***Official Combine Thread***

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Editor’s note: Michael Irvin, a Hall of Fame receiver and NFL Network analyst, watched all the wide receivers work out Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine and shares his thoughts.

INDIANAPOLIS — I know this much after watching Justin Blackmon work out Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine: He’s clearly the top receiver in this year’s draft class.

Blackmon didn’t run the 40-yard dash, and I don’t need a 40 time to make me believe he’s the best. He’s clearly one of the most polished route runners out there, even with a bad hamstring.

You know how I know? Because it doesn’t matter what type of route it is, for the first 10 yards, he does a great job of running it the same. You want the first 10 yards to look the same every time so you don’t tip off the DB. That takes good body control, which Blackmon has.

I’ll say this: As good of a QB as Sam Bradford is, Blackmon will make him better. The Rams need to do everything to make sure they draft him.

The other big name who was solid, but not spectacular, was Michael Floyd. His 4.47-second 40-yard dash shows how fast he can be, but he just needs to improve a bit coming in and out of his cuts.

Whoever takes Floyd should make sure to work with him, polish him up and use him in a Marques Colston-type of role.

And I have to give some props to Stephen Hill. He made himself some money today. A 4.36 in the 40, and he didn’t look bad at all in drills.

When you get somebody as big as Hill at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, and as fast as him, it doesn’t matter that he comes from that weird option offense at Georgia Tech, where they hardly pass. He’ll get drafted specifically to blow the top off defenses.

– Michael Irvin

Who the hell is WR Stephen Hill? Hes one fast som bitch!

INDIANAPOLIS -- In a hallway of Lucas Oil Stadium, just a few hours after Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III blazed 40 yards in 4.41 seconds on the nearby field Sunday, Rams general manager Les Snead had plenty of reasons to be happy.

The first one? He likes Griffin. He's liked him since he began chronicling the quarterback's development as a freshman. His intelligence. His passion. His charisma. All qualities Snead cited for his pleasure in RGIII's big weekend.

"Whether we pick second or 32nd, I'm going to pull for that human being," Snead said. "He's such a likeable guy."

But Snead already has his quarterback. He says he's ready to start his new job as the Rams' point man with Sam Bradford under center -- which makes his rooting interest in Griffin that much more, well, interesting.

As Griffin wraps up his NFL Scouting Combine having solidified his place as the second most coveted player in this year's draft, his speedy feet and savvy head made him the combine's unofficial winner. It might, as a result, create a very intriguing draft weekend in late April.

Snead now holds the magic pick, and the number of teams desiring it might have just grown.

"I've definitely heard there's a rumor that there's two good quarterbacks in this draft," Snead joked. "I've heard that. We're going to be prepared for all options, especially if multiple teams think there are two good quarterbacks and one goes first."

It always begs to wonder how much an elite player can increase his stock at the combine, particularly in an instance when Griffin didn't even throw passes. But if a team on the brink of falling in love with the Heisman Trophy winner went into this weekend needing a little push, they might have just gotten it.

So although the Browns -- currently picking fourth and 22nd in the first round -- look like a nice suitor to trade into that second spot, Griffin's work in Indianapolis could create quite the bidding war. Yes, the type that merits massive compensation. Tell the auctioneer to warm up the chords: Do we here two first-round picks? How about three first-round picks?

Breer: Tannehill waits his turn

With all the attention on two other QBs, a third has to wait to make his impression a bit longer, Albert Breer writes. More ...


"It's up to other teams who feel they need a QB to decide if RGIII is the right player to fill that need," Snead said.

Maybe the Dolphins are one of those teams. Maybe the Redskins. Maybe the Browns. Maybe another team -- one that nobody is talking about -- will unexpectedly get into the mix and only drive up the price even more. Whatever the case, the lesson from this weekend became clear every time the spotlight panned Griffin's direction:

He has every look of being the real deal.

"You only have 15 minutes to talk to guys and that goes pretty quickly when you're talking to the entertaining young man like he is," said Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel, who met with him Friday. "He's very sharp. He's well thought out. He gives great answers. We could have talked to him for an hour.

"But in the 15 minutes he had, we came away very impressed with him."

