2018 NFL COMBINE:TOP 5 PERFORMERS

NFL Combine - Day 4
Griffin received a lot of support from people

NFL Combine, one of the three big events in the NFL offseason, took place in the Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis from 27 February to 5 March.

Fans and Scouts of NFL teams got a look at their favorite prospects in action and were able to analyze their physical and mental attributes.

Some of the prospects put on a show at the combine with some blistering performances in the drills, reminding the NFL franchises why they are considered the best football players in the country and why they deserve to be drafted ahead of everyone else.

Here are 5 of the top performers at 2018 NFL Scouting Combine:


#5 Shaquem Griffin (Linebacker, UCF)

NFL has always had its fair share of feel-good stories where athletes fight against all odds and make their dreams of becoming a pro-footballer come true. Well we might be in for another one of those stories when Shaquem Griffin the linebacker out of UCF arrives at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine.

Football is one of the toughest and most brutal contact sports in the world and even an extremely fit fully-bodied person might find it tough let alone a guy with an amputated left hand but that did not deter Griffin from pursuing his dreams of playing pro level football.

Initially not invited to the NFL scouting combine. Griffin received a lot of support from people all around the country and even more during the Senior Bowl causing the NFL to reconsider their decision and allow Griffin in as late entry.

He came to the combine a man possessed and started off in brilliant fashion registering 20 reps on the bench press with help of a prosthetic hand showing off his upper body strength, then on the field he blazed off to a 4.38s 40-yard dash to register the fastest time ever by an LB at the NFL combine. He also recorded a broad jump of 9.7 feet.

According to some scouts, Griffin may have upped his draft value to the 3rd or 4th round with this performance.

youtube-cover

#4 DJ Moore (Wide Receiver, Maryland)

NFL Combine - Day 3
Moore could make it
ito
the first-round draft

He may not have been the most talked about receiver when he arrived at the Lucas Oil Stadium for the combine but by the end of the day, DJ Moore made sure the scouts took note of him.

Moore started off with a 40-yard dash time of 4.42s the 5th best among WR's before displaying his lower body strength by recording a jump of 39.5 in the vertical and 11 in the broad jump, second and first among wide receivers respectively.

His time of 4.07s in the 20-yard shuttle and 11.18s in the 60-yard shuttle were the 3rd best in his position.

Ranked between 7th to 10th among receivers on most draft boards, Moore is expected to be a third-round draft prospect but after his showing on Sunday, there is high chance that he might creep into first-round consideration.

youtube-cover

#3 Derwin James (Safety, Florida State University)

Alabama v Florida State
Derwin James was Top 15 draft coming into the combine

Derwin James came to the combine with the reputation of being a freak of nature and he did his reputation no harm with another blistering performance in Indianapolis.

Being a safety is one of the toughest jobs in the NFL as you have to be fast and explosive while covering the wide receivers with a vertical jump of 41 inches and a 40-yard dash time of 4.48s, James showed that he was equipped with both.

There are also times when the safety has to take care of the running backs or blitz the quarterback in these situations the player's lower body and upper body strength are called into action with a broad jump of 11 feet and a bench press count of 21 reps, Derwin reminded people why he was one of the most hard-hitting safeties in college.

Derwin was a top-15 draft prospect coming into the combine and his performance only solidified his case for the draft on 26 April.

youtube-cover

#2 Mike Gesicki (Tight End, Penn State)

Rutgers v Penn State
Gesicki got a chance to boost his draft value at the combine

Domination would be the perfect word to describe Gesicki's performance at the 2018 NFL combine. Among tight ends, he finished first in six of the seven drills he participated in on Saturday.

A second-round prospect, the combine was Gesicki's last chance to boost his draft value and he made sure that he gave it his all.

Gesicki started off with a 4.54s 40-yard dash displaying his speed and acceleration before going on to show his lower body strength with jumps of 41.5 in the vertical and 10'9" in the broad jump.

With times of 6.76s, 4.10s, 11.33s he finished first in the 3-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle and 60-yard shuttle showing his agility.

Gesicki also recorded 22 reps on the bench press displaying his upper body strength and showing signs of being an able blocker.

According to some scouts, Gesicki's performance at the combine might make him a top-40 consideration come draft night on 26 April.

youtube-cover

#1 Saquon Barkley (Running Back, Penn State)

NFL Combine - Day 2
Saquon Barkley is projected to be the No.1 overall pick

A projected top-10 pick on majority draft boards across the country entering the NFL combine, Barkley made sure he left as the projected No.1 overall pick on those draft boards.

Barkley started off his combine impressively with 29 reps on the bench press, while it may not the be the most important drill for the running backs but by putting up that many reps, Barkley showed that he had elite-level upper body strength and could be an effective blocker in the NFL.

His 40-yard dash time of 4.40s was the best among running backs in this combine and according to some was more impressive than John Ross's record-breaking time of 4.22s set in last year's combine.

Barkley showed his explosiveness and lower body strength with a 41-inch leap in the vertical. He also recorded a time of 4.24s in the 20-yard shuttle.

With a strong showing at the combine, Barkley has honored his side of the deal and now it is up to the teams to take notice of this once-in-a-generation player and grab him up when they are on the clock on April 26.

youtube-cover
Edited by Alan John