NFL | T. Price measures in at NFL Combine
Ohio University WR Taylor Price measured in at the NFL Scouting Combine with a height of 6-foot, 204 pounds.
Read moreNFL | Minor measures in at NFL Combine
Michigan RB Brandon Minor said he measured in at the NFL Scouting Combine with a height of 6-foot, 214 pounds.
Read moreNFL | Three teams have interviewed Minor
Michigan RB Brandon Minor said he has met with the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.
Read moreNFL | Minor hopes to be able to work out at Pro Day
Michigan RB Brandon Minor (shoulder) said during the NFL Scouting Combine that he has just been released to start jogging. He is hoping to work out at his Pro Day March 12, “but it’s kind of doubtful.” Minor suffered a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder. Our View: Minor was a highly touted running back coming out of high school, but injuries and inconsistencies plagued his college career. He’s likely a priority free agent, but some teams are intrigued by his potential – if he checks out medically.
Read moreNFL | McNeal measures in at NFL Combine
Southern Methodist RB Shawnbrey McNeal measured in at the NFL Scouting Combine with a height of 5-foot-10, 194 pounds.
Read moreMichigan Showcase highlights Midwest talent
ANN ARBOR – The University of Michigan’s Glick Fieldhouse was the site of the Michigan Football Showcase, featuring 350 prospects from the state’s of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio. Saginaw, Mich., wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett used the Showcase to show why he is one of the nation’s best pass catchers
Read moreDraft position on the line for some top prospects at the Combine
INDIANAPOLIS — As the NFL Scouting Combine continues, so does the uncertainty at the top of the draft.
Only two players can bet the mortgage on being picked no lower than No. 3—defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska and Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma. But here is a look at five other elite prospects who could go in the top five or fall out of the top 10:
Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Working for him: He is an impact safety, a playmaker with the potential to be like an Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu. The Buccaneers should consider Berry with the No. 3 pick, and though he left college early he was coached well at Tennessee. After all, Berry’s defensive coordinator last season was former Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.
“Monte told me I’d be a fool to come back (to Tennessee),” Berry said. “He made me so much of a better player.”
Working against him: Some general managers say a top-five pick is too high for any safety, and no safety has been drafted so high since Sean Taylor went No. 5 to the Redskins in 2004.
“A lot of people don’t even have me in the top 10, which is very motivating to me,” Berry said.
Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
Working for him: The more NFL people see him, the more they like him. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has a close relationship with Chiefs GM Scott Pioli, who holds the No. 5 pick and is desperate for an offensive tackle.
Working against him: There are plenty of quality offensive tackles to choose from in the 2010 draft.
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Working for him: No player is more valuable than a franchise quarterback, and only two ‘10 quarterbacks are first-round material—Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Clausen. If the Rams make the bold move to take Bradford with the No. 1 pick, the Redskins might be coerced into taking Clausen at No. 4.
Clausen also played in pro-style offense at Notre Dame and was coached by Charlie Weis, a successful NFL offensive coordinator.
“He’s a great quarterback coach,” Clausen said of Weis. “He’s probably the smartest coach I’ve ever been around.”
Working against him: Clausen did not throw at the Combine as he continues to recover from toe surgery, and some personnel men and scouts wonder about his leadership skills. A lackluster pro day performance April 9 could drop him out of the top 10.
“I don’t think he’s as polished or as accurate as Bradford,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. “I think it’s a little high for Jimmy Clausen at No. 4, given the questions regarding leadership and some of those intangibles.”
Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
Working for him: Left tackles always are coveted, and he has tremendous upside because of his size and athletic ability. He could get consideration from the Chiefs at No. 5.
“My athleticism helps me get out of a lot of situations,” Davis said. “If I step the wrong way, it helps me get back into position.”
Working against him: Davis’ Combine workout was not overly impressive, and the tackle position is one of the deepest in the draft. If Bulaga, Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung, Oklahoma’s Trent Williams or Maryland’s Bruce Campbell are drafted ahead of Davis, it could push him out of the top 10.
