Breaking down winners, losers from Saturday at NFL Combine
On Saturday, the best defensive lineman and linebackers from the college football world showed their stuff at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. As always, some improved their draft stock, and some saw their’s take a hit.
Afterwards, NFL.com Chad Reuter took a gander at the winners and losers from Saturday’s iteration. Here’s who he believes affected their stock the most for the 2022 NFL Draft on Saturday.
NFL Combine: Saturday’s Winners
Damone Clark, LB, LSU Tigers — “He proved quick enough to cover ground in space and was reliable converting interceptions at the end of each rep,” wrote Reuter. “Clark showed everything a team could want from a leader in the middle of the defense.”
Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Bulldogs — Perhaps no athlete turned more heads on Saturday than Davis. He was already projected to be a first round selection, but he may be impossible to pass up for multiple teams selecting in the 10-20 range now.
“The performance should go a long way toward proving he’s not just a two-down player,” stated Reuter.
Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Bulldogs — Walker excelled on Saturday, as Reuter writes, “The combine was an excellent opportunity for Walker to show skills he did not get to show during his college career.”
Now, NFL teams see the immense potential the former Bulldogs star possess even more clearly.
Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Bulldogs — Even though Davis stole many headlines from Wyatt, the other Bulldogs star defensive tackle had a great day on Saturday.
“His low center of gravity and natural bend helped him change directions quickly, whether he was moving around hoops or spinning off tackling dummies in drills,” wrote Reuter. “Even with average length (32 5/8-inch arms), Wyatt could fit in any defensive scheme.”
Saturday’s Losers
Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Gamecocks — While Reuter states Enagbare was impressive on the field for South Carolina, his Combine performance could cause him to slide down team’s boards.
“Enagbare was a strong player for the Gamecocks the past few seasons, powering his way through tackles with a physical demeanor, but his combine performance could keep him out of the top two rounds of the draft,” wrote Reuter.
DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Aggies — “Leal’s stock had already dropped some due to his uneven play during the 2021 season, and his combine performance did not reverse that trend,” wrote Reuter.
Once considered a top-ten selection in the NFL Draft, perhaps no athlete has seen his stock drop more than Leal throughout recent seasons.
Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Utes — “Lloyd’s stellar play the last two seasons has teams excited about his NFL future,” wrote Reuter. “However, his workout did not match the outstanding athleticism usually possessed by linebackers taken in the top half of the first round.”
Teams continue to look for athletic freaks at linebacker with their premier selections. Micah Parsons and Devin White come to mind. However, Reuter doesn’t believe Lloyd falls into that category any longer.