Leading up to the NFL Combine week, I go through 20-30 minutes of scouting preview work on each prospect set to attend -- I watch a couple game tapes and look over some of their career performance data, etc., and then I give each prospect a pre-event scouting grade for the NFL based on that brief look. For some attendees, I've spent an extended scouting time on them already from preview scouting them and then observing them at the Senior Bowl week.
After we get all the official Combine measurables and times, etc., I will complete a post-Combine grade for all attendees and then start to run our scouting analytics (from statistical grading) on those who did all the workouts at the Combine, for the others we have to wait for their Pro Day data.
The Combine (and Pro Days) are key data points to know which prospects to study deeper and file full scouting reports on pre-and-post Draft. Our computer scouting models will give analytic grades on approx. 100 RB prospects for this draft (and, ultimately, we'll run grades on approx. 600+ overall prospects for this draft).
This pre-and-post Combine preview is a very brief look for me, as a scout, to continue to build my database and scouting notes for the weeks and months ahead, and to then focus in on certain prospects that are jumping at me from the early preview. The Combine previews are a first, sometimes second or third look (for me) at a prospect attending -- but my impressions/grading can and will change as we go through the year-long process of scouting these guys right up through the NFL preseason.
After a January-February preview study, here are my impressions, grades, and ranking of each position going into the 2023 NFL Combine (except O-Line, we'll look at OLs after the Combine).
The Defensive Tackles…
DT Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh (Post-Combine: B, pre-Combine grade: B-/C+)
2022: 31 tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 7.5 sacks (11g)
6'0"/282
Actual 40-time: 4.67
Projected 3-Cone: 7.25+
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 50
Post-Combine Comments:
Even though he's undersized in traditional DT terms, you have to say he's 'the winner' of the Combine among DTs with his speed being confirmed/way ahead of the pack…plus, he actually produced numbers/disruption in college unlike some of the bigger and fast (for their size) guys who look quick on tape but don't really rack numbers/output.
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Pre-Combine Comments:
Kancey is a very good D-Line prospect. His NFL Draft stock issue is his size…he could be at a slight NFL disadvantage at 6'0"/280s, in today's NFL, as a 4-3 DT. He looks so quick and impressive in college because he's an undersized, quick DT that college blockers, by and large, cannot handle well. But like when you watch him against Tennessee's O-Line…little different story…less effective, OLs able to take him on 1-on-1. Not to say he was squashed by Tennessee, but he wasn't as much a menace as he is facing Georgia Tech or Virginia, etc.
Kancey has versatility as a draft stock advantage -- he can be a smaller, quick, disruptive 4-3 DT…or could be a solid 3-4 DE. For the right defense, he's more valuable.
What Kancey weighs and the times he puts up at the NFL Combine could launch his draft stock into A/B range instead of B/C.
NFL Comp? = Some say Aaron Donald-like, I'm not there… Tuli Tuipulotu has more Donald hopes than Kancey. Maybe Kancey is more Ed Oliver?
Highlights package: https://youtu.be/s-Snhj5PX8s
DT Jalen Carter, Georgia (Post-Combine B/C/D, pre-Combine grade: B)
2022: 32 tackles, 7 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, 3 PDs, 2 FF (11g)
6'3"/314
Projected 40-time: 4.7+
Projected 3-Cone: 7.1+
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 100
Post-Combine Comments:
The most game-changing Combine came from something having nothing to do with the Combine…
You know the story. It's going to affect his draft stock/career one way or the other.
He's either going to: (a) get off easy from this BUT the immaturity factor will cause his overall on-field issues to be magnified…as I pointed out in my deeper scouting report. Or (b) he gets in serious trouble and goes to jail (ask Henry Ruggs)…and then he's gone from the game.
The range of outcomes likely won't be settled by the actual draft, unless he gets cleared somehow, but then there will be civil suits, etc. He's going to fall out of the 1st-round very likely. And maybe falls as far as day three.
The impact of this on his on-field play is going to be unknown -- how will he handle being hated for the first time in his life? Will he grow up fast or wilt under the pressure?
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Pre-Combine Comments:
Could be the best DT of the 2023 crop, but we also see some things that hold us back on him. Bryan Bresee is the same weight (projected) but taller and looks faster. Full report on Carter already posted on FFM.
NFL Comp? = Devonte Wyatt, Corey Peters
DT Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin (Post-Combine: B-/C+, pre-Combine grade: B-/C+)
(Post-SB Grade: B, Pre-SB Grade: B+)
2022: 20 solo/16 asst tackles, 10.0 TFLs, 4.5 sacks (12g)
6'4"/309
Actual 40-time: 5.08
Actual 3-Cone: 7.34
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 75
Post-Combine Comments:
Not as straight-line fast as some of the other DTs but ran OK…but really posted a nice three-cone (7.34) for his 309-pound size. Could be best in class DT (a weak class)…or just 'OK'/useful/quiet-solid NFL starter.
