DraftFix: Players who didn't work out at the combine
This week, with the help of mockdraftable.com, we're reviewing the pro day measurables from some of the draft prospect who were not invited to the combine.
With 362 combine invitees and only 256 draft picks, the majority of players selected will come from the pool of players invited to the combine, especially since the list is based entirely on who NFL teams have requested to see.
However, non-combine invitees get drafted every year, sometimes higher than you'd expect. In 2017, Grambling State wide receiver Chad Williams was drafted in the third round.
We're now going to move on to look at a selection of players who attended the combine but did not complete a workout:
Maurice Hurst DT Michigan
Hurst was diagnosed with a heart condition at the combine and therefore didn't work out, but was cleared to do so at his pro day and posted some good-but-not-great numbers. Hurst has had three dominant seasons in a row, although 2017 was his only one as a full time starter:
Here's a look at Hurst's explosiveness:
Ronald Jones RB USCJones was unable to complete his workout at the combine after he pulled him hamstring during his 40-yard dash and he wasn't ready in time for his pro day. However, USC ran an extra pro day especially for him and Deontay Burnett and he responded with some good numbers to restore his stock. Jones stepped up well in the games where Sam Darnold was struggling last year, helping secure some big wins for the Trojans:
Josh Adams RB Notre Dame
Adams is another runner who was in danger of being overlooked after opting just to do the bench press at the combine. However, his pro day workout was good enough to prove his athleticism. Adams led the nation in average yards after contact per carry, per PFF:
Jack Cichy LB Wisconsin
Cichy missed the 2017 season with a torn ACL and wasn't healthy in time to work out at the combine, but put up some decent numbers at his pro day. Prior to the injury, Cichy was a versatile player who had 6.5 sacks and six passes defensed in 20 career games with the Badgers:
Dallas Goedert TE South Dakota State
Goedert left a lot of teams disappointed with his controversial decision not to run the 40-yard dash at his pro day, having been injured early on during senior bowl week. As you can see, the rest of his numbers were solid across the board. Some experts have Goedert as the best tight end in this year's class, although he played at a lower level of competition:
This wasn't the only one-handed catch Goedert made in college:
Frank Ragnow C ArkansasFrank Ragnow receiving late buzz while the consensus top center Billy Price continued to slide down draft boards was one of the most predictable events of this pre-draft cycle. Ragnow's film shows him to be one of the most dominant linemen in America and much more consistent than Price. However, he'd slipped through the cracks after missing time through injuries. Ragnow's excellent pro day numbers re-establish him as a potential first-rounder:
Braxton Berrios WR Miami
Berrios pulled a chest muscle during the bench press at the combine, so couldn't work out. On the face of it, his pro day measurables are not that impressive, but he posted the good numbers for speed and agility that you'd hope to see from a slot guy who returns kicks. Many of the other players of that type posted inferior agility numbers:
Berrios shows his ability to be a red zone target here:
In a few days we'll review some players who sought to improve upon their combine numbers.