Index of /archive/2016profile

http://www.thehuddlereport.com/archive/2016profiles/

But why did he START OUT so well,
(Seattle game, for instance) ? If he
was having trouble learning the new system
it would have showed up early, no

Some speculations

Remember, #1, it was more than learning a new system. Basically, except for his rookie year, he mostly played a spread out of the shotgun his whole career. Even dropping back from center while reading a defense was new to him (Kelly puts and keeps his qb in a shotgun).

In terms of it showing up early, that’s training camp. They just ran plays they had been working on. It’s when he had to adjust to new things that it started to unravel.

Plus I think JF is being protective. I think he got mentally dinged in the GB game, which also corresponded with OL injuries flaring up.

Either way you have to account for the fact that he quite simply does not have a meltdown mode in 2014. So you have to ask, where did it come from then.

from off the net

==

DESERT RAM

Polians interview on serious radio today was brief but enlightening. I respect his view as he was elected this past year to pro football hall of fame in his capacity as general manager (bills/colts). Anyway he maintained that None of the top 3 quarterbacks should get near the field this year I.e. play as they aren’t anywhere near ready to play in NFL and needed to sit and learn for a year or more.

After Polian left both commentators agreed that Conner Cook might be only quarterback in this years draft who might be OK to start do to his experience.

zn wrote:

According to various reports.

Including this one:

FISHER–Re: Stepping down from Competition Committee

link: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/fisher-224/

Two weeks ago I had a conversation with the commissioner and I stepped down for the committee, for obvious reasons. I spoke to some of the other committee members, and just the time required of me as far as this move is concerned makes this really difficult to commit 100 percent. I look at it as hopefully being a leave of absence. But I’m not participating right now.

New Orleans Saints’ draft board deeper than in most years

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2016/02/new_orleans_saints_jeff_irelan_3.html#incart_river_index

The New Orleans Saints have a draft board with 20 to 30 more players than Jeff Ireland is accustomed to seeing at this time of year, he said in a podcast posted to the team website.

Ireland, the Saints assistant general manager and college scouting director, said the team completed a draft board prior to the NFL Scouting Combine this week “so we don’t make decisions based on players running around in shorts or players that interview well or interview poorly.”

Ireland said “there are some defensive positions that are strong,” and the additional 20 or 30 players on the draft board as a result of this year’s depth being “a little better than maybe in some years.” Ireland also lauded the offensive line talent available in this draft.

wv wrote:

I’m wonderin if he’s not just a
figure-head

NFL Network Analyst Mike Mayock Weighs in on NFL Draft QB Prospects – 2/22/16

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Evan Mathis rips Chip Kelly, his former coach in Philadelphia

http://www.theredzone.org/BlogDescription/tabid/61/EntryId/54937/Evan-Mathis-rips-Chip-Kelly–his-former-coach-in-Philadelphia/Default.aspx

After winning his Super Bowl ring with the Denver Broncos, Evan Mathis broke his silence about Chip Kelly, his former coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com reports.

In an email exchange with 9News in Denver, Mathis took shots at Kelly, now the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

“There were many things that Chip had done that showed me he wasn’t building a championship team,” Mathis wrote. “Two of the main issues that concerned me were: 1. A never-evolving, vanilla offense that forced our own defense to play higher than normal play counts. 2. His impatience with certain personality types even when they were blue-chip talents.

“The Broncos team I was on would have eaten Chip alive. I don’t think he could have handled the plethora of large personalities.”

Kelly released Mathis last June, just before the Eagles were scheduled to hold a mandatory minicamp. The veteran guard signed with the Broncos, who went on to win Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers.

With the Broncos, Mathis started 12 regular-season games and three playoff games, including the Super Bowl.

“It is just all part of the story,” Mathis said after the Super Bowl. “Everything that happened is what led me to where I am now. Ultimately, I am thankful for every single thing that happened.”

Mathis, 34, said he was scheduled to have ankle surgery on Wednesday and was unsure whether he would play next season. In his email to 9News, Mathis offered conciliatory words about his former coach.