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Post-SB comments:
You could see the raw athletic talent in Mobile, but he wasn't giving the OLs as much trouble to block as I would have liked…not in the 1-on-1s or 11-on-11s. He was the end-all-be-all for some of the TV analysts covering this event, but I'll say he was a bit disappointing here (holding him to a higher standard).
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Pre-SB comments:
Great technique 4-3 DT. Very impressive hand work and agility to get by blockers in a flash. He also has size/power to push the line when squared up on/locked up with a blocker. How he's not a top 50 prospect already is a mystery to me. The Senior Bowl could do him wonders.
NFL Comp? = Christian Barmore…had Benton played in the SEC, he'd probably be top 50 overall already.
Highlight video: https://youtu.be/Y0mVK6CsZKM
DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson (Post-Combine: B-/C+, pre-Combine grade: B)
2022: 15 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks (10g)
6'5"/298
Actual 40-time: 4.93
Projected 3-Cone: 7.25+
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 50
Post-Combine Comments:
Good 40-time for his size, and that's his claim to fame all along…good+ movement skills -- but I think he got hurt by the Combine in that…Breese did fine/good but so did other 290+ pound DT prospects. There are DTs about as fast BUT had better on-field outputs in college.
Breese is a 'athleticism' hopeful…hopeful that he steps up at the next level. Worth a decent round pick, but not a top guy type pick.
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Pre-Combine Comments:
Is a 300-pounder and moves like a 250-pound edge rusher. He is quite a specimen.
So amazing in movement but didn't have the output/numbers to back it up. Looks great but didn't make plays all over. I need to study him deeper…but, man, can he move well for 300 pounds.
NFL Comp? = Faster/better Taven Bryan? Michael Hoecht…who got moved to 3-4 DE in 2022 and killed it for LAR.
Highlights package: https://youtu.be/jo7G4JPsAGo
DT Gervon Dexter, Florida (Post-Combine: B-/C+, pre-Combine grade: B-)
2022: 55 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks (13g)
6'6"/310
Actual 40-time: 4.88
Actual 3-Cone: 7.50
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 60
Post-Combine Comments:
Ran about as fast as media-fave DT Bryan Breese but did so 10-pounds thicker. Slightly less burst than Breese…and suffers from the same lack of disruption numbers in college for a higher-end DT athlete.
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Pre-Combine Comments:
A big dude that plays with a ton of energy…and has nice movement skills to go with his huge body. When he is engaged in 1-on-1 blocking, he's a handful for the opposing blocker to contain…his size and leg drive is impressive. And he's got height to make problems for QBs throwing over the middle to avoid his reach. Plays the run well. Surges the backfield well when needed. A really solid, promising DT prospect.
Dexter isn't crazy to be in DT class discussions with Carter-Bresee-Tuli, etc.
NFL Comp? = Taller Kenny Clark
DT Jalen Redmond, Oklahoma (Post-Combine: C, pre-Combine grade: D-)
(Post-SB Grade: D-, Pre-SB Grade: D-)
2022: 10 solo/13 asst tackles, 10.0 TFLs, 4.0 sacks
6'2"/291
Actual 40-time: 4.81
Actual 3-Cone: 7.30
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 175
Post-Combine Comments:
Maybe the biggest swing of any DT here, for me. Bulked up to a legit-ish DT size and ran, perhaps, the fastest Combine across the board (among DTs). Suddenly need to do more work here. Happy to do so, good for him!
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Post-SB comments:
Barely recall him being there, which is not optimal.
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Pre-SB comments:
A 'tweener' D-Lineman…too big/slow to be a DE, and too small to be an NFL DT. I don't see anything here for impact in the NFL.
NFL Comp? = Perrion Winfrey
NT/DT Jerrod Clark, Coastal Carolina (Post-Combine C-, pre-Combine grade: B-/C+)
(Post-SB Grade: B/B-, Pre-SB Grade: B/B-)
2022: 11 solo/30 asst tackles, 10.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks
6'4"/334
Actual 40-time: 5.25
Actual 3-Cone: 7.60
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 200
Post-Combine Comments:
Disappointing 10 and 40-times…they weren't bad, I was just hoping for better.
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Post-SB comments:
Man, for his size he can really move. Got winded/slowed down at certain points…but other times he was just a brick wall with legs pushing blockers backwards. When he was fresh, he couldn't be held in check. Will be a top contender for best 3-4 NT in the class.
