be the nail in the coffin for him.
He's often been viewed as a streaky player, one who will dominate for stretches and then completely disappear for quarters at a time, so the combine could have been an excellent way for him to really open up scouts' eyes.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and Heyward's now on the outside of the first round looking in.ย
3. Jake Locker, QB, Washington
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One of the more impressive physical specimens at quarterback in this year's draft class, Jake Locker unsurprisingly performed well in the speed and agility drills, posting the best broad jump, the top 20-yard shuttle time and the third-fastest 40-yard dash (4.59 seconds) among quarterbacks.
But scouts sorta expected these numbers out of Locker, so what they were really looking hard at was how he performed in the passing drills.
Here's how Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com evaluated his performance:
"He struggled early on with his accuracy on some of the simpler throwsโincluding the throws over the middle to receivers during the gauntlet drill and the curl routes early in his throwing session," Rang wrote.
"As the session continued, however, Locker got hot, nailing the deep ball and the post-cornerโgenerally considered the most difficult throw quarterbacks are asked to make here."
Essentially, Locker just added more mud to already muddy water with an up-and-down performance.
As the No. 3 QB on most draft boards, and 26th overall prospect according to ESPN, Locker is undoubtedly on that first-round fringe.ย
2. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
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The consensus No. 1 running back prior to the NFL combine, Mark Ingram had much more to lose than gain by participating in this week's event.
But he did participate, and the results were a little disturbing for some scouts.
Despite shedding 10 pounds from his playing weight at Alabama, Ingram clocked in at a below-average 4.62 in the 40-yard dash and failed to show that initial burst that scouts drool over.
He'll still likely be the top running back in the 2011 draft class, but the gap between him and the rest of the running backs certainly decreased after that combine performance.
And Ingramโwho, despite being the best back, was still considered a late first-round prospectโmight not hear his name called in the top 32 selections. ย
1. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
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Already a late first-round prospect at best, Ryan Mallett has been like a tale of two cities at the NFL combine.
Though he's shown the best accuracy and biggest arm in throwing drills, he also didn't deny using drugs at Arkansas, fired back at the media, and actually left the podium at one point.
In fact, Wes Bunting of the National Football Post even tweeted this little gem about Mallett:
"Don't trust Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett... end of story, guy rubs me the wrong way and he wouldn't be on my draft board. Period."
Looks like Mallett's got a case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde going on this week, huh?
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