“I hope Chip learns from his experiences in Philadelphia and grows as a coach,” Mathis wrote. “Maybe he’ll find some constructive criticism from this.”

Rams will be looking at more than quarterbacks at combine

Gary Klein

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-rams-nfl-combine-20160224-story.html

During more than two decades as a scout, player personnel director and general manager, Les Snead has watched the NFL scouting combine morph into an off-season spectacle, replete with television coverage and an overwhelming media presence.

Despite the potential distractions, the weeklong event remains purposeful for talent evaluators.

“It’s our one chance when you’ve got 300 players in the draft in one place,” said Snead, preparing for his fifth draft as the Rams’ general manager, his first with the Los Angeles Rams.

See the most-read stories in Sports this hour>>

A Rams contingent of about 65 people, including Snead and Coach Jeff Fisher and his entire staff, will be present this week to observe and interview prospects at the combine as part of the run-up to April 28-30 draft.

The Rams have the 15th overall pick.

After finishing last season with a 7-9 record — and the NFL’s worst passing offense — the Rams are expected to take a long look at quarterbacks and receivers this week at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Case Keenum replaced Nick Foles as the Rams’ starting quarterback for five of the final seven games last season, and Fisher and Snead have said that Keenum, who is set to become a restricted free agent next month, would go into training camp as the starter. Former Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion also is on the roster.

But Fisher said last month that “We’re always looking,” so the Rams could seek alternatives via trades, free-agent signings and the draft.

Asked if his focus this week would be on quarterbacks and receivers, Snead said the Rams would not be limited.

“We’ll look at QBs, we’ll look at wide receivers, but we’ll look at every other position as well,” he said during a phone interview last week.

California’s Jared Goff, North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, Memphis’ Paxton Lynch and Michigan State’s Connor Cook are part of a quarterback class that also includes Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott, Stanford’s Kevin Hogan, Oregon’s Vernon Adams Jr., Ohio State’s Cardale Jones, and USC’s Cody Kessler, among others.

Snead observed Wentz and others during workouts leading up to last month’s Senior Bowl, but this will be an opportunity to see Goff, Lynch, Cook and the complete class for the first time in the same setting.

“It’s a deep class,” Snead said. “There’s more numbers, from top to bottom, that have the ability to find spots on a roster.”

He added that “95% of where they’re at on your board is from what they did” during their college careers. But combine performance and interviews, for all players, “may help you break a tie” when deciding who might be selected and when.

“There’s going to be one QB we’re not talking about that’s going to end up starting for someone,” he said. “It happens every year. I tell our staff, ‘Tell me which one that is.’ ”

Identifying a playmaking receiver could also be a priority for the Rams.

Tavon Austin, a 2013 first-round pick, had a team-best 52 catches last season for a receiving corps that otherwise lacked production.

Mississippi’s Laquon Treadwell, Baylor’s Corey Coleman, Ohio State’s Michael Thomas, Texas Christian’s Josh Doctson and Notre Dame’s Will Fuller are among the receivers in this year’s draft.

The Rams, of course, have other holes to fill as they attempt to put together a winning season for the first time since 2003.

The team recently released middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, defensive end Chris Long and tight end Jared Cook, in part, because of salary-cap considerations. So the Rams might seek to augment those position groups through the draft. Cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson are among several key defensive players who are set to become free agents. The Rams are expected to make a push to keep both, but it would seem prudent to prepare for a possible departure.

Snead pointed to two recent examples of how information gathered at the combine translated to draft-day success.

Two years ago, Snead said defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s outstanding performances in agility drills negated any lingering questions about size. “He had numbers that were close to some big corners and safeties in our league,” Snead said. The Rams chose tackle Greg Robinson second overall and then selected Donald — who has become a two-time Pro Bowl player — with the 13th pick.

Last year, running back Todd Gurley was coming off knee surgery and did not participate in the on-field combine drills.

Snead said the Rams evaluated the results from his combine physical, interviewed him for 15 minutes, “and closed the book” on Gurley.

