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2019 Scouting Combine: Day Two Belongs to D.K. Metcalf

Russell Brown
03/02/2019
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Today was the second day of the Scouting Combine, and it was an important one. The skilled position players entered the stadium and set the world on fire. The second day started with tight ends, and if you’ve been living under a rock, this is a very good group of tight ends. Some would even consider it . . . wait for it . . . legendary. Insert the highest of fives.

Out of the tight end group, the biggest winner was Noah Fant out of Iowa. Going into the season, he was my top tight end but essentially lost that spot to his teammate, T.J. Hockenson. But Fant did everything in his power to put himself back into the conversation for the top spot.

The 6’4″ and 249-pound tight end looked fluid throughout the entire day and was certainly the most athletic tight end in the group. It all started when he “wowed” everyone with his 40-time of 4.5 seconds, but the more important number was his 3-cone drill time of 6.81 seconds. This shows his hip fluidity and ability to sink his hips with ease. There’s a good chance he jumps up quite a few spots in the draft because of this, but I still have a hard time viewing him as the better player over Hockenson. More athletic, sure, but the tape leans in favor of Hockenson. Either way, both players are incredibly talented.

More Notes for Tight Ends 

  • Foster Moreau, LSU – It was an excellent day for the former LSU Tiger. It all started at the Senior Bowl, where he turned some heads, and after this weekend, he might have moved himself up one full round. On the bench press, he had 22 reps and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.66 seconds. Meanwhile, he was securing passes away from his body and showing teams that it’s not his fault he was limited in the LSU passing game. (Fun fact: him wearing #18 for LSU represents leadership. One player gets selected to wear that jersey, and it represents leadership on and off the field.)

  • Irv Smith Jr., Alabama – This shouldn’t come to you as a surprise that Smith had a good day at the Combine. He put his hands to good use and showed the ability to catch away from his body but also secure passes when on the run. Despite checking in a bit undersized at 6’2″ and 242 pounds, the former Crimson Tide player looked good with a 40-yard dash time of 4.63 seconds. He fits plenty of teams in the latter part of the first round, but I have hard time viewing him above Hockenson or Fant after today.

Day two belonged to D.K. Metcalf 

Someone call the National Guard because I’m pretty sure these receivers were built on another planet. They’re absolute aliens, and my jaw is still on the floor from how well most of them tested. I won’t go into detail on every drill or every player, but there was buzz about this group, and in fact, it was better than the tight end and running back groups.

Starting at the very top, there’s one player that has done the most for his draft stock, and that is D.K. Metcalf out of Ole Miss. Put the production and injuries aside, this guy is an absolute freak. He checked into the Combine with 1.6% body fat and is officially listed at 6’3″ and 228 pounds. Don’t look now, but there will be a bidding war between Marvel and D.C. Comics for his services to play whatever superhero is needed for the next big movie.

All jokes aside, Metcalf tested better than just about any receiver we’ve ever seen. He put up 27 repetitions on the bench press and had a 40.5″ in the vertical. If those numbers haven’t dropped your jaw, watch him in the 40-yard dash and you find a way to describe a player that big, running that fast. I still can’t put it into words.

Maybe Daniel Jeremiah said it best when he exclaimed, “holy biscuits.” Even though I’m a firm believer of “trusting the tape”, and it’s even in my bio on Twitter, there’s no reason to believe that by the time we get to the 2019 NFL Draft, D.K. Metcalf isn’t a top-5 pick. Any team in the top five would benefit by drafting him, and he certainly meets the athletic thresholds for receivers that have been set by Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson.

QB and other WR facts for Day 2 

Speaking of athletic thresholds, can we start talking about Hakeem Butler from Iowa State? I know he’s had some issues with drops, but his wingspan is incredible at 83 7/8″ and an arm length of 35 2/8″. Keep in mind that Butler checked into the Combine at 6’5 3/8 and 227 pounds with sub-4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash.