This is one of the reasons -- coupled with a display of speed that has only been bettered at the Combine once by a QB since 2000 -- why a mystery team might not be such a bad bet when assessing the possible landing spots for Griffin.

Given the skills of Luck and Griffin, there's been a clear desire even by teams with young quarterbacks already in place to make sure they properly study whether either prospect might be a better fit in the respective organization.

"I think you have to do your due diligence," Vikings coach Leslie Frasier said. "Even though we have a guy we feel very confident with, our scouts, our personnel department, everyone will do a good job evaluating both quarterbacks."

The price, of course, will only continue to rise if Griffin continues to perform for general managers and coaches as he did this weekend in Indianapolis. He'll have an even bigger chance to do so March 21 at his Baylor Pro Day. That's the next step -- when he'll actually throw passes and show whether his arm is equally elite as his feet.

In the meantime, Snead will continue to monitor his progress, just as he's done for years, to find out whether the quarterback will earn him the type of compensation that could make the Rams the winners of this year's draft.

Until then, however, there was little question who won this weekend: That honor, without a doubt, goes to RGIII.

"I hope somebody falls in love with me other than my fiancé," Griffin said. "That's what you want. As a player, you want a team that really wants you. That's what I'm looking forward to.

"I'm looking forward to making somebody fall in love with me."

Poe was only 6'3", which actually makes him a better NT prospect now.

SylvesterMalone1978 wrote:

Poe was only 6'3", which actually makes him a better NT prospect now.

The article I read listed him at 6'4, 346.

If anybody tells you that any other player did more to increase his stock at the 2012 scouting combine than Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe, you know that person wasn't watching Monday's drills for defensive linemen and linebackers. After putting up a combine-best 44 reps in the 225-yard bench press, Poe went out to the track at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium and ran an unofficial 4.87 40-yard dash ... at 6-foot-4, and 346 pounds. His official best time was 4.98, which is still ridiculous when you consider that Ndamukong Suh ran an official 5.03 at his combine, and he was 40 pounds lighter than Poe.

And those in the know aren't entirely surprised by the big man's speed -- per NFLDraftScout.com, Poe ran school-timed 40s under five seconds on at least two occasions.

Even more interesting was the fact that at the combine, Poe had an unofficial 1.70 10-yard split, which absolutely speaks to his ability to explode off the snap and do really bad things to offensive linemen. Getting the numbers for that initial burst is very important -- far more important that the whole 40 -- when looking at linemen and linebackers who can explode off the snap. To put Poe's split in perspective, future endbackers like Nick Perry and Shea McClellin had 10-yard splits in the 1.57 to 1.59 range -- and Poe outweighs McClellin by about 100 pounds. Yikes.

After the run, Mike Mayock of the NFL Network raved about Poe's movement skills, opining that Poe looks a lot like Haloti Ngata of the Baltimore Ravens at the line, and especially in zone drops. Ngata has a rare ability to "get skinny" through blockers at 350 pounds, and there's tape of Poe doing the same sort of stuff.

Not bad for the fourth-heaviest defensive lineman to weigh in at the combine since 2000. At 346 pounds, Poe is bested only by Alabama's Terrence Cody (354 in 2010), Washington's Alameda Ta'amu (348 this year), and Texas Frank Okam (347 in 2008). A few more numbers: Ta'amu's 40 was about a half-second slower unofficially (he didn't run his second after suffering a hamstring injury), Okam shook the ground at 5.32, and Cody ran an official 5.71 at his combine.

Again, yikes.

Anyone else will have to go a very long way in a very big hurry to make more money at this year's combine that Dontari Poe -- primarily because the tape backs up the athletic achievements. This isn't a king-sized Mike Mamula we're talking about here, though he will need some technique work at the NFL level.

Wow! I think this guy is right. At 346 pounds he runs an official 4.98 and unofficial 4.87, puts up 44 reps in bench. He has exceptional athletic skills that back up his tape. Poe may have just come into the picture at 11.

Damn Poe... Its going to be tough to pass on him, the year I'm finally on board with drafting OL first. I think I still might want Soliai in FA then DeCastro first.

Signing Bowe and tagging and trading Carr might have just got more important.

As for RB, Isaiah Pead is who I'd look out for. Gut feeling hes a Chief.

