sbk92
2
- Messages
- 12,134
- Reaction score
- 6
Adam Schefter
ESPN
Q: Who is the one player you are most excited to see participate in this year's NFL combine?
-- Henry (N.Y.)
A: I'm pretty curious about Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller, Henry. He generated a lot of buzz at the Senior Bowl and might have turned himself into a top-5 pick. If he runs a solid 40, he will have NFL teams drooling over him. Plus, it's always interesting to see which player goes Mike Mamula and lights up the combine and which player goes Andre Smith and just disappears.
Q: If Cam Newton fares well in his personal interviews at the combine, and throws well during his pro day, is he a lock for a top-5 pick?
-- Jerrod (N.C.)
A: Lock, Jerrod? No. I know Mel Kiper has pushed Newton into his No. 1 quarterback slot, and he still might be the top QB drafted. But what if Missouri's Blaine Gabbert shines at the combine and throws well during his pro day? I think teams get too caught up in the combine and pro days. These players have performed in college for years -- that is their body of work from which to judge; these events are just some last glances. If the combine or pro day dramatically changes a player's draft status, then the system is clearly broken. Saying that, it sounds like Newton will go in the top 12 picks -- no matter what happens in the coming days.
Q: Of the events in the combine, which one do you think is the least important in terms of projecting success as a pro? What about the most important?
-- Rick (N.J.)
A: Again, Rick, my feelings on the combine are that it should be used as a supplement to all the game tape, nothing more. Saying that, I understand that someone can run the 40 in a super-fast time, move himself up in the draft and make a lot more money. But also keep in mind that, whenever there's a new CBA, there also is expected to be a rookie cap. So the top 10 rookies are not going to cash in the way they have in the past, taking a little bit of the drama out of the combine. However, I like what the Wonderlic can reveal about certain key positions such as quarterback, and I still like the 40-yard dash. I don't think there's any event that is least important -- they all provide a piece to the puzzle.
Q: Every year it seems there a few players who are under the radar before the combine, have amazing performances and see their draft stock skyrocket. Who do you think are some of those candidates this year?
-- Tyrod (Ala.)
A: Hard not to come back to the quarterbacks, Tyrod. Two are starting to emerge this year: Nevada's Colin Kaepernick and TCU's Andy Dalton. Each has impressed scouts for different reasons. Now, there will be somebody like Jacoby Ford who burns holes in the FieldTurf at Lucas Oil Field and launch himself higher in the draft. And other players also will make a mark -- good and bad. But quarterbacks always are the most significant and important position to analyze.
ESPN
Q: Who is the one player you are most excited to see participate in this year's NFL combine?
-- Henry (N.Y.)
A: I'm pretty curious about Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller, Henry. He generated a lot of buzz at the Senior Bowl and might have turned himself into a top-5 pick. If he runs a solid 40, he will have NFL teams drooling over him. Plus, it's always interesting to see which player goes Mike Mamula and lights up the combine and which player goes Andre Smith and just disappears.
Q: If Cam Newton fares well in his personal interviews at the combine, and throws well during his pro day, is he a lock for a top-5 pick?
-- Jerrod (N.C.)
A: Lock, Jerrod? No. I know Mel Kiper has pushed Newton into his No. 1 quarterback slot, and he still might be the top QB drafted. But what if Missouri's Blaine Gabbert shines at the combine and throws well during his pro day? I think teams get too caught up in the combine and pro days. These players have performed in college for years -- that is their body of work from which to judge; these events are just some last glances. If the combine or pro day dramatically changes a player's draft status, then the system is clearly broken. Saying that, it sounds like Newton will go in the top 12 picks -- no matter what happens in the coming days.
Q: Of the events in the combine, which one do you think is the least important in terms of projecting success as a pro? What about the most important?
-- Rick (N.J.)
A: Again, Rick, my feelings on the combine are that it should be used as a supplement to all the game tape, nothing more. Saying that, I understand that someone can run the 40 in a super-fast time, move himself up in the draft and make a lot more money. But also keep in mind that, whenever there's a new CBA, there also is expected to be a rookie cap. So the top 10 rookies are not going to cash in the way they have in the past, taking a little bit of the drama out of the combine. However, I like what the Wonderlic can reveal about certain key positions such as quarterback, and I still like the 40-yard dash. I don't think there's any event that is least important -- they all provide a piece to the puzzle.
Q: Every year it seems there a few players who are under the radar before the combine, have amazing performances and see their draft stock skyrocket. Who do you think are some of those candidates this year?
-- Tyrod (Ala.)
A: Hard not to come back to the quarterbacks, Tyrod. Two are starting to emerge this year: Nevada's Colin Kaepernick and TCU's Andy Dalton. Each has impressed scouts for different reasons. Now, there will be somebody like Jacoby Ford who burns holes in the FieldTurf at Lucas Oil Field and launch himself higher in the draft. And other players also will make a mark -- good and bad. But quarterbacks always are the most significant and important position to analyze.
