Murchison, Smith-Williams Impress on Bench Press

The former NC State defensive ends were among the top 10 in their position group Friday in the weightlifting portion of the NFL Combine

Larrell Murchison and James Smith-Williams finally got a chance to show off their physical skills at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Friday.

After two days of measurements, medical and psychological exams, interviews and meetings with team representatives, the two former NC State players hit the weight room for the bench press portion of the league pre-draft evaluation event.

And both put on impressive performances.

Murchison finished fifth among the 46 defensive linemen at the Combine with 29 repetitions of the 225-pound weight. Smith-Williams, who has also been asked to test as a linebacker, was ninth among his position group with 28 reps.

Ohio State's DaVon Hamilton turned in the top effort among defensive linemen with 33 reps.

 On Saturday, Murchison and Smith-Williams will join the rest of the players in their position group on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in the most important portion of the Combine process.

They will participate in a series of drills, among them the 40-yard dash, the vertical jump, the standing broad jump, the shuttle run and a three-cone agility drill.

Smith-Williams, in particular, will be a play to watch.

Several draft experts, including ESPN's Jim Nagy, have predicted the former Wolfpack captain will record the fastest 40-yard dash time among players in the 250-275 pound range.

"Yeah, everyone’s guessing that I’ll have the fastest 40 in my weight class." Smith-Williams said on Thursday. "I think there’s pressure but it’s good pressure to me. I am enjoying the fact that I have that spotlight on me."

A strong showing in the on-field testing would be especially helpful for Smith-Williams, who was limited to just seven games because of injuries during his senior season at State.

Saturday's testing will be televised live on NFL Network from 4-11 p.m.