OT: NFL Combine Thread

Hungry Jack

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I don’t think we have anyone invited. Spivak is off to wrassling (jk) and Skoronski and Bawore are coming back.

I have seen several lists of “players to watch” and “sleepers” that have some familiar names, including:

Wandale Robinson
George Karlaftis
Alec Pierce (local guy we should have offered)
Kyle Hamilton
Garret Wilson
Kyle Phillips (think we offered, but I could be wrong)
Kenneth Walker (curious as to how big he is)
 

pnt16

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I don’t think we have anyone invited. Spivak is off to wrassling (jk) and Skoronski and Bawore are coming back.

I have seen several lists of “players to watch” and “sleepers” that have some familiar names, including:

Wandale Robinson
George Karlaftis
Alec Pierce (local guy we should have offered)
Kyle Hamilton
Garret Wilson
Kyle Phillips (think we offered, but I could be wrong)
Kenneth Walker (curious as to how big he is)
Pierce isn’t just a local kid... Both parents were athletes at NU. Huge miss.

This might have been the worst group NU has sent off to the NFL in a long time. Not sure anyone outside of Stephon Robinson will even get a rookie camp look.
 

Hungry Jack

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Pierce isn’t just a local kid... Both parents were athletes at NU. Huge miss.

This might have been the worst group NU has sent off to the NFL in a long time. Not sure anyone outside of Stephon Robinson will even get a rookie camp look.
Were both of the Pierce parents athletes at NU? (I am not sure I want to know the answer).
 

pnt16

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Were both of the Pierce parents athletes at NU? (I am not sure I want to know the answer).
Yup. Mom was on the volleyball team and dad was on the football team. Older brother Justin was a recruiting miss for NUMBB too. Justin had a great career at William and Mary then he transfered to UNC.
 

Hungry Jack

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Yup. Mom was on the volleyball team and dad was on the football team. Older brother Justin was a recruiting miss for NUMBB too. Justin had a great career at William and Mary then he transfered to UNC.
Sheesh. If I see both parents as athletes in those sports, I am going to have to find reasons not to offer.
 

corbi2961

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Olave with a 4.26 40. David Bell, 4.64 40. Difference between Day 1 and late Day 2 or Day 3.
 

Hungry Jack

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Olave with a 4.26 40. David Bell, 4.64 40. Difference between Day 1 and late Day 2 or Day 3.
Says a lot about Bell’s route running skills to produce like he did. Will be much tougher to get open in the League.
 

corbi2961

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Says a lot about Bell’s route running skills to produce like he did. Will be much tougher to get open in the League.
Yes, lots of CBs as good or better than Greg Newsome in the NFL Bell will be productive but not a star in the NFL. Third rounder. The Big Ten WR who will surprise in the NFL is Bo Melton from Rutgers. Just ran mid 4.3s and the guy is a player.
 
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NUCat320

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Says a lot about Bell’s route running skills to produce like he did. Will be much tougher to get open in the League.
I wonder if Bell can get open as well as Cooper Kupp, who just had the best season by an NFL WR ever, and ran a 4.62 at the combine. What a waste of time.
 

NUCat320

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For what it’s worth, a short read and some basic data on the correlation between 40 time and NFL production.


Data seems to show that, yes, there’s a correlation, and that players with success in the 4.6 range are definitely outliers.

Medians would be nice to see…without Kupp, the 4.61-4.63 data would drop by, no joke, 50 yards to 380. Said another way, Kupp represented 1 out of 59 players drafted at his narrow speed range, and 14% of the 4-year production. (Of course, medians probably approach zero in just about all categories. Most drafted WRs don’t succeed.)
 
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Hungry Jack

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8 receivers ran sub 4.40 40s at this year's combine. It's a fast group.

And Kenny Pickett has really small hands. I guess I should have sympathy for his fiancee. But NFL GMs hopefully do not care, as they shouldn't.

