DraftFix: The Combine Snubs (Part One - Offense)
This week, with the help of mockdraftable.com, we're going to be 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.
Starting with offensive prospects, let's look at how some of the combine snubs performed in their pro day workouts, together with some top pro day performers who proved they perhaps should have been invited.
Patrick Morris C TCU
Morris missed several games in 2017 and hasn't had as much experience as you'd like with just nine starts at center and eight at left guard. However, he's performed well and didn't give up a pressure or a hit in his entire career. These are some outstanding numbers across the board:
Jonah Trinnaman WR BYU
Trinnaman wasn't so much a combine snub as someone who posted some pro day numbers that were so outstanding you wonder how he flew under the radar this long. Trinnaman caught just 52 passes over the past two seasons but the 40-time and jumps are sure to get some teams interested in him, even though his other numbers underwhelmed:
Deon Yelder TE Western Kentucky
Yelder was one of the top tight ends not invited to the combine despite being fourth in receiving yardage among this year's class. His pro day numbers were pretty solid, but measuring at under 6-foot-3 hurts his chances:
Ito Smith RB Southern Mississippi
Smith is a small scatback type who rushed for over 1,400 yards and caught 40 passes last year, the only division one player to achieve both of those marks. Most of his pro day measurables were really good, but the agility drills - where you'd expect a player like him to thrive - were disappointing:
Here's Smith on one of the wildest runs of the entire season:
Fountain was one of the top receivers not invited to the combine, which was a surprise after he was outstanding in the East West Shrine Game. Fountain's explosiveness numbers were amazing, but the rest of his numbers disappointed, although his 40-time would have been good if he didn't have such a slow start:
Here's Fountain showing off a great catch, even though it didn't count:
Badet caught 26 passes as one of Baker Mayfield's main targets last year, having transferred from Kentucky. His 4.34 pro day 40-time drew headlines but his explosiveness numbers were equally good and he also had a solid bench press. Surprisingly, however, for a player who might project to a slot role at the NFL level, Badet's agility numbers were poor:
Here's Badet showing off his ability to go up and get it:
The player they call "The Continent" was always going to be an interesting study because he's absolutely huge, but teams obviously suspected his athleticism isn't good enough. He did little to dispel those thoughts at his pro day workout:
Bradley Bozeman C Alabama
However, when you compare O'Connell to Bradley Bozeman, his numbers are way more impressive because he was carrying almost 60 pounds of extra weight. Bozeman was respected due to having been a two-year starter at one of the top teams in the country, but needed to prove he was athletic enough to play at the pro level. On the basis of these numbers, he failed:
Phillip Lindsay RB Colorado
Lindsay rushed for the fifth highest yardage total from this year's crop of division one prospects with Rashaad Penny and Ronald Jones being the only top prospects with a higher total. He is an undersized back but posted some good numbers for strength and explosiveness. Once again, though, you'd expect to see much better agility numbers from an elusive third-down back type:
Janarion Grant WR Rutgers
Grant never put up massive numbers at Rutgers, but the speedster was regarded as their best prospect not to get a combine invite. However, despite a good bench press, his pro day was a major disappointment, casting doubt on whether he deserved that speedster reputation in the first place:
Here's Grant displaying elusiveness in the return game:
Finally, Russell Gage was overshadowed on offense by LSU's other big names, but still flashed some ability with 21 catches. However, it's as a gunner on special teams where he really shines. Could he be the new Matthew Slater? His 40-time and broad jump were almost exactly the same and he posted superior numbers in every other category:
Gage showcases his athleticism on the field here:
Later this week, we'll be looking at some defensive players that didn't attend the combine to see how they fared too