Standouts from Day 3 of the NFL Combine
The NFL Combine continued on Saturday night with the defensive linemen, defensive ends and linebackers taking the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to work out in front of NFL teams, fans and a national television audience. The broadcast primarily focuses on the 40-yard dash and on field drills instead of some other key athletic tests that can be more applicable to certain positions.
The group put together as strong a collective performance that I can recall in watching the combine for the last 15 years. Performances that would regularly qualify as standout showings were run of the mill on Saturday.
Standouts from Day 1: QB, WR, TE | Standouts from Day 2: OL, RB
Here are some takeaways after watching and combing through the official results from Saturday night.
Travon Walker pushes for top five
The Georgia Bulldogs put on an absolute show on Saturday. Five former Georgia defenders worked out and posted some great numbers. Defensive end Travon Walker put together a workout that has him positioned to be the top Georgia player drafted in April. The former five-star entered the day in the conversation as a potential top ten pick. His workout was good enough to where he is now possibly making a strong push into the top five.
Walker has a rare combination of physical dimensions and top shelf athleticism. He checked in at 6-foot-5, 272 pounds with 35.5 inch arms and a 10.75 inch hand. Walker ripped off an absurd 4.51 second 40-yard dash with a 1.62 10-yard split. The agility marks were also strong with a 6.89 second 3-cone (second only behind Aidan Hutchinson) and a 4.32 second shuttle. Walker also posted a 35.5 inch vertical jump and a 10’3″ broad jump.
The Thomaston (Ga.) Upson-Lee product was also an exceptionally loose mover in on-field drill work. He was a multi-sport athlete who played linebacker in high school and the coordination showed. Walker played on an utterly loaded front at Georgia and didn’t get as many pass rush opportunities as most top prospects at other programs. With that said, any NFL decision-maker who watched his workout would come away intrigued by the palpable upside. He’s an ascending prospect who made considerable gains over the past three years.
2021 stats: 37 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 6 sacks, 2 PBU
Walker as a recruit (2019): 5-star, No. 24 overall in the On3 Consensus
Jordan Davis has one of best combines ever
Jordan Davis came to Indianapolis looking to show NFL teams that he’s more than just a one-dimensional, space-eating nose tackle. The Georgia product took a big step in the right direction on Saturday. He arrived in top shape after cutting around 20 pounds, checking in at 6-foot-, 341 pounds with 34 inch arms.
Davis only took part in three tests – the 40-yard dash, vertical and broad jump. But his numbers in each were enough be the story of the day. Simply put, Davis had one of the best combine showings ever. His 4.78 second 40-yard dash (1.68 10-yard split) is patently absurd for a defensive lineman, let alone one that is over 340 pounds. It was a historic 40-yard dash and the best run I’ve ever seen. The mark is the fastest for a prospect of his size without a close second. He set the record in the broad jump for defensive linemen since 2003 with a jump that was nearly one foot further than the next leap on Saturday. The 32 inch vertical was second among all defensive lineman and also an exceptional number for a prospect of his size.
2021 stats: 32 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 PBU
Davis as a recruit (2018): 4-star, No. 407 overall in the On3 Consensus
Devonte Wyatt makes push as top DL
On a normal year, Devonte Wyatt would’ve easily been the talk of the defensive line group. The other Georgia defensive lineman entered the week in contention as the top defensive lineman in the draft and put together a great workout on the heels of strong Senior Bowl practices.
Wyatt proved to be an exceptional mover at 6-foot-3, 304 pounds. He edged out Davis in the 40-yard dash, posting a 4.77 time with a 1.66 second 10-yard split. The Decatur (Ga.) Towers product also posted a 29 inch vertical and 9’3″ broad jump. His on-field drills were as dominant as the workout. Wyatt showed astounding fluidity and change of direction.
2021 stats: 39 tackles, 7 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 1 PBU, 2 FF
Wyatt as a recruit (2019): 4-star, No. 292 overall in the On3 Consensus
Hutchinson, Ojabo live up to billing
Michigan touted an elite pass rushing duo in Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. Both prospects should hear their names called early in April, with Hutchinson likely going in the first few picks.
Aidan Hutchinson had a strong day, as expected. He checked in at 6-foot-7, 260 pounds with a 32 1/8 inch arm. While the 4.74 second 40-yard dash (1.62 split), 36 vertical and 9’9″ broad jump were very good, it was the agility where Hutchinson shined. We’ve heard various reports about the expected numbers in the shuttle and 3-cone for months. While Hutchinson didn’t quite hit those benchmarks, he still put up easily the best results of any player on Saturday, ripping of a 4.15 second shuttle and a 6.73 second 3-cone. The 3-cone mark is the best for a defensive lineman over 6-foot-5 since 2003. It should also be noted that the 3-cone is considered the most translatable athletic test for pass rushers.
