5:07 p.m.: There could be a good reason Austin Seferian-Jenkins didn’t work out on Saturday.
[tweet https://twitter.com/TonyPauline/status/437346278096134144 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/TonyPauline/status/437346651770847232 align=center]
That could help Seferian-Jenkins drop to the Patriots in the second round. He’s built like Rob Gronkowski and has a similar, if not quite as impressive, game.
4:50 p.m.: The tight ends’ three-cone and short shuttle times were released.
C.J. Fiedorowicz (7.10), Trey Burton (7.14), Jordan Najvar (7.14), Jake Murphy (7.18) and Reggie Jordan (7.22) finished top five in the three-cone. Fiedorowicz (4.26), Murphy (4.27), Jordan (4.30), Jace Amaro (4.30) and Burton (4.32) finished top five in the short shuttle.
We’re still waiting on the vertical leap stats for tight ends and linemen.
4:15 p.m.: Colt Lyerla has been deemed undraftable by one NFL scout, according to John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game. This isn’t overly surprising. He has multiple arrests under his belt.
4:00 p.m.: Cyrus Kouandijo has had a bad day. He finished last in the 40-yard dash, and it appears some teams might take him off their draft boards.
[tweet https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/437330567495823360 align=center]
3:04 p.m.: The broad jump, three-cone and short shuttle numbers are out.
Colt Lyerla and A.C. Leonard topped the tight ends with a 10-foot-8 broad jump. Eric Ebron and Crockett Gillmore jumped 10 feet. Jace Amaro was fifth with a 9-foot-10 jump.
Taylor Lewan demolished the rest of the offensive linemen with a 9-foot-9 jump. Joel Bitonio jumped 9-foot-6, Jonotthan Harrison and Greg Robinson jumped 9-foot-5 and Wesley Johnson jumped 9-foot-3.
Gabe Ikard (7.30), Jake Matthews (7.34), Joel Bitonio (7.37), Taylor Lewan (7.39) and Wesley Johnson (7.39) finished in the top five among offensive linemen in the three-cone. Ikard (4.37), Charles Leno Jr. (4.40), Xavier Su’a-Filo (4.44), Bitonio (4.44) and Matthew Paradis (4.46) finished in the top five among offensive linemen in the short shuttle.
2:45 p.m.: Check out the tight end’s official 40-yard dash times.
Jace Amaro, Texas Tech: 4.74
Trey Burton, Florida: 4.62
Anthony Denham, Utah: 4.77
Eric Ebron, UNC: 4.60
C.J. Fiedorowicz, Iowa: 4.76
Crockett Gillmore, Colorado State: 4.89
Marcel Jensen, Fresno State: 4.85
Reggie Jordan, Missouri Western: 4.77
A.C. Leonard, Tennessee State: 4.50
Colt Lyerla, Oregon: 4.61
Arthur Lynch, Georgia: 4.82
Jake Murphy, Utah: 4.79
Jordan Najvar, Baylor: 4.93
Jacob Pedersen, Wisconsin: 4.89
Richard Rodgers, California: 4.87
Among those times, Amaro’s is a bit disappointing. Fiedorowicz’s times actually went up from his unofficial times, which is rare.
2:37 p.m.: No tight end is truly standing out right now. Jace Amaro has had some drops, Austin Seferian Jenkins and Eric Ebron are sitting out, Troy Niklas didn’t run and C.J. Fiedorowicz and Richard Rodgers both disappointed in the 40-yard dash.
We’re currently waiting on all the official 40-yard dash times to be released. The three-cone and shuttle drills will be important to see, as will the broad and vertical jumps.
2:03 p.m.: When Sam was asked about inconsistent play, he said “Winning is hard buddy.”
2:00 p.m.: Sam said that if someone calls him a name, he’ll have a conversation with them, not fight them.
Sam says he’s a pass rusher. Sounds like he’s not preparing to play 4-3 linebacker, despite his smaller stature.
Sam said at the Senior Bowl, all the questions were about football.
Sam says he’s not focusing on marketing himself.
1:55 p.m.: Sam says he wants to be viewed as a football player, not as a gay football player.
1:52 p.m.: Sam says he hasn’t been paying attention to media. Says he’s been “missing in action.”
He says he’s been working on all the combine drills.
Sam says he didn’t notice any difference from his teammates at Missouri after he told them he’s gay.
