Day 1 2016 NFL Combine News and Notes: OL and RB

Offensive Line:

Jason Spriggs-

The top four OT are pretty much set in this draft, but that 5th spot definitely was up for grabs, now that might not be the case any longer as Jason Spriggs just had a fantastic day. Spriggs tested extremely well for an OT in the workout drills and looked very good in the positional work as well. This is following up a pretty good Senior Bowl week, and it should definitely have Spriggs sitting in that 5th OT spot and a possible 1st round selection.

Laremy Tunsil-

Tunsil is the top OT in the draft and while he didn’t do any of the workout drills, he put on a clinic in the positional drills (which of course carry more weight). Tunsil looked quick, fluid and showed really nice technique in the drills. He is making a strong case for the top pick in the draft, and should really go no worse than top 5.

Ronnie Stanley-

If there is any tackle that can knock Tunsil off the top spot it’s Stanley the left tackle from Notre Dame. Stanley didn’t have the strongest day with his workouts, but he did better in the positional drills and remains a top 2 OT in this draft.

Jack Conklin-

If Spriggs had the best all-around day among offensive tackles, Conklin was a close 2nd. He checked every box in both the workout and positional drills, and he’s making a strong case for being the 3rd OT taken in the draft.

Evan Boehm-

Boehm doesn’t have the top tier pedigree as the other guys on this list, and unlike most others he didn’t have really good workout numbers, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have a good day. Boehm wasn’t expected to be a workout warrior so him not crushing the workout drills isn’t surprising. Where he did show really well were the offensive line drills. He was textbook in his ability in these drills and that will matter more to teams as he looks ready to contribute early on.

Running backs:

Keith Marshall-

Marshall came into the combine with serious health and explosion questions after his promising college career was marred by serious injuries. Well he answered a good bit of those questions when he ran the fastest 40 time of the day with a 4.31. He’s got a ways to go to rebuild his stock, but if the medicals check out he presents a very interesting case of upside.

Ezekiel Elliott–

Elliott came in as the top back so it’s not like he really needed to prove himself, but he nonetheless had a really strong day that checked every box for him. Elliott proved his athleticism in the athletic drills and looked good in the positional work.

Derrick Henry–

Henry is a big physical back, but he’s also pretty athletic for his size. He showed well today and should firmly be in the 2nd RB spot in the draft. He probably didn’t vault himself into the first round discussion (at least for most teams), but the strong showing should help make him a top 40-45 pick.

Tyler Ervin-

Everyone knew Ervin had some speed, but he definitely confirmed that with his showing today, as well as looking strong through out the rest of the combine as well. He might get pigeonholed as a 3rd down back for a number of teams, but others could give him more of a feature look. One thing is definitely clear and that is that he’s one of the most natural pass catchers in this draft class among the backs.

Daniel Lasco-

Lasco had a fantastic day, excelling in every drill and really forcing teams to take notice. Lasco fared extremely well in the athletic drills and definitely looks the part of a 3rd down back. Expect him to see a boost to his stock from a strong combine performance. While the combine alone won’t vault him up into the early rounds, teams will take a longer look at him and a couple might have significantly improved their rating on him.