This section highlights which players have improved or worsened their 2013 NFL Draft stock as the draft approaches.
By Charlie Campbell.
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2013 NFL Draft Stock Up
Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma Oklahoma offensive tackle Lane Johnson’s steady rise took another dramatic leap forward with a tremendous showing at the Combine. He was one of the stars at the Senior Bowl and displayed his phenomenal athletic skill set in Indianapolis at the Combine.
Johnson was the second-fastest offensive linemen. Even though Terron Armstead beat him in the 40, Johnson had the best overall showing as he was phenomenal in the field work. Johnson ran the 40 in 4.72 seconds officially and 4.75 unofficially. His 10-yard split was the fastest of any of the offensive linemen at 1.61 seconds. That is a tremendous time for an offensive lineman.
Clearly, Johnson (6-6, 303) is a superb athlete. He showed off great feet in the field work and jumped 34 inches in the vertical leap – a number like a wide receiver. The fast and agile Johnson showed that he has elite athleticism. Following his great senior year, Senior Bowl and Combine, Johnson now has a shot of going in the top 10 of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida Sharrif Floyd illustrated why he is rated at the top of the 2013 NFL Draft. He had a great workout at the Combine. Floyd ran the 40 in a stunning 4.87 seconds unofficially with a 10-yard split of 1.68 seconds. He was phenomenal with quick feet and good movement skills in the field drills, too. It was obvious that the 6-foot-3, 297-pounder has amazing athleticism for an interior defensive lineman.
Floyd recorded 46 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, one forced fumble and three sacks in 2012. He made a real impact against Texas A&M and Tennessee when Florida’s defense played great in the second half to lead to comeback road wins. Floyd also played well against LSU. He ended the season with dominant performances in his final two games against Florida State and Louisville.
Floyd has a ton of upside and is the top three-technique defensive tackle in the draft class. With his tremendous Combine performance to confirm his massive potential, he looks like a top-10 pick.
Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas Arkansas’ Knile Davis had the best Combine performance among the running backs. He truly was a workout warrior. The 5-foot-10, 227-pounder blazed a jaw-dropping 4.37 time in the 40-yard dash. Davis also led all running backs with 31 reps on the bench press. He did a better-than-expected job of catching passes in the field drills.
Davis was one of the best backs in the SEC back in 2010. He injured his ankle in August of 2011 and missed the season. It wasn’t Davis’ first ankle injury as he broke the same ankle during his senior season of high school. Davis was rusty in his return this season and didn’t have the same power or explosiveness. He averaged 3.4 yards per carry on his way to just 377 total yards and two touchdowns. Davis also had 11 receptions for 157 yards and one touchdown. He lost three fumbles against Texas A&M.
Davis showed a great combination of size and speed at the Combine, and his performance should really help him to get more consideration from teams.
Dion Jordan, OLB, Oregon Oregon outside linebacker Dion Jordan is dripping with athleticism. He put on a clinic at the Combine with a blazing unofficial 40 time of 4.53 seconds (4.60 officially) and a 10-yard split of 1.57 seconds. While that time is excellent, Jordan was even better in the field work. He was extremely fluid with super-fast feet as he flew through the bags. Jordan looked awesome dropping into coverage as a linebacker. He did that well in college, so it wasn’t a surprise that he looked like a natural in these drills.
Jordan recorder 44 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and five sacks in 2012. His pass-rush opportunities were hurt because he often dropped back into pass coverage.
Jordan (6-6, 248) needs to gain weight, but he’ll be able to do that once he gets over his shoulder injury. Jordan is an obvious, perfect fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker, and his Combine performance should result in a firm high-first round grade.
Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington On the heels of a great Senior Bowl, Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant made himself some money with an electric time in the 40-yard dash. He turned in the third-fastest time of any defensive back at 4.38 seconds. The 6-foot, 190-pound corner has man-coverage skills and is gritty, confident and physical. Trufant had solid numbers on the bench press (16 reps), vertical leap (37.5 inches) and broad jump (125 inches). His tremendous Combine performance should solidify him with a first-round grade and could prompt a team to take him in the top 16.
