NFL Combine: Sunday

Combine Risers and Sliders: RBs, QBs, and WRs

Risers:

Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson: Ran an unofficial 4.27 40. The last player to run a sub 4.3 40 was Chris Johnson in 2008 and we all know how that turned out. He also caught the ball well in the drills and ran smooth routes. But ultimately it's that explosive speed that will have NFL GMs drooling.

Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame: The biggest questions surrounding Tate were his size and pure speed at the next level. Well, he may not be able to do anything about his 5'10, sub 200-pound frame, but he answered a lot of doubts with a 4.42 40 (fourth best amongst wideouts). He also was a top performer in the bench press and broad jump. Could now be a first round choice come April.

Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia: Of the quarterbacks who threw the football on Sunday, Brown was by far the best. His throws were accurate and had plenty of zip on them. He also ran a 4.53 40, by far the fastest time of the QBs. No way he's a day 1 starter in the NFL but he could be an intriguing project for a number of teams in the third or fourth round.

Jahvid Best, RB, California and Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford: Both of them ran great 40s, in the low 4.3s for Best and low 4.5s for Gerhart (with an extra 32 pounds on board). Best proved himself to be the fastest of the running backs while Gerhart proved to NFL scouts that he can a running back, and not a fullback, at the next level.

Stickers:

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida: “Stickers” don't usually make a risers and sliders list, but given all the attention and hype Tebow was getting from the NFL Network at the Combine (if he had been throwing the ball, I'm not sure any of the other QBs would have got any camera time at all), I thought I should let you know how he did. Well, as expected, he performed like the great athlete he is: a 9'7” broad jump, a 38.5' vertical leap and a 4.72 40. But his athleticism is not what anyone in the NFL is concerned about. And that's why he's a sticker. That workout will not have alleviated any of the other concerns about him.


Sliders:

Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan: LeFevour found out the hard way that without a valid injury excuse, it's never a good idea for a quarterback to choose not to throw at the Combine (unless your name is Tim Tebow of course). Scouts, NFL coaches and analysts were perplexed and disappointed at LeFevour's decision and you can understand why. As a small-school product, the Combine would have been the perfect opportunity for LeFevour to show he belonged with the top prospects. (Two years ago, Joe Flacco did just that and propelled himself in the first round). Sensing a PR nightmare, LeFevour did throw at some motionless targets on Sunday but that won't have been enough to shake the sour 'quitter' taste he left in a lot of NFL people's mouths.

Sean Canfield, QB, Oregon State: Maybe Canfield is wishing he pulled a LeFevour...On a day where most of the quarterbacks failed to wow anyone, Canfield was the worst of the bunch. The accuracy of his throws was poor, and his arm strength will be questioned.

Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: Couldn't crack 4.6 in his two attempts at the 40. That's a problem for a player who made a name for himself in college by breaking big down-field plays. You can't do that in the NFL at 4.6 pace. I do get the feeling that Gilyard, who is a very cool customer (complete with bandana, sunglasses, dreadlocks et al.), has always been more a gamer than a workout type guy. But still, that 40 might scare some people off.

Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas: Briscoe wasn't expected to be drafted much higher than the fourth or fifth round anyway, but he could fall further after an unimpressive combine workout. He only managed 9 reps at the bench which in itself isn't a deal-breaker, but looks worse when coupled with a 4.61 40.