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Not to be ignored, the Tight Ends group got a tremendous review from Fran Duffy at PE.com:
“This was an absolutely ridiculous group of athletes at the tight end position. You could argue it’s the best we’ve ever seen. The freakiest overall workout was turned in by Bucky Hodges with a time of 4.58 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 11’2″ in the broad jump, and 37.5 inches in the vertical leap are all in the 98th percentile or above when compared to tight ends in the last five years. He did it at 257 pounds. He was listed at 245 pounds this season for Virginia Tech.”
“Evan Engram ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any tight end drafted since 2012 (4.42), and the third fastest since 2003! O.J. Howard’s 4.51 40, at 251 pounds, is simply special.”
“Then there was New Jersey native David Njoku. At 246 pounds, the Miami junior jumped 11’1″ in the broad, just one inch short of Hodges, and leaped 37.5 inches in the vert, tying Hodges for the best mark of the day by a tight end. Both marks ranked in the 95th percentile or above for tight ends drafted since 2012.”
“Also remarkable were Adam Shaheen’s numbers in the broad (10’1″ which is a good number for any tight end) and vertical jump (32.5 inches, a modest number). When you include the fact that he weighs 278 pounds, heavier than any tight end taken in the last five drafts, you get a sense of Shaheen’s explosive power.”
“Any other year, George Kittle would’ve stolen headlines. But ho hum, the senior went out and ran a 4.53 in the 40, and posted a broad jump of 11′ at 247 pounds. Both of those test scores are in at least the 90th percentile of tight ends taken since 2012. The same can be said for Jonnu Smith’s jumps (10’7″ broad jump and 38-inch vertical). The moral of this story? These tight ends are ridiculously athletic.”
Here is some other scuttlebutt from Saturday:
Penn State wide receiver Chris Godwin helped himself by running the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock said that Godwin’s time “just stunned me,” and that he has to “go back and watch more tape on this kid.”
Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers met with the media and said he plans to play safety at the next level. He played just about every position in college – safety, cornerback, linebacker, running back, returner, quarterback – but he most likely projects as a safety to the NFL game. “The bottom line is I’m a ball player, and I’m a hell of a ball player,” Peppers said.
Alabama linebacker Ryan Anderson delivered probably the quote of the day when asked how he expected to perform in the combine drills. “I ain’t a bologna sandwich,” he said. “I ain’t a slouch either.”
My first “Combine” many years ago:
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