NFL combine player defensive drills: How to scout and understand the workouts -

INDIANAPOLIS — Based on your vantage point, the NFL Scouting Combine serves different purposes.

For a member of a coaching or personnel staff, the week provides official height and weight measurements for prospects as well as complete physical assessments and a venue for conducting intensive (and important) face-to-face interviews. For players, this is one of the first opportunities to showcase themselves without wearing their college colors. There’s no sports information director in Indianapolis to redirect or bat away the press during media sessions, so what you hear from the prospects is usually a reflection of training and preparation (or lack thereof) by their inner circle.

And for fans, the part of the process they’re able to consume comes in the measurements and on-field drills. Those workouts — should a player choose to participate — still serve as an important data point in understanding the kind of athlete each prospect is and can be.

But what’s most important? What does it all mean in a prospect’s evaluation? As defensive linemen and linebackers kick off drills Thursday, The Athletic is here to help you understand what you’re seeing on the defensive side of the ball, with a quick guide for judging how those prospects perform.

(All measurable and athletic testing averages are via Marcus Armstrong at MockDraftable.com.)

GO DEEPER

NFL combine roundtable: What our draft experts are tracking in Indianapolis this week

Measurables

Interior defensive linemen: The average height and weight for defensive tackles entering the league is 6-foot-3, 306 pounds. Weighing in below 300 pounds makes it more likely that a prospect will be projected as a three-technique in the NFL (think Aaron Donald); weighing more than 320 pounds would point toward a future as a nose tackle (think Linval Joseph).

In both scenarios, there’s added pressure to perform at a high level athletically, relative to size. This year, Clemson’s Bryan Bresee — a potential top-15 pick — likely will measure in around 6-6 and 315 pounds, which would make him an ideal size to play defensive tackle in a 3-4.

Edge defenders: The average pass rusher steps on the scales in Indianapolis at 265 pounds and stands 6-3. Teams consider wingspan and arm length with every defensive position, but it draws more attention at edge. The average wingspan there is about 80 inches (6-foot-8), which is vital because edge rushers have to use that length to keep tackles at bay and create necessary angles to turn corners and win the edge.

Edge rushers with shorter arms, or that weigh closer to the 240-pound range, have to show high-level athletic traits elsewhere. Georgia’s Nolan Smith, for example, may not clear the 250-pound mark in Indianapolis (although, he might get there by his pro day). He’ll need to prove he has the necessary speed to make up for a lack of heft.

GO DEEPER

2023 NFL Mock Draft: Three rounds, Carolina and Washington move up

Off-ball linebackers: The average size at this spot is around 6-2, 240. Linebackers typically don’t have the longest wingspans, so you don’t hear quite as much consternation if a prospect lacks length. Linebackers are often discussed with esoteric terms like “feel for the game” and “instincts,” but the best players are usually the most explosive athletes.

That said, a player at this position who can’t clear the 230-pound threshold should set off some alarms — they’d need dominant tape and athleticism for NFL teams to look past it. Clemson’s Trenton Simpson and Arkansas’ Drew Sanders embody the prototypical size, while Texas’ DeMarvion Overshown and Alabama’s Henry To’oTo’o are guys I have worries about.

Safeties: Your typical safety will step in at the combine around 6-0, 207. When we talk athletic traits further down, we’ll cover the importance of range, but I’ve found myself considering wingspan (the average is 75 inches) more and more in how I evaluate this position. Why? Because for safeties, so much of the modern game comes down to being able to erase mismatches, mistakes and airspace in coverage.

When watching a player like Detroit’s Kerby Joseph, for example, his 6-8 (80-inch) wingspan allows him to make plays on the ball and close ground in a way that he wouldn’t be able to consistently access otherwise. In this draft class, the length of Texas A&M’s Antonio Johnson was apparent in his play and helped him be productive as a tackler and at batting passes.

