QBs among key questions for NFL Combine

QBs among key questions for NFL Combine

The NFL's annual Scouting Combine features roughly 325 collegiates, including 45 underclassmen, all of whom are going through drills testing straight-line speed, raw strength, change of direction skills, intelligence, and physical fitness.
As is often the case this time of year, the debate at the top of the draft is whether a quarterback with "red flags" is worth the No. 1 choice. Matt Ryan's 19 senior-year interceptions at Boston College naturally led to questions about his decision making. Arguments against Georgia's Matthew Stafford include his 56.9 career completion rate and the staggering history of underclassman quarterback busts.
Stafford is expected to bypass the Combine in favor of working out at the Bulldogs' March Pro Day. Ryan took the same approach last year and still went No. 3 to the Falcons. However, Ryan was projected to go first in numerous pre-draft projections and Brady Quinn tumbled to No. 22 overall after sitting out the Senior Bowl and most of the 2007 Combine. All three quarterbacks are represented by agent Tom Condon. Only time will tell if Stafford's absence results in a draft-day plunge.
Solidifying Second Place
After Stafford, three underclassmen fall in line as quarterback prospects two through four. USC's Mark Sanchez, Kansas State's Josh Freeman, and Ball State's Nate Davis all boast impressive arm strength and mobility. Perhaps the most striking physical QB specimen since JaMarcus Russell, the 6-6, 250-pound Freeman could make a run at Sanchez to be the second QB taken.
Anyone who's seen Freeman play knows he has a cannon, and Davis won the distance throw in January's ESPN college all-star event. Sanchez might be the finest on-the-run passing prospect since Carson Palmer. Accuracy is the most vital characteristic for a successful quarterback, but arm strength improves draft stock. Without bulky shoulder pads or knee braces, the Combine provides a level playing field to gauge pure throwing power. Some separation should be created between the next three quarterbacks.
How Big Is Harvin, Really?
Like arm length for a tackle and hand size for a quarterback, height is always a key measurable for a wideout. Percy Harvin will never be big, but he'll struggle to go in the top 20 picks if he measures 5-9. Florida is famous for exaggerating a player's size, and it's hard to imagine Harvin living up to his 5-11, 195 college listing. It does help Harvin that weigh-ins are on the first day. He'll burn up the track later in the week and leave a strong impression.
A Weightier Issue
Some news broke last week regarding a pair of college defensive ends teams are looking at as 3-4 outside linebackers. Everette Brown of Florida State and Penn State's Aaron Maybin are both underclassmen with size question marks.
Maybin, who graduated from high school weighing 220 and was listed at 6-4, 236 by the Nittany Lions, plans to report at 6-4, 250 on February 18. The 20-year-old third-year sophomore will be put through cover drills at the Combine. On top of his Big Ten-best 12 sacks, Maybin flashed the ability to drop into a zone from a three-point stance last season. But will the added weight affect his agility? Whereas a good showing could secure Maybin a place in the top nine, he could fall into the 20s if he struggles.
A 21-year-old fourth-year junior, Brown was possibly the nation's most explosive defender in 2008. Using a Dwight Freeney-esque spin move and scintillating up-field speed, Brown was unblockable by single teams at Florida State. He led the ACC in sacks (13.5) and tackles for a loss (21.5). But it was revealed that Brown played his final college game at 225 pounds after being listed as 6-4, 252 by the Seminoles. Brown could be bumped down draft boards by teams that employ four-man fronts if he reports to the Combine under 240.
Differing Opinions on Iowa's Greene
Early entrant tailback Shonn Greene started only one season at Iowa, but showed starting-caliber NFL ability with 1,850 yards on 307 carries (6.0 average) and 20 touchdowns as a junior. The 2008 Doak Walker Award winner is considered the best blocking back available, may be the draft's finest pure power runner, and possesses Marshawn Lynch-like tackle-breaking ability. But opinions differ on the 5-11, 235-pounder, who at 23 is a shade older than the usual underclassman.
The media's most recognized draft analysts -- ESPN's Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, and NFL Network's Mike Mayock -- weighed in on Greene's draft stock in a conference call with beat reporters last week.
Kiper mentioned Greene's inexperience as a pass catcher and said he won't be surprised if Greene falls to the middle rounds. Mayock is concerned with Greene's off-field history. He was rumored to balloon to 300 pounds after being temporarily kicked out of school for bad grades in 2007. Running backs don't need Harvard degrees to explode through holes, but teams will surely check Greene's Wonderlic score at the Combine.
From a physical standpoint, straight-line speed is Greene's biggest question mark. A forty time in the low 4.5s could guarantee Greene a spot in round two. A 4.7, however, could put Greene on the Tony Hunt career path.
Much to Gain
Another prospect with speed concerns is North Carolina WR Hakeem Nicks. The 6-1, 215-pound split end plays like he's 6-4 and will stand out in the receivers' Gauntlet Drill as a pure hands catcher. Nicks never lets passes get into his body, snatching them out of the air with outstanding coordination. But he's rumored to run in the 4.6 range, and in a receiver-rich draft such a time would hurt. After Crabtree, Nicks is battling Jeremy Maclin, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Harvin to be the second receiver off the board. Nicks' competitors will likely all run sub-4.4s.
Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins is the draft's consensus top cornerback, but some feel he's better suited for safety in the pros. Jenkins is a vicious, aggressive tackler, possesses safety size at 6-1, 201, and has trouble with smaller speed receivers in coverage. If he runs a 4.4 flat at the Combine, however, teams will feel comfortable keeping Jenkins outside. Cornerback is the more valued position and Jenkins could solidify a place in the top eight picks.
Like his older brother Vernon, consensus No. 2 corner Vontae Davis of Illinois is a physical freak at 6-0, 204 and will likely run faster than Jenkins. Davis even has a fighter's chance to emerge as the first CB drafted if he performs well in position drills and his forty is significantly better.
Under the Radar
Off-field problems and fumbling affected Texas A&M RB Mike Goodson's playing time early in his college career, and dominant short-yardage specialist Jorvorskie Lane vultured many of his potential touchdowns.
As a junior in 2008, Goodson was given the full-time tailback reigns with Lane converting to fullback, but the Aggies were terrible under new coach Mike Sherman and Goodson generated only 406 rushing yards. Still, the early entrant offers plus size (6-0, 220), receiving ability, and straight-away speed. Despite little fanfare as an Aggie, Goodson is a candidate to shoot up draft boards with a dominant Combine.
Southern Mississippi "move" tight end Shawn Nelson was the surprise star of January's Senior Bowl, exhibiting willingness as a blocker, soft hands, and an impressive 6-5 frame. This draft lacks a clear-cut No. 2 tight end after Oklahoma State's Brandon Pettigrew, but Nelson is the early frontrunner. Jared Cook of South Carolina, who Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier once compared to Calvin Johnson, converted QB and onetime Florida basketball player Cornelius Ingram, and versatile Rice H-back James Casey are other tight ends to watch.
Brian Orakpo of Texas is considered the draft's top defensive end, but many teams view the Nagurski Award winner as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Northern Illinois' Larry English, Georgia Tech's Michael Johnson, and the aforementioned Brown and Maybin fall into a similar category. There is no consensus top base 4-3 end.
That's where Utah redshirt sophomore Paul Kruger could come in. Listed at 6-5, 265, Kruger was unstoppable in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama and already wears a borderline first-round grade. Kruger, who went on a two-year Mormon mission before his breakout 2008 campaign, could move into the top-20 range with a big week.