Michael Sam is wearing a rainbow button that says “Stand With Sam.” He said the ovation he received from the Missouri crowd at a basketball game meant a lot. He wanted to cry but thought, “I’m a man.”
1:50 p.m.: Mike Mayock says Seferian-Jenkins has a foot injury. That’s disappointing. His 40 time was going to be important.
Michael Sam has taken the podium.
[tweet https://twitter.com/JasonLaCanfora/status/437298182255427584 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/Nick_Underhill/status/437298181294915584 align=center]
1:44 p.m.: Eric Ebron, Colt Lyerla and Jace Amaro essentially did what was expected out of them. Lyerla has serious character issues that will likely keep him out of the first three rounds. Ebron is still expected to be the first tight end drafted.
Amaro is much bigger than both players, so it makes sense that his 40-yard dash was a tad slower.
A.C. Leonard of Tennessee State impressed with the 4.43-second 40-yard dash. Leonard transferred from Florida after an arrest for misdemeanor battery.
1:39 p.m.: Troy Niklas and Austin Seferian-Jenkins chose not to run. That’s disappointing. We’ll watch the tight ends run their second 40-yard dashes now.
Jace Amaro, Texas Tech: 4.66, 4.62
Trey Burton, Florida: 4.59, 4.50
Anthony Denham, Utah: 4.69, 4.62
Eric Ebron, UNC: 4.50, 4.50
C.J. Fiedorowicz, Iowa: 4.82, 4.80
Crocket Gilmore, Colorado State: 4.85, 4.81
Marcel Jensen, Fresno State: 4.75,
Reggie Jordan, MWSU: 4.53, 4.86
A.C. Leonard, Tennessee State: 4.56, 4.43
Colt Lyerla, Oregon: 4.47, 4.59
Arthur Lynch, Georgia: 4.68, 4.72
Jake Murphy, Utah: 4.72
Jordan Najvar, Baylor: 4.88, 4.85
Jacob Pedersen, Wisconsin: 4.78, 4.81
Richard Rodgers, Cal: 4.85, 4.84
1:22 p.m.: The tight ends are up to run the 40. We’ll track the numbers here.
Jace Amaro, Texas Tech: 4.66
Trey Burton, Florida: 4.59
Anthony Denham, Utah: 4.69
Eric Ebron, UNC: 4.50
C.J. Fiedorowicz, Iowa: 4.82
Crocket Gilmore, Colorado State: 4.85
Marcel Jensen, Fresno State: 4.75
Reggie Jordan, MWSU: 4.53
A.C. Leonard, Tennessee State: 4.56
Colt Lyerla, Oregon: 4.47
Arthur Lynch, Georgia: 4.68
Jake Murphy, Utah: 4.72
Jordan Najvar, Baylor: 4.88
Jacob Pedersen, Wisconsin: 4.78
Richard Rodgers, Cal: 4.85
1:09 p.m.: Some of the other drill numbers are leaking out.
Taylor Lewan had a 9-foot-8 broad jump. Jake Matthews’ was 8-foot-7, Greg Robinson’s was 9-foot-5.
Oregon’s Colt Lyerla led all tight ends with a 36.5-inch vertical jump. He has major character red flags with multiple arrests.
12:59 p.m.: Jadeveon Clowney is at the podium.
[tweet https://twitter.com/jasonjwilde/status/437283413683208193 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/MockingTheDraft/status/437283397832945664 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/MockingTheDraft/status/437283433128017920 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/437283293717725184 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/437284532337651712 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/MockingTheDraft/status/437284568735821824 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/MatthewFairburn/status/437284079185059840 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/MatthewFairburn/status/437284676772700160 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/ChronBrianSmith/status/437283036749516800 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/ChronBrianSmith/status/437283546047078400 align=center]
[tweet https://twitter.com/Nick_Underhill/status/437285336679321600 align=center]
12:43 p.m.: Taylor Lewan is helping himself out at the combine. He appears to be one of the best athletes in this class, and his film was already top notch.
Lewan does have some character red flags, but if he interviews well, those could go away. Lewan seemed impressive in an interview with NFL Network. He was comfortable and funny.
12:29 p.m.: Check out the official 40-yard dash times for the offensive linemen.