Cornerbacks: The average numbers here are 5-11, 193. Wingspan is an obvious priority, too, with that mark landing around 75 inches (6-3). Be it playing close to the line of scrimmage or dealing with matchups against elite sprinters and route runners, it’s of the utmost importance that a corner’s wingspan buys them enough margin for error to properly read what an offense is trying to do.

This year’s tall corners — like Kelee Ringo, Christian Gonzalez and Joey Porter Jr. — will have an edge on the others in terms of body type.

Athletic testing

• The 3-cone is the holy grail when it comes to evaluating edge rushers. For the prospects who go through it, that drill simulates turning tight corners (what we call “bending”) and fighting through contact to finish at the intended destination. The average time for the 3-cone is 7.23 seconds. If you’re looking for elite pass-rushing potential, though, anything under seven seconds can make an edge significant money come draft time.

This class has more power rushers than bending, speed prospects, but the balance Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. has as a pass rusher should shine in this drill. Iowa State’s Will McDonald IV, meanwhile, is an undersized edge who could use a great 3-cone to stay in the top-50 conversation.

• For interior linemen and edge rushers, I care most about their explosion from a standstill position. That’s measured at the combine using 10-yard splits in the 40-yard dash. Analyzing the 10-yard split (1.75-second average for DTs; 1.65 for edges) alongside a player’s weight can paint a picture of how much force that prospect can generate taking on blocks, making tackles and (most importantly) getting after the quarterback.

Last year, Jordan Davis had a 1.68-second 10-yard split at 340 pounds, which is exactly how a nose tackle can wind up being a top-15 pick. This year, I’ll be interested to see how Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson, Clemson’s Myles Murphy and Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness stack up, because each of those likely Round 1 names was listed at 270-plus pounds in college. Having explosive power at that size usually bodes well for an edge rusher.

This is the new broad jump record for a player weighing more than 300 pounds 💪 @jordanxdavis99 #NFLCombine https://t.co/ANJWxe9kSX

— NFL (@NFL) March 5, 2022

• There are ways other than speed tests to judge explosiveness for defensive-front players. The broad and vertical jumps are two drills that measure a prospect’s maximum output in a rep, and that can help illuminate a player’s power coming out of his stance. For edge rushers, the average vertical is 33 inches and the average broad jump is 9 feet, 7 inches; for defensive tackles, those marks are 29 inches and 8 feet, 9 inches, respectively.

Edges who clear a 36-inch vertical or 10-foot broad jump catch my (and the league’s) eye. I think Anderson will accomplish both. Michigan’s Mazi Smith also has been on my radar since I read about him in Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List” and I hear his jumps will be remarkable, given his weight.

• As a former college linebacker and current high school defensive coach, I find I can be an unnecessarily harsh critic of players at the linebacker position. But you can’t turn away from pure athletic gifts.

The short shuttle (a 20-yard, change-of-direction drill), in combination with the 40 and broad jump, gives a clear picture of a few things:

- How well a linebacker can maintain speed as he shifts his hip depth, hip angle and his direction.
- A linebacker’s top speed, which simulates how well he can close to the ball.
- How explosive he can be getting to his spots once he makes his read, and if there’s potential to be an effective tackler.

The average shuttle time for linebackers is 4.3 seconds, the average 40 is 4.71 seconds, and the average broad jump is 9 feet, 8 inches.

Oregon’s Noah Sewell is one prospect who needs to show me something in that package of drills to calm concerns about his viability as a modern linebacker. On film, he doesn’t always change directions smoothly, and I’m unsure what his top speed actually can be.

GO DEEPER

2023 NFL Draft Consensus Big Board 3.0: Which prospects crack the top 100?

• Of course, one of the more entertaining aspects of the combine is tracking those 40 times — especially to see which guys can sneak under the 4.4-second threshold. Defensive backs regularly rise to the occasion. Because the baseline of speed is already so high with corners and safeties, I care most about eliminating outliers (4.6-second 40 runners rarely thrive at corner in the NFL) and looking to see whether the speed translates into other explosiveness metrics (broad and vertical jumps).

Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon has been gaining traction in the pre-draft process. If he can run in the 4.4 range, jump 36-plus inches in the vertical and go longer than 10 feet in the broad jump, he can secure his stock as a true high-level athlete at the position.

2022 was the year of the 40-yard dash at the #NFLCombine

Combine records, since 2003

– Average 4.71 seconds (fastest ever)
– 31 players with a sub-4.4 (most ever)
– Fastest RB, WR, OL, DL, LB & DB groups ever

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) March 6, 2022

Position-specific drills

• Of all the position drills, I probably watch those attempted by the defensive linemen with the loosest eye. I’m a little less concerned with the placement of each step and the mechanics of every movement at the combine because the prospects themselves are more worried about blazing through the drills. When the pop-up bags are introduced, though, I do pay attention to a prospect’s ability to turn corners and the quickness of their hand movement.

In the NFL, pass rushers don’t have time to reach out wide and swing wildly to execute a club move, or to sloppily spin for a counter move. So defensive linemen who stay efficient while they zip through the bags will check a box. Keep a close eye on how each player looks striking those bags and on which guys appear to be most explosive and comfortable bending around the edge.

Athleticism scores for the 2022 EDGE class are set.@UMichFootball's Aidan Hutchinson solidified his draft status by posting an "elite" athleticism score (93), driven by a 6.73-second 3-cone, the fastest time by any DL over 6-foot-5 at the combine since 2003.#NextGenScores pic.twitter.com/eqVFqM7cKX

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 6, 2022

• Linebackers usually don’t have the benefit of sprinting until the ball has been thrown or handed off, or until one of their keys gives them a clue to the play before it happens. Because of the if-then requirements of the position, I’m always keyed in to how fluid each linebacker is with his hips and feet. The guys who stumble or have to chop their feet longer than others are usually tight in the hips and, therefore, lack the agility to transition from playing the pass after run fakes to tracking the ball out to the perimeter and positioning their bodies well enough to make tackles in space.

I wouldn’t worry so much about the “agiles” — those bags that look like speed bumps on the ground — but I would be locked into every drill that asks linebackers to execute a series of shuffle-then-sprint changes. You don’t want to see players dragging their feet when they shuffle. You also don’t want to see them stepping far outside the frame of their body to change directions or constantly shifting their hip depth. Mechanically, you cannot play fast if you’re always going between leaning/squatting and an upright running position.

Who is going to blow everyone away with their testing?

Who needs a strong performance this week in Indy?

My NFL Combine preview with what I'll be looking for at each position:

Offense: https://t.co/myMKoprxr5
Defense: https://t.co/RyeT3UNhWp

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 27, 2023

• The defensive backs’ drills are the most important of all, because of how similar the athletic profiles can be between players. Every one of the DB drills incorporates a transition of some kind, and simulating coverage through the different phases of a route can be telling.

When players are pedaling and opening down the line, look for those who can get their hips turned the furthest without their chin turning in kind. In the “M” drill (DBs backpedal, then sprint five yards at a time), try to watch for a prospect’s hip depth and how efficient their feet are.

Playing defensive back is similar to playing offensive line, in that generating power and speed can only happen when you can get your feet out of the air and into the turf. The fastest transitions happen by stepping down, not out or back. It’s evident which guys have poor balance in their transition from seeing how long their front foot hangs in the air as they go from pedaling to sprinting.

Ringo and Porter can quiet criticism about their coverage ability by transitioning through drills smoothly, while Gonzalez should be able to wow the viewing public with how well he moves at his size.

(Photo of Jermaine Johnson II: Kirby Lee / USA Today)

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k2ttcGpiZ3xzfJFsZmlrX2V%2FcLDEn5ynq5mrsm6w0aKjpatdpbmixcSrqmamlqF6pLvMm6CnnV8%3D