Tag: 2022 NFL Scouting Combine

Ross felt his ‘time was up’ at Clemson, believes his NFL ceiling is ‘through the roof’

After four years at Clemson, and three seasons on the field, Justyn Ross decided it was the right time to move on. So in January, following his redshirt junior season in 2021, the former Tigers’ star wide receiver declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. “I …

After four years at Clemson, and three seasons on the field, Justyn Ross decided it was the right time to move on.

So in January, following his redshirt junior season in 2021, the former Tigers’ star wide receiver declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.

“I just felt like my time was up,” Ross said to the media at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week. “I felt like I did a lot for Clemson, and I felt like they did a lot for me, too. So, I felt like my time was up.”

Ross indeed did a lot for Clemson from 2018-21, including helping lead the Tigers to a national title as a freshman in 2018 with game highs in receptions (six) and receiving yards (153) and a 74-yard touchdown in the national championship game vs. Alabama.

He missed the 2020 season but still concluded his career as a Tiger ranked tied for fifth in Clemson history in career receiving touchdowns (20), 10th in career receiving yards (2,379) and 11th in career receptions (158).

If you ask Ross, he believes his size, strength, route-running ability and hands will all translate well to the NFL, and that his ceiling at the next level is sky high.

“I feel like I can go through the roof,” he said. “I feel like I can go through the roof with everything, just because of my ability and my size and everything that I come with.”

Ross missed the final three games of last season with a foot injury. He had been dealing with a stress fracture since before the season started, and aggravated it in the first quarter of the UConn game on Nov. 13 while being tackled at the tail end of a reception.

Of course, Ross also missed all of the 2020 season after undergoing spinal fusion surgery that spring. However, he made an inspiring comeback from the career-threatening spinal condition and was named as one of two recipients of the ACC’s Brian Piccolo Award, which is presented annually to the conference’s most courageous player(s), after leading the Tigers in receptions (46) and receiving yards (514) in 2021.

From a health standpoint right now, the former five-star prospect from Phenix City, Ala., says he feels like the player he was prior to the injuries when he burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2018 with 46 receptions for a team-leading 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games.

“I feel like I’m back to that old Justyn,” he said. “Even with this year, I was dealing with a lot, just playing through an injured foot and everything like that. So, I feel like I’m back to that old me.”

While Ross was medically cleared to participate in the NFL Combine, he didn’t take part in on-field workouts and instead only did the bench press in addition to going through interviews and medical evaluations.

Ross said he feels “100 percent right now” and plans to do everything at Clemson’s Pro Day on March 17. He isn’t sure how much his injury history will affect his draft stock — he has been projected as a fourth-round pick by some pundits — but is confident that whichever team calls his name in the 2022 NFL Draft in late April will be glad they did.

“I don’t really try to worry about it too much,” Ross said of his draft projections. “I know somebody is going to take a chance and get me, and it’s going to be worth their while.”

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

–Video courtesy of Pittsburgh Sports Live

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2022 NFL Scouting Combine: Biggest winners from Saturday’s workouts

Which prospects made themselves the most money at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday?

The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine continued Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, as the defensive linemen and linebackers took the field in front of all 32 teams.

Here are a handful of prospects who helped their draft stock during Saturday’s testing and on-field workouts:

7 Chargers targets who stood out on Days 2 and 3 of 2022 NFL Scouting Combine

Highlighting a few players on Days 2 and 3 of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine who should have caught the attention of the Chargers.

We are approaching the final day of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, where the defensive backs will take the field.

Before we look towards that, I want to rewind to the past two days to highlight a few prospects who stood out that could be on the Chargers’ radar.

Let’s take a look at seven in particular.

RB Pierre Strong, South Dakota State

I know Chargers fans won’t be thrilled with the idea of taking a running back after the Larry Rountree and Joshua Kelley, who were taken the past two years, have not panned out. However, with eight picks on Day 3, they might add yet another back, and Strong would make sense. At 5-foot-11 and 202 pounds, Strong recorded the fastest 40 time of the day at 4.37. His explosiveness also stood out, as he posted a 36-inch vertical jump. On the field, Strong was shifty with foot quickness and showed solid burst in the open field. Overall, he has the vision, speed, and pass-catching ability to crack into the No. 2 role potentially.

