2010 NFL Draft Combine: Names To Know
ByHere are a few names that you’ll need to know heading into this weekend’s NFL Combine workouts:
James Starks RB, Buffalo - On a few Draft Boards, Starks was the number one senior back in college football coming into this season. After missing the entire season with an injured shoulder, deciding to have surgery on it instead of playing his final season in pain, Starks needs a big weekend in order to make the money he thought he would after the 2008 season. He is fully recovered and will participate in every drill at the Combine. He is expected to weigh in around 220lb - up about 8 pounds from his playing weight as a junior - and run in the 4.4-4.5 range - a 4.4 would boost his stock drastically. Buffalo’s all-time leading rusher should be a man on a mission this week and could earn himself a lot of money if he performs the way some expect him to.
David Reed WR, Utah - Reed will point to his production during interviews with NFL teams and he can do so proudly. His 81 receptions for 1,188 yards were good for 21st and 11th respectively in the nation this past season, all while playing with two new quarterbacks - junior Terrence Cain and true frosh Jordan Wynn - at Utah. He made the move from slot receiver during his junior year to big play threat his senior year and did so seamlessly. He is quick off the ball and a menace in space, a lot like fellow Ute Steve Smith. Reed will show extremely strong hands but most scouts will be watching the stopwatch to make sure he has enough straight line speed to be a starting slot receiver in the NFL. He never has to leave the house to find a throwing partner either. His brother, Jordan, will be a redshirt frosh at Florida next year and will push John Brantley at the QB position for the next few years.
Tony Washington OT, Abilene Christian - The big man can move, is a great athlete and will wow scouts with his overall ability. Grades kept him from attending LSU out of high school but his long road to the Combine may put a necessary chip on his shoulder. He dominated competition at the Division II level but the Combine will really give him an opportunity to compete against the best of the best. He’ll have added motivation since the likes of Anthony Davis, Bryan Bulaga and Bruce Campbell have skipped over him on every Draft Board since declaring themselves eligible a year early.
John Skelton QB, Fordham - Don’t be the guy wondering “Who is this 6′5″ 245lb monster throwing as many balls as he could?” while watching the Combine this week. That guy is John Skelton and he has as much to prove as anyone this week. He has an extraordinarily strong arm but his accuracy and level of competition will be in question this week. He will have to answer questions about getting picked off a total of five times against the likes of Columbia and Lehigh, but a good workout could do wonders for his stock. If you’re only as good as your last game, NFL scouts will be impressed that Skelton threw for 405 yards, 5 TDs and 1 INT against Georgetown in his season finale, capping one of the finest careers in Patriot League football history. It will be interesting to watch the Texas-bred rifleman throw to the best receivers the college game has to offer.
Vladimir Ducasse OT, UMass - Right now Ducasse is a top-10 lineman on most Draft Boards but he could do himself a big favor by showing versatility, quick feet and freakish power this week in Indy. Coming out of a Connecticut high school, Ducasse was overlooked by every big D1 school in the East but he’s made a name for himself while dominating in the Colonial Conference - the best D1-AA football conference in the country - during his career at UMass. At 6′4.5″ 330lbs Ducasse has great size for a guard but he will help himself by proving that he could also play right tackle in the NFL by putting together a great combine on the field and in interviews.
Jared Veldheer OT, Hillsdale - Any general manager worth his salt should be able to find a starting offensive lineman in the 2010 Draft. They are coming from everywhere and there is more talent on the line in this Draft than any other in recent memory. There are the big names like Davis, Okung and Williams, the cool names like Iupati, Pouncey and Capers and the downright scary names like Vladimir and Veldheer. The last guy mentioned played at a small D-II school but that is the only thing small about him. Listed at 6′8″ 320lbs, Veldheer is a house but has reportedly run as fast as a 4.88 40-yard dash. He will have scouts salivating and line coaches begging to coach him. If the Patriots were able to take a project like Sebastian Vollmer in the second round last year and turn him into a starter in eight months, there is no reason a guy like Veldheer shouldn’t believe that has the chance to do the same thing. The tools are definitely there. Hopefully he falls into the hands of a coach that knows how to use them.
Brandon Lang DE, Troy - If you’re a gambling man you will automatically want Lang on your team - Remember Matthew McConughey’s character in ‘Two For The Money’? - so you can say you’re going with Brandon Lang on Sunday. But there are a lot more reasons to like the next NFL-ready defensive end from Troy. Following in the footsteps of DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora, Lang has every measurable you could want from a defensive end and on everybody’s top 100 list of players in the Draft.
Other names to know to impress your friends while you watch the Combine:
Lindsey Witten DE, UConn - He is the anti-Carlos Dunlap, a player who works hard on every play and mixes hard work with great athleticism to get to the quarterback. His 11 sacks were two more than Dunlap while facing more double teams than the Florida big man.
Joique Bell RB, Wayne State - As a powerful, compact, bruising back, Bell will intrigue plenty of teams with his burst and explosive nature.
Armanti Edwards WR, Appalachian State - One of the most decorated players in D1-AA history, Edwards beat Joe Flacco’s Delaware team for the 2007 National Championship as a sophomore. Edwards is a menace in the open field, a Pat White-type athlete that can run the wildcat but will also pose a threat through the air.
Alex Carrington DE, Arkansas State - At over 6′5″ and weighing in at 284lbs, Carrington will stick out one way or another. With the build of a ripped offensive lineman and the explosiveness of a linebacker, he will have the eyes of every scout whose team needs help getting to the passer next season.
Akwasi Owusu-Ansah CB, Indiana (Pa) - And you thought that Nnamdi guy from Oakland had a tough name to pronounce? Owusu-Ansah is a speedy corner who is tough as nails and carries a chip on his shoulder the size of Pennsylvania. Those three characteristics are what the Combine is all about.
Tim Hiller QB, Western Michigan - Hiller is a tall drink of water but can make every throw and also has enough athleticism to evade the rush. He moves well in the pocket and will get a big boost by working with better athletes.
