The 2016 NFL Scouting Combine is nearly upon us, with the first group of prospects arriving in Indianapolis on Tuesday. Scouts, of course, have been familiarizing themselves with this draft crop for quite some time, but this event provides the opportunity to compare everyone -- all 331 players, to be exact -- under the same roof.
Last week, I took a look at five burners who could challenge Chris Johnson's record in the 40-yard dash (4.24 seconds). Today, I've come up with five guys (listed in alphabetical order) who should really help themselves with strong overall showings in Indy.
NOTE: Click on each player's name for a full combine scouting report.
There is some disagreement among evaluators about how fast Coleman will run the 40-yard dash in Indy. The coaches at Baylor have told scouts that he will post times in the high-4.3s or low-4.4s. However, some scouts believe he will more likely run in the low-4.5s. From what I've studied on tape, I estimate his speed at around 4.45. While his speed is debatable, everyone expects him to post crazy jumping numbers. How crazy? A vertical leap of 42-plus inches and a broad jump of more than 11 feet. Coleman, who racked up huge numbers last year at Baylor (74 receptions for 1363 yards and 20 touchdowns) is likely a mid-to-late first-round pick. In my latest mock draft, I have him going to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 23 overall.
Henry is one of the most polarizing players in the 2016 NFL Draft. However, everyone is in agreement that he will put up some monster numbers at the combine. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, who rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns last fall, is expected to show up around 240 pounds, run in the mid-4.4s and record a vertical jump around 40 inches. As a player, he reminds me of a faster version of Brandon Jacobs (Jacobs ran in the mid-4.5s). I expect Henry to land in the second round in April.
Killebrew is a fun player to watch on tape. He lines up as a box safety and he delivers some "wow" hits in just about every game. It's easy to spot his speed and explosiveness on the screen, and that will translate to impressive testing numbers. Last spring, scouts timed him in the mid-4.4s at close to 230 pounds. He's since dropped his weight to around 217 pounds, which means he could potentially run a sub-4.4 40-yard dash. As an added bonus, he's viewed as one of the highest character players in the entire draft class. He's likely to go in the late-second/early-third-round range.
Lee is one of my favorite players in this draft class. He flies around the field and makes big plays in just about every game. According to scouts, he will put on a show in Indy. He's going to weigh in around 235 pounds, run in the mid-4.4s and perform very well in all of the change-of-direction drills. I believe Lee -- an integral part of an Ohio State team that went 26-2 over the past two seasons, winning the national title in 2014 -- has a legitimate shot at coming off the board in the top 15 picks.
Westerman is likely the strongest prospect in the entire 2016 NFL Draft. There is video available of him bench-pressing 315 pounds a ridiculous 20 times. According to Arizona State coaches, he's knocked out 41 reps of 225 pounds in the past. He has a legitimate shot to challenge the bench-press record in Indianapolis (49 reps, set by Stephen Paea in 2011). His agility times should be solid, as well. Westerman will likely be selected in the second or third round.
Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks.
