Some people view NFL Combine scores as an extremely valuable predictor of NFL success, while others insist on going by their own “eye test.” My take is that combine scores (and measurements) are a valuable initial evaluation tool, but the eye test needs to be the final determinant used when appraising players and working up a team’s draft preferences.
I’ve compiled a list of players, by position and their combine marks. Most are current Green Bay Packers players and some are recent ones, the idea being that Packers fans have a fair idea of how these players actually look out on the field, so they can compare that with their combine marks.
When the Packers make their draft selections in late April, fans can compare the scores of the team’s new acquisitions with the scores of current Packers, who they will be competing against for roster spots and perhaps starting roles.
The score I decided to most rely on for this analysis is the agility score, which is the total number of seconds it takes a player to complete the 20-yard short shuttle and 3-cone drills. There’s a tendency to over-emphasize the 40-yard dash time and under-emphasize a player’s agility. For football purposes, agility is a measure of how quickly one can start and come to a stop, reverse directions, and change directions while maintaining speed. For example, receivers with high agility scores should have the ability to make sharp and explosive cuts – the type of moves that gain them separation from defenders.
Secondarily, for many positions I used the 10-yard split time – the time it takes to go the first 10 yards during the 40-yard dash. Seldom in the course of a game does a receiver, linebacker or defensive back have to sprint 40 yards, but they have to run as fast as possible for 10 or more yards on many plays.
For offensive and defensive linemen and linebackers, my secondary mark is arm length. This is important in that players with long arms can more readily keep their offensive or defensive opponent from grabbing them or making contact with their bodies while they are blocking or trying to get by a blocker. For the hybrid position of tight end, I listed agility, 10-yard sprint time and arm length.
Several players have no marks or incomplete marks. Sometimes it’s because they were nursing an injury at combine time, but in most cases players simply declined to take tests that they were not good at. Tests done at a pro day event, rather than at the NFL Combine and which aren’t always reliable, are marked with an *.
Running Backs
Agility followed by 10-yard split
- Christine Michael: 10.71, 1.51
- James Starks: 11.12, 1.61
- John Crockett: 11.40, 1.54
- Don Jackson: 11.43, 1.59
- Aaron Ripkowski: 11.92, 1.64
- Eddie Lacy: none, 1.65
Wide Receivers
Agility followed by 10-yard split
- Jeff Janis: 10.62, 1.47
- Trevor Davis: 10.82, 1.57
- Jared Abbrederis: 10.88, 1.53
- Davante Adams: 11.12, 1.53
- James Jones: 11.26, 1.49
- Ty Montgomery: 11.28, 1.59
- Randall Cobb: 11.42, 1.56
- Geronimo Allison: 11.68, 1.65
- Herb Waters: none, none
Defensive Backs
Agility followed by 10-yard split
- Morgan Burnett: 10.70, 1.57
- Damarious Randall: 10.90, 1.56
- Micah Hyde: 10.98, 1.59
- Jermaine Whitehead: 11.06, 1.64
- Demetri Goodson: 11.14, 1.62
- Josh Hawkins: 11.31, 1.51
- Ha Ha Clinton-Dix: 11.32, 1.60
- Quinten Rollins: 11.38, 1.61
- Makinton Dorleant: 11.48, 1.53
- LaDarius Gunter: 11.59, 1.68
- Kentrell Brice*: 12.06, 1.56
- Marwin Evans: none, none
Offensive Linemen
Agility followed by arm length
- Corey Linsley: 11.99, 32
- Bryan Bulaga: 12.02, 33 1/4
- Josh Sitton*: 12.05, none
- Jason Spriggs: 12.14, 34 1/8
- J.C. Tretter: 12.17, 33 3/8
- David Bakhtiari: 12.44, 34
- Lane Taylor*: 13.13, none
- Kyle Murphy*: none, 33 1/2
- Don Barclay: none, none
- T.J. Lang*: none, none
- Patrick Lucas*: none, none
Defensive Linemen
Agility followed by arm length
- Dean Lowry: 11.64, 31
- Letroy Guion*: 11.91, none
- Nick Perry: 11.91, 33
- Brian Price: none, 32 ¼
- Julius Peppers: none, 34 1/8
- Kenny Clark: none, 32 1/8
- Mike Daniels: none, 32 1/2
- Christian Ringo*: none, none
Linebackers
Agility followed by 10-yard split
- Jordan Tripp: 10.85, 1.64
- Clay Matthews: 11.08, 1.49
- Blake Martinez: 11.18, 1.61
- Jake Ryan: 11.31, 1.62
- Kyler Fackrell: 11.70, 1.61
- Joe Thomas*: 12.09, 1.58
- Jayrone Elliott: none, none
Tight Ends
Agility, 10-yard split and arm length
- Jermichael Finley: 11.53, 1.65, none
- Richard Rodgers: 11.70, 1.69, 32 5/8
- Jared Cook*: 11.81, 1.60, 35 3/4
Comments
Though I’m constantly looking at combine marks, I was still surprised by several of these scores, including:
- Running back Christine Michael, who has the reputation of being strictly a straight-line running back, has fabulous agility (though he seldom puts it to use).
- Regarding two receivers who departed in 2016, I knew Jared Abbrederis had great agility, but not that James Jones was also right up there with him.
- The eye test has been telling me for years that Randall Cobb is one quick and elusive dude, but the combine scores indicate well-below-average agility.
- My eyes told me Morgan Burnett was an average athlete, but his combine agility score blew away the rest of the DBs. Micah Hyde also scored better than I would have thought at agility.
- There’s a huge gap athletically between Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins. I’ve indicated previously that, based on combine marks, Rollins should not have been a second-round draft pick.
- Safety Kentrell Brice appears to be all speed and no agility.
- Dean Lowry distanced himself from the rest of the defensive linemen – at 6’6” and 296, this guy has some moves, but also surprisingly short arms.
- I doubt that Letroy Guion’s marks are relevant to what the big guy is still able to do now that he’s pushing 30 and this applies to all aging players.
- Could new linebacker Jordan Tripp use his impressive agility to break into the starting lineup?