2014 NFL Combine Results - Weigh-Ins and 40 Times:
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2014 NFL Combine Stock Report:
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2014 NFL Combine Field Drills Recap:
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2014 NFL Combine Bench Recap:
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2014 NFL Combine Weigh-In Recap:
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NFL Combine Rumors by Tony Pauline
This is the 2014 NFL Combine Field Drills Recap for the defensive backs. Follow me
@walterfootball for updates.
2014 NFL Combine: Field Drills Recap – Defensive Backs
By Charlie Campbell –
@draftcampbell
Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert dominated the Combine and secured his spot as the top-ranked corner. He led all of the defensive backs with a 4.37 official time in the 40-yard dash. Considering Gilbert (6-0, 202) is a big corner, that is a tremendous time. To top it off, he was excellent in the field drills. Gilbert was fluid in his backpedal and veering across the field. He also had loose hips to flip and turn. Gilbert made a great, leaping hands catch, too. The Combine performance showed that he is worthy of a top-10 pick and can be viewed as a potential No. 1 corner in the NFL.
Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard was surronded with speed concerns entering the Combine, and he did his part to erase them. In the 40-yard dash, Dennard had an official time at 4.51 seconds. The 5-foot-11, 191-pounder was faster than expected, however he was tight in the field drills. His hips weren’t fluid and his change of direction was awkward. Dennard showed that playing off-man coverage is a real weakness. He was a press-man corner in college, so he’s going to need development to be a complete player for the NFL. That is a big difference between Dennard and Gilbert, which leads to Gilbert being rated first at the position.
There were no differences found between the top two safeties. Alabama safety HaHa Clinton-Dix ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds officially, which is a good time for a safety. Clinton-Dix (6-1, 208) looked even better in the field work. He moved well in the field with smooth hips to turn and good feet. Clinton-Dix showed that he is a natural center fielder who covers a lot of ground. Teams that are looking for a safety to lock down the deep part of the field will probably rate Clinton-Dix as their top safety.
Louisville safety Calvin Pryor is the other contender to be the first safety selected. The 5-foot-11, 207-pounder matched Clinton-Dix in the 40 with a 4.58. Pryor wasn’t as smooth in the field drills, but he held his own. Pryor didn’t do anything to hurt his stock at the Combine.
Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller was playing like a first-round pick during the 2013 season before injuries limited him down the stretch. Sources told WalterFootball.com they liked Fuller as a second-round pick whose speed is the only thing keeping him out of Round 1. At the Combine, Fuller addressed those concerns with a 40 time of 4.49 seconds. Unofficially, it was a 4.40. Fuller was moving a little high in some of the drills, but he showed nice feet and length. Fuller had a strong Combine to show that he warrants consideration on Thursday night.
Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby had an ugly junior season, but he did well at the Combine to help himself. Roby (5-11, 194) ran the 40 in 4.40 seconds and looked good in the field work. There is no doubt that Roby has a good athletic skill set, but he needs to improve his cover skills for the NFL. Roby looks like this year’s David Amerson.
Florida cornerback Marcus Roberson was a potential late first-round pick entering the Combine, but he damaged his stock. After putting up only eight reps on the bench press, Roberson ran slowly in the 40 with a time of 4.61. The 6-foot, 191-pounder is a man-cover corner, but after an injury-plagued 2013 season, he should have returned for his senior year.
Roberson wasn’t the only Florida corner who hurt his stock at the Combine. Loucheiz Purifoy had the lowest total on the bench press with six reps and followed that up with a bad showing on the field. He was slow in the 40 at 4.61 and looked stiff in the field work. Purifoy made a mistake coming out as well, and he could have a draft day fall.
TCU cornerback Jason Verrett excelled at the Combine, but that wasn’t a surprise. He is a fast and athletic corner, so the Combine is well suited for him. Verrett had an official 40 of 4.38 seconds and looked fluid on the field. He is very agile and changes direction quickly. Verrett’s size (5-9, 189) is his biggest detriment, and some teams have told WalterFootball.com that they couldn’t take Verrett in the top two rounds because of that. However, some team will like Verrett, and his Combine performance will help him to convince that team to pull the trigger on him.
The NFL is a copycat league, and many teams will be looking to duplicate the style of defensive back used by the Seattle Seahawks. Utah cornerback Keith McGill (6-3, 211) will benefit from that trend. As a big corner with length, he showed nice athletic ability in the field work. McGill ran the 40 in 4.51 seconds and did well in the field drills for such a large corner. He has really helped himself between the Senior Bowl and Combine.
Rice cornerback Philip Gaines was another star of the Combine who used the opportunity to really help his draft stock. The 6-foot, 193-pounder blistered the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds. Gaines did well in the field drills, too. He definitely used the Combine to his advantage to command more attention from teams.
Another player who seized the opportunity of the Combine was Florida State safety Terrance Brooks. The 5-foot-11, 198-pounder ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds, which is very fast for a safety. Brooks did well in the field work and gave NFL teams evidence that he could be used as a free safety and nickel corner who matches up against slot receivers. Brooks would need some grooming for that role, but he put that special kind of athletic ability on display.
In college, Virginia Tech defensive back Antone Exum was a safety and cornerback. There was a time when some were talking about him as a first-round prospect, but injuries killed his senior year. Scouts finally got a look at Exum (6-0, 213) at the Combine. He ran the 40 in 4.59 seconds and looked a little tight in the field drills. Exum looks more like a safety for the NFL, but he could require a “redshirt” season to get completely healthy and back into the groove.
Back to the 2014 NFL Draft Scouting Combine Page.
2014 NFL Combine Results - Weigh-Ins and 40 Times:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB
2014 NFL Combine Stock Report:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB
2014 NFL Combine Field Drills Recap:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB
2014 NFL Combine Bench Recap:
RB | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB
2014 NFL Combine Weigh-In Recap:
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NFL Combine Rumors by Tony Pauline
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