Wirfs is a prime candidate for the Browns at No. 10 overall
If the Cleveland Browns value explosiveness in their offensive tackles, they’re going to love Tristan Wirfs. The Iowa right tackle posted one of the most explosive scouting combines in history for his position.
Wirfs set the combine record for offensive linemen with both his vertical and broad jumps. At 320 pounds, Wirfs showed off a 36.5-inch vertical jump and leapt 10 feet, 1 inch in the broad. His vertical was higher than more than 20 wide receivers that weigh over 100 pounds less than Wirfs!
Wirfs also ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.86 seconds. His 10-yard split of 1.69 is one of the fastest ever recorded for someone over 300 pounds.
All the athletic prowess in the world doesn’t necessarily make anyone a great football player. But Wirfs has the game tape to back it up, winning the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year honors while dominating foes in Iowa’s pro-friendly offense. In my own personal evaluations, Wirfs had the most consistent, most complete tape of any of the top tackle prospects.
Now he’s got the proven freak athleticism to back it up. Wirfs is one of the combine’s big winners and it should solidify him as a front-runner for the Browns first pick at No. 10 overall.
As a matter of perspective, there were 15 wide receivers who had better springs than Wirfs. The Hawkeye star had a higher leao than Oklahoma wide receiver Ceedee Lamb (34.5) and Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (35), among others.
He followed it up with a 10-foot-1-inch broad jump, which equaled the mark for an offensive lineman at the NFL Scouting Combine.
In 2019, Wirfs, who is projected as a mid-first rounder by Draftwire.com, was  named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. Wirfs only gave up two quarterback hits all season. He had shown his strength in the weight room, too.
An extended interview with Wirfs from Indianapolis.
Examining and identifying the top on-field offensive linemen performances from the 2020 NFL Combine.
The 2020 NFL Combine continued their on-field drills on Friday night, this time featuring offensive linemen and running backs. As always, the workouts begin with the 40-yard-dash, and when they shifted into position drills, we got to see a handful of new drills.
The Detroit Lions were surely keeping a close eye on the offensive linemen tonight as they could be in the market for a starter at guard, as well as a future starter at offensive tackle. Letâs take a look at those who earned positive marks today.
There is plenty of debate over who the top offensive lineman in this class is, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising if Wirfs was on top of the Lions board at the position.
Wirfs’ elite athleticism was on full display tonight, where he looked silky smooth in on-field drills, and set records in the measurable tasks. His 4.85 40-yard dash was the fastest among all offensive linemen this year and sixth fastest since 2003. His 36.5″ vertical jump was the highest at the position since 2003 and his 10-1 broad jump was tied for the furthest by an offensive lineman since 2003.
He dominated.
Cesar Ruiz, IOL, Michigan
6-3, 307, 10-y/s: 1.77
Ruiz and LSU’s Lloyd Cushenberry are in a fierce battle for the top spot among the interior offensive linemen, and while both showed out tonight, I gave the edge to Ruiz based on his fluidity and movement skills. Ruiz was under control in every single drill and he executed each with precision and power. His ability to play center and guard could put him in play for the Lions at pick No. 35 at the top of the second round.
Austin Jackson, LT, USC
6-5, 322, 10-y/s: 1.73
Jackson is a young (only 20-years-old) and developing prospect, and while he likely won’t be grouped in the same tier as the top four offensive tackles in this class, his upside is obvious and was highlighted at tonight’s Combine. A high-character pure left tackle, Jackson’s ability to take over a starting role a year from now will be very appealing to a team like the Lions.
Ezra Cleveland, LT, Boise State
6-6, 311, 10-y/s: 1.73, Bench 30 reps
Cleveland is a developmental offensive tackle who is probably a year away from earning a starting role in the NFL, making him a player who will draw interest from the Lions. At the Combine, Cleveland showed off his balance, ability to play with his head up, and moved laterally with ease.
