2018 NFL Combine: 10 players who helped their stock

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CHESTNUT HILL, MA – SEPTEMBER 09: Boston College defensive lineman Harold Landry (7) celebrates a sack during an ACC match-up between the Boston College Eagles and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on September 9, 2017, at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The Demon Deacons beat the Eagles 34-10. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

5. Harold Landry, EDGE, Boston College

There are a few prospects in this class that were way better in the 2016 season than the 2017 season. None more so than Boston College defensive end Harold Landry. Two years ago Landry was leading the NCAA in sacks and looked like a lock for the first round. He decided to come back to school anyway. An ankle injury early in the season cost him a lot of what made him special and his production dipped. Initial mock drafts placed him in the tail end of the first round, if not out of it completely.

In 2016 it was easy to see that Landry was an elite athlete off the edge, so his performance at the combine was going to be strong. However, he exceed expectations and will be back in the discussion of the top 15 picks.

While the 40 yard dash is not a huge part of what makes a pass rusher special, Landry 4.64 was impressive and showed his explosion with a strong first ten yards. Where he won in college was with excellent balance, change of direction and explosion. The tape translated to his results at the combine. He finished in the 91st percentile in the short shuttle, 95th percentile in the 3 cone and the 99th percentile in the 60 yard shuttle. As an undersized defensive end in the mold of Atlanta’s Vic Beasley, proving he was an elite athlete was critical for Landry. He checked the boxes and then some.

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