2015 NFL Combine Results - Weigh-Ins and 40 Times:
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2015 NFL Combine Stock Report:
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2015 NFL Combine Field Drills Recap:
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2015 NFL Combine Bench Recap:
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2015 NFL Combine Weigh-In Recap:
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NFL Combine Rumors by Tony Pauline
This is the 2015 NFL Combine Field Drills Recap for the Linebackers. Follow me
@walterfootball for updates.
2015 NFL Combine: Field Drills Recap – Linebackers
By Charlie Campbell –
@draftcampbell
The star of the Combine on Sunday was Clemson outside linebacker Vic Beasley. He raced a fast 40 time after impressing on the bench press a day earlier. Beasley officially ran an official 40 time of 4.53 seconds. That blistering pace was especially impressive considering Beasley just added about 10-15 pounds of weight.
Beasley was impressive as well In the field drills. He was naturally athletic with superb change-of-direction skills. He can sink his hips, turn, flatten and accelerate. Beasley showed that in the field work with a phenomenal display. Considering the added power he displayed, his great workout could help him to get pushed up draft boards by some teams.
Another edge defender who impressed was Florida’s Dante Fowler Jr. He had a exceptional 40 run of 4.60 seconds with a very fast 10-yard split of 1.59 seconds. Fowler showed real burst as well in the field drills. He stumbled once, but he stayed low and was explosive. Fowler dropped well in the field drills, but did drop a pass. The 6-foot-3, 261-pounder did his part to cement his stock as high first-rounder. Considering his size advantage over Shane Ray, Randy Gregory and Beasley, Fowler is the favorite to be the first drafted.
Not to be overshadowed, Randy Gregory had an outstanding 40-yard run as well. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Cornhusker officially timed at 4.64 seconds. It isn’t that surprising considering how explosive he is off the edge and his pursuit skills. Gregory did well in the field drills and showed quick hands with the pads and on his rip move. Gregory had a quality Combine, but it looks like Fowler is firmly in front of him considering their weight differential and Fowler’s flexibility for different techniques in a 4-3 and 3-4.
TCU inside linebacker Paul Dawson is love-or-hate draft prospect with a lot of teams. Dawson has character and work-ethic concerns. Those were given more validation with a terrible Combine performance. Dawson had a terrible 40 time of 4.95 seconds. The 6-foot, 235-pounder should have run faster than that. His 40 time was worse than the one that Manti Te’o was crucified for. In the field drills, Dawson continued to struggle as he looked stiff. Dawson looked completely unprepared for the Combine, and whoever trained him before the Combine should give the money back. That is unless Dawson decided not to work hard, which is a legitimate question given his track record at TCU.
Washington outside linebacker Shaq Thompson had a mixed Combine. He had a quality 40 time of 4.64 seconds. In the field work, he had an ugly drill or two before finishing in strong fashion. Thompson (6-0, 228) had some stumbles in the first drill, but then did well in a couple of pass-drop drills as he showed some fluid athleticism. After the Combine, there will remain a lot of debate about Thompson’s future position and where he should go in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Of the traditional non-edge-rushing linebackers, UCLA’s Erik Kendricks had the best day. The 6-foot, 232-pound Kendricks had some questioning his speed and athleticism with many saying he wasn’t as athletic as his brother Mychal Kendricks, a linebacker for the Eagles. Erik Kendricks ripped off a 4.61-second 40 time. He did well overall in the field drills, too. He stumbled once, but looked quick and agile. Kendricks confirmed he has the real speed to be a sideline-to-sideline linebacker. Kendricks also showed the size to get consideration as a 3-4 inside linebacker.
Another linebacker who did well and helped himself was Clemson’s Stephone Anthony. The 6-foot-3, 243-pounder showed more speed and athleticism than expected at the Senior Bowl. He continued that trend at the Combine. Anthony surprised with an official 40 time of 4.56 seconds, much faster than expected. In the field drills, Anthony was equally impressive. He showed movement skills to be more than a downhill thumper. Anthony has had a great post-eason to elevate his draft stock in Day 2.
Everyone around the league is pulling for Louisville outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin after his youth growing up in a huge number of foster homes. At the Combine, Mauldin (6-4, 259) had a mixed workout. He didn’t run well in the 40 at 4.85 seconds and didn’t look fluid when dropping in pass coverage. However in the pass-rushing drills, Mauldin was excellent. He blasted the pads in the rip move and knocked the holder on his back. Mauldin has natural edge-rushing ability, but he needs to improve his dropping in coverage to be an every-down linebacker in the NFL.
Prior to the Combine, sources said that they heard that Miami inside linebacker Perryman wouldn’t run quickly at the Combine. That came to fruition as Perryman had a 4.78-second time in the 40-yard dash. Perryman is a natural football player, and the Combine isn’t his place to shine. He wasn’t as fluid in the field drills, but he did keep his feet and didn’t take a lot of extra false steps. Perryman didn’t do enough to alleviate the third-down concerns.
Mississippi State inside linebacker Bernardrick McKinney (6-4, 246) ran well with a 40 time of 4.66 seconds. In the field drills, he did he pretty well. McKinney needs more refinement for pass coverage, but he has natural length, speed and athleticism to be a three-down linebacker.
Another edge rusher who could go on Thursday night is Virginia’s Eli Harold. Harold (6-3, 247) had a fast 40 with 4.60. He was solid on the field, but if he were larger, he would have a better shot of going in the first round.
Washington outside linebacker Hau’Oli Kikaha (6-2, 253) added weight from the Senior Bowl and didn’t run the 40 at the Combine. He struggled in the field drills when dropping into coverage. Kikaha was stiff and illustrated that he clearly needs a lot of work at that for the NFL. Tthe Huskies used him to rush the passer, so for a 3-4 defense in the NFL, he’s going to need to be coached up to be a good starter.
Georgia inside linebacker Ramik Wilson (6-2, 237) didn’t wow anyone in the 40 at 4.77 seconds, but he really looked good in the pass-coverage drills. He did a great job of sliding and changing direction. Wilson did drop a pass, but it was an impressive drill session for him.
Missouri edge rusher Shane Ray was held out of the Combine with a toe injury. It hurts Ray in the intermediate aftermath, but it shouldn’t make a big difference by draft day.
Back to the 2015 NFL Draft Scouting Combine Page.
2015 NFL Combine Results - Weigh-Ins and 40 Times:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB
2015 NFL Combine Stock Report:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB
2015 NFL Combine Field Drills Recap:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB
2015 NFL Combine Bench Recap:
RB | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB
2015 NFL Combine Weigh-In Recap:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB
NFL Combine Rumors by Tony Pauline
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