“We never talked to him again,” Snead said, until the Rams drafted Gurley with the 10th overall pick.

Gurley finished third in the NFL in rushing, made the Pro Bowl and was voted the league’s offensive rookie of the year.

Stedman Bailey talks recovery, potential return to NFL
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey was shot in the head twice on Nov. 24, 2015.

Kevin Boilard

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/los-angeles-rams-stedman-bailey-return-to-nfl-recovery-rehab-020816

After he was shot in the head twice last November, doctors told Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey that his days in the NFL were most likely over. Today, he is defying the odds and making his way toward a comeback.

In a six-minute documentary called “Steddy Ambition,” Bailey detailed the events of Nov. 24, 2015, and provided an update on his recovery.

In the video above, Bailey describes how his son — Stedman Bailey Jr. — has served as a motivating factor in his rehabilitation. The 5-foot-10, 194-pound pass-catcher is also seen working out and lifting weights. He admits that there has been a “huge drop-off” in the amount of weight he can lift since the accident.

Bailey, who played in eight games before finishing this past season on the reserve/non-football injury list, has spent three seasons with the Rams.The former third-round draft pick out of West Virginia still aims to have “at least” a ten-year career in the NFL, per the interview in the video embedded above.

zn wrote:

Rounds 4-7
Brandon Allen, Arkansas
Size and hand size be damned, Allen put together one of the best second halves in the nation, including two monster games against Ole Miss and Mississippi State. His quick release and intermediate accuracy was on display in those games and he carried that into a strong bowl game and Senior Bowl week. He’s a little too quick to leave the pocket – also on display when he continually tried to scramble during team drills at practice – but the plays he’s made within the scheme are impressive enough to warrant a mid-round pick.

IMO? Allen goes higher than 4-7.

.

Mike Mayock thinks Carson Wentz compares to Andrew Luck

Darin Gantt

Mike Mayock thinks Carson Wentz compares to Andrew Luck

With the NFL world settling into Indianapolis for this week’s Scouting Combine, the fascination will turn first and foremost to the quarterbacks.

And the guy who breaks them down for the NFL’s own network seems to have a clear preference.

During his annual conference call with reporters Tuesday, Mike Mayock raved about North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, comparing him favorably to Colts quarterback and former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck.

“When I look at him, I see a kid that’s as athletic or more athletic than Andrew Luck,” Mayock said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “He’s bigger than Andrew Luck. He’s got arm strength comparable to Andrew Luck. He just doesn’t have the experience that Andrew Luck had at a high level that Andrew had coming out of college. So I see a ceiling for this kid similar to Andrew Luck. That’s why I believe in this kid so much. But it’s going to take a little bit of time.”

Mayock has ranked Wentz first among this year’s quarterbacks, ahead of Cal’s Jared Goff.

(Of course, he also preferred Blaine Gabbert to Cam Newton in 2011, so take it for what it’s worth.)

Wentz has captured the early draft buzz in part because he played in the Senior Bowl and Goff didn’t, and partly because as a non-Division I player, there’s a certain Joe Flacco quality that makes many want to bestow elite qualities upon him.

“The way I look at Wentz, the first tape I put in, I went ‘Wow,”’ Mayock said. “I didn’t even know who he was. He was just a quarterback on my list. No clue. And I watched I think Northern Iowa and I watched this big kid sling the ball around a lot and on top of it, was athletic enough that they planned quarterback runs for him.

“So you do some homework and you find out he’s 6-5, 235. And I put the second tape in hoping it would be as good as the first — and it was better. So you start doing homework on the kid and yeah, he’s only got 23 starts but he’s 20-3 as a starter at a great program in Division I-AA, [with] five consecutive national championships.”

Mayock also hailed Wentz’s “character,” giving him the “smart, tough, loves the game” stamp of approval, while suggesting that Goff may be closer to being ready to play immediately (though that might be a subliminal function of his playing at a more established program).

