NFL Combine

NFL+Combine

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL Combine is a place where athletes flaunt their athletic abilities to NFL scouts across the nation. This year’s Combine was held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. This year a large quantity of phenomenal college athletes showcased their speed, strength, and skills to show the scouts how good they are.
Some of the most anticipated college football athletes appeared at the Combine. These athletes consisted of; quarterbacks, Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, and Blake Bortles. These quarterbacks were among the most talented athletes to watch at the Combine.
Johnny Manziel, the Texas A&M quarterback may be short on size, but his ability to run the ball and make plays is one of a kind. Going into the Combine, Manziel promised he would be exactly 6’, however Manziel measured in just short at 5’ 11” ¾ and 207 pounds. Despite Manziel’s size his lightning fast 40-yard dash, which was clocked at 4.68 seconds proved him to be more valuable to scouts.
Another quarterback that stood out is Blake Bortles, the Central Florida quarterback. Bortles weighed in at a solid 232 pounds, and measured 6’5’. His size is a major advantage. Bortles’ quickness allowed him to run a 40 in 4.81 seconds, which was quick, but not as quick as Manziel’s. Scouts liked Bortles’ ability to stand tall in the pocket, and escape when pressured.
Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater is the last of the highly scouted quarterbacks that attended the Combine, however Bridgewater did not compete.
Jadeveon Clowney is the fastest defensive end that competed in the Combine. Clowney’s 40-yard time of 4.53 seconds is quicker than some running backs, receivers, and quarterbacks. Clowney surprised everyone with his extremely quick time for a 266-pound defensive player.
Running back for Kent State, Dri Archer ran the fastest 40 time of 4.26 seconds. Archer may qualify on the smaller side, however his speed and great footwork makes up for his lack of size.
The 2014 NFL combine showed just how much talent the league should be expecting next year, which was a lot. Now that the athletes have preformed they have to wait till their pro day to improve their draft stock and then see which teams will show interest on signing day.