OT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa

The Chargers will likely be in the market for a right tackle, as Bryan Bulaga is a potential cap casualty and the last game of the season against the Raiders, where Justin Herbert was under constant duress, showed that Storm Norton is not the long-term answer. Therefore, they could resolve this with a cheap free agent signing and a Day 2 pick, like Penning. We knew Penning was a mauler with a nasty mean streak from his showing at the Senior Bowl. But he also showed the athleticism Los Angeles is looking for. At 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds, Penning notched a 4.89 40 and 7.25 three-cone. Further, he was silky smooth in the drills, showing the ability to mirror and pull out into space.

OT Abraham Lucas, Washington State

Lucas started 42 games for the Cougars and did not allow a single sack this past season. At 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, Lucas posted elite times on the 40-yard dash (4.92), 3-cone (7.25) and 20-yard shuttle (4.40). On the field, Lucas was agile and fluid in his kick-slide and redirect ability and showed nice pop in his hands with the bag.

DL Jordan Davis, Georgia

Davis and the Chargers has been the perfect marriage to many media members and fans up to this point, given their desperate need to fix the run defense. However, there’s now a possibility that might not even come to fruition after Davis made himself a lot of money with his eye-popping performance. Coming in at 6-foot-6 and 341 pounds, Davis ran an eyebrow-raising 4.78 40 and 1.68 10-yard split. Let me repeat that. A 4.78 40-yard dash and 1.68 10-yard split at 341 pounds is believed to be one of the fastest times for a player that size in the event’s history. Moments later, Davis posted a broad jump of 10-foot-3.

DL Travis Jones, UConn

Now, if either Davis is not available at No. 17 or the Chargers just choose to go with a different player altogether there, Jones could be just as good, if not, better value in the second round. Jones finished with a 4.92 40 and a 1.76 10-yard split at 326 pounds. Further, he looked smooth in the positional drills, especially in the Figure 8.

EDGE David Ojabo, Michigan

I felt like there was a decent chance that Ojabo would be on the board when the Chargers pick in the first round, but that may be a pipedream after Saturday. Nonetheless, Ojabo’s explosiveness was on display, as he posted 4.55 40, 35-inch vertical, 10-foot-2 broad jump, and 4.45 shuttle. While he only has a one-year sample size and he needs to further refine his game against the run, Ojabo has the traits that you’re willing to bet on to become a premier player at the next level.

EDGE Amare Barno, Virginia Tech

In a loaded edge defender class, Barno flew under the radar. But that’s no longer the case after testing. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 246 pounds with 34-inch arms, the ideal measurements of a player that Brandon Staley covets at the position, Barno posted some freakish numbers of a 4.36 40, 1.54 10-yard split, 37-inch vertical and 10-foot-11 broad jump. While still a bit of a project, Barno has the athletic traits that could see him become a good defender in the NFL eventually.

Spector’s 40-yard dash time at NFL Combine

Former Clemson linebacker Baylon Spector ran the 40-yard dash on Saturday night, when linebackers went through on-field drills at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Spector recorded an unofficial time of 4.64 on his …

Former Clemson linebacker Baylon Spector ran the 40-yard dash on Saturday night, when linebackers went through on-field drills at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Spector recorded an unofficial time of 4.64 on his lone 40-yard dash attempt.

A two-year starter at weakside linebacker in 2020-21 after spending several seasons as a key reserve, Spector finished his Clemson career (2017-21) credited with 210 career tackles (22.0 for loss), 9.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, three pass breakups and an interception over 53 games (21 starts).

The Calhoun, Ga., native ranked second on Clemson’s defense in 2021 with 85 tackles, recording 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a pass breakup, an interception, a forced fumble in 11 games (10 starts).

The 2022 NFL Draft will take place April 28-30 in Las Vegas.

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Booth updates injury status, talks meetings with NFL teams

Former Clemson cornerback and potential first-round draft pick Andrew Booth Jr. met with the media on Saturday at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Booth gave an update on his injury status after straining his quad a few days ago while …

Former Clemson cornerback and potential first-round draft pick Andrew Booth Jr. met with the media on Saturday at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Booth gave an update on his injury status after straining his quad a few days ago while training for the 40-yard dash.

Although Booth won’t be participating in on-field drills at the combine due to the injury, the 2021 first-team All-ACC performer “hopes” to do everything at Clemson’s Pro Day on March 17, according to ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid.

