NFL Combine 2015: Defensive line drills

The NFL Combine is here, and two of the four groups of NFL Draft prospects have already come and gone. Special teamers, offensive linemen and tight ends took the field for workouts and drills on Friday, then quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs did the same on Saturday. Now Sunday will feature defensive linemen and linebackers, before the whole thing wraps up with defensive backs on Monday.

Each position group typically goes through the core drills, including the 40-yard dash, shuttle run, vertical jump, broad jump and three-cone drill. But each group also has individual drills tailored to that position. On Sunday, the defensive linemen will take part in a series of drills intended to measure body control, explosiveness and lateral agility.

One of the big ones is the rip and swim drill, which has a player going either right or left at a bag, which the player will then either need to swat aside or push past on their way to the fictional quarterback. The most important one is what is called “running the arc,” and it’s explained best in a video featuring Mike Mayock on NFL.com.

But if you need it in text, they want to see a defensive lineman’s first step at the snap. At that point, the defensive lineman will be trying to get around a bag placed 4 yards out to simulate an offensive tackle. The defensive lineman will rip one bag, swim the other and accelerate to the quarterback, which is a set of cones in a straight line from the second bag.

Leonard Williams: It’s unclear what he’ll be able to do given a shoulder injury, but all eyes will be on Williams throughout the course of the combine. He is considered the draft’s top prospect by many, and is expected to show well in the various position drills.

Arik Armstead: The Oregon defensive lineman is expected to be one of the top performers at the combine. He wasn’t perfect in college and wasn’t as dominant as his athleticism should have allowed him to be. But if he can put up the huge numbers in the 40-yard dash, vertical leap and things of that nature as he’s expected to, then he’ll definitely help his case for being a first-round pick. Many have Armstead going in the middle of the first round, but a strong performance could bump him up a little more.

Carl Davis: While his primary job at Iowa was to occupy space and prevent running backs from getting past him, Davis is physically dominant and showed a penchant for getting after the quarterback in the Senior Bowl. He’s also been considered a first-round pick, and could help himself with a strong performance.

Danny Shelton: The Washington defensive tackle has a high motor and has the stats to back up his status as one of the top players in this draft. Scouts will be paying attention to his weight when he shows up, as it’s something that could be a problem down the line, and they’ll be wanting him to show that he has the agility to play 3-tech in a 4-3 alignment at the next level.