Believe it or not, Metcalf wasn’t the only receiver to hit 27 reps in the bench press. N’Keal Harry from Arizona State did the same, and thinking about that, it’s just incredible for receivers. Harry posted some good numbers, though a 40-time of 4.53 seconds and a vertical jump of 38.5 inches. He did have a few drops, but overall, he looked fluid and fit the part for what teams are searching for in a number one receiver.

Emmanuel Hall from Missouri had a broad jump of 11’9″, which is one of the best numbers ever recorded. During the season Hall battled through lower-body injuries, but it looks like the explosive speedster is fully healthy. He’s helped his draft stock in a big way and could see himself taken on the second day of the Draft.

Staying on the topic of the broad jump, Miles Boykin from Notre Dame had a broad jump of 11’8″ and also posted a vertical of 43.5″. It’s clear he’s explosive and has helped his stock, and teams are going to love his athletic profile at 6’3 3/4 and 220 pounds.

Ohio State has two of the fastest wide receivers in this year’s Draft with Parris Cambell and Terry McLaurin. Campbell ran a 4.31 in the 40-yard dash, and McLaurin had an unofficial time of 4.35. McLaurin is the better route runner of the two and was a big winner at the Senior Bowl. However, Campbell has a role in this league, especially in the short areas of the field. Get the ball in his hands and let him flourish.

Staying with Ohio State products, Dwayne Haskins looked poised throughout the day. Not every throw was on the money, and there were times that his footwork got away from him, but overall, he had a good day. He checked into the combine at 6’3″ and 231 pounds and proved that he can throw the football and certainly not run it with his 40-time of 5.04 seconds, the slowest of any quarterback at the Combine. That shouldn’t hurt his value too much, though, because on tape, he’s a pocket passer. There’s no doubt that he’s a first-round pick.

Moving aside from Haskins and his 40 time, let’s talk about a quarterback who’s a bit faster. Tyree Jackson from Buffalo moves like a gazelle despite towering over just about every person at the Combine. The 6’7″ and 249-pound quarterback put his athletic ability on display and could shift up boards because of it:

Throughout the quarterback drills, he put his big arm on display when throwing the ball deep. Unfortunately, teams will have to find a way to fix his throwing motion. It’s far too long, and in today’s game, you have to find ways to get rid of the ball quickly. Teams will love his athletic ability and strong arm, but he’s a project at this point in the game.

Kyler Murray continues to shake up the Draft 

Lastly for the quarterbacks, what’s going to happen with Kyler Murray? He didn’t participate in any of the drills today, but the big rumor has been that he’s going to be the first overall pick of the draft. That means that the Arizona Cardinals are going to give up on Josh Rosen and potentially trade the 10th overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft to establish more draft capital this year or in the future.

It would be a shocker if Murray went first overall and, in my opinion, it would be an incredibly dumb move. That’s not because Rosen is a franchise quarterback or anything like that. It just doesn’t make sense to draft quarterbacks in the first round in consecutive drafts, especially when you consider how bad the Cardinals were in every other position on the field. Drafting Kyler Murray could lead to a ton of success, and he is the most dynamic quarterback in this group, but it’s a bold move that holds plenty of risk for a first-year head coach in the NFL in Kliff Kingsbury. Time will tell what happens with Murray, Metcalf, and the rest of these talented skilled players.

 

 

 

 

2019 nfl combine | 2019 NFL Draft | 2019 Scouting Combine | Combine results | D.K. Metcalf | Dwayne Haskins | Hakeem Butler | Irv Smith Jr | Kliff Kingsbury | Kyler Murray | NFL Combine | NFL Draft | NFL Scouting Combine | Noah Fant | Ohio State | Scouting Combine | TJ Hockenson

Russell Brown

National Scout for Cover 1. Host of Cover 1 | The NFL Draft Podcast. NFL Draft Enthusiast. X's and O's. Heard on ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio and CBS Sports Radio.

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