Finding Broncos: NFL Combine Athletic Testing Risers & Fallers

With the offensive line and the running back prospects taking the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Denver Broncos are watching for an opportunity to replicate the success of finding Quinn Meinerz and Javonte Williams a year ago.

There is plenty of talent at both positions. The O-line and running back prospects completed the on-field testing at the NFL Scouting Combine and some raised their draft stock while others' plummeted with their performance in the drills.

Let's dive into the biggest risers and fallers.

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40-Yard Dash: OL Risers

Trevor Penning | Northern Iowa

Penning ran out of the building as he ran a 4.89-second 40-yard dash to put him in an elite club. He is just the fourth tackle to run a sub-4.9 while weighing over 320 pounds.

Cam Jurgens | Nebraska

Jurgens helped himself overall on the day, and it started with his 4.92-second dash.

Kellen Diesch | Arizona State

Diesch is viewed as an athletic tackle option, and he tested excellently across the board, but his 4.89-second 40 was the start.

Ickey Ekwonu | North Carolina State

There was a question about how well Ekwonu would test, and he put those questions to bed with a 4.93-second 40, which could propel him to being the first tackle selected.

Zach Tom | Wake Forest

Tom has played tackle and center and keeps the versatility to play all over the line and his 4.94-second 40, along with his other testing, keeps that versatility in play.

Braxton Jones | Southern Utah

Jones is a solid athlete, but he wasn't expected to run a sub 5.0-second 40 and just cleared the mark with a 4.97.

40-Yard Dash: O-Line Fallers

Max Mitchell | Louisiana

Mitchell looks athletic on tape, but that didn't show at the combine as he put up a 5.32-second 40, which is well below benchmarks at the position.

Dohnovan West | Arizona State

West is another athlete on tape, but it didn't show in his 5.27-second 40, which is a little below the desired number.

Luke Tenuta | Virginia Tech

Tenuta got called back in both of his runs, which is frowned upon by coaching staff, and he didn't help by running a 5.41-second 40.

Kenyon Green | Texas A&M

Some expected Green to put the 5-second mark in his run, but his fastest official time was a 5.24.

40-Yard Dash: RB Fallers

Jerrion Ealy | Mississippi

Ealy measured very small, and the way to overcome that is testing fast, and while a 4.52-second 40 isn't terrible, it isn't as fast as you want to see from someone this small.

Ronnie Rivers | Fresno State

Rivers had a worse showing than Ealy as he was even smaller and ran a slow time of 4.6.

Sincere McCormick | UTSA

McCormick doesn't show great long speed on tape, but expectations were higher than a 4.6.

Kennedy Brooks | Oklahoma

Brooks is another smaller back than teams wanted to see in the high 4.4s or low 4.5s, and he missed that mark with a 4.59.

On-Field Drills: OL Risers

Zach Tom | Wake Forest

Tom was smooth in all drills and showed good technique and footwork. He didn't get too high with his pad level and showed he has the versatility teams desire.

Charles Cross | Mississippi State

Cross was excellent with most athletic testing and showed off the technique with the field drills. Again, this was expected from the tackle prospect who has the cleanest footwork of this class.

Ickey Ekwonu | North Carolina State

Ekwonu has plenty of power but doubts about his movement and overall technique. However, his fieldwork showed good, quick, and smooth movements while showing off improved technique from the end of his college season. He has taken to coaching from the offensive line gurus he has worked with, and it shows.

Cole Strange | Chatanooga

Coming from a small school, Strange caught the attention of many at the Senior Bowl, and he did an excellent job of building off that with a great showing during all the Combine events.

Kellen Diesch | Arizona State

Diesch tested extremely well athletically, and it carried over to the drills on the field. His technique wasn't great, but it was good enough to show a foundation for NFL coaches to work with and develop.

Bernhard Raimann | Central Michigan

Of all the offensive linemen who did the fieldwork, Raimann was probably the smoothest of the bunch. He is extremely smooth and has great technique already.

