The NFL scouting combine is an important part of the off season. It solidifies the talent seen during the college regular season of this year in there transition to the NFL. Contrary to belief though, its not all about the on-field play at the combine. The medical evaluations and the character of the players matter too. Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariotta are the most focused on players in this year's combine.
Many people thought that the recent triumph of Oregon over Florida State, which gave Jamies Winston his first ever college football game loss, would ruin his chances of getting drafted high by any team in April. He may have done terribly that game, but you cannot evaluate a man and his football career just based off of one game.
In the combine, Jameis and Marcus surpassed the skill level of every player at the combine in terms of passing. They are under a microscope more now then ever to perform well in order to get drafted in the first round. Jameis Winston had a below average 40 yard dash and vertical jump but in his passing drills; he proved that he can pass like an NFL quarterback with great anticipation. Because of the NFL combine, his draft stock has gone up and he may very well be the number one pick overall.
With the draft coming up in a few months, there is not much to do now but to hype up the players that are going to be in it. Because these two quarterbacks are considered the most skilled players and performed the best in the combine, they will be hyped up. Many experts say Jameis is an NFL style quarterback with a great arm who can perform. This hype will only help him to get picked higher in the draft. The combine is not the only thing that matters in choosing a player to draft though.
For instance, Teddy Bridgewater performed with mediocre ability in the combine and many said he did not have the athleticism to do well in the NFL. He was drafted late in the first round instead of as one of the first few picks. He has proven people that his in game ability much outweighs what he did at the scouting combine. His mental awareness and accuracy make him a great quarterback.
The same can be said about many other players in the NFL. Teams value the combine results more than in game speed and performance when under pressure. The combine results, more than anything, seem to determine where a player will get drafted. Jameis under pressure this year may not have done well this season considering he threw only 25 touchdowns but threw 18 interceptions. Executives in the NFL still believe he can fare well as a starting quarterback in the future due to his stellar performance in the combine. Do not be surprised if he is picked number one overall this year.
Meanwhile, some of this past year's Florida Gators have been doing very well in the NFL combine. Defensive end, Dante Fowler, is at the top of that list and is one of the best rushers going into the combine. He decided to have a little fun during the 40 yard dash. He put on a gold watch and a cheetah cleats when it came his time to sprint. Many thought it was very funny. Fowler said he wants to be the kind of player to turn a team and a defense around. He is very quickly making a name for himself and will probably be very hyped up before draft day comes around.
Matt Jones, running back, is also a very notable player coming out of Florida. He ran a 4.61 second 40 yard dash and performed well in other drills. He is in the process of getting interviewed by teams. Other gators in the draft are: offensive tackle DJ Humphries, offensive guard Max Garcia, offensive tackle Chaz Green, offensive guard Trenton Brown, linebacker Neiron Ball, defensive tackle Leon Orr and punter Kyle Christy. The combine as well as the rest of the road toward the NFL draft is going to be a very long and intense process.
