Skip to main content

21 prospect takeaways from 2015 NFL Scouting Combine

The latest edition of the NFL Scouting Combine has wrapped up, and we learned plenty from interviews, tests, meetings and on-field drills to walk away from Indianapolis with plenty of nuggets on what teams are thinking about the top prospects in the 2015 NFL Draft.



What exactly did we learn after walking through the doors of Lucas Oil Stadium? Here are 21 takeaways on everything from the top quarterbacks to the surprise defensive backs we saw at the Combine.

1. The No. 1 overall pick will be...:Not everybody left Indy convinced that Tampa Bay would take Jameis Winston, but that was the consensus from just about everyone at the combine. A good throwing session during drills and a Cam Newton-like gravitas at the podium allowed the Heisman winner to be a big winner at the event.

2. White solidified his status: Everybody was intrigued by the upside of West Virginia's Kevin White, but his 4.35 40-yard dash solidified his status as a top 10 -- and possibly a top five -- pick.

3. Jumping out of the building: There's always some workout wonder who turns heads, and this year that was undoubtedly UConn cornerback Byron Jones. In addition to his insane broad and vertical jumps (higher than LeBron's!), he looked fluid during drills and might have made himself a lot of money at the combine.

4. Edge rushers live up to billing: We all knew this year's crop of edge rushers was terrific, and that was reaffirmed with some great numbers in just about every test. Vic Beasley solidified his status as a top 15 pick, and Dante Fowler Jr. might have even moved past Randy Gregory in the top five for some teams. Even the guys without first-round grades, such as Kentucky's Bud Dupree, helped themselves with a big week.

5. Mariota's stock rising: Yes, Winston might have flown out as the No. 1 pick, but that doesn't mean his counterpart, Marcus Mariota, is seeing his stock drop. He was the fastest QB by a mile and threw well despite a recent shoulder injury. On top of that, not one team could say a bad word about his character or his board work during meetings.

6. Need to see more out of Dawson: Just about every scout or analyst has rave reviews about TCU linebacker Paul Dawson's tape, but he still has some lingering questions around him. He downplayed a lot of the off-the-field concerns when meeting with the media, and his slow 40-yard dash time didn't help him at all. With more questions popping up in Indy than answers, his pro day will be important.

7. B1G speed: Who says the Big Ten doesn't have any speed? The league had four of the 10 fastest players at the combine, and Michigan State had the top cornerback, Trae Waynes, and running back, Jeremy Langford, with the top 40's for their position group.



8. Funchess still a question mark: Michigan product Devin Funchess had a lot riding on his 40-yard dash as he attempts to prove he can be a full-time wideout in the NFL as opposed to a tight end, his natural position. Clocking the slowest 40 of the group (4.70) means plenty of clubs will re-evaluate him with his hand in the ground.

9. Conley earns freak label: Georgia's Chris Conley was already starting to rise up a few boards as teams dug into him more, and that should continue after a freakish performance at the combine. The wideout posted terrific numbers in the 40 (4.35) and vertical jump (45 inches), and he looked solid during drills.

10. Marpet continues to generate buzz: How quickly can one go from a projection of undrafted to top 100 pick? We could find out with D-III stud Ali Marpet continuing a meteoric rise following up a great Senior Bowl. He ran a 4.98 in the 40 at 307 pounds and has continued to check off every box.

11. Combine's fastest man draws interest:J.J. Nelson might have the distinction of being the final player drafted out of UAB -- the school shuttered its football program -- but he also walked away with the much better title of the combine's fastest man after a 4.28 in the 40-yard dash.

12. Gurley needs a second look: A lot of people consider Georgia tailback Todd Gurley to be a potential All-Pro, but his ACL rehab remains a mystery and one reason why he's unlikely to go in the top half of the first round. He'll have to do a recheck later, but teams will not be sure what they're getting out of Gurley any time soon.

13. Ohio State players predict QB: All of the Buckeyes at the combine predicted Cardale Jones would be next season's starting quarterback over Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett for the defending national champions. Left unsaid: Two of the three signal-callers -- Miller and Jones -- are likely to be at the podium next year at the combine.

14. Collins shows off athleticism: There were some questions regarding LSU CB Jalen Collins' ability to move around, but he seemed to answer all of them with good times in the testing events and a top-notch day on the field.



15. Position still in the air for Thompson:Shaq Thompson entered the combine as one the most interesting players in the draft with an ability to play running back, linebacker or safety. His testing numbers were mediocre for someone expected to wow scouts, and the agility drills didn't make it any clearer as to what he is best suited to play at the next level.

16. Questions remain about Perryman: Miami LB Denzel Perryman needed a good 40-yard dash time to prove he won't be a liability in coverage against tight ends and backs, but he didn't put up a great number (4.78), and he looked a little stiff in some drills.

17. Darby, Collins trending up; Peters so-so: Among cornerbacks not named Trae Waynes, FSU's Ronald Darby was a big workout warrior who made himself money, and LSU's Jalen Collins did nothing but keep interest high for teams as a bigger guy at the position. Ex-Washington star Marcus Peters was slower than expected to prompt a few more questions about him on the field, as opposed to off.

18. Still no separation at tight end:Maxx Williams and Clive Walford were expected to be the top two tight ends, but neither seemed to separate from the other. Both had relatively disappointing days of testing, especially when it came to the 40; they ran slower than expected, and only Williams was able to flash during pass-catching drills.

19. No rust for DGB: Plenty of teams wanted to see if Dorial Green-Beckham still has the athleticism he flashed in college despite limited tape. The ex-Mizzou/Oklahoma wideout did just that with great numbers for his size (6-foot-5, 237 pounds) and some great hands and fluidness during drills.

20. Coates continues to disappoint: There was buzz around Auburn's Sammie Coates at the Senior Bowl due to his size but issues with his hands continued to pop up in both Mobile and Indianapolis. To top it all off, despite talk of challenging the Combine record, he ran a slower than expected 4.43 in the 40 to place him tied for 11th at his position in the event. Safe to say his stock is headed down at this point.

21. We still don't know who the No. 3 QB is: Finally, who will be the third quarterback taken in the draft behind Winston and Mariota? We still don't know despite solid efforts by Baylor's Bryce Petty and UCLA's Brett Hundley.

You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.