Trevor Penning | Northern Iowa

Some of the dills were rough around the edges for Penning, but he showed how quick he is with his movements and how effective he is, even if he isn't always the smoothest.

On-Field Drills: OL Fallers

Thayer Munford | Ohio State

Not only did Munford bomb the athletic testing, but his drill work was also a mess with sloppy footwork and technique overall.

Luke Tenuta | Virginia Tech

Tenuta was off with multiple drills, and there were a lot of shortcuts to the technique that won't cut it during an NFL game.

Cordell Volsen | North Dakota State

If you test poorly athletically, then you have to nail the drills, and Volsen was struggling and, during one drill, even seemed a little lost in what he was asked to do.

On-Field Drills: RB Risers

James Cook | Georgia

Cook's footwork was clean, and he caught the ball well. During drills with the change of direction, he showed quick reactions needed.

Breece Hall | Iowa State

Hall was probably the best-looking running back for all the drills. His feet were quick and smooth, and it carried over to everything he had to do.

Rachaad White | Arizona State

White showed how agile he is, and he caught the ball exceptionally well. His routes were also among the best of the bunch.

On-Field Testing: RB Fallers

Sincere McCormick | UTSA

McCormick was clunky with his movements, and he struggled to stay on the routes they were asked to run.

Dameon Pierce | Florida

There were multiple occasions where Pierce slowed things up during the drill, and it came off wonky. However, it would be best to keep them at full pace when going through the exercises.

O-Line Biggest Overall Risers

Zach Tom | Wake Forest

While Tom isn't the one who made the most money, he probably will see the most significant bump from the combine. He showed his versatility with how he tested and the drill work.

Ickey Ekwonu | North Carolina State

It wouldn't be surprising to see Ekwonu be the first tackle taken or go first overall. He answered what questions there were.

Trevor Penning | Northern Iowa

With what he did athletically and what he put on the field with the drills, Penning likely cemented himself as a top-20 pick because he has everything you look for in an offensive tackle.

Zion Johnson | Boston College

With what he showed at the combine, Johnson put himself as the top guard in the class and isn't far behind Tyler Linderbaum for the best overall interior offensive lineman.

O-Line Biggest Overall Fallers

Kenyon Green | Texas A&M

Green entered the combine as the top guard, but it is a safe assumption that he lost that positioning. Not only did he test extremely poorly athletically, but his drills were also a mess.

Max Mitchell | Louisiana

Mitchell was viewed as a top-100 pick, but it wouldn't be surprising if he fell out of the first three rounds now. He was okay at the Senior Bowl and needed to bounce back at the Combine, and instead, he continued a downward fall.

Thayer Munford | Ohio State

Bad testing and bad drill work will drop any offensive lineman down boards.

RB Biggest Overall Risers

James Cook | Georgia

Cook had the best day overall for running backs, despite a vertical that wasn't so great. He tested out better than other overall risers, and his drill work was one of the best in the group.

Breece Hall | Iowa State

Hall was the best running back among all the drills, and that plays a part in him being one of the bigger risers at the position. Many didn't have him in their top five running backs, but he made a case for why he belongs in that group.

Jerome Ford | Cincinnati

Ford dropped some weight for the combine, and it paid off in a big way. He tested well athletically, looked quicker in drills, and just moved smoother than you see on tape.

Zamir White | Georgia

White did everything he needed with the athletic testing and fieldwork to not become a forgotten name in this running back class.

RB Biggest Overall Fallers

Sincere McCormick | UTSA

There was hope for a little more athletically from McCormick, but it wasn't there. Add in some rough showing with the drills, and McCormick could find himself as an undrafted free agent with this running back class.

Dameon Pierce | Flordia

Pierce's footwork was clunky through multiple drills. As a result, he didn't test very well and looked unnatural during receiving exercises.

Jerrion Ealy | Mississippi

Ealy was rough with most of the drills, but he did show solid footwork. The more significant issue is how he measured and how that small size tested poorly.

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