Alright ya cheeseheads, Mel Kiper Jr.’s got his 13 standouts from the NFL combine that boosted their draft stock right here in front of me. Now I ain’t no fancy analyst with all them charts and graphs, but I know talent when I see it, just like back in my day playin’ fullback for the Eau Claire Express.
We got over 300 prospects down in Indy this year, runnin’ drills, gettin’ poked and prodded by team docs, and jawin’ with coaches. Some of ’em opted outta the workouts, but these fellas put on a show and made some GMs sit up and take notice. They may not all be first-rounders, but they sure as hell helped themselves come draft day.
Now I’m gonna run through Kiper’s list by position, just like he laid it out. And let me tell ya, these boys had themselves one heck of a week in Indianapolis:
Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
Height: 5-9, Weight: 209 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.45 seconds
Vertical jump: 37 inches
This kid’s got some serious wheels and explosion to his game. Ran a sub-4.5 forty at 209 pounds? That’s moving! And a 37-inch vertical? Sheesh, he’s launchin’ himself outta the gym like a young Barry Sanders.
Jalen Brown, WR, North Carolina
Height: 6-1, Weight: 197 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.39 seconds
Vertical jump: 41 inches
Brown’s got that long stride and top-end speed that scares the bejeezus outta defensive coordinators. A sub-4.4 forty at 6-1? That ain’t no fluke, folks. And a 41-inch vertical to go up and high-point the rock like Randy Moss in his prime.
Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
Height: 6-7, Weight: 265 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.68 seconds
Broad jump: 10 feet, 2 inches
This dude’s a match-up nightmare at tight end. Nearly 6-8, 265 pounds and runnin’ in the 4.6 range? Are you kiddin’ me? He’s got the size to box out defenders like Shaq in the post and the speed to stretch the seam.
Jaxson Kirkland, OT, Washington
Height: 6-7, Weight: 340 pounds
Bench press: 38 reps
I don’t care how fast you run or how high you jump, big fellas. What matters is who’s gonna win in the phone booth at the point of attack. And this hoss can bench press a small car 38 times! He’s gonna be an anchor on some lucky team’s offensive line.
So there ya have it – Kiper’s top offensive prospects that put themselves on the map down in Indy. We’ll see how things shake out when draft day rolls around, but these young bucks are trendin’ up after showin’ out at the combine.
Tune in next time for my takes on who stood out on defense. Until then, keep your sticks on the ice and don’t take no guff from nobody! One-Ry Out. (Go grab a Cow, you earned it.)