2020 NFL combine: Day two winners and losers
By Raju Byfield
Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin)
Trapped in a three man race to be the first running back off the board this April, Jonathan Taylor may have separated himself with his performance at the 2020 NFL Combine. He utilized his track background and technique to blaze a 4.39 40 yard dash at 226 lbs. With the time he quelled uninformed doubters who questioned his top end speed. He was also able to ease questions from those who doubted his receiving ability, by looking natural in the receiving drills, repeatedly showing an ability to snare targets well outside his frame. With J.K. Dobbins taking the combine off, he may have cost himself a chance at a first round pay cheque, as most teams will have Taylor or D’Andre Swift atop their running back wish lists.
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Cam Akers (Florida State)
Cam Akers may have convinced NFL teams that he is indeed worthy of a second round pick this spring. He was the star of the running backs, showing incredible feet and hands. He flashed some vision issues on tape, but that could be due to knowing his offensive line, which ranked as the 16th worst in the country, would be doing him no favors snap after snap. He should be one of the first five running backs selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, and could very well have worked his way up to the top three on the boards of some NFL teams.
A.J. Dillon (Boston College)
A.J. Dillon had an excellent combine. He started by leading all running backs with a 41 inch vertical and 131 inch broad jump, making him the most explosive running back who tested at the combine. He then proceeded to run a 4.53 40 yard dash at 247 lbs. To put this in perspective, Derrick Henry, who also weighed 247 lbs at his combine, ran a 4.54 40 with a 39 inch vertical and a 130 inch broad jump. Aaron Jones ran a 4.56. While Dillon had noticeable explosion on tape, projecting that he would actually test better than Henry would have been difficult. Dillon proved to be a rare athlete with better hands than many gave him credit for. He has likely moved his way into the day two conversation in some NFL front offices.
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