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Much is made about the NFL combine’s workouts, and whether fans realize or not, dismissing prospects because of a sub-par 40 or a few dropped passes in the gauntlet is not what will push prospects down the farthest.
With the NFL having arguably the most strict punishment policy of any major sport in the US, teams want to make sure that the players they consider drafting will be on the field more than they’ll be suspended.
NFL teams also use the interview process to determine if a guy has the football IQ to understand defensive philosophy and can breakdown plays at the chalkboard.
So, whether these prospects run blazing 40s or excel at their positional workouts, NFL teams will likely be more concerned with how these prospects handle the interview process.
Trevard Lindley
Once viewed as the presumed 1st round lock and the top senior cornerback prospect, Lindley struggled mightily his senior season after an outstanding junior campaign.
Lindley has the size and speed of an NFL cornerback, and should excel at the workouts at the combine. However, his decision making as a cornerback was iffy and teams may wonder about his toughness against the run and his ability to play deep receivers.
Bringing him to the chalkboard to talk coverages could be the best or worst thing for Lindley. Teams are looking to see his zone and man defense concepts, and if they feel he has the understanding and struggled for a different reason this season, he could rise to the 2nd round again.
Jarrett Brown
When fans here a quarterback who can “make all the throws” and has “raw potential”, they’re describing Jarrett Brown.
Brown has a rocket arm and a good enough release to deliver strikes all across the field, and when he’s in rhythm, can locate receivers and place the ball right on target for big plays.
However, he took off and ran too many times in some games and needs to show that his offense at West Virginia wasn’t a total one-option passing offense and he can breakdown coverages.
If he can show that he’s able to dissect defenses, he can skyrocket up boards if a team feels they have the offensive coaching to turn this great athletic quarterback into an NFL signal caller.
John Skelton
Evaluators, like myself, are excited to see if Skelton can enjoy a Joe Flacco type rise this draft. Though it’s very unlikely that he’ll shoot up into the 1st round, both players have very similar makups.
Skelton has the size and arm strength to be, at the very worst, a long term project at quarterback. However, playing at Fordham, scouts need to know first if he has the drive and football IQ to become that type of NFL quarterback.
He should excel in workouts with his arm strength, and he has enough accuracy to get drafted no question, but if he can interview well, he can leap up draft boards with a Clausen, Bradford, LeFevour, McCoy, and Tebow all not throwing.
Taylor Mays
I was puzzled throughout Mays’s career because he is an athletic freak and can play sideline to sideline, yet finished his career with four interceptions only.
At the Senior Bowl, many scouts were frustrated with Mays because you could see his eyes and instincts read the play, and it looked as though he would jump the route and take it to the house in practice, yet never made that game changing play.
Whatever the reason, scouts will be anxious to bring him to the chalkboard and see if he has the defensive play understanding to be a factor in coverage. If he excels in the interviews, he’ll fly up boards because he can handle the workout portion no problem. However, if he falters when talking to coaches, teams could be worried about having another Roy Williams, and he’ll likely slip out of the 1st round.
Dez Bryant
Whether or not NFL teams are concerned about the Deion Sanders situation is still up in the air, but either way scouts will bring it up and are likely anxious to see how he handles that situation.
However, I also think teams will try and figure out whether Bryant will be a “Chad Ochocinco” diva in the pros as well. It was obvious, even on film, that Bryant was the big man on campus and anytime a receiver is the star player, ego could set it.
I’m not saying that he is a diva or would be a headache at the next level, but teams will definitely be on the lookout on limiting guys who would be a locker room issue and an off-the-field concern as well.
LeGarrette Blount
I think everyone knows the reasons LeGarrette Blount makes this list.
After performing his best Mike Tyson impression after the 1st game of the year and proceeding to act like a “patient” on Shutter Island, Blount was suspended from the team and left a lot of teams frustrated that they had to remove him from their board.
However, he has reported expressed sincere sorrow for what he did, and is rumored to be a “changed” man. Whether he has found God or is doing hours of charity work a day, NFL teams know that it may be a matter of when, not if, the lion gets released from his cage.
Blount has a powerful running style and reminds me of a more polished and quicker Brandon Jacobs. However, regardless of whether teams feel he’d be a starter in the pros, they’d rather pass on a starter than be stuck with a thug. Interviews will be a huge part to tell whether Blount is on the right track and is still a mid-round pick.
Mike Williams
It was very frustrating following Mike Williams this season. After being booted from the team for academic reasons as a junior, he was determined to make it back on the Syracuse sideline and worked his butt off to get there.
And, after a senior season that looked like he’d be a 1st round lock and his redemption campaign was in full force, he unexpectedly left the program. Rumor has it that he was about to be suspended again and obviously rather to leave than to face punishment again.
Teams will be cautious with Williams, as he has 1st round talent but may not be worth the risk of a 2nd or 3rd round guy who could be off the team at any moment. He needs to somehow show that he isn’t a concern for a team and could become the force and the elite talent he was at Syracuse.
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