Nick Harris, IOL, Washington
6-1, 302, 10-y/s: 1.76
Harris’ athleticism stands out when you watch him play and the Combine was no different. He was smooth, balanced, kept his center of gravity low, and moved laterally with ease. Harris will check a lot of boxes for the Lions — he spent a week with them at the senior bowl and will hit their athletic requirements — but he is likely headed for a Joe Dahl-like role, where it will take him time before he is ready to compete for a starting job.
Notes:
Mekhi Becton (6-7.5, 364, Louisville) started the show off with a bang, gliding to a 1.77 10-yard-split, but he pulled up after the first on-field drill or he would’ve been higher up this list
Jedrick Willis (6-4, 312, Alabama) put his power on full display in a kick-slide right tackle drill, where Willis punched through the bag, knocking the coaches head violently back
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez drops his thoughts from the offensive linemen’s workout at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.
The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine continued on Friday with the offensive line working out on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.
Here are three Chargers takeaways from the workouts.
‘The Freak’ wows
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
This year’s offensive line class is thought to be one of the deeper position groups, with Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, Alabama’s Jedrick Wills, Louisville’s Mekhi Becton and Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs sitting at the top. While they all performed well today, the former Hawkeye stole the show.
Wirfs, who was listed as No. 1 on Bruce Feldman’s Freak List, absolutely tore it up. He put together one of the best all-around performances certainly by an offensive lineman in recent memory. Wirfs ran a blazing 4.85 40-yard dash and 1.69 10-yard split at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds.
Prior to running that eye-popping 40, Wirfs jumped out of the gym with an insane 36.5-inch vertical, which is an NFL Combine record for an offensive lineman. Wirfs then tied a Combine record for broad jump by an offensive lineman with a 10-foot-1 leap.
Should the Chargers look to address the offensive line in the first-round, Wirfs possesses starting-level talent at right tackle. He’s also played left tackle and he even provides the ability to kick inside to guard, but his strength and size are ideal for the right side in Year 1.
Former Iowa star Tristan Wirfs had an amazing day at the NFL Combine.
February 28th may have been the day that former Iowa standout Tristan Wirfs, an offensive lineman who stands at 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, locked himself into the top 10 of the 2020 NFL Draft. Wirfs ranked 12th in our first consensus mock back in December, with an average draft position of 12.8, but his stock is rising after a record-breaking day at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Wirfs set records in both the broad jump (10’1″) and vertical jump (36.5″) at his position – and even when compared to some of the most explosive athletes at the combine, Wirfs’ numbers hold up in those categories. His vertical jump would rank in a tie for 16th among wide receivers.
In the 40-yard dash, Wirfs set an official time of 4.85, the fastest at his position by more than half a tenth.
Tristan Wirfs runs a 4.86 40 yard dash. Rich Eisen: âthatâs insanity.â Also set all-time combine records for broad jump and vertical jump for an offensive lineman. He beat WRs from Oklahoma and Alabama in vertical đ± Is anyone surprised? pic.twitter.com/vpXoFkhPMo
Here are some players to watch for Bills fans during Friday’s Combine festivities.Â
A new crop of prospects will be on display at the Scouting Combine Friday. Running backs, offensive linemen, and special teams players will take the field for their on-field events.
While none of these position groups are necessarily a massive need for the Bills, they could use a few players to fill out the depth chart on their roster. Devin Singletary has the inside track as the starting running back this year, and four of the five starting linemen are projected to return this year.
The NFL Combine will take place from 4-11 p.m. EST on the NFL Network. Here are some players to watch for Bills fans during Friday’s Combine festivities:
With the selection of Singletary last year and his tremendous rookie season, it’s difficult to envision the Bills taking a player to compete with the FAU standout for starting reps. However, Buffalo will be interested in finding a player to complement Singletary in the backfield.
Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, Georgia’s D’Andre Swift, Ohio State’s JK Dobbins’, LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Florida State’s Cam Akers are all players who seemingly reside at the top of many big boards of analysts entering the Combine. While Buffalo may not be interested in using their draft capital for one of the players, it will be intriguing to see what the drop off between these players and those who are currently slated as later day two and day three picks.
