Rondel Melendez, Justin Ernest, Gerald Sensabaugh, Kevin Kasper, Jeffrey Maehl, and Scott Starks. What do these names have in common? Or, the question you may really be thinking, who the hell are these people? For those of you who aren’t scholars of the history of the NFL Scouting Combine, these are the names of the men who hold at least a share of the record in each event at the NFL Draft’s most celebrated evaluation event.
Now, in the days following the combine, some players will shoot up draft boards due to their otherworldly workouts in Indianapolis. Remember Vernon Gholston blowing up the event in 2008? A 6-foot 3-inch, 266-pound beast of a man couldn’t possibly put up 37 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, walk over and record a 41-inch vertical, then calmly saunter over run a scorching 4.6 40-yard dash. Those very measurables made Gholston a can’t-miss prospect, and the Jets felt lucky to pick up the next Lawrence Taylor with the sixth overall selection in the 2008 draft. Only after three fairly unproductive years, the Jets released Gholston after realizing he actually had to play football on Sundays, not just work out.
(The site of the NFL combine in Indianapolis. http://prod.images.patriots.clubs.nflcdn.com/image-web/NFL/CDA/data/deployed/prod/PATRIOTS/assets/images/imported/NE/photos/clubimages/2013/02-February/tempfieldAP387300272641--nfl_mezz_1280_1024.jpg?width=620&height=465)
Gholston is just one example of players that got a huge boost from their performance in Indy. Matt Jones, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Mike Mamula are just a few more examples of players who didn’t quite turn into the players that their combine performance promised scouts they would be. At this point, it almost seems like scouts would be better off looking for these all-world performers and crossing them off their draft boards all together.
But then this very thing does happen, and, of course, that player turns into an all-pro and no one can understand why so many teams passed on him. For every Vernon Gholston there is a Chris Johnson. Johnson, coming out of little East Carolina, was known for the holes he burned in his shoes with his blazing speed but projected to fall outside of the first round due to questions about his durability and just how much that speed would help him against other elite athletes in the NFL. Then he went out and ran a combine-record-tying 4.24 40.
While cementing his spot in the first round, Johnson’s performance was still not enough to make him the first running back selected. In fact, he ended up being the fifth back selected, at number 24 overall, immediately after watching the Cowboys select Felix Jones and the Steelers opt for Rashard Mendenhall over him. If Gohlston could raise his linebacker stock so much by running, jumping, and lifting so well, how come Johnson’s sprinting ability couldn’t improve his value at a position where running is even in the name?
This is the crazy part of the NFL combine, and why we must stop taking the results so seriously. This year, it was former Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin who awed the scouts with his Usain Bolt-like 4.27 40-yard dash. Surely he will now hear his name called far sooner in April’s draft than he ever expected before his trip to Indy. But his ability to run in a straight line really fast has not changed his ability to run a route, get free form a defender, catch a pass, and, you know, actually play football.
If these scouts really want to know how his speed will translate the NFL, here’s an idea: go watch the tape.
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I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman.
Thanks for the support!
Now, in the days following the combine, some players will shoot up draft boards due to their otherworldly workouts in Indianapolis. Remember Vernon Gholston blowing up the event in 2008? A 6-foot 3-inch, 266-pound beast of a man couldn’t possibly put up 37 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, walk over and record a 41-inch vertical, then calmly saunter over run a scorching 4.6 40-yard dash. Those very measurables made Gholston a can’t-miss prospect, and the Jets felt lucky to pick up the next Lawrence Taylor with the sixth overall selection in the 2008 draft. Only after three fairly unproductive years, the Jets released Gholston after realizing he actually had to play football on Sundays, not just work out.
(The site of the NFL combine in Indianapolis. http://prod.images.patriots.clubs.nflcdn.com/image-web/NFL/CDA/data/deployed/prod/PATRIOTS/assets/images/imported/NE/photos/clubimages/2013/02-February/tempfieldAP387300272641--nfl_mezz_1280_1024.jpg?width=620&height=465)
Gholston is just one example of players that got a huge boost from their performance in Indy. Matt Jones, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Mike Mamula are just a few more examples of players who didn’t quite turn into the players that their combine performance promised scouts they would be. At this point, it almost seems like scouts would be better off looking for these all-world performers and crossing them off their draft boards all together.
But then this very thing does happen, and, of course, that player turns into an all-pro and no one can understand why so many teams passed on him. For every Vernon Gholston there is a Chris Johnson. Johnson, coming out of little East Carolina, was known for the holes he burned in his shoes with his blazing speed but projected to fall outside of the first round due to questions about his durability and just how much that speed would help him against other elite athletes in the NFL. Then he went out and ran a combine-record-tying 4.24 40.
While cementing his spot in the first round, Johnson’s performance was still not enough to make him the first running back selected. In fact, he ended up being the fifth back selected, at number 24 overall, immediately after watching the Cowboys select Felix Jones and the Steelers opt for Rashard Mendenhall over him. If Gohlston could raise his linebacker stock so much by running, jumping, and lifting so well, how come Johnson’s sprinting ability couldn’t improve his value at a position where running is even in the name?
This is the crazy part of the NFL combine, and why we must stop taking the results so seriously. This year, it was former Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin who awed the scouts with his Usain Bolt-like 4.27 40-yard dash. Surely he will now hear his name called far sooner in April’s draft than he ever expected before his trip to Indy. But his ability to run in a straight line really fast has not changed his ability to run a route, get free form a defender, catch a pass, and, you know, actually play football.
If these scouts really want to know how his speed will translate the NFL, here’s an idea: go watch the tape.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you enjoyed reading! If you have any questions, comments, or other suggestions on how to improve the column or any other topic feel free to contact me at my email address [email protected], on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.colman.9 or on Twitter @AdamRColman.
Thanks for the support!
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