Skip to main content
Advertising

News | Washington Commanders - Commanders.com

Mike Mayock's Top 5 Prospects By Position

It's about that time for all 32 NFL teams to descend on Indianapolis for the annual NFL Combine.

In anticipation of the on-field drills taking place this week at Lucas Oil Stadium, here's NFL Media Analyst Mike Mayock's top five prospects at each position:

Quarterback

Check out these photos of Jameis Winston, a physical and athletic quarterback out of Florida State University.

  1. Jameis Winston, Florida State
  1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon
  1. Bryce Petty, Baylor
  1. Brett Hundley, UCLA
  1. Garrett Grayson, Colorado State

Running Back

  1. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
  1. Todd Gurley, Georgia
  1. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
  1. Duke Johnson, Miami (Fla.)
  1. Tevin Coleman, Indiana

Wide Receiver

  1. Kevin White, West Virginia
  1. Amari Cooper, Alabama
  1. DeVante Parker, Louisville

Check out these photos of Amari Cooper, a hard-working and big-play capable wide receiver from the University of Alabama.

  1. Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri
  1. Devin Funchess, Michigan

Tight End

  1. Maxx Williams, Minnesota
  1. Clive Walford, Miami (Fla.)
  1. Nick O'Leary, Florida State
  1. Tyler Kroft, Rutgers
  1. Ben Koyack, Notre Dame

Interior Offensive Linemen

  1. Brandon Scherff, Iowa
  1. Cameron Erving, Florida State
  1. Laken Tomlinson, Duke
  1. A.J. Cann, South Carolina
  1. Tre' Jackson, Florida State

Offensive Tackle

  1. T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh
  1. Andrus Peat, Stanford
  1. La'el Collins, LSU
  1. Ereck Flowers, Miami (Fla.)

5t. Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M

5t. D.J. Humphries, Florida

Interior Defensive Linemen

  1. Leonard Williams, USC
  1. Danny Shelton, Washington
  1. Malcom Brown, Texas
  1. Arik Armstead, Oregon

5t. Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma

5t. Eddie Goldman, Florida State

Edge Rusher

  1. Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida
  1. Randy Gregory, Nebraska

Check out these photos of Leonard Williams, a versatile defensive end out of the University of Southern California.

  1. Shane Ray, Missouri
  1. Vic Beasley, Clemson
  1. Bud Dupree, Kentucky

Linebacker

  1. Paul Dawson, TCU
  1. Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State
  1. Denzel Perryman, Miami (Fla.)
  1. Eric Kendricks, UCLA
  1. Stephone Anthony, Clemson

Cornerback

  1. Trae Waynes, Michigan State
  1. Marcus Peters, Washington
  1. Jalen Collins, LSU
  1. P.J. Williams, Florida State
  1. Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest

**

Check out these photos of Landon Collins, a hard-hitting, talented safety coming out of the University of Alabama.

Safety**

  1. Landon Collins, Alabama
  1. Shaq Thompson, Washington
  1. Derron Smith, Fresno State
  1. Jaquiski Tartt, Samford
  1. Ibraheim Campbell, Northwestern

Just as it's been laid out in past seasons, prospects can participate in six different drills that will provided teams the chance to see their strength, speed and agility among other qualities.

Here's a little bit more about the six drills via NFL.com:

40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is the marquee event at the combine. It's kind of like the 100-meters at the Olympics: It's all about speed, explosion and watching skilled athletes run great times. These athletes are timed at 10, 20 and 40-yard intervals. What the scouts are looking for is an explosion from a static start.

Bench press
The bench press is a test of strength -- 225 pounds, as many reps as the athlete can get. What the NFL scouts are also looking for is endurance. Anybody can do a max one time, but what the bench press tells the pro scouts is how often the athlete frequented his college weight room for the last 3-5 years.

Vertical jump
The vertical jump is all about lower-body explosion and power. The athlete stands flat-footed and they measure his reach. It is important to accurately measure the reach, because the differential between the reach and the flag the athlete touches is his vertical jump measurement.

Broad jump
The broad jump is like being in gym class back in junior high school. Basically, it is testing an athlete's lower-body explosion and lower-body strength. The athlete starts out with a stance balanced and then he explodes out as far as he can. It tests explosion and balance, because he has to land without moving.

3 cone drill
The 3 cone drill tests an athlete's ability to change directions at a high speed. Three cones in an L-shape. He starts from the starting line, goes 5 yards to the first cone and back. Then, he turns, runs around the second cone, runs a weave around the third cone, which is the high point of the L, changes directions, comes back around that second cone and finishes.

Shuttle run
The short shuttle is the first of the cone drills. It is known as the 5-10-5. What it tests is the athlete's lateral quickness and explosion in short areas. The athlete starts in the three-point stance, explodes out 5 yards to his right, touches the line, goes back 10 yards to his left, left hand touches the line, pivot, and he turns 5 more yards and finishes.

.

.

.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.

Related Content

Advertising