The NFL Scouting Combine is complete so it’s time to look at 10 players defensive players who helped their stock in Indianapolis. NC State’s Bradley Chubb and other high-level first-round draft picks are not necessarily included on this list.
Recruiting: Griffin went through the recruiting process with his twin brother, Shaquill Griffin, and committed to UCF in the summer before his senior season. Boston College, West Virginia and others were also involved. Shaquill Griffin plays for the Seattle Seahawks.
Combine buzz: Griffin ran the fastest 40-yard dash for a linebacker in more than a decade at 4.38 seconds. He also wowed onlookers with 20 bench press reps using a prosthetic left hand. Where Griffin lands in the draft is still unknown but his combine performance was phenomenal.
Farrell’s take: Griffin may have pushed himself up to the middle of the draft or even higher with a great combine. Out of high school, we had him as a low three-star despite his handicap and 14 different schools offered although only a couple were Power Five schools. He’s a feel-good story and it will be interesting to see how NFL teams gauge him now after his combine performance, an event he wasn’t even invited to initially.
Recruiting: Payne, who committed to Alabama over Auburn and Mississippi State at the Under Armour All-America Game, grew up an Auburn fan but had developed a great relationship with then-Alabama assistant Mario Cristobal, now the coach at Oregon.
Combine buzz: Payne was considered a first-round pick but he could move higher in the opening round after running really well and then posting 27 reps on the bench press. His athleticism and explosiveness really stood out in Indianapolis.
Farrell’s take: Everyone knows how much I like Payne and he helped himself quite a bit. At times on the camp circuit in high school, he would show his pass rushing moves, especially a nice inside rip, but other times he was stoned despite his size, which was puzzling. However, with the ability to bull rush and be more physical in pads, he was unstoppable and showed off light feet and the ability to shoot the gap. He’s a pass rushing defensive tackle so NFL teams are enamored.
Recruiting: In December of his senior season, Sweat committed to Florida State over Virginia Tech with Oregon and Ohio State also considered.
Combine buzz: Sweat really helped himself at the combine - and NFL execs got to see with their own eyes that he’s a physical freak. His arm length and wingspan stood out and then Sweat ran the fastest 40-yard dash for a defensive lineman at 4.53 seconds.
Farrell’s take: Sweat killed the combine, something that is quite remarkable when you consider his horrendous injury his senior year of high school. He had a solid career in college but underachieved a bit based on many rankings. Some had him No. 1 overall before the injury, he was that special. Now he’s pushed himself up into the second or third day.
Recruiting: Vander Esch played 8-man football in Idaho’s smallest school classification. He did not receive any offers and walked on at Boise State.
Combine buzz: Not only did Vander Esch run a respectable 4.65 seconds in the 40-yard dash but he finished in the top five among linebackers in the vertical jump, the broad jump and other events.
Farrell’s take: A former walk-on from Idaho that no one really knew much about, now he’s a guy who could jump into round one after a great combine. I don’t remember much about him in high school as I never saw him in person or broke down his film which is why he has zero ranking.
Recruiting: O’Daniel committed to Clemson during his trip to campus for the Tigers’ spring game. He had 27 total offers.
Combine buzz: According to reports, O’Daniel’s three-cone drill time of 6.64 seconds was the best among linebackers at the combine since 2006. He ran 4.61 in the 40.
Farrell’s take: O’Daniel was heavily recruited out of high school and was just outside our Rivals100. He was an undersized linebacker who started off as an eighth grade running back prodigy. He waited his turn and took his time to break out but had a great year last season showing off the speed and instincts we saw in college. He was overshadowed at times at his school by Stefon Diggs and Kendall Fuller but he’s come into his own now.
Recruiting: Thomas signed with Florida State, his longtime leader, although Miami made a serious late push and Georgia and Alabama were also involved.
Combine buzz: At 232 pounds, Thomas delivered with a 41.5-inch vertical jump and he also stood out in other drills including the broad jump.
Farrell’s take: Another former five-star for FSU like Sweat, Thomas showed off his fluid movement at the combine as well as his athleticism. A tall, rangy linebacker out of high school, he made a ton of plays and made things look easy. We had him as the No. 15 player in the nation for a reason, but he did have an underwhelming college career. His combine should keep him in the middle of the draft.
Recruiting: During a ceremony at his high school, Jefferson committed to Texas along with teammate DeAndre McNeal. Texas A&M and UCLA were Jefferson’s other finalists.
Combine buzz: Jefferson was solid and consistent through all the combine drills including an impressive 4.52 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He also had more bench reps (27) than Texas offensive lineman Connor Williams (26).
Farrell’s take: Jefferson had a solid combine for sure and moved himself into day two at the very least. He’s a reach for round one most likely, but now at least there’s a chance. In high school he was a downhill thumper who could also cover a lot of ground. After a rough start in the opener last year, he was excellent after that and all season so his film will back up his combine. He was a surefire five-star for us out of high school for all the reasons he showed at the combine.
Recruiting: Jacobs was ranked as a two-star linebacker coming out of and had been committed to Fresno State. The Badgers and Wake Forest among others were seriously considered before he made his decision.
Combine buzz: Among edge rushers, Jacobs ran the fastest 40 time at 4.48 seconds beating out Georgia’s Lorenzo Carter (4.5) and Sweat (4.53). He also performed well in the broad jump and bench press.
Farrell’s take: Jacobs was a two-star and under-recruited out of high school, in other words a typical Wisconsin find. Few schools do better at finding guys like Jacobs, whose only other offers were from non-Power Five programs. He was a big kid out of high school but didn’t move that well and might have had to move to defensive end. He could run, but he was very raw. Now he’s moving up the draft boards.
Recruiting: While on his official visit to Louisville in December, Alexander flipped his commitment from South Carolina to the Cardinals.
Combine buzz: There have been questions about Alexander because he’s been plagued by injuries but his testing numbers in Indianapolis were phenomenal and he could quickly move way up draft boards. Across the board, his numbers were exceptional.
Farrell’s take: Alexander had a rough year this past season but had an amazing combine as his testing and on-field performance were on point. A skinny cornerback out of a newer school in North Carolina, Alexander was a mid-three-star recruit who started to emerge a bit at the end of the rankings cycle out of high school. In high school, he never showed the ability to dominate as he had done after two full seasons of college football, but his film this past season will be interesting for scouts to watch. No matter what, he helped himself.
Recruiting: Considered a strong LSU lean, Brown committed to Alabama at the Under Armour All-America Game. Texas and USC were also in the running.
Combine buzz: Deion Sanders had plenty of compliments for Brown at the combine especially after he clocked in at 4.35 seconds in the 40. He was also solid during the on-field drills.
Farrell’s take: A former five-star out of high school and track star, it’s no surprise he put up great numbers. He struggled in college in solo coverage but there is no doubt he has ability. Out of high school, we loved his combination of size and speed and his willingness to tackle, but he had a less-than=stellar career compared to others on the Alabama team. He’s still a mid-rounder, but he certainly helped himself.
