What Lions Can Learn From Day 4 of NFL Combine
After a week full of excitement, the final day of workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine commenced.
On Sunday, it was the offensive line's turn to shine. The top prospects at the center, guard and tackle positions took the field in an attempt to boost their Draft stock.
As the Detroit Lions look to maintain their status as one of the league's best offensive lines, many players competing Sunday are worth looking into. Dan Campbell's team has All-Pro caliber-talent in Penei Sewell and Frank Ragnow along with three other solid starters.
Two of those starters, Graham Glasgow and Jonah Jackson, are set to be free agents when that portion of the offseason begins on March 13. As a result, the Lions could be looking to add young talent up front.
Here are four takeaways from the fourth day of testing at the NFL Combine.
Amarius Mims displays talent, size before injury
Many were wowed when Mims weighed in at 340 pounds and just short of 6-foot-8. However, his showing at Lucas Oil Stadium was just as, if not more, impressive.
Mims ran a 5.07 40, a superb time considering his size. He also had a broad jump of 9'3" in what was shaping up to be an all-around solid display.
However, Mims pulled up in his second 40-yard dash time and was unable to complete his drill work. It was a disappointing ending to what was a solid stock-boosting performance for the Georgia product.
Fautanu shows off athleticism, versatility
Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu is believed to be one of the top overall offensive prospects in this year's class. Yet, there are still questions about where he'll fit best at the NFL level.
Be it guard or tackle, there's a lot to like about the physical lineman. he narrowly missed running sub-5 in he 40-yard dash, as he finished at 5.01. He also looked very good in the drills, as he moved extremely well.
It was a solid day of testing for Fautanu, who proved that he has plenty of athleticism to go with his physical style of play.
FCS prospect stands out
One of the top small-school prospects in the entire Draft is South Dakota State's Mason McCormick. He played a pivotal part in the Jackrabbits' run game and has potential to be a mauler at the NFL level.
It was a good showing for McCormick. His testing numbers were excellent, as he tied for the highest broad jump at 9-foot-9 and also showed well in the vertical.
Yet, he had more to prove beside the jump. McCormick had 1.71 10-yard split that placed him near the top of the entire group. The talented blocker had no trouble overwhelming opponents in college and just showed that he can handle the rigor of being a starting NFL player.
Alt, Fashanu make Top-10 cases
Notre Dame's Joe Alt and Penn State's Olu Fashanu are considered the two top tackle prospects with just under two months until April's Draft. Both players were exceptional in college and had the opportunity to show that their athleticism and measurables match what they produced on tape.
Both players had encouraging showings. Fashanu showed off pure athleticism in the jumps, placing in the top half of the class with a 32" vertical jump. By also adding a 9'1" in the broad jump and a 5.11 40-yard dash, he showed that he is an explosive athlete.
Alt, meanwhile, wowed with his size. He measured at 6-foot-9, giving him elite size to go along with good totals in his arm length. Working as a tackle against skilled edge rushers, this arm length is important.
While the Notre Dame product didn't produce any eye-popping athletic numbers, he looked to be agile in his drills and ran a 5.05 40-yard dash in an overall solid showing.
