On Thursday afternoon, the on-field testing portion of the NFL combine began with the defensive linemen and linebackers.
Among the two biggest winners on Thursday were Northwestern defensive end Adetomiwa Adebawore and Georgia defensive end Nolan Smith.
Adebawore, at 6-foot-2 and 282-pounds, ran an impressive 4.49 40-yard dash including a 1.61 10-yard split. For defensive linemen, the 10-yard split is arguably more important than the 40-yard dash, as their game is built on explosiveness at the line of scrimmage and the ability to get at the quarterback, which is usually well within 10 yards. For comparison, an ideal 10-yard split for a defensive lineman is 1.72 a,s, noted by NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah at the beginning of the testing on Thursday.
During four years on the field for the Wildcats, Adebawore recorded 97 tackles including 24.5 tackles for a loss and 12.5 sacks. This past season, he had a career year in all categories with 38 total tackles, nine tackles for a loss, and five sacks. He also recorded one pass deflection and two forced fumbles.
Georgia’s Nolan Smith, a more well-known prospect coming into the combine, also impressed greatly.
The 6-foot-2, 238-pound former five-star prospect wowed scouts and fans alike when he recorded a 4.39 official 40-yard dash which included an incredible 1.52 10-yard split.
Smith was never overly dominant for the Bulldogs, he still recorded a quality 110 career tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, and 12.5 sacks over his four years in Athens.
Other defensive ends that impressed included Tennessee’s Byron Young, who recorded a 4.43 40-yard dash, Georgia’s Robert Beal Jr, with a 4.48, and Oregon’s DJ Johnson, with a 4.49.
At defensive tackle, Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey, a projected first-round pick, only helped cement his status with a 4.67 40-yard dash, including a 1.64 10-yard split at 6-foot-1 and 281-pounds.
Kancey’s 40-yard dash time was by far the fastest, the next closest time being Oklahoma’s Jalen Redmond recording a 4.81. Overall, six defensive tackles who ran on Thursday recorded 40-yard dash times under five seconds, including West Virginia’s Dante Stills, Clemson’s Bryan Breese, Florida’s Gervon Dexter Sr, and South Carolina’s Zacch Pickens.
Finally, linebacker Auburn’s Owen Pappoe and Clemson’s Trenton Simpson were among the biggest standouts recording a 4.39 and 4.43 40-yard dash, respectively.
The combine will continue on Friday with defensive backs beginning testing at 3:00 p.m. ET. Quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends will test on Saturday starting at 1:00 p.m. before running backs and offensive linemen close out the weekend on Sunday, beginning at 1:00 p.m.
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