The annual scouting combine kicks off this Wednesday in Indianapolis. While I find the actual processes largely overrated and tedious to watch, for several prominent prospects this combine is very important. Among the players to pay attention to in Indy:
1. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
With Jimmy Clausen and Sam Bradford both sitting out the throwing exercises, McCoy is presented with a golden opportunity to show he deserves to be considered in their same breaths. McCoy insists his shoulder is fine, which means no excuses if he fails to exhibit the arm strength evaluators question he has. If he impresses with both arm strength and accuracy, it's hard to see him falling out of the first round.
2. Terrence Cody, NT, Alabama
Mount Cody showed up at the Senior Bowl at 370 pounds and looking sloppy. The Dolphins coaching staff (his coaches in Mobile) opined that Cody at 350 could be dominant, but at 370 he's limited. That was a month ago, which means Cody has had ample time to drop at least 15 pounds. If he weighs in under 355, he's probably solidified a first round draft slot, but at anything above 365 the red flags over his desire and conditioning will probably keep him out of the top 60.
3. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
After missing last season with a knee injury, there is concern over how ready Gresham is and how well he has recovered from meniscus surgery. The whispers from his training say the physical tight end will have a hard time cracking 4.8 in the 40, and his 20-yard shuttle time isn't likely to be pretty either. It's one thing to be limited by injury, it's another to be slow; Gresham has said in recent interviews he's "better than 100%," so for his times to be so plodding means it's not likely to ever get much better. The ceiling for a tight end with those sort of speed numbers is Jeff King, not Jeremy Shockey, and I suspect he will be drafted as such if those whispers are true, even though he is a proven great blocker.
4. John Skelton, QB, Fordham
Small-college quarterbacks need to make a big splash at the combine to validate the hype and prove they belong with the big boys. Much like Joe Flacco and even Ben Roethlisberger, Skelton showed a big body, big arm and the ability to put up big numbers at non-BCS school. He's not as athletic as either, so he must demonstrate very good accuracy. He must also ace team interviews and show he can read defenses quickly off game tape.
5. Ricky Sapp, LB, Clemson
Nobody questions Sapp's pass-rushing acumen. Okay, that's not technically correct; nobody who has extensively watched him questions Sapp's ability to get to the quarterback (though finishing the play is another matter). What everyone will be looking at in Indy is his right knee, which has suffered a partial ACL tear and a few minor "tweaks." All players are subject to unbelievably extensive medical exams at the Combine, and there are growing grumblings that Sapp, who relies almost exclusively on being an explosive athlete, will have trouble passing all the tests.
6. Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse
Williams possesses borderline first/second round talent, but he has a lot of explaining to do. Like, "Why did you quit in the middle of the season?" and "How come your former coaches and teammates have nothing good to say about you, even way off the record?" Teams need to hear a mature, coherent, truthful explanation of his behavior, even if Williams thinks it's not what they want or need to hear. If he impresses in interviews he is back in the top 40 discussion. Any sort of perceived failure and he could go undrafted, another unproven talent not worth the headaches.
7. John Jerry, OL, Ole Miss
He has bounced between guard and tackle, but most early projections pegged Jerry at guard in the NFL. Then the Senior Bowl came, where Jerry showed up some 25 pounds lighter and looked pretty darn good at right tackle. If he does well in agility drills and has continued to transform his body into a leaner, meaner machine, his value as a tackle is about two rounds higher than at guard. That his brother Peria impressed as a rookie (pre-injury) and that he graded out higher than stud rookie Michael Oher when the two were bookend brothers in 2008 will certainly help his case, should he choose to keep making it at tackle.
8. Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida9. Bryan Bulaga, T, Iowa
His athleticism is questionable, and under-the-table reports from his training say those questions are very valid. He struggled with speed in college, and if he can't display the requisite footwork and arm length/strength in Indy, he goes from a potential top 10 overall pick at left tackle to a late first/early second round (if he's lucky) right tackle prospect. Frequent readers will note I've never been a big Bulaga supporter on the left side.
10. Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
The word on the street is that Dwyer has shed the extra poundage that cost him a step last season, which soured some scouts on his stock. Give him that step back and a more chiseled frame and the powerful, aggressive runner almost certainly cements a 1st round spot, perhaps top 20 overall. If that speed isn?t there, he could slide a lot longer than he expects.
Check out my daily Combine reports beginning Friday!
-- Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com
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