The national nightmare known as the NFL’s football drought comes to a close as the calendar flips over to March — kind of. The NCAA’s best and brightest prospects will descend on Indianapolis for a full week of tests and workouts designed to put their NFL potential on a sliding scale of draftability.
NFL Combine results: Live updates as the players test and work out
Which college stars turned heads in Indianapolis?
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Stars ranging from Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Mike Williams to a whole host of the Alabama defenders they roasted in the National Championship Game will face a series of examinations in front of the league’s top scouts as they jockey for position on draft boards across the NFL. For some players, a big performance could be the difference between hearing their names called in Philadelphia this April and facing an uncertain future as an undrafted free agent.
The event kicked off when special teams players and running backs arrive in Indianapolis on Feb. 28, though the on-field workouts don’t get underway until that group hits the bench press two days later. We’ll have all the important updates, eye-opening 40-yard dash times, and disappointing skill drill performances reported as they happen. Until then, a full list of scheduled events is below.
Running backs
Bench press: Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine wrecked the other backs in the workout, hoisting the 225-pound bar 30 times — the seventh-best mark for a running back in Combine history.
Vertical jump: LSU’s Leonard Fournette had a vertical of 28 1/2”. Dalvin Cook had a 30.5” vertical, and Christian McCaffrey had a 37.5” vert. For comparison, Adrian Peterson’s was 38.5”, and Derrick Henry’s was 37”.
40-yard dash: While Fournette struggled in the vertical jump, he posted a 4.51 in the 40-yard dash, which is impressive for someone at 240 pounds.
3-cone drill: McCaffrey had a fairly ridiculous day, no matter what metric you measure by. He struggled with bench press, but shredded every timing drill, even posting the second-best 3-cone drill time since 2003.
60-yard shuttle: McCaffrey also came out on top in the 60-yard shuttle, finishing in 11:03.
Offensive linemen
Bench press: At least a few linemen beat out Perine’s numbers, thought not many. Utah’s Isaac Asiata led the group with 35 reps.
40-yard dash: None of these guys were going to win an island from Adidas for their 40 times, but Aviante Collins out of TCU posted a respectable 4.81.
Broad jump: Garett Bolles is in the first-round conversation and impressed with a 115-inch broad jump, one of the best marks for an offensive lineman in the last decade.
Vertical jump: Nico Siragusa posted a jump of 32.5 inches.
3-cone drill: Bolles also excelled in the 3-cone, finishing in 7.29 seconds.
20-yard shuttle: Wyoming’s Chase Roullier finished in 4.47 seconds.
Kickers/punters
Quarterbacks
Vertical jump: Trevor Knight was on top once again, with a 35.5 inch jump.
Broad jump: Once again, it’s Trevor Knight, who posted a jump of 125 inches.
20-yard shuttle: This is the only drill that anyone was able to outperform Trevor Knight. Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes finished in 4.08 seconds, and Knight finished in 4.14.
60-yard shuttle: Trevor Knight was the top performer by default, because he is the only quarterback who participated. He finished in 11:28.
Wide receivers
Bench press: The receivers got started Friday with the bench press and Billy Brown of Division II’s Shepherd University led the way with 23 reps.
Vertical jump: Speedy Noil jumped a ridiculous 43.5 inches, setting the third-best mark ever for a receiver.
40-yard dash: John Ross made waves when his unofficial 40 time came in at 4.22 seconds, a number that set the all-time combine record.
Broad jump: Noil and Ross also made waves in the broad jump, along with a bunch of other receivers. Five of the top 11 wide receiver broad jumps since 2003 happened this year.
20-yard shuttle: Ryan Switzer out of North Carolina and Penn State’s Chris Godwin each finished in 4.0 seconds. It was just part of an impressive combine performance for Godwin.
60-yard shuttle: Shelton Gibson didn’t set a new 40-yard dash record, but he did lead the field in the 60-yard shuttle with a time of 10.71 seconds.