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Pre-SB comments:
Clark can really move for a 345-pound guy. I thought he would be a big, boring plugger at DT. No…he's a really fluid do-it-all DT. He has acceleration and nimble agility, for his size.
NFL Comp? = Travis Jones (3rd-round pick DT for BAL last season, and 2022 Senior Bowl flash prospect)
NT/DT Siaki Ika, Baylor (Post-Combine: C-, pre-Combine grade: B-/C+)
(Post-SB Grade: B-, Pre-SB Grade: B-)
2022: 10 solo, 14 asst tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 0.0 sacks (12g)
6'4"/350
Actual 40-time: 5.39
Actual 3-Cone: 7.80
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 50
Post-Combine Comments:
Came in much slower than his Vita Vea comp. You want a big, slow brick wall to plus up the middle -- this is it. So was Danny Shelton supposed to be…
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Post-SB comments:
Did not go to Mobile, in the end. He's a top 50 guy already, so he didn't need to. His output/numbers in 2022 don't give you a warm and fuzzy feeling.
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Pre-SB comments:
Quite the size…a legit NT/DT for the NFL. Not just size but the footwork for his size is quite nice. He's a Vita Vea wannabe, and that's not super exciting to watch (just a brick wall in the middle plugging up the line) but it's much coveted by the NFL, all NFL coaches want a guy like this to stop the run.
NFL Comp? = Poor man's Vita Vea…or normal-wealth man's Vita Vea.
Highlight video: https://youtu.be/gGZ5uQoBM74
DT Zacch Pickens, South Carolina (Post-Combine C-/D+, pre-Combine grade: D+)
(Post-SB Grade: D+, Pre-SB Grade: D)
2022: 22 solo, 20 asst tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 3 PD (12g)
6'4"/291
Actual 40-time: 4.89
Projected 3-Cone: 7.9+
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 125
Post-Combine Comments:
His Combine helped his draft cause…one of the faster, more nimble DTs at the event. He has been gaining momentum since the Senior Bowl. But again…another 'quick' DT prospect who had little real on-field impact.
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Post-SB comments:
Boy, there were some moments in the 1-on-1s where he looked like he was shot out of a cannon. But ultimately, I just didn't see memorable moments from him this week. Quicker than I first saw in the previews. Need to see his 10-20-40 yard dash times.
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Pre-SB comments:
Big and slow is not the way to enter the NFL Draft, son. I thought, from the tape, he might be 330+ pounds…but he's supposedly 305, which means he has a boat anchor attached to his backside. Turned off almost instantly here.
NFL Comp? = Someone too slow to make it in this era of quick/fluid 300+ pound interior linemen.
DT Mazi Smith, Michigan (Post-Combine: C-/D+, pre-Combine grade: C-/D+)
2022: 48 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks (14g)
6'3"/323
Projected 40-time: 5.0+
Projected 3-Cone: 7.4+
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 50
Post-Combine Comments:
Skipped any timing things to protect his lofty draft stock, which was smart…but his stock is slipping, nonetheless.
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Pre-Combine Comments:
A supposed freak athlete at 326 pounds, I couldn't wait to see this specimen on tape…and then I did…and 'wow' what a disappointment. Everything he does is at a slow pace; it feels like he's disinterested most of his snaps…just moseying along. Maybe I saw bad tape, but this was one of the least interesting DT tapes I've watched of the entire group of DTs in 2023 for the Combine.
I'll keep his grade a bit up from where I (negatively) think, to allow for the reported athletic/fast times he's supposed to put up at the Combine, and his bench press prowess (reportedly).
NFL Comp? = More athletic A'Shawn Robinson
DT Nesta Jade Silvera, Arizona State (Post-Combine: C-/D+, pre-Combine grade: C)
(Post-SB Grade: C, Pre-SB Grade: n/a)
2022: 20 solo/36 asst tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 3 PDs (12g)
6'2"/304
Actual 40-time: 5.16
Projected 3-Cone: 7.6+
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 300
Post-Combine Comments:
He ran OK 10/40-times, but I was hoping he'd be a little faster. Had a pretty nice 10-yard split, by comparison to most here…and comparing to the 300+ pounders, and that's what is important.
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Post-SB comments:
Just looking at 1-on-1s, I thought he moved the best of all the DTs here. I have to go look deeper as to why he could be so quick and strong but did very little, output-wise, in college. But that can happen with DTs…especially if they get stuck in a 3-4 as the DT/NT.
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Pre-SB comments:
n/a, late add to the week.