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
Working for him: Pass rushers are a commodity, and the Buccaneers (No. 3 pick) have a need for someone with Pierre-Paul’s ability.
Working against him: He is athletic, but he also is unpolished. Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik might consider Pierre-Paul too much of a risk at No. 3. And if either Suh or McCoy drops to No. 3, the Buccaneers would not hesitate to take either.
This story appears in March 1’s edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free.
Clifton Brown covers the NFL for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.
Read moreCombine Dish: Tebow takes a pass on throwing but still enhances stock
INDIANAPOLIS — Sunday was a high-profile day at the NFL Scouting Combine with running backs and wide receivers running the 40-yard dash and quarterbacks throwing. An analytical look at the biggest moments of the day:
• Florida QB Tim Tebow, who is working on improving his passing mechanics, chose not to throw Sunday but still was able to improve his draft stock. Coaches and personnel men gave him high marks in one-on-one interviews, and he shined during his workout Sunday. He ran the 40-yard dashes in the 4.7-second range, not “running back fast” but faster than most all current NFL quarterbacks, and performed well in other drills. He showed good athleticism for a quarterback, which should help him to make plays outside the pocket in the NFL. That said, the major factor in where Tebow is drafted is how he throws in his on-campus workout March 17.
• Notre Dame WR Golden Tate had an interesting day, helping and hurting his draft stock. After running the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds Sunday, scouts will go back to his film to take a second look to see if they can find proof to back up that time. On the downside, he struggled to catch the ball in the “Gauntlet Drill” and must do much better at his pro day workout to prove that Sunday’s struggles were an aberration. It is a concern that he allows so many passes to get into his body and thus ends up fighting or dropping the ball too often. Bottom line: If Tate catches the ball well March 23, his boost of speed at the Combine should cement a spot at the bottom of the first round.
• Clemson WR Jacoby Ford continued his strong offseason by posting the fastest 40-yard dash of the Combine — 4.28 seconds. After shining at the Senior Bowl and showing great athleticism, quickness and burst to make plays as a slot receiver, he blew our doors off with his 40 time. Despite his size (5-8 5/8, 181), he pretty much now is assured of being a second- or third-round pick.
For information and analysis on these and many other players, see the latest Combine Dish in SN’s Pro Football War Room.
For more than 640 player scouting reports from Lande and his team of former NFL scouts — plus updated Mock Draft, Super 99 rankings and more — go to warroom.sportingnews.com.
Read moreNFL | C. McCoy says he can play under center
Texas QB Colt McCoy said during the NFL Scouting Combine that taking snaps from under center is something he is capable of doing. McCoy added, “If you go back and look at my freshman and sophomore years, we were about 30 percent under center so it’s not foreign to me at all. I realize that’s something I really need to work on because the last two years we didn’t spend that much time underneath center. We probably were three, four, five times a game underneath. We ran some play action out of it, but that’s about it. We played to our personnel, we played with what we had and we won a lot of games. But playing underneath the center is not foreign to me. The good thing with my shoulder after the game for about three weeks I wasn’t able to throw, so I committed myself to working on my feet, working on my drops, my play-action drops. My feet are going to be perfectly fine.” Our View: There are several college quarterbacks that now play in the spread offense, and operate primarily out of the shotgun. Not only does a player have to learn the correct footwork, but they must be able to read the defense as they drop back.
Read moreNFL | McCluster says teams no longer concerned about his size
Mississippi RB Dexter McCluster was asked during the NFL Scouting Combine if teams were showing concern about his size. McCluster said, “It was more so early on. Now, a lot of teams aren’t really talking about the weight or height situation. A lot of them are saying, ‘We really don’t care. You’re a playmaker. You play football, so that’s what you do. Your game speaks for itself.’ They see I’m not scared to take on a block, a man-to-man block, and they see that I can make one man miss. Right now I don’t think it’s such a big issue. It never was an issue for me because it’s been that way all my life, always a smaller guy. I had to work that much harder to get better and to prove that there is something different about me.”
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