Friday Afternoon Thoughts from the NFL Combine
Hello, friends. It’s been an eventful three days in Indianapolis. The action is far from finished. UK’s three offensive linemen will participate in drills Friday evening, followed by Josh Paschal and Marquan McCall on Saturday and Yusuf Corker on Sunday. Even though there’s still work to do, KSR’s time at the NFL Combine has reached a conclusion. If you haven’t kept up with all of our coverage, get up to speed by clicking here and here, as I attempt to review the biggest storylines from the NFL proving ground.
Fast Turf at the NFL Combine (or Fast Fingers?)
The unofficial times were out of control Thursday night. Every other wide receiver was breaking 4.4, with a few 4.2s sprinkled in here and there. Patrick Mahomes asked the question everyone was thinking, “Did they switch the turf?” Turns out it wasn’t the turf, it was the timer. The new guy at the NFL Network was quick on the trigger before the NFL made the times official, causing many times to switch. Even though Tyquan Thornton did not set the record with a 4.21 — it was adjusted to 4.28 — it was still the fastest group of wide receivers to ever run at the Combine with eight players cracking the 4.4 threshold.
Wan’Dale Checked all the Right Boxes
Unfortunately, Wan’Dale Robinson’s unofficial time moved him out of that sub-4.4 range, but he still did exactly what he needed to do. Wan’Dale officially ran a 4.44, ranking 15th among all wide receivers. Most importantly, his splits proved that he has the speed necessary to excel in the NFL. Kent Lee Platt, an analytics nerd from Pro Football Network, shares how his speed stacks up to the competition.
The only knock on Wan’Dale: his height. Even though he is only 5-foot-8, it did not prevent him from breaking every UK single-season record against SEC opponents.
RIP NFL Combine Bench Press
The NFL Combine’s move to primetime was an overall positive for the event. There are now more eyeballs on the drills than ever before. However, changes always bring unintended consequences. Instead of asking players to bench press on one day, followed by field activities on the next, the league put both activities on the same day. The problem? Maxing out by lifting weights shocks the nervous system, slowing down a sprinter. Virtually every player opted out of the bench press to wait until their pro day. It’s a real shame the most exciting event is now irrelevant.
Mike Tomlin Loves Wildcats
The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach is a big fan of Kentucky Wildcats. He drafted Bud Dupree in the first round, Benny Snell in the third round and has signed a plethora of free agents to his practice squad: Farrington Huguenin, TJ Carter, Calvin Taylor Jr. and Boogie Watson. He also added Avery Williamson to his roster last fall. Tomlin was one of the first coaches Josh Paschal spoke with in a formal interview in Indianapolis.
“As soon as I stepped in the meeting, he brought up Boogie Watson,” Paschal said. “He loves us Kentucky guys.” Boogie was actually Paschal’s host on his official visit to Kentucky.
Paschal had six formal interviews, half of which were from the AFC North (sorry, Bengals’ fans). Expect a team that needs run-stuffers to call the three-time UK team captain’s name in April.
Bully’s Bling
Most players win a ring, then put it in a safety deposit box to collect dust, only to bring out for special occasions. Marquan McCall wore his all week at the Citrus Bowl, then brought all three with him to the podium at the NFL Combine.
“I always wanted a ring. When I went to Kentucky we won four straight,” he said. “Until I get four more, they ain’t gonna come off my hand. I wear them almost everyday.”
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