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NFL Combine Draft's scouting process begins final phase FridayPosted: Thursday February 28, 2002 1:43 PM
By Tony Pauline, TFY Draft Preview The NFL draft is less than two months away, but the scouting process begins its final phase this weekend. More than 300 of the nation's best pro prospects are making their way to Indianapolis for the league's annual Combine workouts. During the course of the next five days teams will poke, prod, interview, work out and examine all of these players with the hopes of finding small bits of information that ultimately will shape their final decisions on draft weekend, April 20-21. So what are the top considerations and questions being discussed as coaches, scouts and players enter the RCA Dome starting Friday? Many will debate the 40-yard dash times and bench-press results as the quarterbacks finish their workouts Sunday, but the real battle begins after the stopwatches are put away. Prospects will be put through a battery of passing drills to prove that they can, (or in some instances cannot) throw the deep outs, timing patterns or crossing routes.
This is the make or break point for the top signal callers, as it will dictate whether the Houston Texans use the first pick of the draft on Fresno State's David Carr or try and trade that choice. It will also go a long way in determining if Oregon's Joey Harrington is worthy of a top-10 selection. On the other hand, speed at Indy will decide the final pecking order at running back and receiver as underclassmen finally get their chance to perform in front of scouts. The battle for the top spot at running back is up for grabs as both T.J. Duckett and William Green are running neck-and-neck. If Duckett, a Michigan State product, turns in a solid time in the 40 (a low 4.5 clocking), he could move ahead of Boston College's Green, who is expected to blister over the indoor carpet. UCLA senior DeShaun Foster also can capitalize on his good showing at the Senior Bowl by turning in a solid workout this weekend. The end result should decide whether or not Foster slides into the first round. Much the same can be said for the receivers, as several could see their draft stock sway as much as 10 slots in the first round depending on how fast they run. Underclassmen Antonio Bryant of Pittsburgh, Florida's Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth of Tennessee, as well as Michigan senior Marquis Walker all would greatly benefit from fast 40 times. One prospect seemingly on the rise is Hawaii junior Ashley Lelie. There is no questioning his ability to run fast, but a pencil-thin build has scouts worrying about his abilities to handle the rigorous nature of the NFL. There also is concern about the consistency of his hands. Though an unusual occurrence for a receiver, Lelie's strength test on the bench press will dictate whether or not he moves into the top 20 picks of Round 1. A pair of defensive linemen may have their draft rankings decided on the examination tables of the RCA Dome. Both John Henderson and Kalimba Edwards carried high grades coming into the season but have seen their stock plummet thanks in part to injuries. Henderson, a Tennessee defender many thought would be the first pick of the draft, suffered with an ankle sprain as a senior and questions are now arising about the health of his back. On the other hand, Edwards injured his knee at the end of his senior season, knocking him out of South Carolina's final two games, as well as the Senior Bowl. Passing grades on the physical exam coupled with good workouts will push both prospects into the early part of the first round, but should either be red-flagged medically it could mean disaster. As is the case every year, several highly ranked prospects were left off the list of invitees, leading many to scratch their heads. This year scouts are wondering why Richard Williams, a small-school offensive lineman from Gardner-Webb, is not one of the participants in Indianapolis. Known for mythological strength (he reportedly pushed up 52 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press earlier this year), Williams performed well at the Blue-Gray Game and briefly stood out at the Senior Bowl. Many were looking forward to watching him at the Combine, but must now wait until late March, when Williams will privately workout for the league. The talk this weekend will also center on not only the prospects who performed well, but of those that actually worked out period. The Combine is rife with names of players who skipped workouts at the RCA Dome, instead favoring individual workouts that take place in friendly confines near home. Earlier this year the NFLPA sent out letters encouraging prospects to take part in all the workouts at the RCA Dome, trying to put to rest the reputation it has as a "slow track," when in fact the facility is conducive to speed. Whatever the end result, collectively this will be the largest gathering of scouts, coaches, general managers and prospective NFL players of the year. For many, it is the final opportunity to impress the decision-makers of each team as we move into the homestretch toward the draft.
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