Tag: 2022 NFL Scouting Combine

Winners, Losers from WR, TE workouts at 2022 scouting combine

Day 1 of the combine allowed the Cowboys to get their eyes on TE and WR prospects. Tyler Browning (@DiabeticTyler) looks at who exceeded or failed to live up to expectations.

Every year NFL Draft prospects and teams gather in Indianapolis, Indiana for the NFL combine. The combine is a crucial part of the evaluating process in which teams get to interview players who weren’t at any of the all-star games, and get to see various players perform in on-the-field workouts. On the first day of on-the-field workouts, quarterbacks, tight ends, and wide receivers performed as well as all other positions getting their official measurements.

This is an integral part of the process, as colleges routinely fudge the weights and heights of their players in order to make them seem more intimidating. So who saw their stock rise after weigh-ins? Who out of the quarterbacks, tight ends, and wide receivers performed well enough to be the talk of Indianapolis after Day 1? Let’s talk about that.

Injury to keep former Tiger out of combine workouts

One of Clemson’s invitees to the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine and a widely projected first-round pick in this year’s draft won’t be doing on-field drills at the combine. Defensive backs are scheduled to do on-field drills Sunday, but former Tiger …

One of Clemson’s invitees to the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine and a widely projected first-round pick in this year’s draft won’t be doing on-field drills at the combine.

Defensive backs are scheduled to do on-field drills Sunday, but former Tiger cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. won’t be participating in them after injuring his quad a few days ago while training for the 40-yard dash, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Clemson will hold its Pro Day on March 17, so it remains to be seen if Booth will be able to work out on the field at that time.

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. A few of the latest mock drafts projected Booth to be picked by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, which will take place in Vegas from April 28-30.

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Michigan EDGE David Ojabo would love to play with Chargers’ Joey Bosa

The Chargers could look to add a high-level pass rusher in this year’s draft.

The Chargers will be looking to solidify the edge defender position this offseason.

With Uchenna Nwosu and Kyler Fackrell pending free agents, Joey Bosa and Chris Rumph II are the only two currently on the roster.

While Nwosu has earned a contract extension with the team, and the chances of him returning are relatively high, this is a league where you can’t have too many pass rushers.

Further, Los Angeles ranked 19th in pressure rate overall, and on third-and-longs, they ranked 25th in pressure rate, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

Should the Bolts choose to address the position in the draft, Michigan’s David Ojabo could be a target.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Ojabo said that he met with the Chargers, adding high praise for Bosa. “Joey Bosa is a great player, so I would love to be surrounded by greatness.”

Wreaking havoc opposite the potential No. 1 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson, Ojabo posted 11 sacks and five forced fumbles in his final season for the Wolverines.

While he needs to get stronger to consistently hold up against the run, Ojabo is long and flexible with explosiveness off the snap, lateral agility, and closing burst to get after the quarterback at a high level.

Now set to test in various drills on Saturday, look for Ojabo to show off his elite athleticism. Per The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, he is expected to run the 40 in the low 4.5s and vertical jump in the high 30s.

Why wide receivers at the NFL Combine could be skipping the 3 cone drill en masse

Where are all the wide receivers?

The three cone drill was probably never all that popular with spectators to begin with, but as it turns out, it’s losing popularity with one particular position group too.

For the third straight year of the NFL Scouting Combine, the number of wide receivers who participated in the drill saw a decline, according to Sharp Football Analysis’ Rich Hribar. As a result, the number of wide receivers with a sub-7.00 second run dropped for a fifth straight year.

For context, the record for fasted 3 cone at the combine is 6.42 seconds by wide receiver Jeff Maehl. However, as explained here, the 3 cone is thought to be particularly helpful in evaluating pass rushers.

Apparently wide receivers got the memo.

Just 13 of 40 wideouts participated in the 3 cone on Thursday. And only Notre Dame’s Kevin Austin Jr. and Rutgers’ Bo Melton did it under 7.00 seconds. That comes as a whole group of receivers ran blazing 40-yard dash times — could that mean they’re concentrating more on speed?

If the trend continues, there won’t be any receivers doing the 3 cone in the near future.

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Ohio State receivers Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave just second pair of teammates to run sub 4.4 time at NFL Combine

This is an impressive stat and trump card for the wide receiver position at Ohio State. #GoBucks

In case you missed any of the exploits at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday, we’re here to tell you that the receivers took their turn in the sun in Indianapolis. That means that Ohio State receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson were put in front of the cameras for NFL scouts and executives with one of the events being the 40-yard dash.

It might be the most popular test at the combine because everyone loves speed, and if that’s the case, then Olave and Wilson only improved their draft stock with both of them running sub 4.4 times.

It’s not every day that you get teammates running times that fast, and in fact, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, it’s only the second time since 2006 that two receiver teammates ran sub-4.4 times.

That’s awfully impressive. What might be of interest to you and even more impressive is that the only other time was also from two teammates from Ohio State when Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin pulled off the same feat.

Are you reading what we’re putting out there top receiving prospects? Ohio State is the place for speed when it comes to the wide receiver position. Speed kills, sells, and makes guys lots of money at the highest level.

