The Combine's not technically over, but with most of the media having left the scene, the biggest names (mostly) already packed up and waiting for their pro day and team officials getting their pens ready for the start of the free agent frenzy at the end of this week, the Combine is over by most standards. Apologies to the defensive backs. Combine performances change draft boards, especially among the pundits, and there are a few more players whose workouts put them into the conversation for the St. Louis Rams draft hopes.
The battle over the Rams first overall pick rages on, with lines being drawn between the QB and DT camps. For those still thinking of drafting a QB after the top pick, this note from Rob Rang about Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson ought to be of interest.
Robinson showed good footwork and balance dropping back -- a question mark considering he's coming from a spread offense -- and was consistently accurate to all levels of the field. He zipped intermediate slants and dig routes and showed plenty of drive on the deep out. As a perfect example of why quarterbacks should throw at the Combine, Robinson scored points with scouts on the accuracy of his deep ball (good trajectory, outside shade) despite none of his deep passes actually being caught by his receivers.
Here's Football Outsiders' Doug Farrar on Robinson. Like everyone says constantly throughout the Combine, the drills only mean so much. Still, I think the measurements, i.e. Colt McCoy, and the workouts, i.e. Robinson and Jevan Snead, have really changed the QB rankings outside of the top two. To me the list behind Bradford and Clausen look more like this (I'm coping out and leaving Tebow off):
- Zac Robinson, OSU
- Jarrett Brown, West Virginia
- Colt McCoy, Texas
- Jevan Snead, Ole Miss
That's just my own, uninformed opinion of how the draft board goes for the second tier QBs. The film will go along way toward further sorting that group. Polish really separates this bunch from Bradford and Clausen. These guys all seem to have the raw tools to be successful, but can they actually put it all together? That's the key. Thoughts?
And sure to fuel the Suh vs Bradford argument, the House of Spears put together a solid effort at the Combine, one that could well be the "separating" factor from Gerald McCoy that Billy Devaney mentioned. From the 40 to the bench to the near-record setting vertical jump, Suh had the athleticism on full display.
TCU linebacker Daryl Washington ran posted a 4.57 second 40 time at the Combine, boosting his draft stock according to Walter Football. He's listed sometimes as an ILB (thanks to the predominance of the 3-4) but says he would prefer to be a WLB at the Pro level. NFLDraftScout.com has him pegged to go in round 2 or 3.