2018 NFL Combine: 10 Players to Watch
The best prospects in the 2018 NFL draft descend on Indianapolis for the what some have lovingly dubbed the Underwear Olympics. Who could shine? Who may fall? And who has the most to prove?
Every year, teams struggle with the Goldie Locks Problem when it comes to the NFL combine. Some teams value it too much. Others value it too little. Very few teams do it just right.
That’s how we get franchises remaining in intractable failure or mediocrity. Just statistically speaking, most teams are going to hit on a player every now and then. The odds say they have to. But the good teams consistently value the right things, the right thresholds and barriers.
Fans, media types, or personnel people who say the combine doesn’t matter are either lying, stupid, or both. Having a good workout, or valuing good testing numbers doesn’t make a player a “workout warrior” or whatever other jargon we love to use.
Some guys will get crossed off team boards before they even run. Too small, or too fat, arms too short, or hands too small. This may seem like minutia, and it is, but it’s important and teams care.
Which means we should too.
With that in mind here are 10 players to watch at the combine, each for different reasons.
10. Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
Why he’s on this list
After sitting behind two first-round picks at Ohio State in 2016, Ward blossomed last season for the Buckeyes, developing into one of the stickiest cornerbacks in college football.
That said, he’s listed at just 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds. The weight is less important than his height. Players his size rarely get taken in the top-10 at that size, but Ward’s tape shows a potential elite corner, drawing comparisons to Casey Hayward.
What he needs to do
The first thing is something over which he has no control: he over 5-foot-10. If he’s a legit 5-foot-10 and measures in with long arms (the ideal is 32 inches or longer, which he’s unlikely to have). But most importantly, if he shows elite athleticism, he can quell questions about his size.
Hayward, for example, was in the 81st percentile in the 3-cone, 95th percentile in the short shuttle, and 92nd percentile in the long shuttle, plus he put up 19 reps on the bench (86th percentile).
Ward should run faster than Hayward’s 4.57 in the 40, so the agility drills will be crucial.