As the week progresses and Goff gets a turn in the spotlight, there will doubtless be plenty of people lining up to say nice things about him as well. But at the moment, Wentz is the poster boy for the coming draft.

The NFL Combine and You
By Robert Mays

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/02/23/nfl-draft-combine-preview-carson-wentz-laquon-treadwell-robert-nkemdiche-noah-spence

As the NFL descends on Indianapolis for the annual draft combine, a look at five themes that come up every year and how they apply to the draft class of 2016

1. Who are these new head coaches and GMs?
The press conferences that (nearly) all the league’s general managers and head coaches are compelled to give in Indianapolis can somehow be both utterly fascinating and mindlessly boring—sometimes both at the same time. For the most recent hires, the combine podium is one of the first times they will speak publicly about their new teams since introductory press conferences (which rarely dig into details about offseason plans). On Wednesday, Adam Gase, Doug Pederson, Dirk Koetter and Ben McAdoo will all field questions from reporters—both onstage and off—in a setting they never have experienced before.
But even for coaches who have never had the top job, there’s not much anonymity at this point. (We’ve worried about Ben McAdoo’s barber choices for a while now.) With general managers, that familiarity doesn’t exist. When I went to the combine in 2014, Dave Gettleman was a 63-year-old second-year GM in Carolina. I wouldn’t have been able to pick him out of a lineup. But when the questions started, he was an engaging, (relatively) honest presence who was still in the throes of learning how to build a team. Arizona’s Steve Keim was also in year two, and he gave some insights on everything from his strategy for pursuing free agents to why he felt compelled to ride with Carson Palmer rather than reach for a quarterback with the 20th pick. In a day full of non-answers and monotonous repetition, there were still nuggets worth hearing from new voices.
This year features plenty of first-time general managers with compelling questions to answer. After 12 years in the scouting ranks for New England and two working with Jason Licht in Tampa Bay, Titans GM Jon Robinson has the No. 1 overall pick. Right behind Tennessee are the Browns, who, in January, handed the reins of their personnel department to 39-year-old Sashi Brown, a Harvard J.D. whose main role during his decade in Cleveland has been managing the salary cap and negotiating player contracts. The two couldn’t have more disparate backgrounds, but for the first time they’ll be on stage in front of the entire football world. And they’ll be discussing the first two picks of the NFL draft. Even if they say nothing of substance, the chance to put a name to a face and get a feel for these people is inherently interesting.

2. How will these (supposedly) meaningless drills affect draft boards?
Let’s skip the argument about whether combine numbers should impact where players are drafted. The reality is that, even if they shouldn’t, they do. And even with the notable exceptions trotted out every year around this time, they can be an indicator of future success. Aaron Donald’s testing numbers—1.59 in the 10-yard dash, a 4.68 40-yard dash at 285 pounds, and a 116-inch broad jump—were the stuff of science fiction. It turns out that Aaron Donald is pretty good. The same goes for Geno Atkins, who ran a 4.75 in the 40 and bested Donald’s jump by an inch.
Size concerns ultimately hurt them both come draft time, but there are plenty of players who destroy the combine and turn into superstars. For players who check the height and weight boxes, testing can mean making a significant push from where experts originally had them penciled. At 6-foot-1, 200-pounds, defensive back Byron Jones was missing from most first-round mock drafts pre-combine last year. After a world-record leap in the broad jump (147 inches; the event is not contested in high-level track and field these days) and a silly 44-inch vertical leap, Jones went 27th to the Cowboys. Breshad Perriman, who went one pick earlier to Baltimore, missed last year’s combine but had a similar rise after his pro day. At 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, Perriman ran an impossible 4.24 in the 40 and solidified his status as a first-round pick.
There will almost surely be 2016 versions of Jones and Perriman. On the opposite end of the spectrum, people wanting an answer to one popular question will have to wait a little while longer. Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell, the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder thought by many to be the top pass catcher in the draft, won’t run the 40 in Indianapolis this week. Top-end speed is reportedly a concern for Treadwell, who announced yesterday that he just hadn’t spent enough time focusing on the sprint during his combine preparation. So it won’t be Treadwell, but there will be others at positions where speed is a necessity—running back, wide receiver, defensive back and pass rusher among them—who run a slow time and really bum out a scout who loved them on film. Timed runs are rarely the deciding factor for any player, but there are certain benchmarks prospects have to hit to have a shot at NFL productivity.

