NCAAF · 1 year ago

Combine Day 1 Stock Down: 5 NFL Draft Prospects Falling

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Leonard Taylor - Miami
Once considered a likely first-round NFL Draft pick, Miami defensive tackle Leonard Taylor’s stock has plummeted like a stone. There was a hope the NFL Combine would stop the drop, and Taylor could showcase athleticism to help his stock bounce back, but the slide continued on Thursday. Taylor measured in at 6’3” and 303 pounds, but everything else was unimpressive. He ran a 5.12 40-yard dash and posted the second-worst three-cone drill time among defensive linemen who participated. Even his vertical and broad jump numbers were poor. Taylor has gone from a potential first-round pick to a player who probably won’t be selected in the top 150.
1. T'Vondre Sweat - Texas
Former Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis stunned people when he ran a 4.78 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine a year ago. Texas DT T'Vondre Sweat was confident he could do the same. Weighing in at 366 pounds, Sweat was probably even larger than scouts had assumed and needed to show his athleticism in the testing drills. The mountainous man was still impressive for a guy weighing north of 360 pounds, but his 40 time was 5.27 seconds, and his other testing numbers were no better. He scored a 4.10 out of 10 on the RAS scale for athleticism, which places him in the 41st percentile for interior defensive linemen. That was without him participating in the agility drills, which likely would have tanked his score further. Yes, he’s massive and was productive on the field. Relative to his peers, he is below average as an athlete, and his draft stock was undoubtedly hurt at the NFL Combine.
2. Austin Booker - Kansas
Austin Booker from Kansas played in only 505 career snaps and started one collegiate game. He entered the day as a sleeper prospect because of a perceived elite athleticism that gave him high potential as a pass-rush specialist. Instead of validating that perception, the NFL Combine disproved it entirely for Booker. He weighed in at 240 pounds and looked a long way away from having an impact against NFL tackles. He only ran an average 40-yard dash (4.79) and had a poor vertical. His overall athleticism score was only average for edge rushers, and his status as a high-potential pick is all but gone.
3. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. - Clemson
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was a highly productive and impactful linebacker for the Clemson Tigers. He left Clemson a year early after a terrific season, but the NFL Combine did not go as he had hoped. Trotter measured only 6’0” and 228 pounds, with less than the ideal length. A player of that size needs plus-level athleticism, but he came in average. His 7.13-second cone drill and 4.4 20-yard shuttle are less than impressive, and teams will have to measure his long-term potential, likely being limited, versus his potential to have an early impact as they weigh drafting him.
4. McKinnley Jackson - Texas A&M
Texas A&M defensive tackle prospect McKinnley Jackson needed a strong testing day after measuring only 6’1.5”. That places him at the 16th percentile height among defensive linemen. A player with his measurables needs to be an elite athlete, and Jackson showed the opposite. He had an RAS score of only 3.52, placing him in the bottom third of tackles. Jackson compounded the issues with a weight that landed him in the 89th percentile. Many teams are probably removing Jackson from their boards entirely after the NFL Combine.
5. Leonard Taylor - Miami
Once considered a likely first-round NFL Draft pick, Miami defensive tackle Leonard Taylor’s stock has plummeted like a stone. There was a hope the NFL Combine would stop the drop, and Taylor could showcase athleticism to help his stock bounce back, but the slide continued on Thursday. Taylor measured in at 6’3” and 303 pounds, but everything else was unimpressive. He ran a 5.12 40-yard dash and posted the second-worst three-cone drill time among defensive linemen who participated. Even his vertical and broad jump numbers were poor. Taylor has gone from a potential first-round pick to a player who probably won’t be selected in the top 150.
1. T'Vondre Sweat - Texas
Former Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis stunned people when he ran a 4.78 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine a year ago. Texas DT T'Vondre Sweat was confident he could do the same. Weighing in at 366 pounds, Sweat was probably even larger than scouts had assumed and needed to show his athleticism in the testing drills. The mountainous man was still impressive for a guy weighing north of 360 pounds, but his 40 time was 5.27 seconds, and his other testing numbers were no better. He scored a 4.10 out of 10 on the RAS scale for athleticism, which places him in the 41st percentile for interior defensive linemen. That was without him participating in the agility drills, which likely would have tanked his score further. Yes, he’s massive and was productive on the field. Relative to his peers, he is below average as an athlete, and his draft stock was undoubtedly hurt at the NFL Combine.