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WATCH: Garrett Wilson runs extremely fast 40-time

BREAKING: Garrett Wilson is pretty fast.

The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine is underway in Indianapolis and there are plenty of Ohio State players being poked, prodded, and timed. Yesterday, Buckeye receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson had their turn to be put under the spotlight and they lit up the place, especially with their 40-times.

Olave originally put up a 4.26 time that was adjusted officially to 4.39, but Wilson put up an even faster time. We’ve got the video of Wilson for your craving and need for speed that you can watch thanks to the NFL’s official Twitter account.

Click below and watch Wilson blaze down the track for that holy grail of a sub 4.4 forty time.

What’s amazing is that not only can Wilson play on the outside with this speed, but he has the route running and burst to get free in the slot as well. We saw that in 2020 when he was OSU’s main inside receiver. That’s going to play awfully well with NFL scouts and executives.

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WATCH: Chris Olave puts down blazing 40-time at NFL Combine

Did you know Olave was this fast? Even with the adjusted time?

If you are an NFL draft junkie, there’s no doubt you are glued to your television set or streaming device this week. And if you want to combine that with your love affair for the colors scarlet and gray, then yesterday and the rest of the week should be fun out in Indianapolis. That’s because the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine is taking place and there are plenty of Ohio State players showing off for the upcoming 2022 NFL draft.

And, as fate would have it, the wide receivers had a little fun on Thursday in Lucas Oil Stadium. That, of course, meant that OSU receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson were literally on the clock. One of the most-followed activities is the 40-yard dash, and the receivers have been known to put up the fastest times historically.

Olave has been known to be a smooth route runner that can take the top off of defenses and we have video of Olave’s blistering 4.39 40-time. Everyone was wowed initially by an unofficial time of 4.26, but that was adjusted to a little “slower” official time.

Olave has always gotten credit for his smooth route running and ability to take the top off of defenses, but he never really got the credit for his top-end speed. This showing should put that to rest.

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Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

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2022 NFL Combine: Defensive backs the Bears should be watching

The secondary is a big need for the Bears this offseason. Here are 10 defensive backs they should keep an eye on at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The NFL draft season is officially upon us, and the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine has begun.

The Bears have many needs and currently just five draft selections to work with, which doesn’t give new general manager Ryan Poles a lot of wiggle room.

The Bears have a need at defensive back, both with the switch from a Cover 3 defense to a Cover 2 under new head coach Matt Eberflus and after the poor performance from the secondary in 2021. Here are 10 defensive backs the Bears should be watching at the NFL Combine this week:

NFL draft analyst likes Malik Willis’ fit with Commanders

And he believes Willis could play soon for the Commanders.

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The 2022 NFL combine is here, and it’s no surprise that Liberty quarterback Malik Willis is winning over NFL teams. The dual-threat passer with a big-time arm will go in the first round of April’s 2022 NFL draft, but the question is, how high?

The Washington Commanders desperately need a quarterback, and it doesn’t like they’ll land a superstar via trade. That leaves free agency and the draft. And we all know franchise quarterbacks don’t hit free agency, so you look for the passer who has the highest ceiling. As for the draft, it is the best option to find a franchise quarterback.

Don’t let what some are saying about the 2022 class of quarterbacks fool you. Sure, there may not be a consensus No. 1 overall QB in the class, but there is potential in several of these passers, especially Willis.

General manager Martin Mayhew was present at one of Willis’ college games. Mayhew got a close look at Willis and likes what he sees from all indications. Then, there is head coach Ron Rivera. Rivera has praised Willis, the player, and the person.

Could Washington select Willis at No. 11 or even move up in the draft to ensure it lands the talented passer?

Lance Zierlein is a draft analyst for NFL. com and does an excellent job of evaluating draft prospects every year — specifically quarterbacks. Zierlein recently named seven teams who could draft Willis in the first round, even offering odds on that team selecting Willis.

Zierlein ranked Pittsburgh and Washington as the top contenders to select Willis at 20% each. Here’s what he said about Willis to Washington:

This one really makes a lot of sense. Cam Newton was the dual-threat quarterback who helped current Washington head coach Ron Rivera get to a Super Bowl with a 15-1 record in Carolina in 2015. Commanders offensive coordinator Scott Turner was with Newton and the Panthers as a quality control assistant in 2011-12 and as a quarterbacks coach in 2018-19. Both Rivera and Turner will understand how a dual-threat quarterback can win games in a variety of ways on any given Sunday. Washington runs a decent dose of RPOs and play-action out of three-wideout sets, and both numbers could take a jump with Willis at the helm. Of all the teams on this list, Washington might be the one uniquely positioned to hand over the keys to the offense earlier than expected.

We are a long way from the draft. Free-agency hasn’t even started, which means a significant trade or free-agent signing could change Washington’s perspective in the draft. However, the smoke of Willis and Washington seems too strong to ignore.

Remember, if the Commanders sign a quarterback in free agency, it means nothing in terms of the draft. Washington will take a quarterback somewhere in the draft, regardless of which veteran the team acquires.

Winners from Day 1 of 2022 NFL Scouting Combine

Highlighting the quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends who made themselves money at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine began in primetime at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis with tight ends, quarterbacks, and wide receivers taking the field.

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