Trufant was an excellent man-cover corner playing on an island in 2012. The senior recorded 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, one interception, five passes broken up and a sack. Man corners are in serious demand, so it seems increasingly possible that he could land in the first half of Round 1.
Every year there seems to be a cornerback prospect who steadily climbs up draft boards in the final months before the NFL draft. South Carolina’s Stephon Gilmore took that role in the 2012 NFL Draft; he rose all the way to the 10th pick. This year it looks like it is happening again courtesy of Trufant.
Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State Another cornerback who made some money at the Combine was Florida State’s Xavier Rhodes. There some concerns about the 6-foot-2, 210-pound corner’s speed and the ability to turn and run with wide receivers. The speed questions were laid to rest when he rand the 40 in 4.43 seconds with a sparkling 10-yard split of 1.47 seconds. That was tied for the second fastest time for a corner in the first 10 yards. Rhodes also showed some explosion as he had the best vertical leap (40.5) among the defensive backs and tied for the best broad jump (132) among the cornerbacks.
Rhodes totaled 39 tackles, seven passes broken up and three interceptions in 2-12, but teams mostly avoided the junior. Given the success of the Seahawks’ big corners, there will be plenty of teams looking to copycat the Seattle defense. Rhodes could benefit and go on Thursday night.
Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M Texas A&M’s Ryan Swope stood out and surprised at the Combine. The 6-foot, 205-pounder ran the 40-yard dash with an official time of 4.34 seconds. That tied Tavon Austin for the second-fastest time, behind Marqise Goodwin. Swope ran good routes in the field work and displayed that quickness and speed. He had a couple of dropped passes, but he can rectify that in the NFL. It was a superb Combine that helped Swope to stand out.
Swope needed a good performance at the Combine. He struggled at the Senior Bowl before leaving early with an injury. Swope got off to a slow start in 2012 before turning it on in the second half of the season. The senior totaled 72 receptions for 913 yards and eight touchdowns. Swope was the No. 1 receiver for Ryan Tannehill in 2011, and produced a superb season. Swope caught 89 passes for 1,207 yards and 11 touchdowns. There is talk that he could be a second-round pick.
Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas Pine-Bluff Arkansas Pine-Bluff offensive tackle Terron Armstead won the title of the Combine star of offensive linemen. He blazed a 40-yard dash of 4.71 seconds officially and 4.65 seconds unofficially. Armstead’s unofficial 10-yard split came in 1.64 seconds. It was the fastest 40 time of an offensive lineman.
The 6-foot-5, 306-pounder had a good showing at the East-West Shrine and has a lot of athletic upside. He used the Combine to make the case to be a mid-round pick.
2013 NFL Draft Stock Down
Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State Honestly, Banks hasn’t looked the same since he injured his knee against Middle Tennessee State partway through the 2012 season. Banks was slowed down while playing injured in the second half of the season. He amassed 63 tackles, four interceptions and seven passes broken up in 2012, while averaging 9.8 yards per punt return. That knee kept Banks out of the Senior Bowl, and he had a rough Combine performance.
There were speed concerns that Banks justified with an ugly official time of 4.61 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He had a slower 10-yard split of 1.59 seconds. Banks did poorly on the bench press with 10 reps and did not stand out in the field drills. The Combine performance could cause some teams to drop Banks and view him as only a zone corner in the NFL. Some now feel that he will fall to the second round.
Damontre Moore, WR, Texas A&M Moore had one of the most disappointing combines of any of the highly regarded prospects. He ran a slow 40 time at 4.87 seconds unofficially (4.95 officially) with 1.69 in the 10-yard split. The second 40 attempt didn’t go any better as Moore pulled up with a leg injury.
Worse than the 40, Moore (6-5, 250) had only 12 reps on the bench press; the lowest total of any defensive lineman. Moore had good numbers in the broad jump (122) and vertical jump (35.5). The strength is the biggest red flag and it could cause teams to reevaluate him. He has to improve at his pro day to stabilize his draft stock.
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