The NFL Combine: Weekend Review (Defense) | FIOMattyH's Blog

As the NFL Scouting Combine wrapped up earlier this week in Indianapolis, the defensive players got a chance to prove their worth. If you recall from earlier, I recapped the offensive players in The NFL Combine: Weekend Review (Offense). A lot of players made a lot of money over these past couple of days, and unfortunately, some guys may have fallen in the eyes of many scouts. Without further ado, here is a positional breakdown of the combine results for the defensive players.

DEFENSIVE ENDS

More Athletic than I Thought
I will be the first to admit when I am wrong - and I have been dogging Virginia DE Chris Long's athleticism over these past couple of weeks. I did not think that he was the pure athlete worthy of a Top 3 selection. Weighing in at 272 lbs, Long ran a 4.75 forty which is not too shabby at all for that size. He also impressed with a 34" vertical and looked surprisingly agile in drills.

Did He Grow?
Derrick Harvey, who I had always thought was more of a lighter "tweener" type, came into Indy and measured 6'4", 291 lbs! On top of that, he posted a low 4.8 and 31 reps on the bench. I do not know why people looked over that performance, but with his skills, I think that cements him as the #3 defensive end.

Vernon the Beast
Just looking at the guy, we all knew Gholston was a gym rat. But in Indy, he proved his workout dominance. Weighing in at a shredded 266 lbs, Gholston had a combine high 37 reps (tied with Jake Long), a 4.67 forty and a 35+" vertical. He also wowed scouts with his light feet, proving that he may be up for the task as a rush OLB.

RUSH OLB's

Groves is the Cream of the Crop
Though he did not put up insane numbers, I was always a fan of Quentin Groves. I felt that he was a pure rusher who had the athletic makeup to do his thing from a two-point stance. Weighing in at 259 lbs, Groves blazed a 4.57 and solidified his claim as the best "tweener" prospect in the country (depending on your feelings about Gholston).

Crable Not Bad Either
Shawn Crable, the emotional leader of the Michigan defense, also had a nice day for himself. He checked in at 245 lbs and posted a low 4.6 in the forty. He will likely be a "tweener" prospect as well.

What Happened to Their Weight?
Tommy Blake and Bruce Davis were listed at 252 pounds and 234 pounds respectively in their media guides. Davis, who desperately needed to add weight even to play OLB did so by checking in at 252 lbs! Blake, who has lots of health concerns, ate his way into the standard DE ranks, weighing in at 281 lbs.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES

Balmer is Slow!
Many believe that UNC's Kentwan Balmer may transition best into a 3-4 DE. However, after running shades under a 5.3 forty, I think that you may have to reconsider his speed. Sure, he likely will never run 40 yards, but a 5.3 is slow for a guy who is supposed to be pretty nimble.

Ellis Disappoints Too
Again, sending Sedrick Ellis 40 yards is almost cruel, and I do not put too much stock in his 5.24 forty (which was faster than Balmer) since he is likely a one-technique at the next level. But, while 34 reps on the bench is always impressive... (Read the full article here: The NFL Combine: Weekend Review (Defense))