Scouting Combine Winners on Defense

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Here are two Scouting Combine winners at each position on defense, first a premier prospect then one who is under the radar. In the video, we focus on a Combine loser at each position.

DL: TCU’s Ross Blacklock. Blacklock was a first-team all-Big 12 selection and an honorable mention for Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year during his final season. He tied for the team lead with 3.5 sacks while tying for second with nine tackles for losses. His father gained fame as a player and as current coach of the Harlem Globetrotters. He ran a solid 4.90 in the 40 and soundly beat the more highly touted Neville Gallimore in the 20-yard shuttle.

DL: Nebraska’s Khalil Davis. Davis got some family bragging rights over twin brother Carlos, winning their personal 40-yard dash battle 4.75 to 4.82. In fact, Khalil Davis ran the fastest 40 among the true defensive linemen. His 32 reps on the 225-pound bench press was just one of the defensive line lead. As a senior, he had eight sacks and 11 tackles for losses.

Edge: Ohio State’s Chase Young. Young didn’t do anything at the Combine beyond talk to teams. Then again, none of the edge defenders who figure to go in the first two rounds – Young, LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson, Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos, Alabama ‘s Terrell Lewis, Boise State’s Curtis Weaver and Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara – elected to run a 40.

“I don't want to waste time trying to be a Combine athlete,” Young said. “When I step on the field, I need to know that I put my best foot forward as far as being the best player I can be.”

Edge: N.C. State’s James Smith-Williams. If anyone needed a good Combine, it was Smith-Williams. He had season-ending injuries in 2015 and 2016 and was dogged by a foot injury for most of 2019. Thus, in parts of five seasons, he had just eight sacks. Smith-Williams opened some eyes by ranking third among the edge defenders in the 40 with a 4.60 and 28 reps on the bench.

LB: Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons. The Butkus Award-winning linebacker had a workout that would have opened eyes if he were a defensive back. That starts with his 4.39 in the 40, the fastest for any linebacker weighing at least 230 pounds dating to at least 2000. A former safety, Simmons led the team with 107 tackles and added eight sacks, 16 tackles for losses, three interceptions, 10 pass breakups and one forced fumble.

LB: Michigan’s Khaleke Hudson. This was a hard one. Mississippi State’s Willie Gay needed a strong showing after being suspended for much of last season and dominated the Combine, including his 4.46 in the 40. Temple’s Shaun Bradley, with a 4.51 in the 40, finished in the top five in the 40 and 20-yard shuttle. Colorado’s Davion Taylor, who didn’t play in high school due to religious beliefs, finished third in the 40, fourth in the broad jump and sixth in the shuttle.

But Hudson gets the nod. A three-year starter who recorded 12 sacks, 26 tackles for losses, 16 passes defensed and five blocked kicks in his career, Hudson ran a 4.56 40 and crushed the bench press with 30 reps – most among linebackers and fifth among all defensive players.

CB: Florida’s C.J. Henderson. With a strong Combine, Henderson might have separated himself in the battle to be the second corner off the board behind Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah. Henderson tied for the fastest corner with a 4.39 in the 40. He added 20 reps on the bench and a 37.5-inch vertical. Henderson was first-team all-SEC and earned some All-American honors in 2019. His three-year totals were six interceptions and 14 additional breakups. According to Sports Info Solutions, he allowed a three-year completion rate of 46 percent.

CB Tulane’s Reggie Robinson: Robinson made a statement with speed (4.44 in the 40) and strength (22 reps on the bench; tied for most among all defensive backs). As a senior, he led the American Athletic Conference with 17 passes defensed (four interceptions, 13 breakups) to earn first-team all-conference. According to Sports Info Solution, he allowed a career completion rate of 42 percent.

As a runner-up, it’s impossible to ignore Utah’s Javelin Guidry. Utes’ cornerbacks coach, Sharrieff Shah, said Guidry had “Olympic-like” speed. Well, Guidry won the 40 at the Combine. Not among the corners. Not among the defensive backs. Guidry was faster than every player at the Combine with a startling 4.29 in the 40. Oh, he put up 21 reps on the bench press, too. He needed the big performance, considering he’s short and was only an honorable mention on the all-Pac-12 team.

S: Lenoir-Rhyne’s Kyle Dugger. Dugger was a man among boys at the Division II school with career marks of 10 interceptions, six forced fumbles and six punt-return touchdowns. This isn’t just one the best small-school prospects in the draft. This is one of the best prospects, period, and a potential top-40 pick. After a strong week at the Senior Bowl, the 6-foot-1, 217-pounder finished sixth among the safeties with a 4.49 in the 40, first with a 42-inch vertical and second in the broad jump.

S: Clemson’s Tanner Muse. At 6-foot-2 and 227 pounds, Muse is an imposing defensive back with the size to play as a dime linebacker. He finished second among all safeties with a 4.41 in the 40 and added 20 reps on the bench press. Muse was a third-team All-American and team captain as a senior, when he recorded a career-high four interceptions along with 73 tackles.