3. Will players with checkered pasts assuage some worries during the interview process?
Treadwell isn’t the only Ole Miss star that will have to do some convincing during this process. Defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, once the top high school recruit in the country, should face plenty of questions about his fall from an Atlanta-area hotel in December and subsequent arrest for marijuana possession and suspension from the team’s bowl game.
These sorts of questions come up at the combine every year, and based on retellings from players, coaches often want to know every tiny detail of past transgressions. It can often be more of a lie-detector test than an information-gathering tool.
But by the time the combine actually comes around, teams have done their homework. The interviews are a way for teams to prod players in a manner that gives them a better understanding of the personalities they’re dealing with. Eastern Kentucky’s Noah Spence has been nothing but forthright about the extensive ecstasy use that eventually got him booted from Ohio State. The questions he’ll get from teams—and their psychologists—trying to decide whether he’s worth a top-15 pick will be aimed at learning why it happened at all.

4. What medical surprises will arise?
The combine’s original purpose might be its most boring element, but it has a very real impact. Pro football’s annual pilgrimage to Indy began as a way to centralize pre-draft medical testing, and those tests still affect where players are taken. Originally thought to be a first- or a second-round pick last year, Pitt offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings fell all the way to the 11th pick of the fourth round, in large part because of concerns over a stress fracture in his foot that was identified at the combine. Jay Ajayi, once considered one of the top running backs available in last year’s draft, fell all the way to the fifth round because of issues stemming from a knee surgery he had way back in 2011.
Players with recent injuries—two linebackers, UCLA’s Myles Jack and Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith, among the most prominent—are the main health stories heading into the combine. But every year, less publicized issues creep up and send players tumbling down the draft. If a name player suddenly plummets, you can usually bet injuries are the reason, and many of those discoveries happen this week.

5. Who will continue riding the Senior Bowl wave?
One reason Spence is such an attractive option right now, despite his checkered past, is the show he put on all week during the Senior Bowl. From the start, Spence was reportedly the best edge rusher in Mobile, which lessened concerns that his dominance at Eastern Kentucky was a product of facing inferior talent.
That week in Mobile is the first chance for players to build a narrative as the draft process really gets going. Recent history is lined with players who rode a great showing at Senior Bowl practices to a higher-than-expected draft slot. Perhaps the best example is Eric Fisher, who came to Mobile in 2013 as the best offensive lineman from the MAC and ended up the No. 1 overall pick. Recent leaps haven’t been as drastic, but every year they happen. For instance, former Duke guard Laken Tomlinson performed well against top-end competition at the Senior Bowl (in his case, first-round pick Danny Shelton), aced the interviews and eventually went to Detroit in Round 1.
Spence has made his case, but the two most relevant names from Senior Bowl week are (shockingly) quarterbacks. North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz looked perfectly comfortable amid all the talent in Mobile; with decision makers feeling better about the level of competition, the nimbleness and arm that the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Wentz shows on tape look even better. The privilege of being the first quarterback taken—in all likelihood, the privilege of playing for the Cleveland Browns—is still up for debate, and with a great combine to go along with his Senior Bowl showing, Wentz has a chance to take the inside track. For Connor Cook, the opposite is true. Cook decided to sit out the Senior Bowl, only recently revealing that a lingering shoulder issue is what kept him on the shelf. As Wentz rides a stellar end of the season and spotless pre-draft showing into Indianapolis, Cook is already trying to sway the conversation back in his favor.

NFL Scouting Combine 2016: Who to watch at every position

By Vincent Bonsignore, Los Angeles Daily News

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20160222/nfl-scouting-combine-2016-who-to-watch-at-every-position

Call it the National Football League’s version of an annual job fair, but every February 300 or so of the top college football players in the country descend upon Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. This year’s combine begins on Wednesday.

