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Knee issues for Da'Quan Bowers

Top prospects face injury questions; others exceed expectations

By Todd McShay
Scouts Inc.


More than a few players came to the NFL combine in Indianapolis with lingering injury/medical issues, and the five highly regarded prospects below will surely be asked to return for the scheduled April 8 medical retests. How they progress and the results of those tests will play a part in where each is drafted.


1. DE Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson
The No. 1 overall prospect on our Scouts Inc. draft board, Bowers did not participate in running or drills at the combine after undergoing surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee. He's hoping to work out for scouts in late March, but at this point all we can do is wait and see. Bowers will remain atop our board as long as he's fully medically cleared.

2. WR Julio Jones, Alabama
Jones, who carries a first-round grade, came to the combine with a fractured bone in his foot and elected to work out anyway, running a 4.34 40-yard dash on hand-held stopwatches, posting a 38.5 inch vertical jump and broad jumping 11 feet, 3 inches.

There is some concern because Jones has battled lingering injuries throughout his career, and while Michael Crabtree went 10th overall in 2009 after having never worked out for scouts there is still some wariness when considering injury-prone receivers early in the first round. However, assuming all goes well, we feel Jones still has a good chance to come off the board at No. 14 to St. Louis.

3. DE Adrian Clayborn, Iowa
Clayborn has battled Erb's Palsy -- a nerve condition resulting from an injury suffered during childbirth -- in his right shoulder, and the condition has become a greater concern after he reportedly had trouble fully extending his right arm for wingspan measurements at the combine. He played his entire career with the problem and also completed all testing and drills -- with the exception of the bench press -- in Indianapolis, but there is some concern going forward.

Upper-body power is important for defensive ends, who need strong hands to take on blocks and execute pass-rush moves. Clayborn's shoulder may never fully heal, which means his right arm will be limited and he will be forced to play on the right side, where he can take on blocks with his left shoulder and protect his right side. He could be limited in terms of inside moves, too, and NFL offensive tackles will learn to exploit those weaknesses as much as possible.

Clayborn carries a mid-first-round grade at this point, and if he falls past pick No. 20 it will be a direct result of concerns about Erb's Palsy.

4. DT Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
Heyward underwent reconstructive elbow surgery (Tommy John surgery) on his left elbow on Jan. 12 and did not participate in any portion of the workouts at the combine. He'll also miss Ohio State's March 11 pro day but is hoping to go through a personal workout on March 30.

The injury is a concern because Heyward projects as a 5-technique in a 3-4 scheme, where he will be asked to take on blocks and use his upper body to help him hold up at the point of attack. He was on the fringe of the first round before the injury, and in an extraordinarily deep defensive end class he now projects to come off the board in Round 2.

5. DT Stephen Paea, Oregon State
Paea suffered a right knee injury in late January at the Senior Bowl that required arthroscopic surgery and he also battled a bursa sac injury in 2008. He did not take part in running or drills in Indianapolis but did set a combine record with 49 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press. Assuming the knee checks out between now and draft day, Paea is likely to come off the board in the second round, thanks in part to that impressive upper-body strength.


Those worth another look

Every year we see prospects whose combine performances far exceed what we've seen from them on film. Here are the players whose game tape will get another hard look to see what we might have missed the first time around or what's changed since then.

Connecticut LB Scott Lutrus
On film he's tough, instinctive and productive when healthy, but Lutrus also shows stiffness, struggles in coverage and appears quicker rather than fast on film. His measurables were further from his tape than any player at the combine, and I want to know if we missed something in our evaluation or if his playing speed really is that far from his timed speed. A history of neck stingers is also a concern with him.

Maryland RB Da'Rel Scott
There are questions about his attitude, and Scott has been injury-prone, but he ran the fastest 40-yard dash among the running backs at the combine. We saw his speed on tape but not quite at that level, so now we have to go back, get another look and think hard about his potential as a kickoff returner.

Nebraska RB Roy Helu Jr.
He had a productive career and seemed to show more burst late in the 2010 season, but Helu runs smaller than his size at times and there are questions about his aggressiveness as a runner. However, his combine performance was impressive, and his tape will get another look to determine what caused that gap.

Nevada OLB Dontay Moch
We expected Moch to run well but were skeptical of the low-4.2 times Moch supposedly posted last spring. He was not that fast in Indy but still better than expected given his size and good enough to help his cause as a third-round prospect. He didn't show great lateral agility and looked stiff at times, but given his speed and short-area quickness Moch does have some upside covering kicks and being turned loose off the corner as a pass-rusher.

Chattanooga CB Buster Skrine
He was one of the best players we saw at the NFLPA (Texas vs. Nation) Game and Skrine added to his evaluation at the combine. He was one of the quickest, most fluid corners on the field during position drills, and we'll go back to the film to see just how much potential is there, because Skrine could be a steal in the later rounds if he gets with the right defensive backs coach.


Scouts Inc.'s top 32

Here's how our ranking of the top 32 overall prospects in the 2011 class shakes down after the action at the combine.

There is a change atop the defensive tackle rankings, but 13 defensive linemen still made the list, while a big-name cornerback has taken a tumble and the top offensive tackle in our rankings is on the cusp of the top 10.

Scouts Inc.'s Top 32

(Player Position School Height Weight Grade)

1. Da'Quan Bowers* DE Clemson 6-4 280 97
2. Marcell Dareus* DT Alabama 6-2⅝ 303 97
3. Patrick Peterson* CB LSU 6-1 211 97
4. A.J. Green* WR Georgia 6-4 208 97
5. Von Miller OLB Texas A&M 6-3 238 96
6. Nick Fairley DT Auburn 6-4½ 288 96
7. Robert Quinn* DE North Carolina 6-4⅝ 254 96
8. Blaine Gabbert* QB Missouri 6-5 240 96
9. Prince Amukamara CB Nebraska 6-0 203 96
10. J.J. Watt* DE Wisconsin 6-5½ 279 95
11. Tyron Smith* OT USC 6-5 291 95
12. Cam Newton* QB Auburn 6-5½ 248 94
13. Julio Jones* WR Alabama 6-4 211 94
14. Nate Solder OT Colorado 6-8 300 94
15. Cameron Jordan DE California 6-4 280 94
16. Aldon Smith* DE Missouri 6-5 260 93
17. Mark Ingram* RB Alabama 5-10 215 93
18. Corey Liuget* DT Illinois 6-3 300 93
19. Adrian Clayborn DE Iowa 6-3 285 93
20. Gabe Carimi OT Wisconsin 6-6¾ 318 93
21. Muhammad Wilkerson* DE Temple 6-5 305 92
22. Jimmy Smith CB Colorado 6-2 203 92
23. Anthony Castonzo OT Boston College 6-7 295 92
24. Mike Pouncey C Florida 6-5 309 91
25. Akeem Ayers* OLB UCLA 6-3¾ 249 91
26. Ryan Kerrigan DE Purdue 6-4 259 91
27. Jake Locker QB Washington 6-2½ 229 91
28. Justin Houston* OLB Georgia 6-3 254 90
29. Rahim Moore* S UCLA 6-1 196 90
30. Phil Taylor DT Baylor 6-3 351 89
31. Randall Cobb WR Kentucky 5-11 192 89
32. Cameron Heyward DE Ohio State 6-5 278 89
 
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