"He had me come off the ball, plant my outside foot, come inside, and he left.'
Illini footballers attend this week's NFL combine...
*Six Illini are set to travel to Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium from Feb. 26-March 4 for the annual NFL Combine…..guard Isaiah Adams, defensive tackle Johnny Newton, tackle Julian Pearl, defensive tackle Keith Randolph Jr., tight end Tip Reiman and wide receiver Isaiah Willaims will interview and work out in front of NFL scouts and front office representatives from all 32 teams at the event televised by NFL Network….six participants are the most in program history. The Illini's 14 invitees during the Bielema era are Illinois' most ever over a three-year stretch. (Courtesy University of Illinois Sports information)…on the field combine workouts start on Thursday.
-What are NFL scouts/coaches/personnel types looking for on the field workouts…..off the field during physicals and interviews….having been to Indy a few times for the combine…thoughts below.
Combine now?…agents hire personal trainers/PR teams to get their players ready for drills/interviews….so rarely do you see a prospect out of shape/un-prepared for either….agent made too big of an investment in the young man to let that happen…rarely catch a shithead being a shithead in the interviews…all ‘yes sir, no sir’…well-rehearsed.
Story….years ago….NFL general manager at combine interviewing a highly touted Big 12 wide receiver…asks the player ‘we heard your father has had some trouble with the law is that true?’…..player admitted his father was a pimp ‘family business’…..GM, ‘family business? so it’s true your mother is a prostitute?’….player….‘nah she handles my dad’s business, his books, his money, she ain’t no prostitute’…..player wasn’t drafted by GM’s team…Receiver went on to a very successful NFL career…shit like that in interviews doesn’t happen anymore…agents make sure every NFL team has a background on their players when interviewing….leave little to ‘chance’.
Most important ‘events’ now for players/teams during the week…..medicals/judge work ethic/character of players…..prospects take physical/X-rayed/bring medical records so each teams’ doctors get the low-down on health….coaches/personnel people thru interaction with players get some feel for what kind of kid they are dealing with (only get 15 minutes with each prospect constitutes an interview)….go more in-depth with player when staff goes to campus for his pro day….Combine gives teams better idea what prospects have been properly coached/developed fundamentally….would be surprised how many players after five years or more in college still struggle with the basic fundamentals of their position.
*Having some fun…what I would look for in prospects position by position at the combine….
-Quarterback-Film review tells you what kind of player quarterback is/arm strength/mobility…..want to interview young man….is a leader?…..has a presence/personality for the most important position on the team/young man teammates will follow….build…want a strong lower body to absorb hits/big hands…..hopefully can get him on the white board to diagram plays/get feel for his football IQ…..Quarterback that intrigues….Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy…thought the former Nazareth (Ill.) prep game manager surrounded by an all-star team of Wolverines….January playoffs where he made all the throws when it counted to lead Michigan to a national title changed my opinion on him…..impresses at combine top ten pick come draft time…..in high school McCarthy a life-long Fighting Irish fan but then Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly/offensive coordinator Tommy Rees didn’t think he was good enough to get a scholarship offer….took four-star Tyler Buchner and Ron Powlus III instead…neither worth a shit in college.
-Running back-Again you see all you need to see on film in regard to their running ability….combine on the field want to see if the backs have some clue on how to pass-block/catch the ball out of the backfield? so many of these spread offenses rarely throw screens/ask backs to do much pass-pro….Running back that intrigues….University of New Hampshire’s Dylan Laube….5-foot-10, 210-pounder the FCS Christian McCaffery….prediction…..workout warrior Laube can catch out of the backfield/run a 4.4 forty will be much hyped after combine.
-Wide receiver-Love the wide receiver gauntlet drill at combine….’the Gauntlet Drill, which tests a wide receiver's ability to catch the ball while running across the field. It's a test of a receiver's hands, concentration, and ability to make quick adjustments’ (Courtesy Football Outsiders)….drill to gauge how well receivers adjust to badly thrown passes….Wide receiver that intrigues….Illini’s Isaiah Williams….wrote before Williams runs/catches ball well this week becomes a possible third round pick.
