The defensive linemen and linebackers took the field at the NFL combine in Indianapolis on Saturday night, running the 40-yard dash and going through other positional drills. Both are positions of need for the Rams in the draft, especially with Dante Fowler Jr., Cory Littleton and Michael Brockers hitting free agency.
So how did some of the Rams’ potential targets perform? A bunch of prospects didn’t participate in certain drills like the 40-yard dash and three-cone drill, either due to injury or personal preference – including Akeem Davis-Gaither, Troy Dye, Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche – but there were some standouts.
Here’s how those players did on Saturday at the NFL combine.
DE A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
Epenesa came to the combine as a tweener between edge rusher and defensive lineman, but after his workout, it’s safe to say he should stick at the latter. He ran a 5.04 40-yard dash at 275 pounds and only put up 17 reps on the bench press, with a 32.5-inch vertical and 7.34-second three-cone drill. He’d fit nicely for the Rams at defensive end if his stock slides enough and he adds some weight.
DE Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
Madabuike ran an impressive 4.83 in the 40 and benched 225 pounds 31 times. His three-cone drill at 7.37 seconds was also solid for a man his size (6-3, 293 pounds), making him an intriguing prospect at defensive end for the Rams.
DE Raekwon Davis, Alabama
There’s a pretty good chance Davis comes off the board before the Rams can have a chance to draft him, but he should be high on L.A.’s list if a slide occurs. At 311 pounds, he ran a 5.12 40-yard dash and had 24 reps on the bench – neither of which are overly impressive. His agility scores in the three-cone and 20-yard shuttle left plenty to be desired, too. But his 111-inch broad showed good explosiveness and he has excellent length.
NT Leki Fotu, Utah
Fotu is a hulking nose tackle at 330 pounds and he ran a 5.15 40-yard dash with 21 reps on the bench press. He didn’t do any other testing but his size and power alone could get him drafted on Day 2.