NFL Draft Combine: Defensive Player Performance Review

It’s that time of year when the NFL hopefuls dawn their multi-colored biker shorts and run around Lucas Oil Stadium.  There are always small things to gleam from the Combine, but keep in mind the proof is in the game tape.  Here are some thoughts for the defenders who stood out to me either in a good or bad way, listed by position in alphabetical order:

Defensive Linemen

Two of the higher ranked defensive linemen did not take part in the Combine.  Dee Ford, who had a fantastic Senior Bowl week, had some back related medical concerns.  When he got asked about it, let’s just say his confidence overflowed.  Stephen Tuitt’s foot fracture prevented him to compete as well.

Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
The most talked about defender runs well for a big man with a 4.53 40-yard dash.  He looked lean and muscular, jumped well, but did not do any of the football drills.  Most of the premier rookie quarterbacks didn’t do all the drills, so I am fine with Clowney choosing what he wanted to do in Indianapolis.  He is a DL1 in any fantasy format.

Scott Critchton, Oregon State
The former Beaver displayed a good motor, used his hands well, moves well laterally and has quick feet.  He presents value later in the draft both NFL and fantasy-wise.

Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh
His storyline just keeps on getting better from a standout season and Senior Bowl week to the Combine.  The talented, muscular defensive tackle has big legs and loose hips.  He is explosive off the line, has good balance and benched 225 lbs. 35 times which will come in handy maneuvering around offensive linemen.

Kony Ealy, Missouri
He looked thick, showed quick feet and has good balance.  I think he will be a better 4-3 defensive end as I don’t see him being able to cement the edge in a 3-4 scheme.

Ra’Shede Hageman, Minnesota
The defensive tackle is so tall (6′ 6″) for the position. He plays a bit too high and looks quite stiff in drills.  Perhaps he can be moved up and down the line, including defensive end, to maximize his leverage.

Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas
The son of Jim Jeffcoat looks to be a man without a position.  He had an injured plagued college career.  Jeffcoat is too thin at 247 lbs. to play defensive end and runs too upright with tight hips to play outside linebacker.  Maybe he could be a situational pass rusher, but he will need to bulk up to at least his dad’s playing weight of 275.

Timmy Jernigan, Florida State
The former Seminole uses his hands well, possesses a big trunk and is hard to move.  He has amazingly quick feet for his size, plays with leverage and uses good balance. Jernigan is another must for all defensive tackle leagues.

DaQuin Jones, Penn State
He is thick and moves well with a smoothness.  The defensive tackle is explosive off the ball, uses his hands to keep blockers away from his body and could be used in a pinch at defensive end.

Kareem Martin, North Carolina
This athletic defensive end moves quickly, gets small through the line and has loose hips. He did well against good competition in college and not many people are talking about him.  Martin could be a nice steal in your drafts.

Louis Nix, Notre Dame
He is a mountain of a man with a big belly and a bigger backside.  The defensive tackle moves well in tight spaces and uses his explosive, powerful hands to keep defenders away from his body.  Nix might be more of a space eater than a fantasy play maker, though.

Michael Sam, Missouri
The weight of the world looked upon him on Monday.  He has short area explosion, but has stiff hips.  Sam had a disappointing 4.91 40 time and did not look especially athletic.  He looks like a situational pass rusher who will need to play special teams early in his career.

Chris Smith, Arkansas
He was an impressive looking jacked-up monster.  Smith has quick feet, good balance and is very fluid moving around the field.  The defender looks more like an outside linebacker than a defensive end to me.

Linebackers

Only one linebacker of note, Shayne Skov, did not compete at all due to a calf strain according to his twitter account. Also Ryan Shazier did not run or partake in any football drills, but did jump and bench.

Anthony Barr, UCLA
The former running back/wide receiver has the speed, explosion and quick lateral agility that you want in a defender.  He just doesn’t look all that comfortable as a defender yet.  I think he will become a fantastic player in the NFL and on your dynasty squad, but it is going to take time.