NFL Comp? = Could be a (smaller) Roy Lopez-like sleeper (a guy we found and wrote about/reported about in 2021 and helped Houston get an instant impact starter as a rookie, out of nowhere…kudos to them).
NT/DT Keondre Coburn, Texas (Post-Combine: C-/D+, pre-Combine grade: C+)
2022: 29 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 2.5 sacks (13g)
6'2"/332
Actual 40-time: 5.22
Projected 3-Cone: 7.75+
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 200
Post-Combine Comments:
Just take Jerrod Clark…the better version of Coburn.
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Pre-Combine Comments:
Not a 'sexy' prospect, but if you want a big monster plugger for the middle of the D-Line…and one who has surprisingly nimble feet for his size, then this is your guy. He deserves higher draft rankings than he is currently getting.
NFL Comp? = Could try to be a poor man's Dexter Lawrence, as an upside.
DT Dante Stills, West Virginia (Post-Combine D+, pre-Combine grade: D)
2022: 26 tackles, 9.0 TFLs, 4.5 sacks
6'3"/286
Actual 40-time: 4.85
Actual 3-Cone: 7.38
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 225
Post-Combine Comments:
Quietly, sneaky good Combine…3rd-fastest 40-time, 10-yd split (1.72), and three-cone (7.38). Getting worth taking a deeper look along the way.
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Pre-Combine Comments:
Mediocre, dull 'tweener' prospect…small 4-3 DT or slow 3-4 DE. I expected Stills to develop so much more than he has when I had seen him as a freshman.
NFL Comp? = I dunno, Malcolm Roach?
DT D.J. Dale, Alabama (Post-Combine D+/D, pre-Combine grade: D)
(Post-SB Grade: D+, Pre-SB Grade: D)
2022: 7 solo/10 asst tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks
6'1"/302
Actual 40-time: 5.26
Actual 3-Cone: 7.69
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 200
Post-Combine Comments:
Solid not special Combine. He's just not generating any emotions one way or the other every time that I experience his work.
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Post-SB comments:
Had a few 1-on-1 moments that caught my attention. Has some burst/power on occasion. Let's see if he bumps up some more after the NFL Combine.
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Pre-SB comments:
A non-impact, slow, big body DT just taking up space. Not excited by anything I saw here.
NFL Comp? = A forgettable DT on the fringe of the NFL, at best.
DT Moro Ojomo, Texas (Post-Combine D+, pre-Combine grade: D)
2022: 32 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks (12g)
6'3"/292
Actual 40-time: 5.03
Actual 3-Cone: 7.45
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 250
Post-Combine Comments:
A decent Combine…top 5 among DTs in a few measured things.
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Pre-Combine Comments:
Tweener prospect who could get lost in the shuffle -- too small for 4-3 DT but too slow to be an NFL 4-3 or 3-4 DE. He's a depth utility DL, if anything.
NFL Comp? = Inferior DeMarvin Leal
DT Jaquelin Roy, LSU (Post-Combine D-, pre-Combine grade: D+)
2022: 49 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks (13g)
6'3"/305
Projected 40-time: 5.0+
Actual 3-Cone: 8.01
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 200
Post-Combine Comments:
Did little measured events at the Combine, but did run a terrible three-cone (8.01 three-cone, 5.00 shuttle).
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Pre-Combine Comments:
Generically good/OK DT prospect. Decent size, decent footwork. NFL useful, not a major star or disruptor but has NFL ability.
NFL Comp? = Byron Cowart
DT PJ Mustipher, Penn State (Post-Combine D-/F+, pre-Combine grade: D)
2022: 37 tackles, 0.5 loss (13g)
6'4"/320
Actual 40-time: 5.41
Actual 3-Cone: 8.01
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 300
Post-Combine Comments:
'Big and slow' confirmed.
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Pre-Combine Comments:
Big body in the middle, run-stopping DT. Nothing special…just a big body.
NFL Comp? = Much lesser Kenny Clark
DT Cameron Young, Mississippi State (Post-Combine D-/F+, pre-Combine grade: D)
(Post-SB Grade: D, Pre-SB Grade: D)
2022: 10 solo/27 asst tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack
6'3"/304
Actual 40-time: 5.10
Projected 3-Cone: 7.8+
Consensus mainstream NFL Draft ranking overall: top 250
Post-Combine Comments:
A bland Combine for a bland prospect.
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Post-SB comments:
Didn't stand out to me. Not sure I can recall anything he did, or he left early or what.
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Pre-SB comments:
Standard issue big guy taking up space in the middle. Nothing special I saw…especially against Alabama.
NFL Comp? = Dominique Davis