The flip side is, where was Poe all season? I prefer someone more dominate on the field than in the gym.

Sporting News draft analyst Russ Lande suggests Memphis NT Dontari Poe may have vaulted himself into the top-12 overall picks after a stunning showing at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Poe possesses movement skills rarely seen among human beings, and his size-athleticism package will be coveted by teams in need of interior pluggers. The Chiefs pick at No. 11, and have a need at nose tackle with incumbent NT Kelly Gregg unsigned for 2012 and likely set to retire. Poe would team with 2011 sixth-round pick Jerrell Powe to give Kansas City two "power pigs" in the middle.

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2012/2...of-the-top-dts

The Kansas City Chiefs will interview 60 players as the NFL Combine as they continue to prepare for the 2012 NFL draft and most of the attention has been on the three quarterbacks they met with -- Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill.

But there's another one they've met with -- Jerel Worthy. The Michigan State defensive tackle met with Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel, according to Aaron Wilson. Just reading a little more about Worthy, he sure seems like someone worth considering on the defensive line.

Worthy explodes off the line at the snap and quickly uses his strong hands and unusual overall power to maintain an advantage. Little wonder he had at least one tackle for a loss in nine of 14 games last season. He said his decision to enter the draft as an underclassman was partly because his father suffered a stroke in 2010 and he wants to offer financial support for the family.

NFL Network's Mike Mayock said defensive tackle is one of the deepest positions in this year's draft. Worthy should be a first round pick, though it depends who you talk to when figuring out exactly where in the first round. The Chiefs, with the 11th pick, could likely have him there if they wanted him. Other mock drafts have him going in the 20s.

Add him to the list of guys we should be keeping an eye on.

Poe had 13 tackles in his one season playing in CUSA... color me not impressed.

Talk about Vontaze Burfict falling... was a top ten talent before the season. I'd take the risk on him in the third(if he falls THAT far), even the second if we don't land Curry.

Or Mychal Kendricks anyone?

RustShack wrote:

Poe had 13 tackles in his one season playing in CUSA... color me not impressed.

I'm not sure where you get that from. Hes definately raw and should have went back for his senior season! But damn, hes got a ton of upside.

2011 -
Poe started all 12 games on the defensive line this season, and has made 30 starts for the Tigers during his three-year career. He tallied 33 tackles, including 18 solo stops, and was third on the team in TFL with eight for minus 26 yards in 2011. Poe also posted a sack, three pass breakups, five quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. He matched his career high in tackles with eight against Marshall. At the post-season banquet, he was named an MVP as well as the Defensive Player of the Year. Poe was named to the All-C-USA second team by the league coaches.

2010 -
Named as an honorable mention All-C-USA selection in 2010 … One of six Tigers to start all 12 games in 2010, and joined Frank Trotter as a consistent starter on the defensive line … Opened the season with three tackles, all of which were solo stops, against Mississippi State … All three of his tackles limited the Bulldogs to three or fewer yards, and one was for a loss of four yards … Credited with three tackles against ECU, including teaming up with Frank Trotter for a TFL … Set a season high mark with seven tackles versus UTEP … Sacked UTEP's Trevor Vittatoe in the first quarter for a loss of five yards … The play was on 3rd-and-8 and forced UTEP to punt the ball away … Four of his tackles limited the Miners to fewer than three yards … Had another big game against Louisville with six tackles, four of which were solo stops … Logged at least three tackles in the next three games, including a five-tackle effort versus Marshall … Tied a career mark with two TFL against Southern Miss, and didn't give way to Southern Miss gaining more than two yards on his stops … Registered his second sack of the season, for a loss of 11 yards, against Marshall … Closed the season with three tackles, one of which was for a loss of three yards, against UCF … Ended the year ranked fifth on the team in tackles with 41, and fourth in TFL with 6.5 … His TFLs generated losses of 27 yards … Was presented one of the Leadership Awards by the coaching staff at the 2011 Blue-Gray Game … Was voted by the media as the Defensive MVP of the 2011 Blue-Gray Game.

RustShack wrote:

Talk about Vontaze Burfict falling... was a top ten talent before the season. I'd take the risk on him in the third(if he falls THAT far), even the second if we don't land Curry.

