2014 NFL Combine Field Drills Recap: Linebackers

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This is the 2014 NFL Combine Field Drills Recap for the linebackers. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.


2014 NFL Combine: Field Drills Recap – Linebackers
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

  • Buffalo’s Khalil Mack has been getting a ton of hype during and leading up to the Combine. He had a solid performance on Monday. He didn’t blow the Combine away, but he didn’t do anything to hurt himself either. Mack had a respectable 40 time of 4.65 with a 10-yard split of 1.56. He tied two others including Anthony Barr for the second fastest 10-yard split. Mack got better in the field drills as he went along, and he did well overall. Mack’s stock should be holding steady.

  • UCLA outside linebacker Anthony Barr (6-5, 255) didn’t have a bad performance, but expectations for Barr were probably too high. He ran the 40 in 4.66 seconds with 1.56 10-yard split. Barr did well in the field drills, but he clearly needs some NFL development in the weight room and in terms of honing his craft as an outside linebacker. Keep in mind he was playing offense two years ago. Barr’s stock shouldn’t see a big impact from the Combine.

  • Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland is a favorite player among some draft pundits. Borland (5-11, 248) is a thumper, blue-collar linebacker. He’s short and slow, so it wasn’t surprising that he didn’t perform well at the Combine. Borland’s 40 time was 4.83, and he looked stiff in the field drills. While some love Borland, the question is will be able to stay on the field when a team needs their linebacker to play pass coverage. Borland didn’t provide proof that he should stay on the field.



  • There were two linebackers who helped themselves significantly on Monday. The Combine star was Florida State linebacker Telvin Smith. Smith ran the 40-yard dash in a blistering time of 4.52 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.53. Smith (6-3, 218) did well in the field drills as well. He is a very fast and fluid athlete. It looked like a defensive back was doing the linebacker drills. Smith could be a day-two pick, but in order to be an every down defender, he needs to add weight for the NFL.

    The other linebacker who really stood out was Boston College’s Kevin Pierre-Louis. Pierre-Louis (6-0, 232) had a 40 time of 4.51. He also looked fast in the field work. Coming in as a potential third-day pick, Pierre-Louis used the Combine to cause evaluators to give him more consideration.

  • Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley didn’t run the 40-yard dash, but he did well in the field work. Mosley showed good feet, quickness, loose hips and fluid athleticism.



  • Stanford linebacker Trent Murphy didn’t impress at the Combine. Murphy is a tough, physical football player and isn’t well suited to stand out at the Combine. His 40 time was slower at 4.86, and he wasn’t as fluid in the field work. Murphy (6-5, 250) should be a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level, and he’ll improve his ability to play in space over time in the NFL.

  • BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy was solid at the Combine. He got better and looked more fluid as the drills progressed. Van Noy (6-3, 243) ran the 40 in 4.71 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.60. He could be used in a variety of ways in the NFL. Van Noy would have been drafted higher if had come out a year ago.

  • There were a number of noteworthy linebackers who didn’t work out at the Combine. That group included Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier, Stanford’s Shayne Skov, Utah’s Trevor Reilly, Georgia Tech’s Jeremiah Attaochu and Western Kentucky’s Andrew Jackson.



    Back to the 2014 NFL Draft Scouting Combine Page.



    2014 NFL Combine Results - Weigh-Ins and 40 Times:
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    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:
    QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB

    NFL Combine Rumors by Tony Pauline








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