Booth also discussed other topics, such as which NFL teams he has met with or is scheduled to meet with at the combine, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots.

Booth tallied 39 tackles (3.0 for loss), five pass breakups and a team-high three interceptions in 11 games (all starts) as a junior last season.

The 2022 NFL Draft will take place in Vegas from April 28-30.

–Photo for this article courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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Would the Bears trade Khalil Mack to acquire more draft capital?

The Bears are in need of more draft capital. Could GM Ryan Poles look to deal Khalil Mack to add more picks?

The Chicago Bears have some pressing needs this offseason and not a whole lot of draft capital to address them. New general manager Ryan Poles inherited just five draft selections, and he’ll be without a first-round pick.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Poles said that he’d be “open minded” about acquiring more draft capital, which could include trading down in the draft. It could also include trading an impact player currently on the roster.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune said there was some discussion at the NFL Combine about whether Khalil Mack could be on the trade block. After all, the best way to acquire more draft capital would be to trade a player in demand.

“Paying down part of that could help them get a better return,” Biggs told 670 the Score. “I talked to one guy right at the end of the season and said, ‘Boy, if they tried to trade Mack, what do you think they could get?’ And he’s like, ‘I don’t know, he’s been banged up, he’s still obviously excellent when healthy.’ And the guy thought maybe a second-round pick and then the Bears and whoever they’re trading him to could maybe haggle over a late-round pick to be part of the package too.

“And then I talked to a guy the other night here in Indianapolis and he thought if the Bears were in a position where they’d pay down part of the deal that maybe, possibly it could sort of match the template that was used in the Von Miller deal between Denver and LA. But there could be a team that values Khalil Mack more. I don’t think the Bears are in a spot where they’re going to get a first-round pick back for Khalil Mack. I could be wrong, but that’s just my assessment of the situation right now. And who knows? Maybe Matt Eberflus wants to make him the centerpiece of this new 43 scheme.

“If you got a second- and a third-rounder for him, just hypothetically speaking, now the Bears would have two second-round picks and two third-round picks and you’d feel better about their chance to get some guys who could come in and help them get this thing rolling.”

Former Bears GM Ryan Pace traded two first-round picks, among others, to the Las Vegas Raiders for Mack back in 2018, and he’s been a pillar of Chicago’s defense ever since. But given Mack’s $30.2 million cap hit in 2022, the Bears could free up $17.8 million in cap space with a post-June 1 trade.

At the same time, you have to wonder if the Bears would be willing to trade someone like Mack, who they could build Matt Eberflus’ defense around. Then again, the time to trade Mack would be now.

Following Mack’s dominant 2018 campaign, he’s failed to live up to that performance in the three years that followed. He’s failed to eclipse 10 sacks on the season while Robert Quinn set a new single-season franchise sack record with 18.5 last year.

Mack played just seven games last season after suffering a foot injury that required season-ending surgery. In fact, Mack has been banged up for a good portion of the season for the last few years. But when he’s healthy, he’s been dominant.

The Bears could certainly trade Mack to acquire a second-round and late-round selection. But that decision falls on Poles.

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13 prospects to watch for Chiefs on Day 3 of combine workouts

Day 3 of the on-field drills at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine features defensive linemen and linebackers. Here are some prospects to watch for the #Chiefs:

The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine continues on Saturday with more on-field drills and workouts. You can watch the defensive linemen and linebackers work out from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. CT on NFL Network.

The Kansas City Chiefs have the unique task of adding some young contributors who can help this team get back to the Super Bowl after falling short in 2021. They managed to snag three key contributors (Nick Bolton, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith) across the 2021 NFL draft just a season ago. Can they add more instant impact players through the 2022 NFL draft?

Keep an eye on the following players from the three positions groups working out on Friday. A standout performance could put any number of those players squarely on the radar for Brett Veach and company.

Former Tiger talks Goodwin, Renfrow at NFL Combine

Baylon Spector met with the media Friday at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The former Clemson linebacker talked about the Tigers’ new defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, Wes Goodwin. While Spector played most of his Clemson …

Baylon Spector met with the media Friday at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

The former Clemson linebacker talked about the Tigers’ new defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, Wes Goodwin.

While Spector played most of his Clemson career (2017-21) for former Tigers’ defensive coordinator Brent Venables, Goodwin made a great impression on Spector during the short time they spent together prior to the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl vs. Iowa State.

