NFL Combine: Five who stunned us with great performances
As Rivals.com’s NFL Scouting Combine coverage continues, we take a look at five players who were stunning stars at the event and who boosted their stock heading into the NFL Draft. Here is a look at each player’s recruitment, a glance back at their performance in Indianapolis and a take on each from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell.
The skinny: Feeney was a three-star big defensive back at Pinole (Calif.) Pinole Valley who committed to Washington over Arizona, his only other offer at the time, a week or so before National Signing Day.
Combine overview: There was a lot of talk about the linebackers heading into the combine surrounding Jaylon Smith, Myles Jack and others but not much about Feeney. That all changed after he ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, jumped 40 inches and did well in the other drills as well. The former three-star showed excellent speed and explosiveness and after registering 56 tackles (17.5 for loss with eight sacks) this past season there aren’t many questions about production.
Farrell’s take: Feeney, a lightly-recruited cornerback/safety out of high school has blossomed into a big, athletic linebacker who was among the best at his position in the 40-yard dash, the vertical jump and the broad jump. He showed explosion that we would have never expected back in 2011 when we scouted him out of Pinole Valley.
The skinny: Lasco was a high three-star running back out of The Woodlands, Texas, who was rated No. 25 at his position in the 2011 class. He toured Cal and UCLA before his commitment to the Golden Bears in August before his senior season started. Many other high-profile programs including Arkansas, Baylor, Miami, Tennessee and many in-state schools also offered.
Combine overview: Lasco dealt with injuries and only rushed for 331 yards and three scores on 65 carries this season, but his combine numbers piqued a lot of attention. There are still questions whether he’s a “workout warrior” or a complete back. Lasco set the combine record for running backs in the broad jump at 41.5 inches and also did really well in other drills.
Farrell’s take: Lasco had a lot of offers out of high school before selecting Cal and was known as a solid athlete, but I would have never figured he’d put on a show like he did at the combine years later. Like Keith Marshall, he battled injuries and really had just one good year in college. But he nailed it at the combine with a sub 4.5 40, off-the-charts numbers at vertical and broad jump and very impressive shuttle times. It’s not like he jumped into the first round or anything, but his athleticism blossomed in college because he wasn’t this freaky out of high school.
The skinny: Jones was a high three-star cornerback out of Carrollton, Ga., in the 2012 class. He was rated as the No. 40 cornerback that recruiting cycle. Jones committed to Auburn after watching an August scrimmage and stuck with the Tigers through his senior season.
Combine overview: Jones is undersized and that’s going to be an issue at the NFL level but he sure is fast, posting a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash and doing well in his other drills except the cone drill, which is interesting. His size might be a roadblock, but Jones can move, he can cover and he showed great explosiveness in Indianapolis.
Farrell’s take: Jones was a skinny cornerback in 2012 and was just shy of a four-star rating mainly because we were worried he’d never get big and strong enough to handle bigger receivers and running backs. His speed wasn’t a big question mark, but I’m still stunned he popped off a 4.33 in the 40. That’s much faster than he was out of high school. He ran himself onto some draft boards at the combine for sure.
The skinny: The four-star from Raleigh (N.C.) Millbrook was rated as the second-best all-purpose back and No. 48 overall in the 2012 class. He committed to Georgia, a longtime leader, over Clemson, Florida, South Carolina and Notre Dame.
Combine overview: Marshall battled injuries and had a lack of carries at Georgia, so his resume is not loaded with accolades from his time in Athens. He proved at the combine that speed will absolutely not be an issue for whichever team drafts him. The former high four-star ran a 4.31 40, which could help him in a million ways. Injuries are in the rearview mirror and his speed could be his specialty.
Farrell’s take: There was a ton of hype about Marshall out of high school and he, like many high school prospects, claimed to run under a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, but he was one of the few who had the track times to back it up. But coming off so many injuries in college, bulking up to 219 pounds from his 190-pound weight in high school, a 4.31 in the 40 was expected only by Marshall himself, his trainers, his family and his ex-teammate Todd Gurley. But Marshall also led the running back group in bench reps and had a solid vertical as well. This was, to say the least, unexpected, even if you go back to the hype out of high school and skip everything in between.
The skinny: The Elkhart (Ind.) Concord Community prospect was rated as a three-star tight end. He picked Indiana in the summer before his senior season over offers from Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan.
Combine overview: Spriggs was a high school tight end, so his athleticism was no surprise at the combine, where he ran a fast 40 for an offensive lineman and had a terrific broad jump. What was really impressive from Spriggs is that he benched well and looked super smooth, but also bucked up during the drill portion, where he maybe impressed the most.
Farrell’s take: Spriggs was a lightly-recruited tight end with a huge frame at 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds. His commitment to Indiana was a bit buried in the headlines because it came the day after Gunner Kiel chose the Hoosiers. Obviously, a five-star quarterback heading to IU was much bigger news. Kiel famously decommitted from IU, committed to LSU then never showed up in Baton Rouge for early enrollment, enrolled at Notre Dame and eventually transferred to Cincinnati. Needless to say, Spriggs' commitment ended up being much more important to the Hoosiers. His combine performance was off-the-charts. I see a potential first-rounder now, but no way did I see that back then.