Auburn EDGE Derick Hall was Dane Brugler’s No. 46 overall prospect entering the combine (No. 9 EDGE).
Hall was one of four SEC players to notch at least 6.0 sacks each of the last two seasons.
Deputy Managing Editor, College Football
The NFL Scouting Combine remains an essential step of the NFL Draft process, for both teams and prospects. Though player medical evaluations make up the most important piece of combine week, the interview process is a close second, with on-field testing a distant third. The formal and informal interviews give prospects face-to-face opportunities with NFL head coaches and general managers.
For this year’s combine, there were 319 players invited, each of whom will spend six days in Indianapolis. This year’s schedule for measurements and on-field workouts (each group’s bench press will take place the following day):
The tape is — and will always be — the most important part of a player’s evaluation, but the combine helps fill in the gaps. On the offensive side of the ball, here is a position-by-position summary of prospects who should stand out as they audition for NFL teams.
(Photo: USA Today)
Staff Writer, NFL Draft
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Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack stood with his hand on a rail in the hallway of the downtown Indianapolis Westin and let out a chuckle.
The question was about being wedded to the idea of Jonah Williams as the starting left tackle or his potential move to the other side. The question held merit.
But what’s been a two-year process of evaluating, replacing and fixing the offensive line, what’s been the club’s largest liability never seems to come with clarity in February.
“I laugh because I’ve been in this league long enough to say we are not wedded to anything,” Pollack said. “Tomorrow, everything could change and who knows where everyone is going to be? That’s just the nature of the league. Everyone understands that.”
Senior Writer, Bengals
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Jack Campbell had the second-best broad jump (10 feet, 9 inches) and tied for second-best vertical jump (37.5 inches) among LBs here at the NFL Combine.
Staff Writer, Iowa
Nolan Smith’s performance today had him score in the 99th percentile in the 40-yard dash, 99th percentile in the vertical jump, and 96th percentile in the broad jump among edge rushers since 2000.
Staff Writer, NFL
The official preparation for the Falcons’ third season under general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith begins this week at the NFL combine, which makes it the perfect time to start thinking about what a successful 2023 might look like.
We put that question to Fontenot and Falcons owner Arthur Blank in exclusive interviews in the last two weeks, and both preached patience.
“Terry and Arthur have a plan, which they articulated to me when they were hired. They are working their plan and are on pace with their plan,” Blank told The Athletic. “Now, if we went two more years at 7-10, I would say that really wasn’t the plan. These first two years, this was very much the plan. Win as many games as we can, but we have to change out the roster.”
Staff Writer, Falcons
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Falcons may be ‘on pace with their plan,’ but say more patience is needed
Some background on one of today’s head-turners at the combine:
Deputy Managing Editor, College Football
I’m told Ohio State EDGE Zach Harrison suffered a minor hamstring strain and unfortunately isn’t working out today.
He plans to go through the full testing at OSU’s pro day
Staff Writer, NFL Draft
Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith outran some notable NFL wide receivers in the 40-yard dash.
The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine is easing its way into full swing. Behind the scenes on Tuesday, prospects began all-important team interviews and medical exams. On Thursday, measurements and on-field workouts will open with the defensive line and linebacker groups.
Earlier this week, The Athletic draft guru Dane Brugler laid out what’s at stake for some of the key players on offense and defense. What will the other members of our draft team be watching over the coming days in Indianapolis? We asked Nick Baumgardner, Diante Lee and Nate Tice what’s on their minds.
(Photo: USA Today)
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NFL combine 2023 roundtable: What our experts are tracking in Indianapolis
Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith runs an unofficial 4.44 40-yard dash which ranks in the 99th percentile among EDGE prospects since 2000.
Before suffering a season-ending injury Oct. 29, 38.8% of Smith’s tackles went for a loss in 2022.
Staff Writer, NFL
Northwestern DT Adetomiwa Adebawore ran an unofficial 4.54 40-yard dash, which would be the fastest by a defensive tackle since 2000. Adebawore also had vertical and broad jumps that ranked in the 99th percentile among the position.
Staff Writer, NFL
Northwestern DT Adetomiwa Adebawore entered the combine No. 96 overall among Dane Brugler’s top 100 prospects (No. 10 DT).
Based on your vantage point, the NFL Scouting Combine serves different purposes.
For a member of a coaching or personnel staff, the week provides official height and weight measurements for prospects, as well as complete physical assessments and a venue for conducting intensive (and important) face-to-face interviews. For players, this is one of the first opportunities to showcase themselves without wearing their college colors. There’s no sports information director in Indianapolis to redirect or bat away the press during media sessions, so what you hear from the prospects is usually a reflection of training and preparation (or lack thereof) by their inner circle.
And for fans, the part of the process they’re able to consume comes in the measurements and on-field drills. Those workouts — should a player choose to participate — still serve as an important data point in understanding the kind of athlete each prospect is and can be.
But what’s most important? What does it all mean in a prospect’s evaluation? As defensive linemen and linebackers kick off drills Thursday, The Athletic is here to help you understand what you’re seeing on the defensive side of the ball, with a quick guide for judging how those prospects perform.
Staff Writer, NFL
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NFL combine player defensive drills: How to scout and understand the workouts
The Cowboys have no interest in finding a new quarterback. Dak Prescott has two years left on the four-year, $160 million contract that he signed in March of 2021, and Dallas would like to add more onto the 29-year-old’s deal.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said this week at the annual NFL Scouting Combine that they have a plan to handle Prescott’s contract, but as of Tuesday they had not spoken with Prescott’s agent while in Indianapolis.
“My bet is there’s not gonna be a lot said about it,” Jones said. “We’ll wake up one day and it’ll be done.”
(Photo: USA Today)
Staff Writer, Cowboys
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Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith’s vertical jump of 41.5 inches is in the 99th percentile for an EDGE rusher at the combine since 2000.
Staff Writer, NFL
A look at the early 40-yard dash leaderboard for the first group of defensive tackles today.
