Thursday, February 27th is the start of the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine and it marks the first time the Combine will be live on NFL Network in prime time. The combine is a highly anticipated annual event where the top prospects from around the country are invited to Indianapolis to showcase their skills and help their stock in the upcoming draft in April.
For the event to be set during prime time is a big deal for football fans nationwide. No more do we have to hide our phones at school or work trying to catch a glimpse at who is running the fastest 40-yard dash or who can jump further than ten feet. Viewers will now watch the combine from the comfort of their homes taking this event to the next level.
For the players, 355 of them will be in attendance by invitation only, and these are the top 5 players to look out for:
1. Henry Ruggs III, Alabama, WR- the 40-yard-dash is the most anticipated event of the combine, and every year fans look to see who will run the fastest. In 2008 running back, Chris Johnson set the record for fastest 40 at the combine when he ran it in 4.24 seconds. Johnson held that record for almost ten years until John Ross broke his record with a 4.22. Many people think Ruggs has the speed to beat the record this year when he takes the field on Thursday.
2. Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado, WR- Shenault has quite a story coming into this year’s Draft. He did not start playing football until late in high school. When he eventually got to Colorado, he did not understand the game academically, things like the difference between 11 and 12 personnel. Shenault eventually learned to incorporate a more academic approach to the game but when it comes to physical ability, this guy is off the charts. I believe that when teams see how physically gifted this guys is his stock will increase in a big way.
3. Mekhi Becton, Louisville, OT- Becton is the biggest man at the combine. Standing at 6-foot-7, 369 lbs, he is going to pass the eye test for a lot of scouts, but where I think he will impress the most is in the 40. It is not easy to move that kind of weight around, but Becton can. He is a very athletic big man and could quite possibly run in the low 5’s. If he shows that type of athleticism, he will put himself in pole position to be the top tackle in this year’s Draft.
4. Isaiah Simmons, Clemson, LB/S- Simmons is the exact blueprint of the hybrid athlete teams want at linebacker. I want to see the combination of speed and power Simmons has. Look for his 40 time for the outright speed, the broad jump for power in the hips, and I am interested to see how much he will bench to show if he can handle being in the box at the next level.
5. Justin Herbert, Oregon, QB- Herbert is still a compelling case and I think a lot of teams are still unsure about the prospect. You look at some of his tape and he looks like the best prospect at QB to come out in years but then you look at other games where he seems underwhelming. For Herbert at the combine, he will show off his arm and his athleticism but where I think he will help himself out the most is in the one on one meetings with the teams. Herbert is a 4.0 student so the knowledge of the game is there but many believe he is a more of a soft-spoken guy and organizations will want to see him be more assertive in these meetings to build trust that this guy can lead the team and command a huddle.
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