2017 NFL Combine: 10 Players to Watch
By John Buhler
The 2017 NFL Scouting Combine will feature some of the very best upperclassmen from the 2016 NCAA season. Here are the 10 players to watch at the combine.
The 2017 NFL Scouting Combine will begin at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Feb. 28 and will run through Monday, Mar. 6. Indianapolis will be the center of the football universe for a week, as it is annually.
The scouting combine will allow many of the best upperclassmen from college football’s last season to show NFL scouts what they can potentially do at the next level. Some guys will rise up draft boards and others will fall after their showings at the combine.
Here are 10 players to pay close attention to in the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine coming up this week.
Gerald Everett
Tight End, South Alabama Jaguars
The 2017 NFL Draft looks to be one of the deepest and most explosive at the tight end position, arguably ever. There could be as many as three tight ends that go in the first round. While Alabama’s O.J. Howard has serious star potential, one guy that should not be overlooked is Gerald Everett of the South Alabama Jaguars.
Everett was one of three tight ends that got to go to the 2017 Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile. While he was held out due to injury in the latter part of the week, Everett showed that he could hang with proven SEC tight ends like Howard and Ole Miss’ Evan Engram.
Everett looks to have a good catch radius and could be a player that could get early playing time at the next level. He still has work to do as a blocker, but his hands as a pass catcher and fluidity as a runner are undeniable.
South Alabama is an emerging mid-major college football program out of Mobile. There is a ton of talent in-state in Alabama. Not all can play for Alabama or Auburn. Don’t expect Everett to put together a ridiculous combine, but will certainly show that he’s worthy of a day three selection.