“Obviously, I loved Coach V, but Wes is great, too,” Spector said. “I only had one game with him, but from the couple weeks that we had for the bowl game, I enjoyed it. I mean, he’s Wes — I don’t know how to describe him. He’s super quiet, very smart, very intelligent, is going to do a great job with the players. I advise all players to get to know him because he’s a great guy, super funny. I enjoy the heck out of him. They’re going to do great, and I wish him the best of luck.”

Spector was also asked about Clemson legend and current Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, who played with Spector at Clemson in 2017 and 2018.

“Hunter’s a great guy, a great teammate,” Spector said, via Mario Tovar. “We played golf together and he’s a fun guy to be around.”

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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2022 scouting combine: Who stood out among the offensive linemen in Friday’s drills?

Friday was the day for the offensive linemen to get on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. Which linemen stood out at the scouting combine?

Remember Thursday night at the scouting combine, when the receivers were running all kinds of crazy 40 times, and it held up fairly well even when the times were made official? That extended to Friday’s offensive line drills, when we saw a display of pure speed from the big men we’ve never seen before.

There were six linemen with official sub-5.0 40-yard dash times in the first group, and six in the second. The previous record was six, and there were 11 sub-4.5 40-yard dashes overall in the last three combines.

The 10-yard splits were just as impressive, meaning that we have a group of offensive linemen who can get on the hoof to a highly impressive degree. Many of those linemen also looked great in the position drills, with natural movement and agility.

NFL teams should be going away from these drills excited about the talent available in the 2022 draft, and that’s without two of the best linemen — Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal and Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum — choosing to pass on the activities for now.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to skip NFL combine appearance due to ‘medical issue’

The 79-year-old “is going to be fine,” but won’t appear in Indianapolis during a week when the team is surrounded by questions. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Jerry Jones’s lengthy sit-down with select Dallas media members on the Cowboys’ massive team-branded tour bus, parked streetside in Indianapolis, has become one of the mainstays of the NFL scouting combine. Never one to shy away from a hot mic, the billionaire owner typically opens up the floor and covers a wide range of topics with his quirky wit, making his combine presser a headline event, even with a who’s who of the entire league milling around the Circle City.

But not this year, for reasons that are, oddly enough for the Cowboys, vague and unspecified.

Jones, 79, will not be speaking with reporters at this year’s combine due to a “medical issue,” according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.

Jerry’s son Stephen is the team’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. He handled the task of speaking with the media on Monday as team personnel and over 300 college prospects were just descending on the Indiana capital for the combine.

Jerry last made news on February 25, when he made his first on-the-record comments regarding the Rich Dalrymple voyeurism scandal that surfaced last month. Speaking one-on-one with a Dallas NBC reporter, Jones maintained that it was “in the best interest of the organization” to come to a confidential $2.4 million settlement with four cheerleaders after the ex-PR man was accused of spying on them in a changing room.

Prior to that, Jones made an unscheduled call-in to a Dallas radio station on January 28 in an attempt to clear the air about his team’s coaching staff. He gave a rather convoluted explanation of the silence that was then surrounding head coach Mike McCarthy’s future, saying it was all part of a master plan to keep defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on the payroll.

That Jones took heat for his tone in both interviews certainly comes to mind upon the revelation that he will now opt out of speaking to a room full of journalists this week in Indianapolis. Both aforementioned topics have already come up for other Cowboys representatives in recent days.

On Monday, Stephen Jones was asked about ESPN’s report on the cheerleader settlement; he responded by saying, “I think Jerry has addressed it, and I really don’t have anything to add.”

And during a Tuesday press conference, McCarthy was asked about the rumors of Sean Payton waiting in the wings to be the next Cowboys coach. McCarthy told media members, “It’s a narrative I don’t want to be a part of.”

Jones himself apparently won’t be facing direct questions about either of those items- or any other Cowboys topics, for that matter- this week at the combine.

While it’s not known what the medical issue is that’s preventing Jerry Jones from addressing reporters in Indianapolis, ESPN notes that he was present at a Wednesday news conference promoting an upcoming boxing event at AT&T Stadium.

Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News and Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram both report that Jones is also working on some unknown project with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that is keeping him from making his usual combine appearance.

Stephen Jones tells Hill that his father “is going to be fine.”

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