Finding Broncos: NFL Combine Athletic Testing Risers & Fallers

After trading Von Miller during the season, the Denver Broncos failed to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. By season's end, Miller was listed with the third most pressures by any Bronco.

That shows just how badly the Broncos need help at edge rusher, but they also need players capable of defending the run with the scheme new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will run.

Fortunately, this is a strong edge class with a lot of talent at the top, and after the on-field athletic testing at the Combine, it only looks better. When the edges did their defensive line drills at Lucas Oil Stadium, they were led by Broncos D-line coach Marcus Dixon.

Dixon got to see the edge class up close as they were going through the drills, much like Broncos WRs coach Zach Azzani did when the receivers took the field.

Denver sits in an excellent position to take an edge with pick No. 9 or 40. Reports suggest the Broncos will spend big in free agency for edge rusher help, but even then, they'll still need reinforcements.

This class has talent at the top and the depth to find even more help for a unit that was so lackluster in Denver last year. When it comes to this year's edge class, who were the biggest risers and fallers from the athletic testing?

Let's get to it.

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40-Yard Dash Risers:

Travon Walker | Georgia

Walker was expected to post a good time, and a 4.51 and 271 pounds exceeded those expectations.

Kayvon Thibodeaux | Oregon

There was never a doubt about how fast Thibodeaux is, and his 4.58 was right there with expectations.

David Ojabo | Michigan

Ojabo tested exceptionally well overall, and his 4.55 40-yard dash was right where people wanted to see.

Amare Barno | Virginia Tech

You can't set a record and not get at least a little boost from it, and Barno did that with a 4.36 official time.

Nik Bonitto | Oklahoma

Bonitto was in with the big defensive linemen, so his time got overlooked, but he posted a 4.54, which was better than expected.

Sam Williams | Mississippi

Williams started the day by showing up big in the 40 with a 4.46 time, and it carried over. The concerns with Williams were never about what he could do on the field.

Boye Mafe | Minnesota

Make made Bruce Feldman's Freak Athlete list before the 2021 season, and his testing shows why. Weighing over 260 pounds, Mafe posted a 4.53.

Jermaine Johnson | Florida State

There were some concerns about how fast Johnson is, though no doubts about his explosion, and his 4.58 put the worries to bed.

40-Yard Dash Fallers:

Myjai Sanders | Cincinnati

There will be more on Sanders and what he reportedly was dealing with at the combine. He ended up posting a poor 40 time of 4.67 at 228 pounds.

Kingsley Enagbare | South Carolina

Enagbare had one of the slowest times among the edges, with a 4.87, which was way below expectation.

Tyreke Smith | Ohio State

Smith was being looked at to run in the 4.6 area but posed a 4.86 as one of the slowest edges.

Logan Hall | Houston

Logan Hall is a bit of a tweener, but at interior defensive line or edge, his 4.88 was slower than what many wanted to see from him.

Jeremiah Moon | Florida

Moon is tall and slim, and you want to see a good time with a frame and build like his, but instead, he posted a 4.76.

Field Testing/Drills Risers:

Travon Walker | Georgia

Not only did Walker continue to test like an athletic freak, but he was also smooth through his drills and exhibited good technique.

Aidan Hutchinson | Michigan

Hutchinson aced the athletic testing and showed why his lack of length shouldn't be a concern. His drills were fantastic and up there as one of the top three best edges with the drills. He used those drills as a chance to show off and to try and cement his name as a top-three pick in the draft.

DeAngelo Malone | Western Kentucky

Malone is such a smooth and fluid mover and can change direction quickly. The drills allowed him to showcase that ability and his potential to drop into coverage as well.

George Karlaftis | Purdue

It wasn't perfectly clean from Karlafits, but he looked solid overall. The upper body technique was relatively clean consistently. If it weren't for some clunky footwork, he would've nailed the drills.

Arnold Ebeketie | Penn State

Ebiketie is a solid athletic option, though with plenty of concerns against the run. Nevertheless, the drills played to his strengths by showing his movement skills and pass rush capabilities.

Dominique Robinson | Miami (Ohio)

Robinson is a former wide receiver, and you could see it when he was working coverage drills. He moved extremely smooth and was very fluid. In pass-rush drills, there were clunky moments, but he is an enticing development edge rusher.

David Ojabo | Michigan

There were technical hitches from Ojabo, but he showed improvements in certain areas from drill to drill. For example, in one drill, he raised his shoulders too high, and the next, he kept them nice and low.

Boye Mafe | Minnesota

Mafe tested as a freak athlete as expected, but he exceeded expectations with his work in the position drills. While he wasn't perfect, he was pretty darn close.

