5 terrible combine performances by Buffalo Bills draftees

The NFL Scouting Combine provides NFL teams and fans an opportunity get an up-close look at the league’s future star players. It’s not all good, however. Without fail, there are definitely big-time prospects who fail to perform as expected, as well as a ton of just forgettable performances in general from the player participants overall.

Here are 5 of the worst combine performances since 2000 by past Buffalo Bills draft picks. (The combine has been around since 1982, but statistics used in this article are courtesy of Pro Football Reference, whose data dates as far back as the year 2000.)

Demetress Bell, OT, Michigan - 2008

Offensive linemen luck out because unlike pretty much the rest of positions, their speed, particularly in the 40-yard dash, doesn’t matter much to teams. Their strength, however, is for sure heavily criticized. Bell somehow only managed to put up nine bench press reps of 225 pounds. Remarkably though, the Bills decided to draft him in spite of this, albeit in the final round.

Jonathan Smith, WR, Georgia Tech - 2004

The ability to run fast is an essential part of playing wide receiver. During his pro day, Smith was anything but fast. To date, the smallish wideout (5’10”, 194 lbs.) has run the slowest forty (4.78) of any Bills wide receiver draftee. He was taken in the seventh round.

Cyrus Kouandjio OT Alabama - 2014

Unlike most of the other players listed here, Kouandjio had just a bad day overall during his time at the combine. Smith holds the title for the slowest Bills wide receiver prospect ever, but Kouandjio holds the distinction of being the team’s slowest drafted player since 2000 with his forty time of 5.59 seconds. Kouandjio’s time is .13 seconds slower than the second-worst Bills time ever. To add injury to insult, Kouandjio also put up a sub-par 21 bench reps and a 27.5 vertical jump. He was a second round pick.

Dan O’Leary, TE, Notre Dame - 2001

To be a pro tight end you have to be able to run reasonably fast in addition to being a good blocker. Well, O’Leary (6’3”, 252 lbs.) didn’t show either of these things. He ran a poor 5.02 forty and only was able to throw up the bench press bar 14 times. A sixth round pick, he was more of a long snapper than TE prospect.

Adolphus Washington, DT, Ohio State - 2016

Count Washington among those who also had just an all-around terrible combine performance. The only currently Bill listed here checks in as the slowest Bills defensive tackle draftee ever with his 5.17 forty. He showed little explosion or athleticism at all with his 27.0 vertical, 99 broad jump, and measly 21 bench press reps.

You can check out all of the Bills draftees results since 2000 here. And make sure to tune in starting Thursday to see this year’s participants begin participating in workout drills.