What unfolds is a week-long job interview in which the players are tested, probed, evaluated, dissected and judged by all 32 NFL teams coaches, general managers, scouts and medical staffs

It’s an intense, thorough and relentless process that taps into players’ physical and mental make-ups, with their ability to run and jump and throw and catch as valuable as their capacity to connect, excel and demonstrate in classroom and interview settings.

For the top prospects in the country, it’s an opportunity to validate or refute positive or negative aspects of their scouting breakdowns, or to flash in a way that sends them surging up draft boards.

Although the high point for fans and scouts are the on-field drills – a series of universal agility tests applicable to all participants and drills specific to each player’s position – the behind-the-scenes interview sessions with each team can sometimes make or break a prospect in the eyes of certain clubs.

Here is a look at the top prospects to keep an eye on at each position over the next week and some of the key drills in which they’ll be evaluated.

QUARTERBACK

JARED GOFF, CALIFORNIA

Goff ended his career at Cal by setting Pac-12 conference records with 4,719 passing yards and 43 touchdowns during a stellar senior year. Having played almost exclusively in the shotgun, he needs to show he can adapt to the footwork of playing under center and also clean up mechanics that caused accuracy issues.

Carson Wentz, North Dakota State

Despite his small-school upbringing Wentz is surging up draft boards due to his prototypical size (6-5, 232), arm strength and passing-game aptitude. Has a chance to develop into a franchise quarterback. Long ball accuracy, polished footwork and adapting to the enhanced speed of the NFL game are concerns he can help alleviate in Indianapolis.

PAXTON LYNCH, MEMPHIS

More of a dual-threat quarterback than a conventional pocket passer, Lynch might need a year of grooming. But if a team is willing to be patient, the payoff is a ceiling is as high as any quarterback in the draft. Accuracy on the run was a problem, and needs to show improvement in that area this week.

RUNNING BACK

EZEKIEL ELLIOTT, OHIO STATE

Rushed for 1,821 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2015. A tremendous athlete, he won four Missouri state track and field titles in the 100 and 200 meters and the 110 high hurdles and 300 hurdles. Can really help himself this week with a positive showing in pass-catching drills.

DERRICK HENRY, ALABAMA

Won the Heisman Trophy last year while rushing for a national best 2,219 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns. A bit of a sluggish athlete, his footwork isn’t top end. Speed and agility tests could push him up or down the draft board.

DEVONTAE BOOKER, UTAH

Ran for 1,261 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games in 2015, but also had 80 receptions over his junior and senior years. Needs to show improved speed this week.

WIDE RECEIVER

LAQUON TREADWELL, MISSISSIPPI

Despite coming off a serious knee injury in 2015, Treadwell finished his senior year with 82 catches, 1,153 yards, and 11 scores and was as a Biletnikoff Award finalist,and first-team All-SEC selection. Not a speed guy by any means, so he can help himself considerably with a great 40 time.

COREY COLEMAN, BAYLOR

The Biletnikoff Award winner, Coleman caught 74 passes for 1,363 yards and led the country with 20 touchdown receptions in 2015. Dropped 10 passes a year ago, so his hands will be under a microscope at the combine.

MICHAEL THOMAS, OHIO STATE

Still a developing prospect, Thomas finished with 56 catches, 781 yards, and nine touchdowns last season. Footwork getting off the line of scrimmage and polished route running are areas scouts will be scrutinizing.

TIGHT END

AUSTIN HOOPER, STANFORD

An effective run blocker who can also line up wide, Hooper caught 34 passes for 438 yards and six touchdowns last year. Top-end athletic ability and quickness has been a concern, so a good agility showing will help.

