The 2019 NFL Combine has now been completed and teams have now met with and watched players go through drills in Indianapolis. Which players saw their stock rise or drop this weekend at the combine? Here are the 2019 NFL Combine winners and losers.
Winners
DK Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
Metcalf was the talk of the NFL combine weekend for several reasons. Outside of a few on-field drills, he had a great weekend. He measured in at 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds, which is excellent for a wide receiver. In addition to this, he ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash. For a man of his size and stature, that shouldn’t be possible, but he got the job done. Metcalf did struggle with drills that tested his agility, but his stock rose because of his speed and size.
Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
Everyone was waiting to see how Murray measured for the weekend. He chose not to compete in drills and just do interviews and get measured. Murray checked in at 5-foot-10 and 1/8 and 207 pounds. He also had 9.5-inch hands. It was a major concern of NFL executives that Murray would measure in smaller than this. Now, Murray is rumored to be the number one overall pick.
Brian Burns, Edge, Florida State
One of the biggest concerns about Burns was that he was too skinny heading into the combine. He added weight before the combine to get up to 249 pounds. After getting his weight, the main concern was that Burns wouldn’t be able to move as quickly. He responded by running a 40-yard dash of 4.53 seconds and finishing the three-cone drill in 7.01 seconds. He has cemented his status as a first-round pick.
Devin White, LB, LSU
White was likely going to be the first linebacker selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, but was able to further prove his case this weekend in Indianapolis. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash time at the combine for a linebacker at 4.42 seconds. With his testing, size and speed, White should be selected in the top 10 of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Montez Sweat, Edge, Mississippi State
Haven't done the EDGE spider chart thread.
So obvi we're starting with Misssippi State EDGE Montez Sweat.
He was more of a Top 20 guy for me entering the Combine. Can't have him that low now.
Some will worry about a Jordan Willis comp, but I'm not doubting Sweat anymore pic.twitter.com/Is2cRjNAQn
— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) March 4, 2019
Sweat was a good pass rusher in college, but scouts are split on where he will be selected in the 2019 NFL Draft. Some think he is worthy of being selected in the mid-first round, while others think he should slide to the latter half of the first round. His day of on-field testing was highlighted by his 4.42 40-yard dash, but he had a good day all-around.
Miles Boykin, WR, Notre Dame
Not only did Boykin post a good 40-yard dash time at 4.42 seconds, he also had the best three-cone drill time out of wide receivers at 6.22 seconds. In addition, he led all receivers in the vertical jump at 43.5 inches. With his 6-foot-4 frame, Boykin can now count on being drafted earlier than he expected.
Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
Dillard was talked about as a potential first-rounder before heading to Indianapolis. He did not disappoint the executives watching him. He had the fastest three-cone drill out of offensive linemen, a solid 40-yard dash time and the longest broad jump. Dillard displayed speed, quickness and explosiveness through the drills and now should be ready to go in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Juan Thornhill, S, Virginia
Virginia’s best player in the 2019 NFL Draft class tested well in several categories on the final day of the 2019 NFL Combine. He ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash to go along with the longest broad jump out of the safeties at the combine. His 21 reps on the bench press also ranked second among safeties.
Losers
Jachai Polite, Edge, Florida
Interviews are a big part of the NFL Combine and Polite reportedly didn’t handle his interviews well. If multiple teams are saying he didn’t interview well, he will drop in the draft. He’ll have to interview with teams outside of the Combine to get his status as a first-round pick back.
Kendall Sheffield, CB, Ohio State
Sheffield tore his pec while doing the bench press, which is a similar injury that Billy Price had in 2018. While getting injured isn’t his fault, this did rob him of the chance to run the 40-yard dash, which could’ve helped his draft stock, as many thought he could be the fastest player in the draft class.
Elijah Holyfield, RB, Georgia
While Holyfield wasn’t one of the top running backs in the draft class, he still is a solid prospect. He ended up running the slowest 40-yard dash out of the half-backs at the NFL Combine (Alec Ingold is a fullback). At 4.78 seconds, there were already concerns about his breakaway speed, but now there are huge concerns. Luckily there is more to being a running back than straight line speed, as Holyfield did test well in the bench press.
Isaac Nauta, TE, Georgia
Nauta is another Georgia player that ran a slow 40-yard dash at 4.91 seconds. The former Bulldog had the worst vertical jump out of tight ends (29 inches), the slowest three-cone drill (7.45 seconds) and really only tested well on the bench press (19 reps). He also measured in a little short at 6-foot-3, which will make him one of the shorter tight ends in the class.
Isaiah Buggs, DL, Alabama
Oh dear Isaiah Buggs.
This is not what a spider chart should look like. He's shorter than what Alabama listed him at (which we already knew).
But these numbers are a surprise to me and another disappointing one. pic.twitter.com/iYD3sTnttQ
— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) March 4, 2019
Although Buggs wasn’t supposed to be the best tester in Indianapolis, he couldn’t have expected to test and measure as poorly as he did. He had short arms, bad jumping ability, quickness and strength all displayed over the weekend.
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