The NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis is dedicated to allowing college football players who are ready to make the jump to the next level, an opportunity to display the extent of their physical ability leading up to April's draft. Attending players run through a variety of drills, with professional scouts watching closely. Some of the drills, such as bench pressing and running a 40-yard dash are generic drills that many players partake in. But many of the drills that are most important at the combine are position specific (ie. Quarterback throwing drills, Wide Receiver catching drills, etc.). While NFL teams follow the events of the combine closely, many believe that such drills don't truly measure any skills because they are not real game situations. Nonetheless, the combine is still a determining factor in terms of where a player may eventually be drafted. That being said, let's take a look at a few groups of players, some who are at the top of their class, others, waiting to be the next diamond in the rough. In this segment we focus on two of the top-rated players in the upcoming draft class:
The Alpha-Dogs
Ndamukong Suh
Defensive Tackle- Nebraska
A Heisman finalist and the first defensive player to ever win the Associated Press player of the year award, Suh is currently the favorite to be the #1 overall pick by the St. Louis Rams in April's draft. All the evidence needed to make a case for Suh can be found in his performance in the Big 12 Championship game against Texas this past season. Although Texas won the game in the closing seconds, it was Suh who won MVP of the game as his disruptive presence caused fellow Heisman finalist and Texas QB Colt McCoy to have one of his worst performances of the season. Suh's combination of brute strength, and quickness, along with an outstanding football IQ, put him in position to make an immediate impact at the next level, regardless of his team. I expect him to firmly cement these thoughts when he takes part in the combine this week.
Eric Berry
Strong Safety- Tennessee
For the past year, Berry has commonly been referred to as, "the next Ed Reed". That's damn high praise for any incoming pro, but there's no doubt about it, Berry's got game. Like Reed, he's not huge, standing only 5'11", but he weighs a solid 203 lbs, and the power he has shows when you see him hit. He is an absolute ball-hawk, making his way into every play. He can easily turn any passing play into a touchdown going the other way, and is just as phenomenal at stopping the run. Berry is a complete athlete, and as he will show in Indy, he's got all the tools to excel in the NFL.
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