With Day 4 of the NFL’s Scouting Combine almost in the books, defensive linemen, edge rushers and linebackers 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 defensive linemen’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.
The NFL separated edge rushers and interior defensive linemen, so that’s what we’ll do as well. Below are the defensive linemen from today.
Movin’ On Up
BJ Hill looks decent running the bags pic.twitter.com/JySA4GIARs
— Billy Marshall (@BillyM_91) March 4, 2018
James Looney, California
James Looney didn’t enter the player as a combine as a player that many though would get drafted, and while his college tape doesn’t jump out at you, his combine numbers do. Weighing in at 6’3 and 287 pounds, Looney is likely to play end in a 3-4 scheme at the NFL level and put up the kind of numbers that will have teams excited. He ran a strong 4.87 40 and then jumped a DL-best 35.5″ in the vertical and a second-best 113″ in the broad. Combine this with a fourth-best 7.32 three-cone and another DL-best 4.37 short shuttle and you have enough to get teams rechecking his tape. He is still unlikely to get taken before the third day, but he should have cemented himself as a draftable prospect with his performance today.
John Franklin-Myers, Stephen F Austin
Franklin-Myers is another prospect who likely moved himself from UDFA to third-day pick with a strong showing in the combine. Measuring in at 6’4 and 283lbs he is another player who is likely to fit best as a 3-4 DE in the NFL. He ranked best among all DLs in the forty with a time of 4.75 and finished in the top three in the vertical (33″, 3rd), broad jump (113″, 2nd) and short shuttle (4.48s, 2nd). As a small school prospect, he could possibly see his stock rise even higher than Looney depending on his interviews and should see the combine as a huge success.
BJ Hill, NC State
BJ Hill is much more of a natural DT than the other two risers, but his times were still hugely impressive. Weighing in a 6’4 and 311lbs, his 4.99 40 will have a lot of people excited, as will his second-best 35 reps on the bench press and 7.28 three-cone drill. Hill might have gone somewhat unnoticed on a hugely talented NC State front last season playing next to top-five pick Bradley Chubb, but with this performance, he may well have moved himself from the middle rounds into the second day of the draft.
Picked A Bad Day To Have A Bad Day
Vita Vea’s 2nd 40-yard dash time: 5.11. pic.twitter.com/XaYmGmykkV
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) March 4, 2018
Tim Settle, Virginia Tech
Tim Settle entered the draft as a second-round nose tackle in many mocks, but a terrible day in the tests will likely see him slide considerably. Weighing in at 6’3″ and 329 pounds, Settle is a natural NT in the NFL and while this isn’t usually a position that test off the charts, he would have been hoping for better numbers than he produced. His 5.37 40 was the second worst among DLs, as were his 4.83 short shuttle and 96″ broad jump. His 7.95 three-cone drill was in the bottom three and he also managed a DL-worst 23.5″ vertical jump. Even for a large man such as Settle, these numbers are going to drag his stock down, possibly as low as the third day of the draft. That seems to be where he will ultimately….well….settle.
Derrick Nnadi, Florida State
Nnadi is another who entered the draft as a second-round prospect as a 6’1″, 317-pound defensive tackle. However, his DL-worst 5.38 40, 8.15 three cone and 5.02 short shuttle will likely have caused his stock to plummet. This also wasn’t helped by a second-worst 96″ broad jump; NFL scout seem to be placing increased value on agility drills for defensive linemen, and Nnadi’s were not good at all. It is hard to tell at this point how far he could fall based on this, but it will almost certainly be to the third if not lower.
Vita Vea, Washington
When you have the second best bench press with 41 reps and the third-fastest 40 ever for somebody over 345 pounds, it would usually be seen as a good day. However, Vea managed to tweak something during his 5.1 forty yard dash and didn’t return for his second attempt. Not only was his time of 5.1 slower than he might have hoped but it prevented him from competing in the remaining drills; Vea’s numbers were good, and this might not have caused him to drop as such, but for a player who could have put up numbers unseen of in combine history for somebody of his size, today was something of a letdown. He is almost certainly still a top-15 pick in the draft, and certainly a first rounder, but his hopes of moving up into the top-5 discussion took a significant hit, especially as his March 10th Pro Day will likely not give him enough time to recover.
