The NFL offseason continues to roll on as many teams are planning out their rosters and cap space, looking forward to the start of free agency March 9. One part of the offseason that is coming up is the NFL Scouting Combine. This is the event where college players take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Minneapolis to take part in drills, showing off their skills to NFL scouts. Many players come to the combine to improve their draft stock and hopefully catch a few eyes of NFL scouts. Some players are looking to have big days to boost their draft stock.
Let's check out some of those players who need a big combine performance.
Christian McCaffrey
The Stanford standout Christian McCaffrey is one player I think needs to have a big day at the scouting combine. McCaffrey was one of the players who decided to sit out his final college game, not taking the risk of injury before going pro. McCaffrey was a dominate force his time at Stanford, beating teams in a variety of ways. In 2015 he broke Barry Sander's all-purpose yards record with 3,864 yards that season.
A lot of teams think McCaffrey can be a good back in the league, but there is one glaring weakness with him. McCaffrey is small for a back, being 6 foot and 197 lbs. He makes up for it with his shiftiness and quickness, but many teams won't believe he will be a good running back in-between the tackles.
Many scouts compare him to Eagles great, Brian Westbrook. McCaffrey needs to show he can play bigger than his size at the combine to hush all those murmurs.
Greg Ward Jr.
Houston's quarterback Greg Ward Jr. is going to the NFL combine, but not as a quarterback. Ward will be going as a receiver, which he played very little his time at Houston.
Ward Jr. was a dual-threat quarterback, throwing for over 8,000 yards and 50 touchdowns his time with the Cougars. He also ran for 2,375 yards and 39 touchdowns.
Ward battled through some injuries throughout his career, so scouts will not question his toughness. Ward Jr. will have to prove he can be a useful receiver, having good hands and showing great agility and footwork to get separation.
Ward needs to put up some big numbers and have a good day at his new role in order to boost his draft stock.
T.J Watt
The third installment of the Watt brothers is coming to the NFL. T.J Watt coming out of Wisconsin will need to have a good day at the combine to make his own name. T.J only started one year at Wisconsin, but made an immediate impact. He terrorized quarterbacks, sacking them 11.5 times last season.
Many scouts see he is good with his hands, which is needed to disengage blockers. Many scouts do admit though, he needs to bulk up in size as he is a long pass rusher. He also needs to become more athletic, and work on foot speed if he wants to move up the board. His impact he had in one season is respected, but Watt might need to call upon big brother J.J to help him get to where he needs to be to open the eyes of scouts.
Deshaun Watson
Coming off a championship, Deshaun Watson is looking like a top prospect in the NFL Draft. So why have him here if he's a top prospect? Glad you asked. Even though Watson is coming off a national championship against that Alabama defense and back-to-back Heisman finalist, he does have some flaws. He is inconsistent with his ball placement at times, which led to turnovers.
Scouts also say he might need to bulk up as he is kind of slender. He didn't participate in the Senior Bowl, but did say he is participating in all drills at the combine, which is new because quarterbacks in the past sat out in certain drills. There is no question he is a talented leader, and mature beyond his years, but Watson needs to show that he can be accurate if he wants to move up even higher on the draft board.
The scouting combine is approaching fast, and many players are looking to make a name for themselves in Indianapolis. These players are looking to shine brighter than others, propelling themselves higher on experts drafts boards.
