Friday’s workouts featured some excellent track results and one of the worst all-time Combine performances. Here are the players who had exceptional days, both good and bad, at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Stock up: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
Barkley entered this week advertised as a rare specimen, and he matched those expectations on Friday. Barkley had already completed 29 bench press reps at 233 pounds, more than most offensive linemen would complete, and he also delivered a 4.40 forty yard dash and a ridiculous 41-inch vertical leap. Barkley’s outstanding burst is evident on tape, and after bringing receipts to the Combine, he should be in discussion for one of the top five picks in this draft.
Stock up: Ryan Nall, FB, Oregon State
The 6’2” 234 pound Nall may not immediately stand out as a top performer in any of the Combine drills. But a 4.58 forty yard dash, 10’2” broad jump, a 6.95 three cone drill, and a 4.16 short shuttle are all excellent results that highlight Nall’s potential as an H-back.
Stock up: Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
Chubb was on pace for a Herschel Walker legacy at Georgia before a grotesque knee injury halfway through his sophomore season. He spent the past two seasons returning to form, and showed he’s still one of the most athletic runners in this class with a 38.5-inch vertical leap, 10’8” broad jump, 29 bench press reps, and a 4.52 forty yard dash.
Stock down: Jarvion Franklin, RB, Western Michigan
Most of this year’s running back class was performing better than average, so it’s hard to pick out a loser from the day. Franklin, who is mainly projected as a late day three prospect, only really performed well in the three cone drill. His 4.63 forty yard dash, 30-inch vertical leap, and 9’1” broad jump were all below average results.
Stock up: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA
Miller, alongside Barkley, was the other standout performer on the day after he set an OL record with a 10’1” broad jump. (At 309 pounds!) He finished with a 4.95 forty yard dash and had a solid 7.34 three cone drill.
Stock down: Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
It’s been many years since the Combine has had a performance as ugly as Brown’s. A 6’8” 345 pound tackle, Brown was never going to win the day in spandex on a track field, but he didn’t even reach a minimum threshold on many drills. It started with putting up only 14 reps on the bench press. Later, Brown finished a 5.85 forty yard dash, one of the slowest ever recorded. His 19.5-inch vertical leap and 6’10” broad jump were also abysmal results. He was also called out by a coach for loafing during one of the drills.
Stock up: Connor Williams, OT, Texas
While some people may have felt that Williams, standing 6’5” 297 with 33 inch arms, is borderline too small to play tackle, he showed that he definitely has the athleticism to handle the blind side. He recorded a 5.05 forty yard dash, a 34-inch vertical leap (best among the OL), and a 9’4” broad jump.
Stock down: Alex Cappa, OT, Humboldt State
Although Cappa measures in at 6’6” 305 pounds, NFL scouts have considered projecting him at guard. He made that comparison easier with a poor showing in the athletic drills. Cappa ran a 5.39 forty yard dash, jumped 26.5 inches vertically and 8’1” in the broad jump, and had a lousy 8.04 three cone drill.
Stock up: James Daniels, OC, Iowa
Daniels didn’t run the forty yard dash, but he was one of the top performers in the vertical leap (30.5 inches), the broad jump (9 feet), and the three cone drill (7.29 seconds).
Stock up: Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP
Hernandez started his Combine by leading all offensive linemen with 37 bench press reps. A 5.15 forty yard dash and 7.59 three cone drill, at 327 pounds, both illustrate that Hernandez also has the agility to block in space.
Stock up: Brian O’Neill, OT, Pittsburgh
Miller owned the broad jump, but the composite athleticism winner was decisively O’Neill. The 6’7” 297 pounder ran a leading 4.82 forty yard dash and a 7.14 three cone drill, to add to a solid 8’11” broad jump and 29.5 vertical leap.
Stock down: Jamarco Jones, OT, Ohio State
Jones had a rough day, starting with a 5.50 forty yard dash. His 24” vertical leap was below average, his 8.32 three cone drill was also a lousy result, and he only hit 8’6” in his broad jump.
Stock up: JK Scott, P, Alabama
Scott earned brownie points by being the only specialist to run the forty yard dash, the three cone drill, and perform the broad jump and vertical leap. Most of the other guys sat out entirely.