NFL Combine Primer
Editor’s Note: This is a Dynasty Scouts exclusive article. Remember, our Dynasty Scouts section focuses on the stars of tomorrow, with a laser focus on High School recruits and College players who look to have the talent to be future assets in dynasty leagues and have value today in devy leagues. Dynasty Scouts articles are found in our Premium Content.
The NFL Combine is this week and it’s a very exciting time for the fantasy football community. The annual “meat market” will measure everything from hand size to intelligence, leaving everyone two months to dissect the numbers and project futures for hundreds of young men. Here is everything you need to know as you sit back and enjoy the events of the next few days.
Schedule:
Quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers are the main concern for fantasy owners. Wednesday the players arrive in Indianapolis and get registered. Thursday is important because they will get measured in many ways, then go through medical examinations. The next day is very basic with the main action being the bench press. Saturday will get all of the attention as players go through the on field workouts and drills. You might also want to note that tight ends will be one day ahead of their skill position comrades, meaning their drills will all take place on Friday.
[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]
Measurements:
Players will be measured for height, weight, arm length, and hand size. This finally gives everyone the truth about a player and they can’t hide behind sizes posted by their college teams. Height is an important measurement for wide receivers and tight ends because it helps with catch radius. It can have the opposite effect for running backs because it gives more area for the defense to hit and takes away from suddenness. Weight is very important for running backs to sustain the pounding necessary at the NFL level. Strength is more important for wide receivers and tight ends, but weight is a determinant in that area. Hand size gives an indication of the player’s ability for catching, as well as holding onto the football. Arm length will help determine catch radius for purposes in fantasy football.
Some measurements to monitor at the combine include: Is Kevin White really 6’3”? He skipped the Senior Bowl and my guess is he’s shorter than he has been listed. Will Duke Johnson weight above 205 pounds? If he is below that weight, it will hurt his value. Is Melvin Gordon above 210 pounds? Gordon appears solid and I would guess he’s above that weight. How much does Ameer Abdullah weigh? His value is all over the board and a good weigh-in will help his value.
Medical Exams, Wonderlic test and Interviews:
These are all things that are kept private from the public but potentially have huge ramifications for value. Failed drug tests, hidden injuries, poor character flaws are exposed during this time. These things tend to leak out through the process, but some don’t come out until the draft unfolds.
40-yard dash:
The main event of the combine is a 40-yard sprint. Players will get blown dead if they aren’t set or if they have forward momentum, or “rolling.” The other good part about this drill is to see the 10 and 20 yard splits from players. The 40 yard dash measures speed, but the 10 and 20 yard splits measure acceleration. Players should be under 4.55 and likely in the 4.4 range to maintain their value. If a player is slower than a 4.6, their stock is crashing. On the contrary, if a player is under 4.4 their stock is going to be on the rise.
Here are some of my predictions for the Combine’s main event.
Players below a 4.45 40-yard dash will include: Gordon, Johnson, Amari Cooper, Sammie Coates, Nelson Algholor, Tyler Lockett, Phillip Dorsett and Devin Smith.
Players between a 4.5-4.45 40-yard dash will include: White, Jay Ajayi, Karlos Williams, Dorial Green-Beckham, DeVante Parker, Ty Montgomery and Stefon Diggs.
Players between a 4.55-4.5 40-yard dash will include: Abdullah, Tevin Coleman, Javorius Allen, Mike Davis and Breshad Perriman.
Players over a 4.55 40-yard dash will include: Jeremy Langford, Josh Robinson, David Cobb, Jaelen Strong and Vince Mayle.
Three cone drill:
This is a multiple part drill that starts with a five yard shuttle, followed by 20 yards total of sprinting while winding through cones. This is a very good drill to see a player’s short area explosiveness, balance, and flexibility. Great players will show smooth hips and stay low to the ground. I’d like to see players under 7 seconds in this drill.
20-yard short shuttle:
This event is basically two different five-yard shuttles combined with a player running a total of 20 yards. The 20-yard short shuttle measures change of direction, balance and acceleration. A time under 4.2 seconds is good, and less than 4.05 seconds is gold.
Broad jump:
The broad jump asks participants to complete one horizontal jump and they must stick the landing. This is an underrated drill because it’s a great measurement of overall explosiveness. Top end prospects should post over 10’5”, while a jump over 11’ would be considered superstar athleticism.
Vertical jump:
As its name states, this is ne vertical jump, reaching high above to measure explosiveness. If a player jumps over 35”, it is good, but a jump eclipsing 38” is excellent.
[/am4show]
Nick can be found on Twitter at @_NickWhalen
- Dynasty Capsule: Chicago Bears - February 1, 2017
- Dynasty 101: Trading - September 5, 2016
- Summer Sleeper: Chicago Bears - August 19, 2016