Jermaine Johnson | Florida State

Johnson aced the drills and tested extremely well. The biggest concern about him is how old he will be as a rookie and the question as to how much room for growth there is. Another note with Johnson was that while he was with the final group of players to test, he was very vocal in supporting those around him, showing good leadership during the drills.

Field Testing/Drills Fallers:

Kingsley Enagbare | South Carolina

There were many questions about Enagbare entering the combine, and what he did with the drills and testing is just going to raise even more questions and concerns.

Myjai Sanders | Cincinnati

There were issues with Sanders leading up to the testing day, and it seemed to cause issues in everything he did.

Josh Paschal | Kentucky

Paschal doesn't offer much versatility, but he hoped he could show some during the drills. Instead, he just cemented himself as a 3-point stance 7-technique end. He isn't fluid enough to do much else.

Michael Clemons | Texas A&M

Clemons had one of the worst days, and watching him was frustrating. In multiple drills, it seemed like he was trying to cheat the drill with how he went about it. As a result, it sounded like he got an ear full after one drill from a coach. That is never a good thing at the combine.

Nik Bonitto | Oklahoma

It was rough for Nik Bonitto to work with the big defensive linemen, but the drills were mostly the same. Unfortunately, there were multiple times he got caught up over his own feet, causing him to stumble.

Isaiah Thomas | Texas A&M

Texas A&M had a disappointing day from their prospects. Thomas was clunky with his movements, and in multiple drills where he needed to keep his eyes up, he was dropping them to watch his feet.

Overall Risers:

Travon Walker | Georgia

Georgia put up multiple athletic freaks this year, and they have a legit chance to tie the record for most defenders drafted. If they don't tie it, it will be a surprise. Walker was excellent, and many felt he could push himself into the top five with a good showing, and the conversation has adjusted to the top three.

Aidan Hutchinson | Michigan

Outside of some shorter than desired arms, Hutchinson killed it at the combine. Word is he was extremely impressive with interviews, had no lingering medical concerns from a previous injury, and tested extremely well.

DeAngelo Malone | Western Kentucky

This is a deep edge class, but Malone took advantage of the setting. While he still may end up as a day-three pick because of how deep the class is, he made himself some money.

David Ojabo | Michigan

While Ojabo showed that he is still a work in progress, he showed off the traits you can't coach. Of course, those are the traits you bet on every time because you can coach an athlete to play football.

Dominique Robinson | Miami (Ohio)

Robinson is another edge that made himself some money with how he looked at the combine. He is a former wide receiver learning how to be an edge defender, but he has those uncoachable traits.

Boye Mafe | Minnesota

Mafe was viewed as a top 64 prospect entering the combine after a strong Senior Bowl showing. With how great he looked and did, it would be surprising if Mafe didn't get his name called in the first round.

Jermaine Johnson | Florida State

The issue brought up about Johnson is how he will be a 23-year old rookie, which questions how much room for growth he has. However, he checked off all the boxes at the combine, on the field, and off the field. When you are a leader during drills with the last group of the night, which resonates with coaches.

Sam Williams | Mississippi

There were not many questions about Williams on the field, and he showed that during the combine drills. The biggest questions were some off-field issues that teams had to address in interviews and word going around as he did well answering those tough questions.

Alex Wright | UAB

While Wright didn't run the 40, he showed quickness and agility during the drills. Wright is flying under the radar, but he showed enough to stop that from being the case.

Overall Fallers:

Kayvon Thibodeaux | Oregon

There will be many who take issue with Thibodeaux being a faller. The simple reason is Travon Walker, and Aidan Hutchinson went out there and did everything and killed it. They separated themselves from Thibodeaux. However, there is more to it than that.

After running the 40, Thibodeaux pulled out of the drills because he wanted to do the line and linebacker drills at the same time and not wait with how long of a day it had been. That would make sense, but they did the linebacker drills immediately after the line drills, and everyone else, like Walker and Hutchinson, had a long day as well.

Thibodeaux spoke about how fierce a competitor he is, but his pulling out of the drills left a bad taste in the mouth for many in the NFL who wanted to see him compete with Hutchinson, Walker, and even David Ojabo.

Myjai Sanders | Cincinnati

The report is that Sanders was sick and struggling to keep anything down and was fatigued for the past few days. But he decided to test anyways. However, that was a terrible decision, and with him being sick, it would've been a much better decision to pull out, get feeling better and back to shape best you can and test a different day.

Kinglsey Enagbare | South Carolina

Sanders had a reason for his rough day, which could save him some money if he can rebound at his pro day. Enagbare has no excuse and had the worst day of all the edges. There is no doubt he lost money with his showing, and it would take a complete turnaround at his pro day to recoup some of what he lost.

Josh Paschal | Kentucky

There was a concern about how versatile Paschal is for the NFL, and his combine showed how limited of a player he is. He has a particular role on the defensive line and doesn't offer much outside of it.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.

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