Draft season will kick into high gear later this month at the NFL Scouting Combine (Feb. 17-23), and we now know the full list of prospects invited to take part in the event. Every player will arrive looking to show out and boost their stock, but some prospects have more to prove than others. Here's a look at 10 prospects with the most to prove at the combine, listed in alphabetical order.
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
The skinny: The last time we saw Green-Beckham in a game was Dec. 7, 2013 (SEC Championship Game), as he was dismissed from Missouri last offseason and sat out the 2014 season after transferring to Oklahoma, However, given his rare athleticism, everyone is assuming he's going to test well at the combine, and he needs to meet high expectations for his workout. If he doesn't run a really good 40-yard dash, I think that's going to hurt him.
Josh Harper, WR, Fresno State
The skinny: There are questions about how fast Harper will run at the combine. He's quicker than fast, and he needs to prove his ability to play with deep speed.
Hau'oli Kikaha, OLB, Washington
The skinny: He has something to prove from a medical standpoint, as he has a history of knee issues. He's the most accomplished pure pass rusher in the 2015 draft, but there are some questions about his athletic ability. Is his outstanding production a result of effort or does he have the athleticism to do it at the next level?
Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
The skinny: Ogbuehi tore his ACL in the Aggies' bowl game, so he's limited in what he can do as he recovers from the injury. He has said he intends to participate in the bench press, though. Teams want to know that he's strong, and I think the bench press is a huge opportunity for him. People think he has a problem with functional strength. He needs to show that he at least has more weight-room strength than people think.
Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami
The skinny: He's not very tall (measured 5-foot-10 5/8 at the Senior Bowl last month) and he played heavier than he should have at Miami (240-plus pounds). If his weight is lower and he tests faster, that's going to help his stock. Teams are going to want to see his athletic numbers.
Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor
The skinny: Petty could really help himself if he does a good job of showing teams that he can process information up on the board beyond just the one-read offense he was in at Baylor. He might run better than expected and throw better than expected. The event that the public can't see is also the one that could help him the most, when he meets with coaches about what to do in certain situations. He could convince them that he can pick up pro-style offense faster than they expect.
Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (Ohio)
The skinny: Scouts want to see that he has enough top-end speed to be a cornerback because if he doesn't, they might start to project him to safety, which could impact his draft standing a bit. If he runs well, which would be a sub-4.5 40, it's going to solidify his draft positioning.
Ty Sambrailo, OT, Colorado State
The skinny: Sambrailo could end up going in the middle rounds, but if he puts up just 16 or 17 reps in the bench press, it's going to really hurt him. If he's not strong, then he better have good numbers in the movement drills. He really needs to prove he can do both -- that his short-area movement is quick and that he's going to have functional strength in the bench press.
Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
The skinny: White passed on an opportunity to play in the Senior Bowl, which disappointed some teams. Now, he needs to show that he has enough long speed. If he doesn't run faster than 4.6 in the 40, it's going to hurt him.
Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
The skinny: Whether Winston throws or doesn't throw at the combine, he'll have a lot to prove in the meetings that take place behind the scenes. He has to convince teams that he has had a maturity issue, not a character issue. He needs to convince them that he can be an NFL leader of men. He also needs to show that he has a unique understanding of what defenses are trying to do against him and answer to his high interception mark (18) from last season.
Follow Lance Zierlein on Twitter @LanceZierlein.
