LSU’s Delpit, Ohio State’s Dobbins among players who sat out Combine while nagging injuries heal

There were whispers early on in the 2019 season that LSU safety Grant Delpit was hurt.

After all, this didn’t look like the same player who was projected as a potential top-10 pick before the season started.

Sure enough, Delpit confirmed those suspicions during the recently completed NFL Combine: The 6-foot-2, 213-pound junior said he dealt with a high ankle sprain much of the year.

“I played the whole season or pretty much half the season with a high ankle sprain,” Delpit said, via The Advocate. “So I’m trying to get over that and get as close to 100 as possible.”

"I get a lot of hate and slander from the media… that's just going to make the glory so much better in the end"

LSU safety Grant Delpit on criticisms of his game pic.twitter.com/qS3MU9kPWO

— PFF (@PFF) February 28, 2020

Delpit didn’t participate in any of the on-field drills because of the injury. He was one of four LSU players who didn’t participate in the Combine, the others being QB Joe Burrow, Edge K’Lavon Chaisson and TE Thaddeus Moss. Like Delpit, Moss (6-2, 250) sat out the drills due to nagging injuries. Chaisson, meanwhile, likely wanted to continue to heal after an injury-filled career that included two missed games this season.

LSU’s Pro Day is April 3.

Delpit was just glad to participate in interviews with teams at the Combine.

From The Advocate:

“Interviews are the biggest thing and the medical,” Delpit said. “Passing that and then sitting down with the coaches, answering all their questions and proving myself as the best, top safety in this draft. That’s pretty much the biggest thing.”

Another prominent player who didn’t participate in the on-field drills at the Combine is Ohio State running back JK Dobbins (5-9, 209), citing a high ankle sprain suffered Dec. 28 against Clemson as the reason. He’s expected to work out at Ohio State’s Pro Day is March 25.

Dobbins, though, still ran a 4.45 40 and had a 43-1 inch vertical while running a 4.09 shuttle.

“Dobbins was a unique athlete, the most athletic prospect in his class (out of high school) if you’re going off the Sparq Rating from what was then Nike Football’s The Opening Finals,” said Steve Wiltfong, Director of Recruiting for 247Sports.