Hobart offensive tackle Ali Marpet had the fastest 40 time among the offensive linemen at the NFL Scouting Combine, and if he had his druthers, Marpet would be clearing the way for New York Giants running backs next season.
Marpet (6-foot-3 7/8, 307 pounds) ran a 4.98 40-yard dash, with an excellent unofficial 10-yard split of 1.74 seconds. Marpet also did 30 reps in bench press, which was tied for fifth among offensive linemen. His 7.33-second clocking in the three-cone drill was second-fastest among offensive linemen, as was his time of 4.47 in the 20-yard shuttle (he was second to Oregon tackle Jake Fisher in each drill).
Appearing on NFL Network's "NFL AM" on Wednesday, Marpet said if he could pick an NFL team to play for, "I'd probably choose the New York Giants."
Marpet said he grew up a Giants fan. He is from Hastings-on-the-Hudson, N.Y., a northern suburb of New York City in Westchester County. Hobart, which plays Division III athletics, is a liberal-arts school of about 2,200 students in Geneva, N.Y., in the Finger Lakes region in the west-central part of the state.
As impressive as his 40-yard dash was, Marpet said his goal was a 4.90 clocking.
Marpet said he compared his game to a player in the NFC East -- Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. Marpet called Kelce "an explosive, quick, aggressive player. That's something I'm going to try and emulate next year."
Marpet had a strong week at the Senior Bowl, too, going from an oddity of sorts -- there have been just 10 Division III players drafted this century, and none since 2012 -- to a legit mid-round prospect. His combine performance solidified his status, and he seems likely to go in Round 3 or 4.
While Marpet was a tackle at Hobart, he will slide inside, to either guard or center, in the NFL. The Giants took Colorado State center Weston Richburg in the second round last season, and he ended up starting at guard. Help on the offensive line is one of the team's biggest needs, and a source familiar with the situation told Around The NFL that the Giants plan on selecting at least one offensive lineman in this year's draft.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