-Tight end-NFL teams using more and more multiple tight ends formations now very important position to evaluate…with all the spread offenses in college….can your tight end block? been taught proper technique routes/blocking? find out at the combine…..Tight End that intrigues…..6-foot-7, 270-pound Minnesota Golden Gopher Brevyn Spann-Ford….huge target that wasn’t developed very well at Minnesota (in my opinion)….flashes ability never consistent or used correctly/limited offense bad QB play…..size/speed prospect that if he shows better hands…shoots up draft boards.
-Offensive line-Love watching linemen both sides of ball work out at combine….checklist to keep an eye on……forty time both sides of the line….how quickly a lineman can get out of his stance/started/move his feet first ten yards of the forty.
Bench press get a lot of publicity…many of the guard/center types will pop up 225 pounds between 30-40 times….why? they have short arms/limited range of motion easier to move the weight….tackles with long arms/more range of motion to move weight so don’t rep 225 as many times….long armed tackle that can hit 20 or more at 225 plenty of upper body strength…not good if an o-lineman at the combine less than 15 reps at 225….shows they are either hurt or don’t work hard in the weight room.
Agility drills yes it’s a theme….how well move side to side drills to show quick first two steps off the snap…..know arm length coming in want to see o-linemen’s lower body build……thick enough in hips/lower body to add/hold more weight…..don’t want to see linemen big upper body/skinny lower body…..those types always seems to get hurt cause their base can’t handle the weight effectively……Offensive lineman that intrigues….6-foot-7, 315-pound Houston Cougar left tackle Patrick Paul….some have him as a late first round pick….excellent pass protector doesn’t show enough power in the run game….combine you work Paul out…find out if it’s a power or technique issue with run-blocking?….tackles always over-drafted plus combine for Paul moves him up to a mid-first round grade.
-Defensive end-"Earl Leggett, who ended up being my defensive line coach, he spent three minutes with me. He had me come off the ball, plant my outside foot, come inside, and he left.”….Howie Long on his pre-draft workout with the Raiders. (Courtey Sports Illustrated) Great example of what NFL’ers will be looking for during drills tools to develop….burst/quickness off the snap…want to see that ‘motorcycle lean’ when d-ends are going thru bag drills….getting as low as possible to get the angle when running around an offensive tackle….4.8 forty or below type of speed looking for at position…..none of the defensive ends ‘intrigue’.
-Defensive tackle-Gets feet going quickly 40-yard dash…check out lower body for sure…upper body controls opponent/lower body moves opponent….plays with knee bend to be able to shock shed the blocker make a play…..like my interior d-line mean and cranky/pissed off cause….every snap a fistfight in a phone booth for those guys….have to need/love football to play position…..Defensive tackle that intrigues….Illini’s Keith Randolph Jr…..He had a good week at the January Senior Bowl....wasn't healthy last fall...positive medical/workout is a third rounder….Newton will interview/take physical….won’t workout cause…..’underwent surgery in January to repair a partial Jones fracture in his foot. Played the second half of the 2023 season with the injury. Should be ready for Illini pro day in April’ per the Athletics Dane Brugler.
-Linebacker-every back seven ‘D’ prospect always watch the agility drills….ability to go side to side….like quarterbacks get linebackers on the dry erase board get a feel for their football IQ (linebackers QB of the ‘D’)…..Linebacker that intrigues…6-foot-2 Indiana Hoosier Aaron Casey…..All-Big Ten pick can play all three linebacker positions…played on a bad team but competed/made plays every down it seemed.
-Defensive backs-Any of the backpedal drills show a prospects ability to stay low/change directions quickly while staying balanced…..Defensive back that intrigues….Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean….won’t be working out still not 100 percent after breaking his fibula late last season….expected to be good to go by draft day….versatile…can play both man/zone cornerback…free safety…also play wide receiver if needed….one of the best if not best punt returner in college football last fall….you know DeJean well coached playing for Hawkeye defensive coordinator Phil Parker…..kid from rural Iowa might be the best all-around player in the 2024 NFL draft.
Jeff Ireland is with the Saints