2017 NFL Combine: Stock boosters
The NFL Scouting Combine was held over the last few days and many top players helped their stock by performing well. Here is a look at 10 players who could move up draft boards after their showings in Indianapolis:
Note: Players are listed in alphabetical order
MORE: Farrell's Combine takes | Winning recruiting classes with losing records
Recruiting: Auburn seemed to be the early frontrunner for Adams, but after then-coach Gene Chizik was fired, it looked like Georgia, Clemson and Alabama had inched into his recruitment. Following a visit to Auburn before Signing Day, Adams decided to pick the Tigers.
Combine performance: Adams bested Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen in the 40-yard dash and the bench press (by one rep). According to reports, Oklahoma RB Samaje Perine said Adams was the toughest DL he went against this past season.
Farrell’s take: I’ve been touting Adams as the top pure defensive tackle in this draft based on his athleticism and great film and now he’s starting to get love from others – finally. To me, he’s a no-brainer first rounder and this should help that cause. We saw what he could do in high school as a five-star, and he’s continued that dominance in college.
Recruiting: After attending Saratoga Springs (Utah) Westlake where he played defensive tackle, Bolles went on his LDS mission. He then attended Ephraim (Utah) Snow College where he played for two seasons before transferring to Utah. He also considered Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan State, Oregon, Arkansas, Georgia and others.
Combine performance: Bolles backed up his reputation as one of the more athletic offensive linemen in the draft with a 4.96 40-yard dash with an excellent 1.71 10-yard split. He has all the measurables to play outside and during his interviews, Bolles said the right stuff about being nasty and tough without being over the top.
Farrell’s take: Bolles was a class of 2016 recruit because of his mission and playing at JUCO, so he’s fresher in my mind than any other draft prospect. He was a big, tall kid who had a frame that could still fill out even as an older JUCO prospect, and he was an excellent drive blocker, keeping his feet moving and reaching the second level. There’s a reason he was our No. 3 JUCO prospect in 2016 and was considered as a potential five-star. Now he could be the No. 1 lineman taken
Recruiting: Engram committed to Ole Miss over Wake Forest, Marshall and a bunch of low-level FBS offers. UCLA was also showing interest before Engram picked the Rebels in the summer before his senior season.
Combine performance: In a loaded tight end class, Engram stood out by running the fastest 40-yard dash of any player at that position with a time of 4.42 seconds. According to the SEC Network, it was the third-fastest combine time for a tight end since 2006. He has also added weight to 234 pounds and did an impressive 19 reps on the bench press.
Farrell’s take: OK, I’m sold now. I wasn’t sold out of high school because he was essentially a wide receiver projecting to tight end and despite his production I felt that would hinder his NFL evaluation. But he was amazing at the combine from testing to drills and could play outside or flex. He’s a first-rounder now.
Recruiting: Godwin committed to the Nittany Lions in April before his senior season over offers from Rutgers, Stanford, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and many others. He is one of six four-star prospects from the state of Delaware in the Rivals.com era.
Combine performance: Godwin was second at receiver with 22 bench reps, he ran 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash and looked phenomenal during on-field drills. A vertical jump of 36 inches was another part of his standout performance.
Farrell’s take: The best hands in the draft and a guy who used those hands to snatch the ball away from defenders, the only question about Godwin was about his speed. Now that he’s answered that, he looks like a first-round receiver. We had him ranked as a top-150 prospect while asking the same questions about speed out of high school.
Recruiting: Kamara was a high four-star out of high school and signed with Alabama, but he left Tuscaloosa after a redshirt season for Hutchinson (Kan.) Hutchinson C.C. He signed with Tennessee out of junior college as a five-star over Georgia and others.
Combine performance: Former Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd’s mother might like to rip Kamara on Twitter, but Kamara performed incredibly well at the combine to possibly move up in the draft at a loaded position. Kamara had the best vertical jump (39.5 inches) and broad jump among the running backs, and according to reports he did well in team interviews as well.
Farrell’s take: Kamara was well thought of out of high school as a top 50-recruit and even moreso out of JUCO as a five-star. We had him as an all-purpose back because he could catch the ball so well. He’s now potentially replaced Dalvin Cook as the best dual-threat option at running back in the draft.
Recruiting: In May before his senior season, McCaffrey committed to Stanford, the same school where his father, Ed, played his college football. McCaffrey’s mother, Lisa, played soccer for the Cardinal. Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, Oregon and many others were also involved.
Combine performance: McCaffrey had the second-fastest time by a running back since 2003 in the three-cone drill (coveted by New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick), posted the second-best vertical by a player at his position and ran 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
Farrell’s take: McCaffrey helped his stock for sure as a guy who many had penciled in as a second-rounder at best and possibly a slot receiver. He was a guy we liked out of high school as a Rivals100 prospect, but we never foresaw his record-setting career at Stanford.
Recruiting: Two days after taking his first visit to UConn and one day after landing his offer, Melifonwu committed to the Huskies. Boston College, Temple, Rhode Island, Fordham and Holy Cross were also showing interest.
Combine performance: Melifonwu wowed scouts at the combine by broad jumping 11-9 (the second-best since 2003) and posting a 44-inch vertical, two inches shy of the combine record set by former Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars DB Gerald Sensabaugh in 2005. He also ran his 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds.
Farrell’s take: You know a kid is off the radar a bit when his profile pic on Rivals.com is clearly from the prom, but Melifonwu’s film was good enough to warrant a three-star ranking despite the lack of in-person evaluation. He played everything in high school and was raw but a great athlete and showcased that for UConn at their camp, earning his only offer and committing quickly.
HAASON REDDICK, TEMPLE
Recruiting: Reddick was a running back and safety in high school but only played four games in his senior season because of a fractured femur. He went to Temple as a walk-on in 2012.
Combine performance: Reddick finished in the top three of the defensive line group in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump. His broad jump of 11-1 is the longest-ever recorded by a defensive lineman in modern combine history. He’s expected to play linebacker in the NFL.
Farrell’s take: Reddick didn’t even have a Rivals profile as a walk-on at Temple, and now he’s considered the top linebacker prospect in the NFL Draft. He was a safety and running back out of high school in New Jersey with zero offers and, as far as I can remember, never hit my radar. Now look at him.
Recruiting: Ross committed to Washington in January, a few weeks before National Signing Day, over UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State and others. USC did not offer. He played wide receiver and defensive back in high school.
Combine performance: Ross broke the combine record in the 40-yard dash with a 4.22 mark, besting Chris Johnson’s 4.24 number. According to reports, one hand timer had Ross at 4.16 seconds. The previous day during interviews Ross predicted he would run sub-4.3, and he backed it up.
Farrell’s take: We had Ross as our No. 3 wide receiver coming into the combine and he could be No. 1 following it. He was small in high school but electric, but we held off on four-star status because of his lack of size. Now he’s a record-setter.
Recruiting: Watson committed to Clemson about a year before National Signing Day and he stuck with the Tigers despite pressure from many programs including Ohio State, Auburn, LSU, USC, Oregon and Georgia.
Combine performance: Watson looked the best out of the top quarterback group, which included the likes of Mitchell Trubisky and DeShone Kizer, at the combine and he could shoot up draft boards. There are questions about Watson’s decision-making at times since he threw 17 interceptions this past season, but Kizer fizzled in big moments and Trubisky started for only one season.
Farrell’s take: Surprise, surprise. The guy I’ve been telling everyone is clearly the best quarterback in this draft class improved his stock. I’ve had him No. 1 from the beginning because of his “it" factor, and we saw that in high school as well. We were the only site to have him as a five-star, and he’s going to be a star in the NFL.
