The 2016 NFL Scouting Combine kicked off today with a flurry of interviews, player measurements, and more than a few interesting stories, factoids, and bits of insight into the workings of several teams this draft season.
By: Cory Burrell
In the combine’s opening day, we received hints of who several teams are considering the future #1 pick of 2016 (signs point to Ole Miss offensive linesman Laremy Tunsil as the almost-unanimous top choice for nearly every team) and learned about an emotional reason for one projected late-round pick to enter the draft early. We also got a taste of the first reaction (or maybe overreaction?) to one blue chip’s quarterback potential flaw that may shake up the entire draft. Read on for the biggest news from the combine, all at Optimum Scouting.
Tiny Hands a Big Problem?
At the combine, even the most seemingly inconsequential trait or measurement could result in draft-altering shockwave – something Jared Goff learned today. According to a tweet from USA Today NFL writer Tom Pelissero, Goff measured in with the smallest hand size of all the top quarterbacks in the draft.
Goff’s allegedly tiny hands may not win Goff any points with some teams, including the Cleveland Browns. During today’s press conference with Browns’ head coach Hue Jackson, Jackson said he valued larger hands in a quarterback.
“It matters because we play in a division where all of a sudden there’s rain and snow, and it’s different,” Jackson, whose team has the number two overall pick in the draft, said, as reported by Yahoo Sports. “Guys with bigger hands can grip the ball better in those environmental situations. We’re looking for a guy who fits what we’re looking for at quarterback, and so hand size is important.”
Other scouts and offensive gurus agree hand size is important, including Tom Rossley, a former offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers.
“That’s such a key with handling the ball, controlling the ball, and with the snap coming out,” Rossley said in an interview with Bruce Feldman. “The size of a quarterback’s hands is even more important than his height.”
Other teams put less weight in hand size alone, including Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman. Yahoo Sports reported Spielman said he did not care if a quarterback had “tiny Burger King hands” as long as he was not prone to fumbling the ball.
It remains to be seen if Goff’s hands will cause any teams in need of a quarterback to look elsewhere or if his talent will overshadow such potential concerns. Goff ranks as the second-best quarterback in the draft behind Memphis’ Paxton Lynch according to Optimum Scouting’s pre-combine rankings.
Ravens Will Not Draft Players with Sexual Assault History
Baltimore Raven’s GM Ozzie Newsome did not mince words on how his team would view prospects with a history of sexual or domestic violence.
“Would we draft someone who has a sexual assault, with what we’ve gone through? We won’t,” Newsome said. “Those players that have that in their background, we stay away from them.”
Players with character concerns and other red flags are often a struggle for teams, as scouts and GMs try to weigh how real said issues are and if they are worth the risk of nabbing a potentially franchise-changing talent. But after a disturbing number of domestic abuse cases involving high-profile players, including former Ravens’ star running back Ray Rice, it sounds like the Ravens will place an even higher priority on draft high-character players.
High Praise Comes in for Ohio State Prospects
Fourteen Buckeyes were invited to this year’s NFL combine, and already the class of Ohio State products are turning heads.
“I can’t remember a class this deep of potential draft picks since I started way back in the early ’90s,” Vikings GM Rick Spielman said in an interview with cleveland.com. “This is by far one of the deepest classes I’ve been able to evaluate at all positions across the board.”
Ohio State’s booming class of possible draftees are headlined by five players who rank within the top 20 of Optimum Scouting’s current Big Board and include defensive end Joey Bosa (#1 defensive end, #3 overall), running back Ezekiel Elliot (#1 running back, #7 overall), and wide receivers Michael Thomas and Braxton Miller (#2 wide receiver/#11 overall and #3 wide receiver/#12 overall respectively).
“Coach Meyer put together a great recruiting class at Ohio State, much like he did a few years ago with the University of Florida,” Pittsburgh Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said to cleveland.com. “I think that just speaks volumes as to his ability to put together a great team.”
Optimum Scouting’s Big Board gave five former Buckeyes in this year’s draft class first-round grades, the most of any single school (Baylor, Alabama, Clemson, and Ole Miss each have two players with first-round grades).
Peyton Barber Declared Early to Help Homeless Mother
Former Auburn Tiger running back Peyton Barber had a breakout 2015 season, carrying the team to a winning record, a bowl win over Memphis, and tallying more than 1,000 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Still, Barber shocked many scouts we he decided to give up his senior year of collegiate eligibility to enter the NFL Draft, even though he had a fairly low draft projection. During a press conference at the combine, Barber shed some light on why he made his decision.
“My mother is homeless right now,” Barber said as reported by The Charlotte Observer.
Barber told reporters about his mother, Lori, and how she has been living with his sister. His mother’s situation gave Barber all the motivation he needed to enter the NFL Draft this year, even though he is projected by most scouts as a late round pick or even an undrafted free agent.
Despite his NFL-caliber season, Barber’s game had several potential holes teams are weary of, including a perceived lack of breakaway speed to bust open big runs and if Barber’s dyslexia and ADHD will negatively affect Barber’s ability to learn an NFL offense. But Barber said he is confident he can exceed his own expectations.
“I kinda knew what they were going to ask me, what they were going to criticize me about,” Barber said.
Optimum Scouting ranks Barber 27th among all running backs in the draft and grades him as an undrafted free agent.
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