2015 NFL Combine: Day 4 News and Notes

By Scott Anderson

Day 4 of the combine is in the books, and the main attraction was the competition between Florida State’s Jameis Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. However, the real stars of Saturday were the wide receivers. For the second straight year it looks like the top of the class is going to take the NFL by storm and make some quarterbacks very happy. Here are some news and notes from Day 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium:

• Marcus Mariota ran 40 times of 4.52 and 4.56, with 10 yard splits of 1.57 and 1.61 tops among the quarterbacks.
• Mariota’s footwork in the passing drills was solid, and his arm strength is better than anybody seems willing to give him credit for. The real questions about Mariota won’t be answered until he steps foot on a NFL field.
• Jameis Winston disappointed in his runs with times of 4.97 and 4.99. I thought he would be 4.75 at worst.
• During the throwing drills, Winston put on a clinic with solid footwork and pinpoint accuracy. He does a great job of planting his feet and driving through the football. Nobody has ever denied the physical abilities of Winston, and was on the mark today.
• His football intelligence was also in full effect 
• The joint interview NFL Network did with Mariota and Winston was very interesting as well. Mariota is incredibly soft spoken and seemed a little hesitant with some of his answers, while Winston is charismatic and enjoys the spotlight. Mariota answered each question to whomever asked it. Winston spoke directly to the camera like he was addressing the audience.
• UCLA’s Brett Hundley came in at 4.63 and 4.67 seconds, and was right behind Mariota in splits with 1.63 and 1.65. Hundley’s short shuttle time of 3.98 seconds was the fastest by a quarterback or running back since 2006. Yes, running back.
• Baylor’s Bryce Petty throws a really nice football but his footwork needs a lot of work. A team with a veteran quarterback should draft and develop him for 3 or 4 years, and turn him loose when the time comes.
• West Virginia’s Kevin White made himself a ton of money after running back to back 4.35s. As good as this performance was, his tape might be better. Oakland will have a tough decision at 4 between him and Amari Cooper.
• Alabama WR Amari Cooper answered any question about his speed with 40 times of 4.43 and 4.42. His 10 yards splits of 1.63 and 1.62 were equally impressive.
• The surprise of the day was Georgia WR Chris Conley finishing with 40 times of 4.41 and 4.35. Conley also recorded an absurd 45 inch vertical leap, and a 11 foot 7 inch broad jump. Conley also was clean through the gauntlet, so expect him to move up a lot of draft boards.
• Miami’s Phillip Dorsett finished with 40 times of 4.35 and 4.33, after measuring in at 5’10 and 185 pounds. Dorsett screams T.Y Hilton. They’re the same size, and had similar production in college. Putting Dorsett in the slot will cause nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators.
• Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong measured in at 6’2 and 217 pounds, and posted a vertical leap of 42 inches. His leap was the third best of the last 10 years of the combine for the receivers. His 40 time of 4.51 was an excellent response to questions of his downfield speed.
•  UAB’s J.J. Nelson ran a 4.28 but only measured in at 5’10 1/4 and 156 pounds. He won’t last long player receiver at that weight but the speed makes him a Trindon Holliday type of option as a returner.
• Louisville’s Devante Parker ran a 4.45 with a split of 1.56 in his first attempt. That speed with his 6’2 1/2 frame should cement him in the top 15.
• There’s going to be an early run on receivers, with White, Cooper, Parker, Green-Beckham and Strong all having tremendous showings.  A team like Cleveland may need to get into the top 8 to go after one of the top guys.
• William and Mary’s WR Tre McBride continues to impress on the circuit, posting up two 4.41 40s after measuring in at 6’ and 210 pounds.
• Southern California’s Buck Allen showed a nice burst with 10 yard split times of 1.61 and 1.58 to go with his 4.55 and 4.53 40 times.
• Northern Iowa’s David Johnson measured in at 6’1 and 224 pounds and then ran back to back 4.50s. After solid Senior Bowl and combine performances, Johnson could hear his name called on Day 2.
• Minnesota’s David Cobb pulled up lame on his first attempt and was unable to finish the rest of the day.
• Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon had solid 40 times of 4.52 and 4.53, both with 10 yard splits of 1.63.
• Duke Johnson may have disappointed some with 40 times of 4.55 and 4.60 but he’s also about telephone booth quickness and making guys miss. His football speed is much better than his combine speed.
• Johnson destroyed the cone drill with his footwork. Just textbook cuts and drew high praise from Marshall Faulk.
• Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah ran 40s of 4.61 and 4.62, but his hands only measured in at 8 5/8 inches, which heavily contributed to his 24 collegiate fumbles. His production at Nebraska was excellent but that hand size could cause his stock to drop especially with the depth of the running back position.
• Florida State’s Karlos Williams measured in at a stout 6’1 and 230 pounds then followed it up with a 4.48 and 4.54 in the 40. A converted safety, Williams needs a year or two to learn the position and develop, but could be a number one back down the road.

On Sunday, the defensive backs arrive in Indy and have their weigh ins and interviews The main attraction will be the defensive linemen and linebackers, as they take the field for their 40s and on field workouts. However, it was announced that Missouri’s Shane Ray, a projected top 10 pick, will not participate in the on field workouts due to a foot injury.