Ya, I think hes a problem child. I love the way he plays though. I would be all over him in round 2.

RustShack wrote:

Damn Poe... Its going to be tough to pass on him, the year I'm finally on board with drafting OL first. I think I still might want Soliai in FA then DeCastro first.

Signing Bowe and tagging and trading Carr might have just got more important.

As for RB, Isaiah Pead is who I'd look out for. Gut feeling hes a Chief.

I like Solai and Decastro definately is a guy that you cant draft every year! I love that combo! This is a hard draft. So few picks and lots of nice options to take!

I just looked up on ESPN and they only had one season for him. My bad.

RustShack wrote:

I just looked up on ESPN and they only had one season for him. My bad.

You would figure a big guy with that kind of athletic ability and strength would have more sacks. Poe has 5 in 3 years. I think he only started 6 games as a freshman.

You would think he could also make 1st team easily in such a shitty conference.

The Kansas City Chiefs will interview 60 players as the NFL Combine as they continue to prepare for the 2012 NFL draft and most of the attention has been on the three quarterbacks they met with -- Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill.

But there's another one they've met with -- Jerel Worthy. The Michigan State defensive tackle met with Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel, according to Aaron Wilson. Just reading a little more about Worthy, he sure seems like someone worth considering on the defensive line.

Worthy explodes off the line at the snap and quickly uses his strong hands and unusual overall power to maintain an advantage. Little wonder he had at least one tackle for a loss in nine of 14 games last season. He said his decision to enter the draft as an underclassman was partly because his father suffered a stroke in 2010 and he wants to offer financial support for the family.

NFL Network's Mike Mayock said defensive tackle is one of the deepest positions in this year's draft. Worthy should be a first round pick, though it depends who you talk to when figuring out exactly where in the first round. The Chiefs, with the 11th pick, could likely have him there if they wanted him. Other mock drafts have him going in the 20s.

Add him to the list of guys we should be keeping an eye on.

I think that if we can get Soliai we can go get a RT in the first round and then draft a TE like Fleener in the second because I just think that Pioli will want to follow the NE formula for success.

Worthy was at least good on the football field and in an upper conference.

RustShack wrote:

Worthy was at least good on the football field and in an upper conference.

isn't he more of a 4-3 or 5 tech guy?

Probably more of a 4-3 guy.

By NFL.com Staff |

Published: February 27th, 2012 | Tags: 2012 NFL Scouting Combine, defensive linemen, Devon Still, Dontari Poe, Gerald McCoy, Michael Brockers, Ndamukong Suh, Nick Perry

Editor’s note: Warren Sapp, a former Super Bowl-winning defensive tackle and current NFL Network analyst, watched all the defensive linemen work out Monday at the NFL Scouting Combine and shared his thoughts.

INDIANAPOLIS — Hands down, Dontari Poe is the defensive lineman who jumps out at me after watching Monday’s workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Hands down. All 346 pounds of the big fella.

Can you believe he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.98 seconds? Poe looks like a refrigerator. He’s not supposed to move like that.

The most impressive part was his first 10 yards. He showed some explosiveness, and forgive me for saying this, but I saw a little bit of myself in him.

Poe aside, though, this is an interesting class of D-linemen. This group out-ran the draft class from two years ago featuring Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy. They were blazing for big guys, and that might have some teams reaching in the draft.

You’ve got Michael Brockers, who a lot of teams seem to love. But I have questions, because he doesn’t have much experience. He passes the eyeball test, but there isn’t a body of work. You almost think that if he stayed in school for his senior year, he could’ve easily been the No. 1 DT next year. Brockers didn’t blow my mind today, so he’ll have to get going at his pro day.

Nick Perry is another guy who passes the eyeball test, but he’s stiff on film. Fluidity isn’t something you can just inject into a player. He’s another kid who will have to rise to the occasion at his pro day.

Devon Still talked great coming into the combine. He said he was the top DT in this draft. But he didn’t blow us away today. When you turn on the film to watch him, you sometimes say, ‘Wow, he’s great’, and other times your like, ‘Why is he playing like that?’

So I guess we’ll see how this all goes down come April. I hope the DTs represent.

– Warren Sapp