Matt Armstrong, Grand Valley State: 5.36
Joel Bitonio, Nevada: 4.97
Russell Bodine, UNC: 5.18
Conor Boffeli, Iowa: 5.30
Justin Britt, Missouri: 5.19
Dakota Dozier, Furman: 5.42
Kadeem Edwards, Tennessee State: 5.25
Matt Feiler, Bloomsburg: 5.37
Cameron Fleming, Stanford: 5.28
Zach Fulton, Tennessee: 5.16
Ryan Groy, Wisconsin: 5.19
Jon Halapio, Florida: 5.34
Jonotthan Harrison, Florida: 5.15
Seantrel Henderson, Miami: 5.04
Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma: 5.13
Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State: 5.51
Ja’Wuan James, Tennessee: 5.34
Wesley Johnson, Vanderbilt: 5.11
Cyrus Kouandijo, Alabama: 5.59
Taylor Lewan, Michigan: 4.87
Brandon Linder, Miami: 5.35
Jake Matthews, Texas A&M: 5.07
Jack Mewhort, Ohio State: 5.37
Morgan Moses, Virginia: 5.35
Matthew Paradis, Boise State: 5.34
Matt Patchan, Boston College: 4.97
Antonio Richardson, Tennessee: 5.30
Cyril Richardson, Baylor: 5.36
Weston Richburg, Colorado State: 5.10
Greg Robinson, Auburn: 4.92
Michael Schofield, Michigan: 5.01
James Stone, Tennessee: 5.17
Xavier Su’a-Filo, UCLA: 5.04
Travis Swanson, Arkansas: 5.28
Brandon Thomas, Clemson: 5.09
Billy Turner, North Dakota State: 5.16
Trai Turner, LSU: 4.93
John Urschel, Penn State: 5.31
Chris Watt, Notre Dame: 5.50
David Yankey, Stanford: 5.48
12:17 p.m.: Some of the official 40-yard dash times are out. Taylor Lewan led the way with an official 4.87-second 40. Greg Robinson’s official time was 4.92.
12:02 p.m.: The New England Patriots could use a boost in pass rush in 2014. They could find it in an undersized Pittsburgh defensive tackle.
Aaron Donald told WEEI’s Chris Price that he met with the Patriots at the combine. The only question is whether Donald lasts to the No. 29 pick. He’s expected to run the 40-yard dash in the 4.7-second range.
11:54 a.m.: The second group of offensive linemen is finished, and now we wait on the tight ends.
That second group of offensive linemen blew me away. Greg Robinson’s 4.84-second 40-yard dash at 332 pounds is bonkers, for lack of a better word.
Taylor Lewan, Matt Patchan, Trai Turner and Xavier Su’a-Filo were impressive, as well.
11:52 a.m.: The second group of offensive linemen are about to run again. We’ll keep track of their second 40-yard dash times, as well.
Taylor Lewan, Michigan: 4.88, 4.85
Lewan’s 10-yard split was an insane 1.64
Brandon Linder, Miami: 5.35, 5.22
Jake Matthews, Texas A&M: 5.00, 4.91
Cracking the 4.9s wasn’t really that important for Matthews, but it puts him up top with the rest of this class of offensive linemen. The offensive linemen might be more athletic than the defensive linemen this year. A few of the tight ends might not even crack the 4.8s and 4.9s like these top-tier blockers.
Jack Mewhort, Ohio State: 5.31, 5.19
Morgan Moses, Virginia: 5.19, 5.28
Matt Paradis, Boise State: 5.28,
Matt Patchan, Boston College: 4.84, 4.90
Antonio “Tiny” Richardson, Tennessee: 5.22, 5.19
Cyril Richardson, Baylor: 5.35, 5.34
Weston Richardson, Colorado State: 5.13, 5.07
Greg Robinson, Auburn: 4.88, 4.84
Michael Schofield, Michigan: 5.00, 4.90
James Stone, Tennessee: 5.12, 5.09
Xavier Su’a-Filo, UCLA: 4.90, 4.97
Travis Swanson, Arkansas: 5.16, 5.19
Brandon Thomas, Clemson: 4.97, 4.97
Trai Turner, LSU: 4.84, 4.84
Billy Turner, North Dakota State: 5.13, 5.06
John Urschel, Penn State: 5.28, 5.25
David Yankey, Stanford: 5.50, 5.53
11:29 a.m.: We’re getting started on the second group of offensive linemen. Keep track of the 40-yard dash times here.
