With Day 2 of the NFL’s Scouting Combine almost in the books, offensive linemen and running backs have completed their medical testing, on-the-field drills and media availability; while there are still meetings with teams happening throughout the weekend and a lot of combine evaluations should be taken with a grain of salt, some conclusions can be drawn even from the small corner of the puzzle that is starting to be put together to determine where these prospects will be drafted come April. So what can be gleaned from the running back’s performances in Indianapolis? Let’s take a look at a few players who may have moved the needle for themselves, some in the right direction with positive performances, and a couple who may have hurt their draft position as they came up short.
Movin’ On Up
Nyheim Hines, NC State
Hines might not have been one of the bigger names coming into the combine, but with the fastest 40 time among running backs, he established himself as the premier option athletically when it comes to smaller change-of-pace backs. While Ronald Jones’s injury eliminated his biggest competition, Hines’ 4.38 is certainly impressive and will likely move him up into consideration to be taken early on the draft’s final day. The rest of his drills were fairly mediocre, ignoring his 9 reps on the bench, but it is clear at this point that speed goes a long way in the NFL.
Nick Chubb, Georgia
Nick Chubb knew that one of the biggest questions he would have to answer during the combine was whether he was able to catch the ball, something he hadn’t done a huge amount at Georgia. While his hands looked good rather than great, if he is able to contribute as a pass catcher out of the backfield to any reasonable degree then that could be what he needs to secure his spot as an early second-round pick. Add to this a strong 40 time of 4.52 seconds and excellent numbers in the bench and both broad and vertical jumps and it was a good day at the office for the Georgia product.
Royce Freeman, Oregon
Freeman weighed in at a hefty 234 pounds, and while he wasn’t one of the fastest in the 40, his time of 4.54 is more than respectable and given the lack of blazingly fast times from the other top backs not named Barkley, Freeman should have cemented himself in the conversation with Chubb and Guice to be the second running back off the board. His jumps and bench press were fairly unremarkable but his top-three finishes in both the three cone drill and the 20 yard shuttle should have teams excited about his agility and quickness.
Honorable Mention: Saquon Barkley
Yes, Barkley was unbelievable today, but he doesn’t really apply to the Panthers, as he will be gone by the time the 24th pick rolls around, and in reality, while he exceeded expectations, there wasn’t a whole lot of room for his stock to improve; he was already thought of as a Top 5 pick.
Picked A Bad Day To Have A Bad Day
Sony Michel
There were no absolute calamities with the running backs, but Michel was a guy whose numbers just weren’t what he wanted them to be; he weighed in at 220 pounds, which at least signified a desire to establish himself as a genuine feature piece rather than just a change of pace runner, but his 4.54 40 and 4.21 short shuttle fail to jump off the page. His aspirations to enter the second tier of this year’s running back class likely took something of a hit, although he did look good in pass catching drills. Ultimately, this was not a day to remember for him.
Mark Walton, Miami
Having lost a lot of his season to injury, Mark Walton would probably have hoped that the Combine could offer a chance to elevate his stock into the second day of the draft. However, while his numbers aren’t awful, his failure to compete in the shuttle drills and a 4.6 40 are not things that are going to have scouts talking about him. That 40 time is made even worse by the fact that Walton failed to top 190 pounds on the scales and at that size and speed, teams are going to be hesitant about pulling the trigger early in the draft.
Ronald Jones, USC
Jones entered the combine with a chance to have the fastest forty time among running backs and establish himself as a second round pick. However, when he showed obvious signs of an upper leg injury during his first run at the forty his day was done; while he hasn’t put any numbers up that will be scaring teams away, the injury combined with a great opportunity to impress wasted and Jones will likely be wishing that he could start the day over again like it was Groundhog’s Day.
