QB: Baker Mayfield (OU)
RB: Jordan Wilkins (OLE MISS)
WR: Antonio Callaway(FLORIDA)
TE: NONE
OL: Will Hernandez (UTEP)
DL: Da'Ron Payne(ALA)
EDGE: Lorenzo Carter(Georgia)
LB: Shaq Griffin(UCF)
Here's my reason for my winners. I thought almost every QB had an outstanding day, well those who threw the ball. With that being said do want to mention Josh Allen from Wyoming was absolutely electric. he threw the ball just like we thought he could and he silenced about every critic he had. Now the reason i chose Baker Mayfield was because he talked a lot during his press conference time and came off as cocky. When time came to either put up or show up he balled out. My concern going into this was hes not as good of thrower as the rest of the guys in this draft. He proved me wrong he was accurate he had good ball placement he moved well during the drop back great day for him he really helped his stock I currently have him as my third best QB in the draft.
Next up on my winner board I had Jordan Wilkins from Ole Miss. This was a guy who I wasn’t high on or really knew about before the combine. this guy really stood out to me. we all knew about Barkley and how he was the best and he solidified that with his combine performance, but you couldn’t really improve so that’s why I chose Wilkins to be my winner from the RB class was because he shined he kept jumping off of my screen. He was flush he had good speed he tracks the ball well and he catches the ball well. My point is he did everything well and made a name for himself.
My next winner was WR Antonio Callaway. This guy had some off-field issues but he sure made me forget about all those with a very impressive combine. He is an athlete can play special teams and WR. as a WR he has a great first step and with slant routes he will burn any defender because they simply can't keep up. Tyreke Hill comes to mind because this guy can catch and run and return punts. He tested pretty well I would've like a little more on the vertical 31' but did run 4.41. If he can prove he can be reliable and stay out of trouble a team can get a steal in the fourth or fifth round with the talent of second round guy. Think I'm lying about his talent? Well here's a video on how he gave the top DB in this years draft class trouble. https://fat.gfycat.com/GlitteringAstonishingGreatdane.mp4
I didn’t have a TE winner none of them really impressed me. my next winner is Will Hernandez from UTEP this guy just did everything well. From benching to running to on field drills this guy was incredible. He is very flexible and agile which will go a long way in the league. He's got a natural bend to stance and has a wide base. He is aggressive and moves quick latterly which is always a bonus to have in the league. He's a little short and has some alligator arms but I don’t think that will affect him because he has great technique. He is very strong and has tremendous upper body strength that sowed with 37 bench press reps!
Now we will transition into the other side of the ball. In the morning Da'Ron Payne really showed out today. It didn't go unnoticed by Rich or Mike. At 311 lbs and 6'2" The Alabama had a great combine and proved he' worthy of a top draft choice. He left no stone unturned running a 4.95 40 yard dash. He can stop the run he's a future pro bowler. He has all of the tangibles you want a in DL player. He has natural strength. He doesn't have a good first step but does make up for it with an exceptional bull rush. He's always been one to deliver the first blow and as a linemen that’s a great plus to have. He comes from an NFL style defense at Bama which will help the transition as a pro. Teams will love to hear that he's one of Nick Saban's favorite guys he's coached. He won't be getting into off field issues as his teammates have called him "one of the best leaders" He moves exceptionally well for his size.
My next winner is Lorenzo Carter from Georgia. This is guy who somewhat has gone unnoticed. I think most of us are focused are the standout LB Roquan Smith we forget how good Carter is off the edge. He ran a 4.5 40 yard dash and had an outstanding vertical jump at 36 even. He has long arms and uses them to his advantage and as an edge guy that’s a very important part to the game. He has such an effective first step and uses that with his arms as leverage to set the edge. He is a good tackler but will miss some because he try's to get the ball. (had 6 fumbles forced and recovered in his career) he has great hip mobility and great fluid motion all around. If any dc asked him to get contain they would be able to trust him not to lose contain. Needs to add lower body strength.
My final winner is Shaquem Griffin. This kid lit up the combine. to be honest with you the one hand really concerned me early on. After the senior bowl I realized I had no reason to be worried that only having one hand would negatively affect him as a player. He caught the ball well had more reps on bench than some linemen and ran faster than almost all skill positions. He is what we are all still talking about. He created a buzz at the combine. His technique is exceptional and has no difficulty catching a ball. He showed great range and solid mobility. his 40 time was a 4.38. like i said faster than most. in fact that was the second fastest time in the combine thus far. This kid has talent I don’t think any GM will pass on him due to the birth defect. He helped himself today we've seen in the past a fast 40 time will bump your stock. well he had a fast 40 time and checked every box. Going into the day I had him as a late fourth round or early fifth now I have him going early second round.
My biggest losers were Orlando Brown from OU. This kid just flopped. every drill he looked slow he had one of the slowest 40's at the combine. Everything about him was awful. In the drills he looked terrible and slow. He could've been a top prospect but after the abysmal combine performance I would take him OFF my draft board. He was high on drills and looked out of it. My next loser is Calvin Ridley. Now Calvin did fine he had a good combine but what the combine showed was this is a deep deep deep WR class. So it is not knock on Calvin it just showed how good everyone else is. going into the combine i had my eyes on Kirk, Ridley, and Sutton but at the end I had a massive list of talented players.
