Stars from the 2020 college football season are beginning their steps to the next level. It all begins at the NFL Draft Combine, this is where the players show off their speed, strength, and abilities through many tests. This is a time where players who may not have been the biggest names in college can make a name for themselves and hope to get drafted. For the players who are projected to be top 15 picks in the draft this is a time to try and prove themselves to move up in the draft.
Denzel Mims is a great example of how the combine can help the players draft stocks. I have never heard of Denzel Mims but after watching the combine and seeing him tie for the second fastest 40-yard dash time and the quickest three cone. This performance now has him getting buzz that he could get drafted in the first round. This is one of many players that I believe will benefit from their performances in the combine.
The consensus number one pick this year is Joe Burrow who in my opinion is the best quarterback I've watched in college in my life. It'd be very hard for a team to pass on him after he set NCAA records and led LSU to a National Championship. The Cincinnati Bengals have the number one pick so Burrow will most likely get to play in his home state of Ohio. Although most fans don't want to see Burrow play on the Bengals, I think it'll be interesting to see how the team is with him as their leader.
The strength of this draft class lies in the wide receivers and tight ends. This past college football season was filled with great receivers and now those receivers are battling with each other for draft stock. The most impressive receiver yesterday in the combine was Henry Ruggs from Alabama. Ruggs ran a 4.27 forty yard dash which is a historical number. Although this may seem to be a reason to draft him, recently being fast in the combine hasn't translated to the NFL. John Ross ran a record forty yard dash in the combine two years ago and is now an average receiver for the Bengals, so in my opinion speed isn't the only attribute needed.
The tight ends in the draft this season offers some intriguing decisions for owners of the NFL teams. My favorite team the Chicago Bears are in need of a tight end so I have been keeping a watch on this position especially. The highest rated tight ends coming into the combine were Thaddeus Moss and Cole Kmet. I hope that the Bears draft Brycen Hopkins out of Purdue because he's underrated and was a very good player at Purdue.
Overall this draft class seems to be very deep, the combine which started on the 27th is the litmus test for some of these players. For the highly touted recruits how they perform determines their draft stock. For others how they perform in the combine determines whether they get drafted or not. It's always interesting to see how the star college players of the past years affect the NFL game, this year will be the same.
I think this post is super interesting! I know a lot about football but not the draft and combine so it was interesting to read about. I think it's awesome that the NFL holds a draft that way the kids who may not play all the time in college still get a chance to show out. I would agree that Joe Burrows is very good, I have many friends who are LSU fans and they love him.