BTW, my hands measure 9.75", which probably makes me an above-average poster. Only Desmond Ridder and Cole Kelley measured out with bigger hands.
 

corbi2961

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8 receivers ran sub 4.40 40s at this year's combine. It's a fast group.

And Kenny Pickett has really small hands. I guess I should have sympathy for his fiancee. But NFL GMs hopefully do not care, as they shouldn't.

BTW, my hands measure 9.75", which probably makes me an above-average poster. Only Desmond Ridder and Cole Kelley measured out with bigger hands.
Some teams care a lot. He had 23 fumbles in 49 college games. That is a lot. I think he is by far the best college QB so I would still take him high in the first round but it is not an ideal situation.
 

pnt16

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Remember when NU was pushing hard for 4* LB Osita Ekwonu(finished runner up to ND)? Stories always mentioned his lower ranked brother in the same class but NU never really seemed interesting. That brother (Ikem) turned out pretty good. Likely top 5 pick.
 

Gocatsgo2003

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Remember when NU was pushing hard for 4* LB Osita Ekwonu(finished runner up to ND)? Stories always mentioned his lower ranked brother in the same class but NU never really seemed interesting. That brother (Ikem) turned out pretty good. Likely top 5 pick.


Tried to push Ikem where I could, never understood why NU wouldn’t offer both of them.
 

Hungry Jack

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Some pretty ridiculous workout numbers being put up by front 7 defenders. This article discusses.

Wisconsin’s Leo Chenal had a great showing.
 

corbi2961

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Here is another fun piece from WCG: a mock draft for the Bears based on Combine results.

Pierce makes the list. And several guys I have never heard of.
Pierce isn't going to the Bears at 39. He'll be drafted in round 3 or maybe late round 2. The rest of the mock actually looks pretty nice for the Bears. Would be thrilled to land Muma, McCollum and Jurgens.
 

Hungry Jack

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Pierce isn't going to the Bears at 39. He'll be drafted in round 3 or maybe late round 2. The rest of the mock actually looks pretty nice for the Bears. Would be thrilled to land Muma, McCollum and Jurgens.
It’s not a bad draft if that is how it plays out. They should be able to find a WR at 39 who can come in and start. A lot of holes in that roster..,
 

corbi2961

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It’s not a bad draft if that is how it plays out. They should be able to find a WR at 39 who can come in and start. A lot of holes in that roster..,
The Bears will focus on OL, DL and WR. The 4 names to keep in mind for the Bears at 39 are OL Zion Johnson, OL Tyler Smith, WR Christian Watson, and DL Perrion Winfrey. One or two of those guys should still be on the board for them.
 

Hungry Jack

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The Bears will focus on OL, DL and WR. The 4 names to keep in mind for the Bears at 39 are OL Zion Johnson, OL Tyler Smith, WR Christian Watson, and DL Perrion Winfrey. One or two of those guys should still be on the board for them.
Did not age well.

Pace left such a stinking pile of **** for a roster that any picks will help. I don’t have a problem with the CB and S, but I wish they’d grabbed WR Tolbert with #71.
 

NUCat320

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Did not age well.

Pace left such a stinking pile of **** for a roster that any picks will help. I don’t have a problem with the CB and S, but I wish they’d grabbed WR Tolbert with #71.
It’s weird to grab a safety early.
Corbi probably would be a better GM.

Also, pretty cool that all these QBs fell. The GMs didn’t force it. Willis and Ridder and Corral and Howell have chances to contribute as mid-round rookies, without the pressure and contracts that go with being the first rounders that so many ‘experts’ talked themselves into predicting.
 
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Hungry Jack

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It’s weird to grab a safety early..
Probably reflects the lack of top end talent in this draft. Brisker was the third safety taken at #54. His scouting report is glowing. It makes me think Jackson’s days are numbered. His cap savings after June 1 2023 are $13M, with about $4 in dead money. That's likely the end of his time as a Bear.
 
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