2013 NFL Combine
Last Thoughts
By
Pete Fiutak
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2013 NFL Combine Last Thoughts
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Worst ... Draft ... Ever?
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Te'o wasn't THAT slow
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The key takeaway from the weekend: safeties
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A shocker of a No. 1 pick?
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The Five Big Winners
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The Five Big Losers
The really interesting thing that no one is talking about
Call this the draft to help combat against all the high-octane passing numbers. All of a sudden, there’s a tremendously strong class coming out of really, really good safeties.
This was a dead position last season with Mark Barron and Harrison Smith becoming valuable commodities worth moving heaven and earth to get. After a decent class in 2010, highlighted by Earl Thomas and Eric Berry, 2011 was bad for safeties, too. This year, there’s probably not a Barron, Smith, Berry or Thomas in the crop, but it’s a deep group that should turn out to be among the best in the last several years.
Kenny Vaccaro out of Texas disappointed with a slowish 4.65 in the 40, but he destroyed the shuttle drill and measured a strong 6-0 and 214 pounds. Florida’s Matt Elam was solid, highlighted by a 4.54 40, and Syracuse’s Shamarko Thomas had everyone scrambling for film after an eye-popping 4.42 to go along with 28 reps on the bench.
LSU’s Eric Reid was big and explosive, helped by an 11-2 broad jump that would’ve blown away the rest of the field if NC State’s Earl Wolff didn’t match it to go along with a 4.44 in the 40.
FIU’s Jonathan Cyprien, Oklahoma’s Tony Jefferson, South Carolina’s D.J. Sewaringer and Georgia’s Shawn Williams are all potential second rounders, while others like USC’s T.J. McDonald and Fresno State’s Phillip Thomas are likely starters who’ll be plucked from the mid-rounds.
2013 NFL Combine Last Thoughts
-
Worst ... Draft ... Ever?
-
Te'o wasn't THAT slow
-
A shocker of a No. 1 pick?
-
The Five Big Winners
-
The Five Big Losers