Tight ends
Bench press: Oregon’s Pharaoh Brown and small-school prospect Adam Shaheen (Ashland) put up the best numbers with 24 reps apiece.
40-yard dash: Mississippi’s Evan Engram, at 6’3 and 234 pounds, ran an impressive 4.42.
Vertical jump: Bucky Hodges out of Virginia Tech leaped 39 inches.
Broad jump: The best was Hodges once again, with 134 inches.
20-yard shuttle: O.J. Howard is 6’6 and 251 pounds, and he turned in a time of 4.16. Jonnu Smith of Florida International, who is 6’3 and 248 pounds, was just behind Howard at 4.18.
60-yard shuttle: The 60-yard also had Howard on top at 11.46 seconds, and Smith second with 11.57.
Defensive linemen
Bench press: Auburn’s Carl Lawson was on top with 35 reps, and A&M’s Myles Garrett and Washington’s Elijah Qualls were just behind him with 33.
40-yard dash: Myles Garrett looked like a first overall pick with a time of 4.64 seconds. Temple’s Haason Reddick posted the group’s fastest overall time with a 4.52.
Vertical jump: Garrett showed out once again, jumping 41 inches at nearly 270 pounds.
3-cone drill: Five prospects broke the seven-second barrier, including Tennessee’s Derek Barnett and Stanford’s Solomon Thomas. The most surprising may be Youngstown State standout Derek Rivers, who made himself a potential Day 2 pick with a huge performance Sunday.
20-yard shuttle: Trey Hendrickson of Florida Atlantic posted the best time with a 4.20. Garrett did not participate.
60-yard shuttle: Several prospects did not participate, and Hendrickson ended up with the best time at 11.43 seconds.
Linebackers
Bench press: Ben Gedeon out of Michigan had the most reps with 27.
40-yard dash: Peppers, somewhere between a linebacker and a safety, roasted the competition with a 4.46-second 40.
Broad jump: Michigan hybrid Jabrill Peppers and Wisconsin All-American T.J. Watt were early standouts with jumps of 12’8.
Vertical jump: Tyus Bowser out of Houston leaped 37.5 inches, and T.J. Watt, brother of JJ Watt, ended up with a 37-inch jump.
3-cone drill: Alex Anzalone (6.88), Tyus Bowser (6.75), Brooks Ellis (6.8) and T.J. Watt (6.79) all impressed.
20-yard shuttle: T.J. Watt was the top performer with a time of 4.13.
60-yard shuttle: Watt was on top again, finishing in 11.2 seconds.
Safeties
Bench press: Auburn’s Rudy Ford and North Carolina State’s Josh Jones set the standard for 2017’s safeties with 20 reps each.
40-yard dash: Obi Melifonwu of UConn started his impressive day with a 4.40 40. Josh Jones from NC State had the next-best time with a 4.41.
Broad jump: Melifonwu had the second-best ever with an 11’9” distance.
Vertical jump: Yup, it was Obi Melifonwu again with a 44-inch jump.
3-cone drill: Iowa’s Desmond King was the fastest finisher, with a time of 6.67.
20-yard shuttle: Budda Baker from Washington finished in just 4.08 seconds.
60-yard shuttle: Washington State’s Shalom Luani had the fastest time, 11.22 seconds.
Cornerbacks
Bench press: FCS standout Brendan Langley, from Lamar, led all defensive backs with 22 reps.
40-yard dash: Minnesota’s Jalen Myrick had the fastest time with a blazing 4.28, followed by UCLA’s Fabien Moreau (4.35) and Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore (4.36).
Broad jump: Moreau was the top performer with a distance of 136 inches.
Vertical jump: Ahkello Witherspoon of Colorado was No. 1 with 40.5 inches.
3-cone drill: Kevin King out of Washington was the fastest, finishing in 6.56 seconds.
20-yard shuttle: It was Kevin King again, with a remarkable 3.89 second official time.
60-yard shuttle: Kevin King owned these drills. He finished with the fastest time again, 11.14 seconds.
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