The Leading Authority of the NFL Draft

 Every sporting event has a scorekeeper, as well as winners and losers.  In Indianapolis this past week at the National Football League Scouting Combine, the scoreboard was often a stopwatch and winners were said to have made their pockets a little thicker—at least when April 26th comes around.  The victors over the last couple of days include the Long boys (Jake and Chris), pass rusher extraordinaire Vernon Gholston, and the ever ascending Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

But with all due respect to DRC and Howie’s kid, neither is the top prizewinner—no player is. We’re thinking macro, not micro and the title-holder is any team that lists running back among their team needs.

 It all begins with the performance of Mr. Wild Hog himself, Darren McFadden.  While Heisman voters may have been doing the Gator Chomp, all eyes in Indy were on Run DMC and he did not disappoint.  The 6’2” former Razorback ran an impressive 4.33, with a 10’8”broad jump, outdoing the 2007 Combine performance by the NFL’s Rookie of the Year Adrian Peterson according to some.  That’s debatable. What isn’t debatable is the fact that D-Mac looked every bit the part of a franchise back. 

If some of McFadden’s off the field issues scare you, fret not. Rashard Mendenhall and Jonathan Stewart provide a variety in the feature back department.

Mendenhall is the most powerful of the three runners.  He checked in at 225 pounds and still managed to rip off a 4.45 forty, with 26 bench press reps, a 33.5” vertical, and a 4.18 20-yard shuttle.  He solidified himself as an all-star athlete and a not-so-bad alternative to the two-time Heisman runner-up. Stewart, who, like the M & M boys left college with a year of eligibility, is terrific in his own right.  The former Duck tipped the scales at an impressive 230 pounds and he showed some wheels, running a 4.48 forty.  He also put his power on display—his 28 reps were the most among running backs (excluding fullbacks), showed athleticism—36.5 vertical jump, and explosiveness—11’2” broad jump.  Stewart is an impressive package--not even McFadden or Mendenhall can equal him from a physical standpoint.

If you don’t have a top 15 pick or would prefer to wait until round two or three to get your running back, the Class of ’08 has something for you as well—the “3-cone quartet” of Jamaal Charles, Ray Rice, Matt Forte and Kevin Smith.  He may not have the bulk of the big three, but former Longhorn Charles does bring 200 pounds of fury with track star speed—his 4.38 forty time was one of four sub 4.4 times run by the backs.  He may have helped himself even more with his 6.80 3-cone time (3rd among backs), a drill that measures quickness and the ability to change direction, which intuitively appears more important than running really fast in a straight line. 

Who had the best 3-cone time you may ask?  That would be the Rutgers product Ray Rice (6.54), an impressive between the tackles runner who was faster than many believed he would be going into Indianapolis.  Rice topped 2,000 yards as a junior…so maybe production is important.  A point also brought home by Forte (2,127 yards) and the 2,500-yard man, Kevin Smith.  Each dominated Conference USA, which is a bit ho-hum in the BCS world of college football, but the two big backs backed it up with stellar Combine performances.  Smith had the second best 3-cone time (6.74) and like Rice, ran better than the previews. The nearly 220-pound Forte had a 6.84 3-cone time and ran an even faster 40-time than Felix Jones.

Now if you already have a little thunder in your life and are shopping for some lightning, Conference USA brings you yet another mid-major product in East Carolina’s Chris Johnson, who blew away the field with his 4.24 40-yard dash.  The electrifying back, who led the nation in All-Purpose yards, lit up the RCA Dome and had Neon Deion beaming about his performance two days later—even as cornerbacks were putting on a show of their own.  He may not be able to take the pounding of any of the aforementioned runners, but if a team is looking for that home run threat, this former Pirate fits the bill.  He may not have helped his stock in Indy, but D-Mac’s running mate Jones is another option here and like Johnson, Jones is also a fabulous return specialist.

These are not the only ball carriers that closed out the Dome formerly known as Hoosier in fine fashion, simply the top two tiers. Keep an eye on Toledo sleeper Jalen Parmelee, the instinctive Tashard Choice, the productive Mike Hart, and the powerful Thomas Brown (among others)—for this is the year of the running back!

40-YARD DASH                             BENCH PRESS                                      VERTICAL JUMP

1. Chris Johnson-4.24                   1. Jonathan Stewart-28                          1. Jonathan Stewart-36.5"

2. Darren McFadden -4.33            2. (T) Justin Forsett-26                          2. Thomas Brown -36"

3. Anthony Alridge-4.36                 2. (T)  Rashard Mendenhall-26              3. Chris Johnson-35"

BROAD JUMP                             3-CONE DRILL                                       20-YARD SHUTTLE

1. Anthony Alridge-11'2"               1. Ray Rice-6.65                                      1. Rashard Mendenhall-4.18

2. Chris Johnson-10'10"               2. Kevin Smith-6.74                                  2. Felix Jones-4.19

3. (T) Thomas Brown-10'8"          3.-Jamaal Charles-6.80                           3. (T) Ray Rice-4.20

Darren McFadden-10'8"                                                                                 Lex Hilliard-4.20

Jonathan Stewart-10'8"