Broncos at the NFL Combine: DL & LB | Risers & Fallers
As the Denver Broncos look to improve their defensive front, they got to see the interior defensive line, edge defenders, and linebackers take the field at the NFL Scouting Combine. It was the first day of the on-field stuff, including athletic testing and positional drills.
Who are some of the prospects that stood out on the first day, both in a good way and some in a bad way? Let's get into the risers and fallers from the first day of on-field work.
Interior Defensive Line
Riser: Braden Fiske | Florida State
Fiske had what was the best day of the interior defensive linemen. He killed the athletic testing, showing off his freakish ability. He kept up the show with sound technique and smooth movement skills when it got to the position drills.
Riser: Byron Murphy II | Texas
It was an excellent day for Murphy, which should cement his place as a top 20 player in the class. He tested out as everyone expected, and his smooth movement skills were easy to see in the position drills.
Riser: Ruke Orhorhoro | Clemson
While his technique is a bit raw, he showed improvement and more consistency through the drills. On top of that, his athletic testing exceeded expectations.
Riser: Kris Jenkins | Michigan
Jenkins is an athletic freak, and it showed with the athletic testing. He is smooth with his movement and has aced the drills. Of all the interior defensive linemen, Jenkins was probably the best in the position drills.
Riser: Logan Lee | Iowa
While he didn't blow the roof off, Lee is well with the testing. What stood out was the consistency with his techniques, which are well-developed, during the position drills.
Faller: McKinnley Jackson | Texas A&M
There is some explosion from Jackson on tape, but it is inconsistent. He didn't do well in the explosion testing and struggled with the positional drills' movement aspects.
Faller: Brandon Dorlus | Oregon
Doris wasn't smooth with the drills, and in the wave drill, he was trying to cheat the purpose by not going full speed. His techniques were all over the place, and it looked like he needed more work than expected.
Faller: Gabe Hall | Baylor
Hall is tall, long, and athletic, but his athletic testing didn't meet expectations. On top of that, his work in the drills was labored with movement and was clunky.
Edge Defenders
Riser: Laiatu Latu | UCLA
The most significant part of the combine for Latu was teams getting the medicals with his neck injury. Everything is said to be good there, and he finished off with an outstanding day on the field.
Riser: Myles Cole | Texas Tech
It was a pleasant surprise from Cole with his athletic testing. While he wasn't the smoothest of movers with his drills, he did them well with clean technique.
Riser: Marshawn Kneeland | Western Michigan
Kneeland did better than expected with his explosion testing, which was a question. The drills were clean, and he kept his movement tight despite being a thickly built 267 pounds.
Riser: Cedric Johnson | Ole Miss
Johnson is a compact edge who showed better than expected with his athletic testing. How smooth he was in the drills was also better than expected.
Riser: Dallas Turner | Alabama
Turner blew the roof off the stadium and showed up with a 6-foot-6 wingspan. His athletic testing was among the best of the day, and he did an outstanding job with the positional drills. There is a good chance he cemented himself as the top edge for almost every team and likely finds himself the first defender drafted.
Faller: Javontae Jean-Babtiste | Notre Dame
Jean-Babtiste is a sub-240-pound edge, and he didn't test as athletically as you would hope from a thin edge defender. Additionally, you want to see clean and smooth movement skills, and he instead seemed like he was fighting himself with his movement. However, Jean-Baptiste dealt with food poisoning before the workout, and his poor showing could have resulted from that.
Faller: Bralen Trice | Washington
Trice dropped weight and ran a slow time. On top of that, his movement was clunky, and he looked uncomfortable with his lower weight. Adding even more to the issues was he seemed to get hurt during an early drill and tried to force his way through the rest of the drills.
Faller: Nelson Ceasar | Houston
While Ceasar didn't run the 40-yard dash, he did the position drills. It was rough for him, with clunky movements and struggling with the techniques.
Linebackers
Riser: Payton Wilson | North Carolina State
The biggest question for Wilson was about the injuries he has dealt with, and it sounds like he is cleared there. His testing was consistently at the top, and he was one of the best performers with the drills.
Riser: Edgerrin Cooper | Texas A&M
Cooper has a chance to be the first linebacker drafted, and he helped cement himself as a top-50 player and could even find himself drafted in the first round. It was an exceptional day in all phases.
Riser: Trevin Wallace | Kentucky
The athletic testing was outstanding for Wallace, and he paired that with a great showing in the drills. His movement skills were smooth, clean, and easy.
Riser: Kalen DeLoach | Florida State
DeLoach had one of the better showings of the linebackers on the day. He tested out well and was consistently one of the best when it came to the positional drills.
Riser: Edefuan Ulofoshio | Washington
It was a good day for the Alaska to Nevada transplant. He showed great athleticism and was exceptionally smooth with his movement skills in the positional drills.
Faller: Easton Gibbs | Wyoming
The athletic testing for Gibbs was fine, but nothing outstanding. In most drills, he struggled with the movement and keeping his footwork clean. There was one drill he did a great job on, but it wasn't good outside of that.
Faller: Steele Chambers | Ohio State
Steele Chambers didn't run and did alright with the other testing. His base and footwork during the drills were consistently poor, leading to issues keeping his balance.
Faller: Aaron Casey | Indiana
It wasn't a terrible day with the testing for Casey, despite being at the bottom for most of them. What did it for him was the clunky movement regarding the positional drills.
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