HUNTER HENRY, ARKANSAS

A PREMIER, PHYSICAL, INTENSE RUN BLOCKER, HENRY IS NO SLOUCH IN THE PASS GAME AND FINISHED LAST SEASON WITH 51 CATCHES FOR 739 YARDS. NOT MUCH BY WAY OF WEAKNESSES, BUT DOES NEED TO SHARPEN HIS PASS ROUTES. JERRELL ADAMS, SOUTH CAROLINA

More of a pass-game threat then a sure blocker, Adams has enough athletic ability to be a down-field threat and finished with 28 catches for 421 yards and three touchdowns last year. Can really help himself by answering questions about his hands.

OFFENSIVE LINE

LAREMY TUNSIL MISSISSIPPI

Generally regarded as the top pick in the draft. His elite footwork, agility and athletic ability are reflective of a franchise altering left tackle. More of a finesse blocker than a pure power blocker, but whatever weaknesses he has are minimal at best. Merely needs to show a clean bill of health to solidify his spot atop the draft.

RONNIE STANLEY, NOTRE DAME

A technically sound pass blocker with a quality motor. Very well coached with great hands and awareness. Has prevailed with technique and acumen, but can really help himself by showing better core power.

JACK CONKLIN, MICHIGAN STATE

A polished, sound pass blocker who can also mix it up in the run game. Showed average foot speed, which could be an issue against top-end edge pass rushers. Can enhance his status with a solid athletic showing.

DEFENSIVE LINE

JOEY BOSA, DE, OHIO STATE

Among defensive lineman, has the best hand coordination and power combination in the draft. A relentless pass rusher and to-the-whistler player. Needs to show improved athletic ability, strength and technique.

DEFOREST BUCKNER, DE, OREGON

Long armed pass rusher who plays with great effort and is a surprisingly good run defender. His technique is still a work in progress, and needs to show he’s cleaned up that part of his game.

NOAH SPENCE, DE, EASTERN KENTUCKY

There is no questioning his on-field talent. He is an elite pass rusher who can create havoc. The issue is off the field, where two failed drug tests at Ohio State earned him a lifetime ban from the Big 10 and resulted in treatment for drug addition, He was also arrested in 2015 for alcohol intoxication and second­-degree disorderly conduct. Spence has owned up to his past issues, and had a great season in 2015 at Eastern Kentucky. He will be scrutinized this week about his past digressions and subsequent recovery, which by all measures has been a success.

SHAQ LAWSON, DE-OLB, CLEMSON

Played as a stand-up five technique defensive end last season, and some see him as an outside linebacker in the NFL. Consistently made plays behind the line of scrimmage while finishing with 25.5 tackles for losses and 12.5 sacks. Needs to show better athletic ability and endurance – the later of which was noticeable as games wore on.

ROBERT NKEMDICHE, DE, MISSISSIPPI

Looks the part of an NFL All-Pro, but it’s difficult getting past the lack of productivity as he produced just 6.5 sacks over three seasons. Needs to show better technique and position nuance. Scouts and coaches will want answers why the production never matched the obvious physical tools.

CHRIS JONES, DT, MISSISSIPPI STATE

Tremendously powerful interior player who can also create a formidable pass pocket push. Still a work in progress but his needle is pointed up. Endurance can be a problem, as is technique

LINEBACKER

JAYLON SMITH, NOTRE DAME

At 6-3, 245 pounds Smith was one of the elite prospects throughout the 2015 season but tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee during Notre Dame’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State. Smith won’t be available to do on-field activities, but teams will take a close look at the progress of his knee.

MYLES JACK, UCLA

As versatile, productive and dynamic a player in the country the last three years, a torn anterior meniscus knee injury ended his junior season after three games. Jack, who is ideally suited as an NFL weak inside backer, will be limited this week to the bench press testing, interviews and medical examinations as he isn’t yet cleared for full agility participation.

REGGIE RAGLAND, ALABAMA

Emerged as a run-stopping MLB while leading Alabama with with 97 tackles to earn EC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Speed and coverage skills will be under the microscope this week.

