2014 Scouting Combine Day 1 Recap: OL and TE

OL Taylor Lewan:

-Lewan may have a tough time cracking the top 2 OT’s, but his Combine performance gave him a shot to maybe jump one of the top 2 guys. Lewan was incredibly impressive in the workout drills and the fact that he could move that well at his size was a bit eye opening and not as expected as some other top OL. He should be a lock for the top 15 picks now and should be a day one starter at LT.

OL Jake Matthews:

-With many of the top OT’s working out Matthews was going to face some stiff competition, but he rose to the occasion and looked just as good as anyone. He had strong workout numbers, but the positional work was perhaps the most impressive of any player. Matthews shows excellent footwork, base and plays with great leverage. He’s a top 5 pick and could be as high as the 2nd overall.

OL Brandon Thomas:

-Thomas continued his strong offseason performance with a good all-around Combine. He’s a guy who will get consideration both at guard and tackle and he showed why with strong workout numbers and a good performance in the position drills. He may be better suited for guard, but that versatility is huge in the NFL. Thomas is a guy who is probably going to go in the 3rd round and he kept himself in that discussion.

OL Joe Bitonio:

-Bitonio is a guy not a lot of people are talking about, but after a big Senior Bowl week and now Combine he should be rising up some draft boards and be a quality Day 2 prospect. With the athleticism he showed at the Combine, he’s going to push his way into the 2nd round, particularly if teams believe he can play at tackle (which looks like a possibility). As strong as his workout drills were, he was probably better in the positional drills he showed nice feet and a good base.

OL Greg Robinson:

-Robinson came in with a lot of hype and didn’t disappoint with a great workout throughout the day. He had the best 40 time and 10 yard split time, and showed why many consider him to be the top tackle in the draft. He’s got crazy athletic ability and all the potential in the world.

OL Xavier Su’a-Filo:

-Su’a-Filo came in considered a top 3 guard and he did everything to solidify that perception with a really good day. Su’a-Filo is more of a raw player so there were some question marks surrounding him, but he answered a lot of those questions showing really good natural ability. Some teams could even consider him as a tackle prospect since he played some there in college and has quick feet, but he’s probably best suited at guard.

TE C.J. Fiedorowicz:

-Not all the top TE’s did all the drills so it is tough to fully compare, but from those who worked out, Fiedorowicz was the best all-around tight end. Fiedorowicz wasn’t going to put up a 4.6 40 time because he’s more of an inline TE, but he still had a solid number at 4.76. Fiedorowicz did well in the rest of the drills and looked particularly good throughout the day.

TE A.C. Leonard:

-Leonard has his share of question marks and off the field issues, but with a really strong Combine performance, he will force teams to give him some consideration in the late rounds (likely 6th or 7th). Leonard blew up the Combine throughout the day and with many of the top TE’s not doing all the drills, he definitely helped himself.

TE Colt Lyerla:

-The off the field stuff will keep Lyerla out of the first two days of the draft for sure, but his day at the Combine now puts him in the conversation for the late rounds. Lyerla was one of the most impressive from the workout perspective, but his positional drills were just good, not great. The question now becomes does some team believe they can get Lyerla on the right track and is that upside worth using a late round pick?

TE Eric Ebron:

-Unfortunately Ebron had to shut it down after pulling his hamstring on his second 40 attempt, but Ebron still showed great athleticism in his two runs. Both times came in unofficially at 4.50, and the fact that he was able to do that on the 2nd run when he was coming up lame was incredibly impressive. Ebron didn’t get to showcase the rest of his skills, but the fact that Ebron could run that will putting on some weight was impressive. And when he’s the top TE in the class he doesn’t need to do much to maintain that spot.