Taylor Lewan, Michigan: 4.88-second 40-yard dash
Brandon Linder, Miami: 5.35
Jake Matthews, Texas A&M: 5.00
Matthews is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews and cousin of Clay Matthews III. He could be the first lineman drafted in May. Lewan is also a potential first-rounder.
Jack Mewhort, Ohio State: 5.31
Morgan Moses, Virginia: 5.19
Matt Paradis, Boise State: 5.28
Matt Patchan, Boston College: 4.84
Patchan is the new leader. He’s definitely prepared for the 40. He had some long strides.
Antonio “Tiny” Richardson, Tennessee: 5.22
Cyril Richardson, Baylor: 5.35
Weston Richburg, Colorado State: 5.13
Greg Robinson, Auburn: 4.88
Wow. Robinson is 332 pounds and ran a sub-5-second 40. That’s crazy.
Michael Schofield, Michigan: 5.00
James Stone, Tennessee: 5.12
Xavier Su’a-Filo, UCLA: 4.90
That’ll help. Su’a-Filo is a top prospect at guard.
Travis Swanson, Arkansas: 5.16
Brandon Thomas, Clemson: 4.97
Trai Turner, LSU: 4.84
Billy Turner, North Dakota State: 5.13
John Urschel, Penn State: 5.28
Apparently Urschel is getting his masters from Penn State in math. He’s a smart dude.
David Yankey, Stanford: 5.50
11:04 a.m.: Michael Sam won’t speak to the media until after 12:30 p.m., according to NFL Media’s Gil Brandt.
10:54 a.m.: Bill Belichick is at the combine and — surprise, surprise — he’s wearing a hoodie.
Belichick appears to be eating a bagel, but @SBNationGIF posed the question, “What is Bill Belichick eating for breakfast?” Is it an english muffin? Toast? Decide for yourself.
10:52 a.m.: Cyrus Kouandijo is having a rough go of it today. Kouandijo will still be drafted higher, but Seantrel Henderson has looked much better at the combine without pads on.
10:47 a.m.: Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has seen the video of Ray Rice dragging his unconscious fiancee out of an Atlantic City, N.J., casino.
“It doesn’t look good,” Newsome said.
Newsome said the organization is still gathering all the facts, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
10:40 a.m.: Teddy Bridgewater will not throw at the combine, according to the San Francisco Gate.
The Louisville quarterback joins Texas A&M signal-caller Johnny Manziel and Fresno State’s Derek Carr among quarterbacks who will not throw. Central Florida’s Blake Bortles and Alabama’s AJ McCarron said they will throw.
10:22 a.m.: The Redskins re-signed DeAngelo Hall because the Patriots are expected to retain Aqib Talib, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.
[tweet https://twitter.com/BenVolin/status/437245346432167936 align=center]
10:16 a.m.: The first group of offensive linemen is still going through drills. Seantrel Henderson has looked impressive in the positional drills so far.
Auburn’s Greg Robinson, Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews, Notre Dame’s Zack Martin and Michigan’s Taylor Lewan could all be first-round tackles. They’ll be running with the second group. UCLA guard Xavier Su’a-Filo could also be a first-rounder. He and other top guard, Stanford’s David Yankey, will also run with the second group.
9:48 a.m.: The first group of offensive linemen ran exceptionally well — outside of Cyrus Kouandijo. His unimpressive 40-yard dash best of 5.53 might not hurt him too much, but it definitely won’t help, either. His second 10-yard split of 1.87 was pretty bad.
9:45 a.m.: We’re on our second attempts at the 40-yard dash for the offensive linemen now.
Joel Bitonio, Nevada: 5.00, 4.91
Bitonio’s first 40 was a 5.00. Typically a second attempt will be slower, so that’s very impressive for the Nevada guard.
Russell Bodine, UNC: 5.13, 5.18
Conor Boffeli, Iowa: 5.31, 5.34
Justin Britt, Missouri, 5.10,
Dakota Dozier, Furman: 5.32, 5.28
Kadeem Edwards, Tennssee State: 5.19, 5.19
Matt Feiler, Bloomsberg: 5.31, 5.44
Cameron Fleming, Stanford: 5.25, 5.34
Zach Fulton, Tennessee: 5.12, 5.10
Ryan Groy, Wisconsin: 5.10, 5.13
Jon Halapio, Florida: 5.28, 5.32
Jonotthan Harrison: 5.04, 5.10
Seantrel Henderson, Miami: 5.03, 5.03
That’s really impressive for Henderson. He’s so big and so explosive. He was very inconsistent at Miami and had suspensions. But if he can get his act together — watch out.
Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma: 5.09, 5.16
Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State: 5.43, 5.57
Ja’Wuan James, Tennessee: 5.25, 5.28
Wesley Johnson, Vanderbilt: 5.09, 5.13
Cyrus Kouandijo, Alabama: 5.56, 5.53
9:24 a.m.: Iowa’s Conor Bofeli ran a 5.31-second 40-yard dash. Missouri’s Justin Britt ran a 5.10 40. Furman’s Dakota Dozier ran a 5.32-second 40. Tennessee State’s Kadeem Edwards ran a 5.19-second 40.
Matt Feiler, Bloomsberg: 5.31
Cameron Fleming, Stanford: 5.25
Zach Fulton, Tennessee: 5.12
Ryan Groy, Wisconsin: 5.10
Jon Halpio, Florida: 5.28
Jonotthan Harrison, Florida: 5.04
Seantrel Henderson, Miami: 5.03
That’s impressive for Harrison and Henderson. Henderson is 6-foot-7, 331 pounds. Men that big shouldn’t run that fast.
Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma: 5.09
Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State: 5.43
Ja’Wuan James, Tennessee: 5.25
Bill Belichick specifically singled out the fact that all five Tennessee offensive linemen were at the combine this year. Could be a group worth watching for Patriots fans.
Wesley Johnson, Vanderbilt: 5.09
Cyrus Kouandijo, Alabama: 5.56
That’s high and could hurt him. His 10-yard split was only 1.79, which is not as bad.
Cody Mandell, punter, Alabama: 4.81
Pat O’Donnell, punter, Miami: 4.62
O’Donnell’s first attempt was a 4.53, which is insane for a punter.
9:10 a.m.: Nevada’s Joel Bitonio ran a 5.00-second 40-yard dash to kick off the offensive linemen at the combine. UNC’s Russell Bodine ran a 5.13.
9:05 a.m.: Former scout and NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said this year’s draft class has over 32 players with a first-round grade. Typically, he said, that number hovers around 13 or 14.
8:55 a.m.: NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said he would take Buffalo outside linebacker Khalil Mack No. 1 overall over Clowney, Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater and the rest of the 1,000 or so draft prospects.
That’s pretty surprising, though I’m getting the feeling that the quarterbacks aren’t rated as highly around the league as they are online.
8:45 a.m.: Jadeveon Clowney measured in at 6-foot-5 1/4, 266 pounds. He was listed at South Carolina at 6-foot-6, 274 pounds.
Since the Houston Texans have the No. 1 pick, it was probably smart for Clowney to cut weight. I’ve seen scouting reports that project Clowney as a better 3-4 outside linebacker than 4-3 defensive end. Teams could be wary to draft a 275-pound outside linebacker, regardless of talent and athleticism. At 266 pounds, he’ll be faster, quicker and best suited for the team that will make him the most money.
No team would think twice about taking a 266-pound defensive end, either. Whatever Clowney does at the speed and agility drills on Saturday won’t surprise me. A 4.4-second 40-yard dash and 6.9 three-cone? Ridiculous but possible.
8 a.m. ET: The tight ends and offensive lineman will be on display first at the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine.
The New England Patriots will keep a close watch on the speed and agility workouts and the positional drills of both the tight ends and linemen. The Patriots could use a replacement for Aaron Hernandez, insurance for Rob Gronkowski and players at all three offensive line positions.
UNC’s Eric Ebron, Washington’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro and Notre Dame’s Troy Niklas have the potential to be first-round picks at tight end. Ebron is expected to test best athletically. Seferian-Jenkins, Amaro and Niklas are over 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds.
Other than effort, the biggest question about Seferian-Jenkins is his athleticism. If he tests well, that could vault him into the first round. Ebron is expected to test well, so if he doesn’t, he could drop.
Among lower-tier tight ends, Cal’s Richard Rodgers, Florida’s Trey Burton and Oregon’s Colt Lyerla are players to watch. Lyerla has serious character concerns, but he might be the most athletic player at the position among 2014 prospects.
Have a question for Doug Kyed? Send it to him via Twitter at @DougKyedNESN or send it here.
