It's not really NFL Draft SZN until the first 40-yard dash is timed.
Well, the first rounds for the 2024 NFL Draft class are officially in and they are great. Oh yeah!
Defensive linemen and linebackers took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Thursday and practiced in front of scouts, general managers and NFL decision-makers.
The level of athleticism in these position groups proved to be quite impressive, even if they are not the top picks of the upcoming draft class. This is especially true for linebacker, which is probably considered the weakest position.
But those concerns are quickly forgotten in the 4.43 seconds it took North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson to complete his first 40 seconds.
Bleacher Report's Matt Holder was on hand to break down Thursday's workouts. Here he introduced four talents at defensive tackle, edge and linebacker who either impressed or fell short of expectations.
Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Braden FiskeState of Florida
Fiske was the biggest gainer among defensive tackles, leading the position group with a 4.78-second 40-yard dash, a 33.5-inch vertical jump and a 9'9″ broad jump. He finished with an A, Even third place with a 68-second 10-yard split.
During the untimed exercises, Fiske moved smoothly and showed some speed. He continues to build on a successful pre-draft process following the Senior Bowl to work his way up draft boards.
Byron Murphy IITexas
As one of the top defensive tackles heading into the combine, Murphy continued to build his resume in Indianapolis. He managed a good 40 time of 4.87 seconds and a 10-yard split of 1.69 seconds. This placed them third and fourth respectively in this position.
Murphy II also mastered the pass-rush drill very well and showed impressive movement skills for his size (6-foot-1, 220 pounds).
Brandon DorlusOregon
After gaining some weight from the Senior Bowl, Dorlus still posted good times, highlighted by an official time of 4.85 seconds, which earned him second place among defensive tackles.
He's still a bit of a tweener body type whose best position in the NFL is a bit of a mystery. But Dorlus did what he had to do by showing off some athleticism.
Leonard Taylor IIIMiami
One of Taylor's greatest strengths in film was its success. However, he did record a 10-yard dash in 1.76 seconds, which ranked 11th among defensive tackles.
His efforts turned out to be rather disappointing. He neither showed off his movement skills nor proved to be the athlete he was once thought to be, which will lead to a further decline in the former Hurricane's grade.
Penn State Defensive End Chop Robinson Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Hack RobinsonPenn State
As expected, Chop Robinson dominated at the combine. As a young player who captured important sporting characteristics on video, this was his job.
He didn't disappoint with a 40-yard time of 4.48 seconds and a 10-yard split of 1.54 seconds. Both numbers were the best in the edge rusher group.
Robinson also managed a long jump of 10'8″, which secured first place among edges. He has the physical profile that scouts will love and defensive coaches will want to develop.
Jared verseState of Florida
Verse may have surprised some people in Indianapolis, as his athletic profile was a bit in question after moving from the FCS level. But he recorded some impressive results with a time of 4.58 seconds at 40.35 inches vertical and a broad jump of 10'7 inches. The latter was third best in his position and was only one centimeter away from the top spot.
Verse cemented his status as the top edge defender on B/R's big board by surpassing UCLA's Laiatu Latu.
Bralen TriceWashington
Conversely, Trice has not been able to truly succeed as his game is based more on power and hustle. So it wasn't surprising that he didn't get the best test results, running in the 4.7 range.
However, something else happened when in Washington he weighed about 30 pounds less than his listed height but still had problems with his movement skills. This was evident in many pass rush drills as he attempted to corner.
Trice probably would have been better off skipping this particular training and letting his tape speak for itself.
Marshawn KneelandWest Michigan
Kneeland's movement skills and athleticism looked better than initially expected. He had the best short-shuttle and three-cone times among edges at 4.18 seconds and 7.02 seconds, respectively. His jumps were also impressive, with a vertical distance of 35.5 inches and a width of 9 feet 11 inches.
To show how good an athlete he is, Kneeland performed better than expected in the untimed exercises. He did exactly what he needed to do to dispel narratives and force people to turn the tape back on to watch it again.
North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Payton WilsonState of North Carolina
Wilson clearly emerged as the biggest winner among the linebackers, if not all day. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash with an incredible time of 4.43 seconds and managed a 34.5″ vertical with a broad jump of 9'11″. He also had little to no problems during change of direction drills and proved to be a smooth player with potential as a coverage linebacker.
The medical exams still make up the bulk of Wilson's evaluation, but he killed the on-field portion in Indianapolis.
Edgerrin CooperTexas A&M
Edgerrin Cooper was expected to have a good combine, and he managed a 40-yard dash time of 4.51 seconds, which ranked third among linebackers, and a vertical jump of 34.5 inches. Additionally, he flew through the four-bag drill and appeared smooth in his transitions.
The last two points emerged as a constant theme throughout the position drills. Cooper weighed 230 pounds, which is still slightly lighter but heavier than what he weighed at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Trevin WallaceKentucky
While Wallace posted a good 40 time of 4.51 seconds, he struggled with having to change direction during untimed exercises. He often had to make round turns and was slower when entering and exiting during breaks.
Wallace's lateral movement skills looked good on film, but his status may need to be reevaluated after watching the combine.
Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State
Watson turned heads at the end of the college football season with impressive production numbers. However, he didn't show much explosion on tape, which was evident in the low explosive numbers during practice, including a broad jump of 9 feet 3 inches and a vertical jump of 31 inches.
These ranked second to last and third to last among the linebackers tested.