INDIANAPOLIS -- Daniel Jeremiah is in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, checking out prospects for the 2013 NFL Draft. Here is the latest scuttlebutt from Lucas Oil Stadium.
» The smartest Monday decision. There was talk that BYU defensive end Ziggy Ansah wasn't going to participate in the 40-yard dash during Monday's workout. Apparently, he decided at the last minute to go ahead and run. That was a wise decision. With all 32 teams in attendance, Ansah ran it in an impressive 4.63 seconds. He followed that up by putting together an excellent field workout, which included taking part in the linebacker drills. After a dominating Senior Bowl game and his performance here, I will be very surprised if he isn't selected with one of the first 15 picks in the upcoming draft.
» The talk of the combine. SMU defensive end Margus Hunt was the talk of the town following his impressive performance. Hunt had a lot of momentum heading into the field-testing, following an impressive weigh-in (6-foot-8 1/8, 277 pounds) and bench press (38 reps of 225). He then proceeded to wow scouts by running a 4.60 40 and posting a 34.5-inch vertical jump. Hunt is very raw on tape, but his size and upside will likely force him up into the bottom of the second round.
» Bench strength not vital for cornerbacks.There was a mini-buzz created by the media following Tyrann Mathieu's poor performance during the bench-press test (he recorded just four reps at 225 pounds). While this is a sign that Mathieu hasn't been logging much time in the weight room, I can't recall a single time when a team I worked for allowed a cornerback's poor bench performance to affect his draft grade.
» Draft Friday will be filled with corners. I talked with several different NFL decision-makers who are expecting the second round to be littered with cornerbacks. While this draft might lack elite players at the position, it is flush with depth. You can expect to see anywhere between five to seven cornerbacks -- players like Boise State's Jamar Taylor and Connecticut's Blidi Wreh-Wilson -- go off the board in the early portion of Round 2.
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» A sleeper at defensive end. Georgia's Cornelius Washington is a name to keep an eye on as we head toward the April draft. He didn't have a ton of production for the Bulldogs, but he looked dynamic as a pass rusher during the one-on-one drills at the Senior Bowl, and he tested like a freak in Indianapolis. He ran a 4.55 40, posted a 39-inch vertical jump and notched a 10-8 broad jump. He also bench pressed 225 pounds an impressive 36 times. He will be long gone by the end of the third round.
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