Winners And Losers From The 2018 NFL Combine

The 2018 NFL combine is in the books and some of the participants greatly increased their stock, while others saw theirs plummet. Here’s a look at the winners and losers from this year’s combine,

Winners:

Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley showed up at the combine widely viewed as the top player in the 2018 NFL Draft. After he workout, there’s little doubt he’s clearly the top talent available.

All Barkley did was weigh in at 233 pounds, then run a 4.40 40, throw up 29 bench press reps and unleash a 41-inch vertical. Those are just silly numbers for a running back of his size. It was arguably the most impressive combine ever for a running back. He’s the best player in this draft and it isn’t close. He firmly established that in Indianapolis.

Derwin James

Derwin James had a reputation as a freak athlete heading into the combine and he validated that with his workout in Indianapolis. After measuring in at just a shade under 6’2″ and 215 pounds, the Florida State safety put together a fantastic showing on the field.

James ran a 4.47 40, posted a 40-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot broad jump. That kind of workout coupled with his dominant on-field play should put James somewhere in the top half of the first-round.

Kolton Miller

After measuring in at a mammoth 6’9″ and 309 pounds, Kolton Miller displayed rare athleticism during his workout. The UCLA offensive tackle was an absolute beast at the combine on Friday.

Miller ran a 4.95 40, busted out a 31.5-inch vertical and set a combine record for an offensive lineman with a broad jump of 10-foot-1. Those are just ridiculous numbers for such a big guy, and he definitely has room on his frame to add more muscle.

While Miller was projected as high as the second round in some mocks before the combine, he’s now put himself firmly in the first-round mix.

Josh Allen

A lot of questions have been asked about Josh Allen, and the Wyoming quarterback tried to answer some of them at the combine. After measuring in at 6’5″ and 237 pounds, Allen put on an impressive show in Indianapolis.

Allen ran a 4.75 40, had the best vertical among the quarterbacks in attendance (31.5 inches), the best broad jump (9 feet, 11 inches) and second-best 3-cone drill (6.9 seconds). Then he went out and was much better than expected in throwing drills.

While Allen likely left Indianapolis as the third-ranked quarterback in this year’s class, he had a great showing and certainly closed the gap.

Shaquem Griffin

Man this kid is a great story. Shaquem Griffin showed up at the combine as “that linebacker with one hand” and wound up being the story of the week. Griffin threw up 20 bench reps (reminder: he only has one hand) and ran the fastest 40 by a linebacker in more than a decade at 4.38.

Griffin measured in at 6’1″ and 227 pounds, so he’s got decent size for a 3-4 inside linebacker or to play on the outside of a 4-3. After what he did in Indianapolis he went from possibly being drafted to a surefire pick.

Losers:

Orlando Brown

Orlando Brown may have had the worst showing in combine history in Indianapolis. The Oklahoma offensive tackle measured in at 6’8″ and 345 pounds…and it was all downhill from here.

Brown ran a molasses-like 5.85-second 40, posted just 14 bench reps and had a 19.5-inch vertical. It could not have gone much worse for the enormous pass protector. He just isn’t a great athlete despite his size.

Many had Brown as a late first-rounder before his horrendous showing at the combine. Now? His stock is dropping like an anvil.

Josh Rosen

Josh Rosen measured in at 6’4″ and 226 pounds, right about where he was expected. As far as the athleticism drills go, he showed what we all knew: he’s not a great athlete.

Rosen ran a 4.92 40, had a solid 31-inch vertical leap, and a 9-foot-3 broad jump. Those numbers won’t wow anyone, but that’s not where the UCLA quarterback was expected to shine.

The issue for Rosen was that he wasn’t all that impressive during throwing drills. He was expected to dominate that portion of the combine and it was really a mixed bag. In fact, Josh Allen had a better afternoon than his Bruin counterpart.

Rosen is still likely one of the top two quarterbacks on most boards, but his showing at the combine and questions about his attitude could lead to second thoughts about his status.

Tarvarus McFadden

Florida State’s Tarvarus McFadden is one of the bigger, more physical cornerbacks in this year’s draft. Like his teammate, Derwin James, McFadden was expected to test well and establish himself as one of the top defensive backs in the class. That didn’t happen.

McFadden measured in at 6’2″ and 204 pounds, which was right where he was expected to land. But it was all downhill from there. McFadden turned in one of the slowest 40-yard dashes among cornerbacks with a 4.67. That’s painfully slow for a corner, even at his size. The rest of his numbers didn’t stand out either, which likely mean his athleticism just isn’t where many believed it would be.

McFadden was a fringe first-rounder before the combine, now could fall all the way to the third round.

Jordan Lasley

Before the combine, Jordan Lasley was rocketing up draft boards. While his workout in Indianapolis didn’t ruin his stock, it certainly pumped the breaks on it.

The UCLA wideout measured in at 6’1″ and 203 pounds, but that was where the positives end. He turned in a middling 4.50 40 and only had eight bench press reps. His vertical of 34.5 inches was underwhelming, while his broad jump (9-foot-4) barely outpaced his quarterback Josh Rosen. A 4.19-second 20-yard shuttle was decent but given the rest of the workout, it didn’t save things.

Lasley had some serious helium heading into the combine, but now looks like a Day 2 or Day 3 prospect.

Tim Settle

Tim Settle had the defensive line version of Orlando Brown’s workout. The massive Virginia Tech defensive tackle measured in at 6’3″ and 329 pounds, but really struggled during drills.

Settle posted a 5.37-second 40, a 23.5-inch vertical jump and an 8-foot broad jump. He also had a 20-yard shuttle of 4.83 seconds. None of that was good.

Settle likely ranks as one of the top five defensive tackles in this year’s draft, but his lack of agility and athleticism is pretty disappointing. He’ll have a chance to test better at his pro day, and he’ll need to if he wants to add some helium to his stock.