Former Vikings RB Jerick McKinnon Included on PFF's 2010s All-Combine Team
PFF recently posted their all-Combine team of the last decade, and former Viking Jerick McKinnon made the cut as the team's running back. He beat out 2018 No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley, who was listed as an honorable mention.
After a highly productive career at FCS Georgia Southern, McKinnon greatly improved his draft stock by dominating at the 2014 NFL Combine. His 4.41-second 40-yard dash was second-best among RBs that year, while his 32 bench press reps leads all currently active running backs. McKinnon also impressed in the jumping drills (broad jump, vertical leap) and the agility drills (three-cone, 20-yard shuttle). He wound up being drafted in the third round (No. 96 overall) by the Vikings that year.
Here's what PFF had to say about the selection:
There were too many good ones to choose from for this. Barkley likely would have gotten the nod if he did more drills, and while Dri Archer's numbers were the freakiest, they came at a non-RB weight of 173 pounds. Christine Michael and David Johnson were both lights out across the board, as well. However, McKinnon's performance was elite in pretty much every single drill and was good enough to get him drafted in the third round back in 2014.
McKinnon went on to spend four seasons in a Vikings uniform, making 14 starts but primarily playing as the team's third-down or change-of-pace back. He racked up over 3,000 yards from scrimmage across the regular season and playoffs. McKinnon signed a four-year, $30 million contract with the 49ers before the 2018 season, but has unfortunately missed each of the last two seasons with knee injuries.
No other Vikings made PFF's all-combine team, but both Brian O'Neill and Garrett Bradbury were listed as the honorable mention at their position. O'Neill was the Vikings' second-round pick in 2018 and has established himself as a rising star at right tackle. His 4.82-second 40-yard dash and 7.14-second three-cone drill led all offensive linemen in 2018 and are the fourth and second-fastest, respectively, among OL since 2006. Bradbury used an outstanding combine – placing among the top performers in nearly every drill – to be selected 18th overall by the Vikings in 2019.
With that in mind, keep an eye on the offensive linemen at this year's combine as the Vikings continue to look to upgrade their talent level up front. Athleticism and movement ability are critical in Gary Kubiak's outside zone scheme, so the Vikings will undoubtedly be paying close attention to the drills in Indianapolis.
