Been a buys week, Guys! Here's a sneak peak at my Risers and Fallers from the Combine. This is a good chunk of the Risers. I'll post the rest of the Risers and the Fallers later. Have a swell weekend, Guys!
Tremaine Edmunds - Came in as big and fast as advertised. I didn't know if he was that freaky, but he is, so, with his age and the level of play he already shows, Edmunds will move into the top 10. Was top 20.
Leighton Vander Esch - Came in even bigger and more athletic than advertised. The athlete shows on film, but when you out-test Harold Landry, who had one of the two best performances by a pass rusher, you get a bump. Vander Esch is likely one of the 10 best prospects in the class. Was top 20.
Malik Jefferson - I haven't seen people talk up Jefferson's Combine, but 4.52 is flying. For some reason, people focus on his bad plays (people pick players to do this with every year), but Jefferson had a great 2017, and he'll be a top-20 player.
Justin Reid - Not as big or explosive as his brother, Eric, but he's faster and much more agile, which is more important for a Safety in today's NFL. One of the three best Safeties in 2017, Reid's Combine points to a player with tremendous versatility and closing speed. He'll be a top-20 player. Was 1st/2nd.
Taven Bryan - We knew he was a good athlete, and the Combine is only so important to DT's, but with his level of burst and agility, teams that run 1-gap odd fronts will covet his toolbox. He's a borderline top-20 player. Was 1st/2nd.
DJ Moore - There were rumors that Moore would measure 5'9, so coming in at 6'0 was huge, then he tested very well in every drill. One of the youngest WR's, and most productive WR's, in the class, Moore raced to the top of the WR group, and he put himself in the 1st/2nd range. Note: for people who have no issue ranking WR's in the top 10, Moore is as good as any WR prospect in the last two drafts. Was 2nd/3rd.
Courtland Sutton - While Moore jumped Sutton in the WR rankings, Sutton moved up in the overall rankings due to his super-elite agility drills. Like Moore, he moved himself into the 1st/2nd range, and he's right there with any WR over the last two years. His tape shows that agility, too. Earlier in the process, I proclaimed him the best WR prospect since 2011. That's a little rich, but his ability to change direction at his size cannot be emphasized enough. Was 2nd.
Michael Gallup - Not an outstanding Combine like Moore, Sutton, and Chark, but Gallup hit every mark you'd need him to, and there were some that worried he'd run in the 4.6's. A WR who makes everything look effortless, and has the burst to back it up, Gallup moved himself into the 2nd. Was 2nd/3rd.
DJ Chark - Expected to run very well, Chark ran like a cheetah. My comp has been a bigger, better Ted Ginn Jr., and Chark's role as a deep threat in the NFL is easy to see. Teams may covet his speed enough to draft him in the 1st, but that's too high for a complimentary WR - no matter how explosive he is. Chark moved himself into the 2nd/3rd range. Was 3rd.
Denzel Ward - There are people who like Denzel Ward in the Top 10, but his smallness and his lack of activity as a tackler (though he is a sound tackler) caused me doubts. His coverage improved a great deal in 2017, he's still young, and he made a bunch of plays on the ball in 2017. But, man, he's small (height in the bottom 40%, weight in the bottom 15%), and his exceptional Combine helped a lot. With that type of burst and long speed, to go along with his ball skills, Ward belongs in the 1st/2nd range. Was 2nd/3rd.
Nick Chubb - We knew Chubb was a terrific athlete before the injury (check his HS Combine scores), and he looked much better in 2017 than 2016, but it was great to see him run fast and jump well - with solid agility times. With the tape, size, and person, Chubb tested himself into the 2nd/3rd. Was 3rd.
Royce Freeman - Another big back with a great resume, Freeman ran well and tested very well in the agility drills - particularly for his size. He's not as shifty or explosive as Chubb, but he runs with good vision, catches the ball well, and he belongs in a similar range to Chubb, 2nd/3rd. Was 3rd.
Da'Ron Payne - He didn't have an outstanding Combine overall, but he was very fast, and his other tests were not concerning. Already a very stout run defender, Payne is still young, so pass-rush upside could exist within him. Speed is the most important aspect of physical testing for a DT, and Payne ran himself into the 2nd/3rd range. Was 3rd.
Sam Hubbard - Hubbard was more solid than dynamic at Ohio State, but the Combine proved he has dynamic agility, the best physical trait for a pass rusher to possess. The tape of a rotational DE and the Combine of a star, Hubbard moved himself into the 3rd. Was 5th-7th.