Chris Borland, Wisconsin
He’s short for his position, but he makes up for it with power and quick feet.  There are few athletes who are deserving of the term “explosive in a phone booth,” but that is Borland.  He isn’t the fastest in the 40, but can move around or through blockers to get to the ball carrier.  Borland will be a terrific middle or weak side linebacker.

Max Bullough, Michigan State
First he gets suspended for the Rose Bowl, then he shows up heavy for the Shrine Game and now he looks stiff and slow at the Combine.  I am dropping him in my rankings.

Christian Jones, Florida State
This muscular linebacker shows fluidity, has quick hips and uses a good combination of punches and swim moves in the drills.

Khalil Mack, Buffalo
The former Buffalo Bull has a very explosive lower body and has a very muscular build.  He looked a bit stiff at times, but rallied in pass coverage drills.  The outside linebacker did nothing to undermine him as my number two rated defender behind Clowney.

CJ Mosley, Alabama
He looked long and lean, but did not run the 40 yard dash.  Mosley has good agility, quicks and is very fluid.  I get more of a Troy Polamalu vibe from him than a Mike Singletary one. Regardless of what position he fills, Mosley is an impact player.

Trent Murphy, Stanford
I liked him better at the Senior Bowl.  Murphy looked skinny, had small legs and tight hips.  The decision for him to cut weight to get faster made him less powerful.  His value will rest entirely on what team selects him.

Telvin Smith, Florida State
A razor-thin linebacker doesn’t work in the NFL.  Yes, Smith is fast, fluid and looks great in defensive passing drills, but so do safeties.

Jordan Tripp, Montana
One of my favorite players from Mobile had a good Combine.  He has good vision, shows lateral quickness and good speed.  Tripp looked right at home with the nation’s best.

Kyle Van Noy, BYU
The athletic linebacker can play anywhere: inside, outside, middle.  He shows high effort and uses good technique to disengage from blockers with either a strong punch or swim move.

Defensive Backs

All the defensive backs were there save for safety Jimmie Ward who had a foot injury and was not allowed to compete in Indianapolis.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama
He looked more like a free safety than a cornerback.  He is fluid, has loose hips and breaks well on the ball.

Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State
The former Spartan is explosive and has good hands.  He is a physical corner who will not out run receivers, instead he will cover them closely with strength and position. Dennard might not be a great DB1/CB1.

Pierre Desir, Lindenwood
He is long and lean. Desir tracks the ball well, flips his hips and has quick feet.  This small school prospect should find a home on a defensively starved team.

Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech
This corner looked very smooth as he doesn’t have any wasted motion.  He has loose hips and quick feet that help him adjust to quicker receivers. I would expect he will see a lot of targets year one, making him a great CB2.

Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State
He might be the gem of his class.  Gilbert is thickly built, runs well (4.37 40 yard time) and has a low center of gravity.  The young corner is also a returner with good hands, so keep an eye out for him in leagues that reward return yardage.

Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska
This defensive back is quite big for his position and plays quite physically.  He is a former wide receiver with only 18 games as a corner. Jean-Baptiste has great hands and can sky for the ball. I’m not sure if he would be a better corner or a safety.

Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State
He wasn’t as fast as I had thought, but he adjusts well to the ball in the air.  Joyner isn’t afraid to fight for the ball and breaks on the ball quickly.

Calvin Pryor, Louisville
This defensive back also ran a bit slow at 4.58.  He has loose hips and is quite fluid in his movements.  Pryor seemed a little out of his element to me.  He might be a little of a work in progress.

Bradley Roby, Ohio State
The former Buckeye corner is very athletic, has good vision and adjusts quickly to the ball.  He ran a good 40 time of 4.39 and has the biggest legs of any of the defensive backs.  I’m not sure if he is a true CB1, but he can be one of the best from this class.

Jason Verrett, TCU
He was one of the fastest (he ran a 4.38 40) at his position.  While he isn’t the tallest corner, Verrett is an ideal slot corner with quick feet that breaks quickly on the ball.  The high effort corner is explosive, but always under control on the field.  He may be overlooked in some leagues, but he should see plenty of time early with his ball skills.

For further questions or comments, please contact me on twitter @AndrewMiley