The 2014 NFL Combine has come and gone, some players participated in every drill and some chose not to. The NFL Combine and Draft is by no means an exact science, organizations will hit on some and fail on others, what makes the process fun is trying to figure out who you can draft to improve your football team. In this years combine there were the usual highly praised players, but what really makes the combine interesting is trying to notice and find a diamond in the rough, someone you can say this guy is a little raw but has room to grow if taught or developed. Take a look at some players that helped themselves during the Combine and some who hurt their stock as well.
The players that stood out to me and who are not obvious choices are;
Kareem Martin (North Carolina) Defensive End 6'6 265 lbs was chosen All-ACC First Team, at the combine ran the forty yard dash in 4.72, benched 225 lbs 22 times and his vertical was 35.5 inches. His play shows a good amount of athleticism especially for being a Defensive End and has a knack for batting down balls, I can see Kareem Martin as player who should be looked at in rounds three and four.
Trent Murphy (Stanford) Defensive End / OLB 6'5 250 lbs at the combine ran the forty yard dash in 4.8, benched 225 lbs 19 times and his vertical was 35.5 inches. Solid player very strong, to me has similarities to All Pro Justin Smith of San Francisco. In 2013 Trent came back as a fifth year senior and finished the season with 15 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss and ranked first for sacks in the Pac-12. Many Pro Teams will not have questions about his maturity, he is 23 years old and is ready to play at the next level. Many Teams see him as a OLB, while others say he will play Defensive End, in my opinion his hand needs to stay on the ground rushing the passer because he can wreck some havoc coming after Quarterbacks, I see him as a mid to late second rounder or third rounder.
Victor Hampton (South Carolina) Cornerback 5'9 197 lbs at the combine ran the forty yard dash in 4.6 i know not blazing speed, but I think that is something he will improve on in his pro day. benched 225 lbs 20 times and his vertical was
33 1/2 inches. He has a solid build, very strong, not afraid to lay some wood whether your running the ball his way or in coverage. What caught my eye is his pure raw athleticism and talent that to me passes the eye test real quick. I saw quick feet, fluid hips, can stop and go, can handle press coverage by jamming the receivers, good instincts, takes chances and has active hands always fighting to take the ball or deflect the ball away. He is also experienced in punt and kick returning been known to have good vision and elusiveness. The only negatives i can see is he has been in trouble before, can be a little grabby riding receivers down the field. Finished the 2013 season with three interceptions, forty-five tackles and four of those tackles were for loss, a good time to take a chance on a guy like this is around late third round through fifth round.
Jason Verrett (TCU) Cornerback 5'9 189 lbs at the combine ran the forty yard dash in 4.38 and his vertical jump was at 39 inches and was recognized for having one the best jumps of all the players at the combine, not just for his position. His game tape is impressive, since the start of the 2012 season Verrett is tops in the Big 12 with 38 passes defended and eight interceptions, he's known to be a playmaker and to be versatile can play inside and out. Impressed scouts and Deion Sanders at the combine with his explosive breaks, hip movement, showing off his strong hands and ball skills. The only knock i keep hearing or that I can think of is his height, but for those who have a problem with his height need to see Pro Bowler Brent Grimes.
The players that I see hurt their stock are;
Cyrus Kouandjio (Alabama) Offensive Tackle 6'5 322 lbs at the combine ran one of the worst forty times for an offensive lineman at 5.59 and for a man his size did not impress benching 225 lbs at 21 times. Struggled with O-Line drills, looked stiff, out of shape and just slow. The worst came when several teams reported he failed their physicals due to arthritis in his knee from a failed surgery. The positives you see is he only allowed 1.5 sacks and is versatile where he can play Left Tackle/Right Tackle. At one point pre-combine workouts he was considered to be a first rounder, but after the reports of failed physical and disappointing work out he might slide down anywhere between rounds two and three, there is some risk involved with his selection.
Morgan Moses (Virginia) Offensive Tackle 6'6 314 lbs, his forty time was not one of the best among offensive lineman at 5.35, was tied for the worst in his vertical jump, appears stiff and does not play with the power or motor a prospect of his size and build. When you watch him in game action he can have some issues with more athletic Defensive ends because he has problems at times with his leverage & control in the run game. The positives are that he is very strong, has above average footwork and in the Senior Bowl impressed with a solid showing in run and pass block situations during that game, has terrific range and technique is very consistent, originally was being looked at as a possible late first rounder, But I see him falling to the second, third rounds.
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