Day one of on-field drills are over for the offensive lineman. Watching 320 lbs men run around in shorts may not be appealing, but it can provide a good check and balance system for what you saw while watching these players in games. If a prospect doesn't look very athletic on tape but comes to the combine and looks exceptional in most of the drills, it will force you to go back and see what you may have missed. It works the other way also. If a prospect looked great while watching him during the season but comes to the combine out of shape and poor in drills, you may have to dig deeper to re-evaluate your original grade. The performances at the scouting combine do not completely change your grade, but a lot of times it helps reinforce your original analysis. I have examples of each case after watching today's workouts.
Prospects that have cemented their grades
Matt Kalil - LT - USC - Height: 6065 - Weight: 306 lbs - Arm Length: 34.5" - 40 yard: 4.96 - 10 yard: 1.70 - Bench Reps: 30
Kalil came into the combine as my no.3 overall prospect and no.1 offensive tackle. He is a great pass protector and very athletic on tape. His only questions were strength and weight. Kalil answered both questions by showing up at 306 lbs and putting up 30 reps of 225 lbs. He solidified himself as a top 5 pick and a franchise left tackle. He should develop into a top left tackle in the NFL in short time.
David DeCastro - OG - Stanford - Height: 6047 - Weight: 316 lbs - Arm Length: 32 3/8" - 40 yard: 5.34 - 10 yard: 1.82 - Bench Reps: 34
DeCastro is another top prospect (no.5 on my board) that really didn't have much to prove. If anything, I wanted to see how many bench reps he could put up because at times he doesn't look very strong. DeCastro put up 34 reps and weighed-in at 316 lbs. Both numbers show he can be more than an elite pulling guard. During drills, DeCastro displayed his pulling ability and perfect technique as he was called upon to demonstrate each drill to the group of lineman.
Philip Blake - C/G - Baylor - Height: 6030 - Weight: 311 lbs - Arm Length: 33" - 40 yard: 5.09 - 10 yard: 1.76 - Bench Reps: 22
Blake has been highly rated for me since he caught my eye at the senior bowl and I went back to watch his games. He's no.76 on my board and is my no.3 center in the draft. I felt he had good athleticism, strong base and anchored well. He showed more athleticism at the combine by running 5.09 and 1.76 in the 40 and 10 yard splits respectively. His 22 reps were disappointing but I thought he had greater lower body strength. I think Blake was a solid 3rd round pick before today and he showed it to everybody else.
Prospects that will make me wonder what I've missed
Cordy Glenn - T/G - Georgia - Height: 6050 - Weight: 345 lbs - Arm Length: 35.75" - 40 yard: 5.15 - 10 yard: 1.76 - Bench Reps: 31
I haven't been very high on Cordy Glenn. He looks like a NFL guard but he has techniques issues that he has overcome throughout his Georgia career. I had a fringe 1st round grade on him and he ranked 26th overall. He didn't look like an elite guard to me. Then he showed he may be able to be an NFL right tackle at the Senior Bowl. Today, he carried his 345 lbs very well as he ran very good times and showed the athleticism his supporters have raved about. Glenn is forcing me to go back and watch his games again. Not because I think he'll be a better guard now, but because I think he could possibly be a left tackle in the Marcus McNeil mold. That would increase his value tremendously and put him in the top 20 picks of the draft.
James Brown - T/G - Troy - Height: 6040 - Weight: 306 lbs - Arm Length: 34.5" - 40 yard: 5.30 - 10 yard: 1.84 - Bench Reps: 24
When I watched James Brown, I thought he was a bit of a tweener (T/G) without a true position. Not athletic enough to play tackle but not stout enough to play guard. He looked athletic on tape at Troy but that was against lower competition. At the Senior Bowl and today at the Combine, Brown stood out and looked better than I expected. His 24 bench reps could have been better, but I thought that was his only flaw. He looked really good in drills. I had a 5th-6th round grade on him. I want to go back and see if I can get a more concrete opinion on Brown.
Adam Gettis - G - Iowa - Height: 6020 - Weight: 293 lbs - Arm Length: 33 1/8" - 40 yard: 4.91 - 10 yard: 1.65 - Bench Reps: DNP
I watched Gettis when I studied Riley Reiff, his top-15 teammate. He looked small and quick, but stood out to me a few times every game. I gave him a late round grade and made a note to go back and watch him more in-depth. He weighed-in with adequate size and had elite quickness and explosion in the timed drills. He stood out today every time his turn was up. He didn't participate in the bench press so that raises a flag for me. I'm excited to go back and see if maybe he could be a Rodney Hudson who was drafted by the Chiefs last year.
Prospects that made me question my grade
Mike Adams - T - Ohio State - Height: 6070 - Weight: 323 lbs - Arm Length: 34" - 40 yard: 5.40 - 10 yard: 1.84 - Bench Reps: 19
Adams looks great in pass protection and shows the attributes it takes to be a franchise left tackle. He checked in at no.29 on my big board with a fringe first round grade. He didn't look strong and didn't really display the skills to be a dominant run blocker while at Ohio state. When Adams showed up heavier than I expected at 323 lbs, I thought it was a sign of him training and getting stronger. Then he only put up 19 reps of 225. I don't care how long his arms are, that isn't good at all. That's 100 lbs less than he weighs. Then Adams looked average in position drills and in timed drills. I'm questioning if he should still get a 1st round grade. He'll be drafted in the first 25 picks because of the position, but there are too many visible and measurable flaws to his game. I'll need to watch him again.
Rishaw Johnson - G - Cal (PA) - Height: 6030 - Weight: 313 lbs - Arm Length: 35.25" - 40 yard: 5.24 - 10 yard: 1.77 - Bench Reps: 22
Rishaw Johnson has every physical attribute you look for in starting guard if you just look below the neck. Players with known character questions like Johnson has should be on their best behavior and ready to prove everybody wrong. Instead, I have sources that told me besides his 19 failed drug tests during college, Johnson showed little intelligence and then had to be corrected multiple times by coaches during on-field drills. His 22 bench reps also show how little he's been working. Despite his raw skill, I'm taking Rishaw Johnson off of my board and I suspect other teams will also.
Brandon Washington - T/G - Miami - Height: 6030 - Weight: 320 lbs - Arm Length: 33" - 40 yard: 5.25 - 10 yard: 1.77 - Bench Reps: 28
I had a late 2nd to early 3rd grade on Washington and no.59 overall on my board. I thought he could play tackle or guard in the NFL. When he showed up at only 6'3" and 33" arms, Washington is no longer a tackle in the NFL. That's fine for us, but now I'll need to go back and watch him and do a little more projecting him to another position in the NFL. His other measurable were solid and this shouldn't hurt his grade much, just his value.
*Unofficial 40 Times