2021 stats: 62 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 14 sacks, 3 PBU, 2 FF
Hutchinson as a recruit (2018): 4-star, No. 106 overall in the On3 Consensus
David Ojabo checked in at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds with 33.5 inch arms. He ran extremely well, posting a 4.55 second mark in the 40-yard dash. This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise as Ojabo was a state champion sprinter in high school, running a 10.93 in the 100 meters at over 230 pounds.The jumps were good too, with a 10’2″ mark in the broad jump to go with a 35 inch vertical. Ojabo’s shuttle was on the low end for the group, at 4.45 seconds.
2021 stats: 35 tackles, 12 TFL, 11 sacks, 3 PBU, 5 FF
Ojabo as a recruit (2018): 4-star, No. 244 overall in the On3 Consensus
Defenders who raised their stock
EDGE Amare Barno, Virginia Tech- Barno ran a 4.36 second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-5, 246 pounds, breaking the record for fastest 40 by a defensive lineman. The 1.54 second 10-yard split was also tops on the day. Barno followed that up by jumping 37 inches in the vertical. He began his career as a receiver and defensive back at Blythewood (S.C.) Westwood before growing into a linebacker at Butler Community College and ultimately settling in as a pass rusher at Virginia Tech.
2021 stats: 35 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks
Barno as a recruit (2019): 3-star in the On3 Consensus
DL Travis Jones, UConn- Jones is solidly in the first-round mix and even more so after Saturday. He would’ve been the talk of the defensive line group were it not for Davis and Wyatt. Jones checked in at 6-foot-4, 325 pounds with a 34.25 inch arm. He posted very strong numbers overall with a 4.92 second 40-yard dash (4th best among DL), a 7.33 second 3-cone (tied for best) and a 4.58 second shuttle. The former Husky also moved very well in drills.
2021 stats: 47 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks
Jones as a recruit (2018): 3-star in the On3 Consensus
LB Troy Andersen, Montana State- Andersen may have run himself into a day two pick. He played quarterback, running back and linebacker at Montana State and the athleticism showed. Andersen ran a 4.42 second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3.5, 243 pounds. He also posted a 36 inch vertical and 10’8″ broad jump.
2021 stats: 147 tackles, 14 TFL, 1 sacks, 1 FR, 2 INT, 7 PBU
Andersen as a recruit (2017): Unranked
LB Brandon Smith Penn State- Smith needed to help himself with a strong combine showing and it looks like he did just that. The former five-star checked in at 6-foot-3.5, 250 pounds with a 34 5/8 inch arm. He ran a 4.52 second 40-yard dash and jumped 37.5 inches in the vertical. Smith’s Penn State teammate Arnold Ebiketie did not run the 40, but also posted some very strong numbers in other tests.
2021 stats: 81 tackles, 9 TFL, 2 sacks, 5 PBU
Smith as a recruit (2019): 5-star, No. 25 overall in the On3 Consensus
EDGE Boye Mafe, Minnesota- Mafe worked out with the linebackers, but is considered a pass rusher. He measured 6-foot-4, 261 pounds and ran a 4.53 second 40-yard dash, good for fourth-best among the EDGE prospects. Mafe’s 38 inch vertical was tied for second-best among the group while his 10’5″ broad jump was fourth-best.
2021 stats: 34 tackles, 10 TFL, 7 sacks, 1 FF
Mafe as a recruit (2017): 3-star in the On3 Consensus
LB Chad Muma, Wyoming- Muma probably didn’t run as well as he hoped with a 4.63 second 40-yard dash, but his cumulative results were still among the best of all linebackers. He was 6-foot-3, 239 pounds and posted a 40-inch vertical, a 7.06 second 3-cone, a 4.28 second shuttle and a 10’9″ broad jump. He also put up 27 reps on the bench. 2021 stats: 142 tackles, 8 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 3 INT
Muma as a recruit (2018): 3-star in the On3 Consensus
SEC speed at linebacker
Several former SEC linebackers stood out with their athleticism and speed on Saturday night. Georgia’s Channing Tindall ran a 4.47 second 40-yard dash and posted a position-best 42 inch vertical at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds. His Bulldog teammate Quay Walker ran a 4.52 second 40 at 6-foot-4, 241 pounds and moved well in drills. Alabama’s Christian Harris ran a 4.44 second 40-yard dash and had an 11’0″ broad jump, the second best mark among linebackers. LSU’s Damone Clark measured at 6-foot-2.5, 239 pounds with a 33 inch arm and ran a 4.57 second 40 along with a 36.5 inch vertical, 7.12 second 3-cone and 10’7″ broad jump.
Tindall, Walker, Clark and Harris were all blue-chip recruits in their respective classes. Walker was an On3 Consensus five-star in the 2018 cycle at No. 27 overall. Tindall was No. 71 overall in 2018. Clark was also a four-star in the 2018 cycle. Harris checked in No. 133 overall in the 2019 On3 Consensus.