If the drop off is not that steep, the Bills could find a great player later in the draft, yielding a great value pick for the team.
Anthony McFarland of Maryland, while a smaller back like Singletary, could be an option with his downhill running style. La’Mical Perine of Florida, KeShawn Vaughn of Vanderbilt, AJ Dillon of Boston College, and Joshua Kelley of UCLA are players who could find their way into the discussion for the Bills with solid Combine performances.
Offensive line
Michigan offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
At this time, it looks as if the Bills have at least four starters returning from the 2019 unit. Depending on what happens with Quinton Spain during the free agency period, there’s a chance that Buffalo could have all five starters back in the fold.
The Bills could take a swing at a top-rated guard on day two. It’s not a high priority at the time, but if the team finds a player who can further bolster the line and protect quarterback Josh Allen, the team will look to make that move.
Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz is one of the top-rated guards in the country. Draft analyst Chad Reuter from NFL.com has the Bills selecting Ruiz in a recent mock draft. Llyod Cushenberry III of LSU, Matt Hennessey of Temple and Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs are day two targets at this time.
Later in the draft, Buffalo could find value from Matt Peart of Connecticut, Ben Bredenson of Michigan, Shane Lemieux of Oregon, and Nick Harris of Washington.
Overall
Friday’s sessions will reveal some possible depth pieces for the Bills moving forward. It will be vital to hear General Manager Brandon Beane’s thoughts on the prospects from the day’s sessions and interviews to see if there are any standouts at this point in the draft process. It’s still early and front office members will be careful about revealing who might be moving up their boards at this time. Nevertheless, it’s important to become familiar with many prospects, as many names will be discussed over the next few weeks.
The Vikings offensive line has garnered some criticism. Is it the right time to draft an offensive lineman in the first round?
After a 2018-19 season where the group struggled at times, the offensive line made great improvement in 2019-20 and was a big reason the team won 11 games in total.
However, Green Bay proved in Week 16 that the offensive line still needs to improve more. The Packersâ ZaâDarius Smith lined up in all kinds of different techniques across the defensive line and it didnât matter where he went, he found a way to get pressure. Smith finished with 3.5 sacks and held the Vikings to 139 yards in total. The 49ers also showed you could beat the Vikings on the line of scrimmage, sacking Kirk Cousins six times in the Divisional Playoffs.
Reiff seems like the most viable candidate to get cut due to his large contract, but is that the right call? They might be able to restructure. The Vikings might want to rid themselves of other players before they go for a competent offensive lineman. If the Vikings cut Reiff or not, they still might go to the draft just to add another lineman, maybe one that fills a platoon role in case any member of the set five starts to struggle or gets injured.
The Jags need help on the offensive side and Tee Higgins will be just one of many players at the combine for fans to watch Thursday.
The offensive prospects will take the field Thursday and Friday for the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. That’s a side of the ball where the Jacksonville Jaguars need a lot of help, so needless to say, fans will be glued to their television sets.
All of that said, here are four prospects with first round grades to watch on the offensive end who could end up being drafted by the Jags come draft day:
Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa
Simply put, despite Dave Caldwell’s comments about liking the Jags’ offensive line, the bottom line is they need upgrades there. It remains to be seen if they will move Cam Robinson from left tackle, but at the least, they need to add a new starter at guard.
Tristan Wirfs has mostly started at right tackle, however, the Jags are unlikely to stop the development of Jawaan Taylor at that spot as he settled down late in the season and flashed. Instead, drafting Wirfs to play right guard might be an option as A.J. Cann hasn’t really developed like most had hoped.
Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
Again, it’s unknown if whether the Jags will move Robinson this year, but I’ll give you one reason they should: Andrew Thomas.
Thomas is a massive player at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, and is a strong run blocker and a mountain to get around in pass protection. Draft pundits have concerns about his technique, however, the Jags have an offensive line coach as their head coach in Doug Marrone, who can help Thomas develop over time.
Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
This year’s receivers class is one many feel is the strongest and deepest we’ve seen in some time, which is good for the Jags who need help beside DJ Chark Jr. The second-year receiver exploded in 2020 and became a Pro Bowler but it was clear he needed another receiver to take the pressure off him down the stretch.
