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2019 NFL Combine: 10 players who showed out

By Joe Romano

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 03: NFL Network host Rich Eisen runs the 40-yard dash to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during day four of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 3, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 03: NFL Network host Rich Eisen runs the 40-yard dash to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during day four of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 3, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 02: Wide receiver D.K. Metcalf of Ole Miss runs the 40-yard dash during day three of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 2, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 02: Wide receiver D.K. Metcalf of Ole Miss runs the 40-yard dash during day three of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 2, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss

Anytime there is a picture going viral for how big of a physical specimen a player is, there are going to be high expectations. That is what happened with Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. An injury shortened his season but there was hope that he would blow the doors off at the NFL combine.

Guess what? The guy that looks like this…

Did just that.

Metcalf’s performance matched his shirt-off picture. Measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds, it was clear that he has the size of a number one wide receiver. Saturday’s performance proved he has the speed and strength as well. Metcalf was tied for the most reps on the bench press with Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry with 27 reps. Those 27 reps are tied for the most from a wide receiver going back to 2006.

His strength was evident but then Metcalf showed off his explosiveness. His vertical jump of 40.5 was third best of all wide receivers. His broad jump of 134 inches was fifth best in the wide receiver group.

Where Metcalf truly impressed was with his straight line speed. At 228 pounds he ran his 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds, good enough for third in the positional group. The two players that finished faster than him weighed 30-40 pounds lighter and are considered slot receivers at the next level. These are Calvin Johnson-esque numbers from Metcalf.

Now Metcalf would be considered the top performer because of the above metrics but his agility testing left a lot to be desired. His 3-cone drill and short shuttle were in the bottom 5% of all combine scores. Someone that big and linear can have a path to success. He’s a more nuanced route runner than people seem to think off those agility scores. What it does say is that he may have less wiggle than expected. Metcalf still will be the first wide receiver taken, and may have pushed himself into the top-10 of this draft.

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