Several highly touted players have announced they will skip parts of the NFL Scouting Combine, but at least one team executive said recently that a willingness to fully take part in drills is something he looks for in a potential prospect.
"We like to see players who want to compete in an environment that puts the best against the best under the same conditions," Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Gene Smith told the Florida Times-Union) this week.
Quarterback Andrew Luck, expected by many to be the first player chosen in the NFL Draft, won't throw at the combine, saying that it's in his "best interest to wait" to show off his arm until Stanford has its pro day. Quarterback Robert Griffin III also said he likely won't throw.
Quarterbacks aren't the only ones who will sit out. NFL.com's Steve Wyche reported that receiver Justin Blackmon, nursing a sore hamstring, might not do any drills. Blackmon had already said he will skip the 40-yard dash, after previously predicting he would finish the drill in 4.4 to 4.5 seconds.
Trent Richardson, a top running back prospect, likewise won't take part in drills, according to NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora, after recently undergoing minor knee surgery.
Smith is far from alone in wanting to see the top prospects put through their paces. During NFL Network's coverage of the combine Saturday, NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock addressed some players directly.
"Andrew Luck, come on," Mayock said. "I watched you the last couple years at the Manning Passing Academy; you got nothing to hide. Robert Griffin: I have loved watching you throw the football. You have absolutely nothing to hide. Come out here tomorrow, let it rip; (2011 No. 1 overall pick) Cam Newton did last year, didn't hurt him. Let's have some fun."
Co-host Rich Eisen then invited Mayock to speak to Blackmon.
"Justin, dude," Mayock said. "Let's run, catch, throw, let's have some fun, and when you're done, come on up here and sit with us and we'll talk about your day. How much fun would that be, fellas?"