Henry Ruggs is a player with speed for days and some believe he’ll run a 4.2 in the 40-yard dash. He’s also a player who would set the league on fire if paired with Chark. With Caldwell being great at drafting receivers, Ruggs definitely could be an option in the first round as the Jags look to build around Gardner Minshew II.
Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
Tee Higgins is another baller from this 2020 receivers class and has great size. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, he’d bring that Allen Robinson-like presence the Jags have missed since the young receiver departed via free agency. He can go up and pluck the ball and is very smooth as a route runner. Those a traits that could take Minshew to the next level.
Higgins said that his goal for the 40-yard dash will be to run in the 4.4s, and if he does, the Jags need to heavily consider him for the No. 20 pick or perhaps making a trade to get him sooner.
Solomon Kindley, OG, Georgia
Jags fans should be well aware of this young man as he is a Jacksonville native. Solomon Kindley was dominant in the trenches for the Bulldogs over the span of the last three years, especially as a run blocker. When looking at his physical style, he reflects what the Jags want in a lineman and he would be just what the doctor ordered for Leonard Fournette between the tackles.
He was one of the players who revealed he’s met with the Jags this week, and clearly their interest should be genuine. It will be interesting to see what he does in the strength related drills because the power is clearly there on tape.
These 11 players could see their stock soar at the scouting combine based on their ability to ace the athletic tests.
INDIANAPOLIS — People in and out of the NFL have denigrated the scouting combine drills as the “Underwear Olympics” for years, but those same people are sure on hand when it comes time for prospects to go through those drills every year. And yes, draft decisions are made on a guy’s 40-yard-dash time, broad jump, and bench press numbers more than some would have you believe.
There are a number of new drills this year, created and enacted to more closely mirror the on-field experience. Whether it’s old-school or new-wave stuff, here are 11 prospects who could really stand out at the 2020 combine.
Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
(Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports)
Some evaluators have Love, who experienced an efficiency downturn in 2019 with 17 interceptions against 20 touchdown passes after a 32-touchdown, six-interception 2018, as a possible Next Patrick Mahomes based on his arm strength and athleticism. I believe there are too many legitimate questions about Love’s mechanics and overall form to make such comparisons just yet, but there’s absolutely no question that Love can sling the ball around. In the friendly confines of Lucas Oil Stadium, where he’ll be throwing different routes without any defensive pressure, Love could make a great impression on scouts, coaches, and personnel people who are already halfway to making that comparison in their minds.
“The most important thing to be is to be more consistent,” Love said this week about his own game. “You watch my film, there are some plays where I make an incredible throw, and the next thing you know, I miss a swing route on a checkdown. Being more consistent in all my throws, my footwork, in the pocket, under center, doing dropbacks and things like that. Itâs something Iâve practiced since the season ended.”
Love should reap the benefits of that practice in the quarterback drills.
The Broncos met with Iowa offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs at the NFL combine this week.
The Denver Broncos met with Iowa offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs at the NFL combine this week, according to The Denver Post‘s Ryan O’Halloran.
Wirfs (6-5, 322 pounds) earned second-team All-American honors from the Associated Press in 2019 after starting all 13 games (10 at right tackle and three at left tackle). Iowa awarded him their offensive Team Hustle Award and Big Ten Conference gave him the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year award after his junior season.
Wirfs played tackle in college but many draft pundits believe he could transition to guard in the NFL. He is the 16th-best player and fourth-best offensive lineman in this year’s class, according to Luke Easterling’s 2020 NFL draft big board for Draft Wire.
Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills (No. 7), Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas (No. 10) and Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton (No. 14) are the only offensive lineman ranked higher than Wirfs on Draft Wire’s big board.
If selected by the Broncos, Wirfs would be reunited with tight end Noah Fant. Wirfs and Fants were teammates with the Hawkeyes from 2017-18. Denver selected Fant with their first-round pick in last year’s draft.
The Broncos are scheduled to select 15th overall this year.
