INDIANAPOLIS — Of course, the predictable answer to this headline is, “Duh… every draft prospect needs to stand out at the scouting combine!” And that is very true. But for these 12 players in various states of pre-draft unrest regarding their NFL potential, the combine may be more important for them than for others. Win this week, and it could change the perceptions of their talents entirely. Fail, and things could get dicey. It’s part of the combine drama every year, and here are 12 young men in the epicenter.
Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
Murray may very well be the best quarterback in this draft class, but there are a ton of questions NFL teams want answered before they’re going to be willing to take the plunge. First, he’s going to have to re-state his commitment to football over baseball, though he’s already done that. Second, his measurements will be among the most closely scrutinized in combine history. Murray’s unofficial height of 5’10’ weight of 195 pounds? Well, the tale of the tape and the scale will tell the true story. If Murray is actually more like 5’8” and 180 pounds, some teams may take him off their boards because he doesn’t fit their prototype. Of course, the real tale of the tape is the game tape, and there, Murray can stand on his own.
Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
Of all the quarterback prospects in this class, Lock probably has the best arm. He’s also able to make just about every throw convincingly on the move, which is not something Dwayne Haskins can claim. But the issue with Lock throughout his collegiate career is how well his natural physical traits align with his ability to make full-field reads and stay mechanically consistent from throw to throw. If he comes out in the Saturday throwing session and makes accurate and consistent throws, that should help him out. There will still be questions about his ability to succeed under defensive pressure that won’t be answered until he puts on an NFL uniform and faces defenses at the next level, but Lock needs to be bang-on during his session inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
Sadly, there will be no combine workout for Brown, one of the NCAA’s most electrifying receivers over the last two seasons. Brown caught passes from Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray and averaged 18.3 yard per catch on 132 receptions, but the Lisfranc injury he suffered most likely late in Oklahoma’s 2018 season will leave him off the field, and take him under serious scrutiny in medical tests. Lisfranc injuries aren’t necessarily consistent from a recovery perspective, but if Brown’s medicals come back solid, he may still have the look of a first-round pick.
Jeffery Simmons, DL, Mississippi State
Based on pure talent, there’s no question that Simmons is a top-10 pick—his tape brings Ndamukong Suh to mind at times. But he’ll have a couple of things to deal with when talking with teams—the 2016 video in which he was caught punching a woman multiple times during a fight, and the knee injury he suffered during workouts in January that may delay his ability to perform at any level in his rookie year. By all accounts, Simmons has been a model citizen since the 2016 incident, and NFL teams will overlook a lot when a player’s tape shows what Simmons’ has over the last three seasons.
Andy Isabella, WR, UMASS
Isabella wasn’t really on radars until he had a great Senior Bowl week, and that’s where he told reporters that he’s run his 40-yard dashes in the 4.26 region before. Isabella has been working with Randy Moss in preparation for his NFL career, his stats and tape are pretty sound given his level of competition, and if he’s able to back up what he’s said when he hits the track here in Indianapolis, he could raise his draft stock considerably. At the very least, it’d have teams looking back at his tape to see if he’s the ideal combination of speed and slot so crucial to many offenses in this era.
He’s certainly doing everything he can to prepare.