DARRON LEE, OHIO STATE

A fluid linebacker with tremendous instincts, Lee plays well in the run game and is an apt pass coverage defender. NFL scouts want him to bulk up and add strength, as his ability to stand up and withstand the pro game is a question.

CORNERBACKS

JALEN RAMSEY, FLORIDA STATE

A world-class athlete with the necessary size, strength and savvy to completely disrupt an opponent’s passing game. Needs to show better footwork, as NFL teams will make him prove he can match up to quicker receivers.

VERNON HARGREAVES, FLORIDA A SMOOTH, ATHLETIC, INSTINCTIVE CORNERBACK WHO AMASSED 38 PASSES DEFENSED AND 10 INTERCEPTIONS OVER LAST THREE YEARS. ALTHOUGH NO ONE QUESTIONS HIS COMPETITIVENESS, HIS CLOSING SPEED WASN’T IDEAL SO A GOOD 40 TIME CAN SEND HIM SOARING UP THE DRAFT BOARD.

MACKENSIE ALEXANDER, CLEMSON

A lock down cornerback at Clemson who teams rarely challenged, Alexander is a film room junkie and a mentally sound and apt corner. His mental acumen hides average footwork and technique – an area scouts will be scrutinizing this week.

SAFETY

KARL JOSEPH, WEST VIRGINIA

A devastating knee injury suffered during practice at West Virginia last year cut short a terrific season, but Joseph is regarded as the top safety in the draft class. A clean medical report will determine just how high he goes in the draft.

VONN BELL, OHIO STATE

An instinctive player in the pass game who shows great feel for the game at free safety. His speed didn’t always show up on the field, but he can dispel some of those concerns this week with a good workout.

DARIEN THOMPSON, BOISE STATE

A big, physical, productive ball-hawker who is also an intimidating player on the back end of a defense. However, instincts, awareness and technique were lacking and it’s an area scouts will scrutinize this week.

DRILLS

• 40-yard dash Over the years – and for better or worse – the 40-yard dash has grown into the signature event at the NFL scouting combine, providing a glimpse at players explosion from a set position and straight ahead speed while being timed at 10, 20 and 40-yard intervals. With so much of football played in short spaces, the 10-yard interval readings are more applicable for some positions compared to others. Nevertheless, a player’s stock can soar or fall based on the final numbers.

BEST MARK: (electrical timing didn’t begin until 1999) 4.24 Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina 2008

• Vertical jump From a flat-footed stance, players explode upward and reach as high as possible to measure his vertical jump. The objective is to assess a player’s lower-body power through his explosion out of a stance. Any mark in the 40 inch range is considered top-end athleticism.

BEST MARK: 46.0 Gerald Sensabaugh, S, North Carolina 2005

• Bench press This is all about strength and endurance as players bench press 225 pounds as many times as possible. Somewhat flawed as it’s suited better for shorter-armed players than longer armed, it does offer insight into a players strength and conditioning.

BEST MARK: 51 Justin Ernest, E. Kentucky DT 1999

• Broad jump From a set position, the player explodes forward as far as possible. The key is sticking the landing without moving or falling. The objective is assessing a players balance and lower-body power. A jump of 10 feet is considered top-end athleticism

BEST MARK: 12-3 Byron Jones, Connecticut, CB 2016

•3-cone drill With three cones set up as an L, the player sprints five yards to the first cone and then back before turning back to the second cone, curling around the third cone and then back around the second before finishing. The objective is to test a players ability to reach peak speed then change direction and get back to peak speed as quickly as possible. Scouts put a high emphasis on this drill as it emulates movement and body positioning applicable of football. Any mark under seven seconds represents great agility.

Best Mark: 6.42 Jeff Maehl, Oregon WR 2011

• Shuttle run Staring from a three-point stance, the player maneuvers five yards to his right and touches a line then pushes 10 yards to his left and touches a line before pivoting and maneuvering five yards back to his right. The objective is to assess short-area explosion, lateral quickness and change of direction. Scouts consider four seconds the optimal mark high-end agility.

Best Mark: 3.73 Kevin Kasper, Iowa WR 2001