Several Former Auburn Players Will be on Display at the 2016 NFL Combine
By Kim Trimble
The NFL combine takes over Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis this weekend, setting the stage for several former Auburn players to shine in their attempts to be picked in the upcoming NFL draft this May.
Shon Coleman, who was expected to be the top-ranked Tiger in the group, will be forced to miss on-field workouts because he’s still recovering from recent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee. The injury occurred in the regular season vs. Georgia, and Coleman won’t be released from his doctor’s care until the middle of April. He’ll also miss out on Auburn’s March 7 Pro Day, but still hopes to be a first or second-round pick overall.
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Scouts had projected Coleman to go high in the draft, but news of this injury and concerns that he should have stayed at Auburn for one more season to improve his game has dropped him down into possibly a lower third or fourth-round pick.
Former Auburn receiver D’haquille “Duke” Williams was also invited to attend, and all eyes were on him Thursday as he took his turn at the mic during media interviews. Williams spoke for the first time about his dismissal from the team, saying that he had regrets about his actions and that coach Gus Malzahn had given him “chance after chance.”
Williams stated that he was a “first-round talent with a seventh-round character” and revealed that he’s in counseling to try and resolve his issues and promised to give his all to whatever team would give him a chance. But word on Williams is that his efforts at forgiveness may be too little, too late. Allegedly, an unnamed NFC director of personnel told NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein, “I wouldn’t draft Williams in any round.” Unless he just blows everyone away at workouts, he may go undrafted.
Linebacker/defensive end Cassanova McKinzy is coming off of a stellar senior season as Auburn’s most productive pass rusher, after switching from middle linebacker to weak-side linebacker and then to the buck position. His ability to adapt to different positions and excel at them leads scouts to believe that could increase his draft stock, even though in the last few weeks he’s dropped from eighth to 13th in his position and 276th overall. Look for McKinzy to go high in the middle rounds of the draft, bumping that up a bit depending on his performance at the combine.
Running back Peyton Barber surprised the Auburn family when he declared for the draft at the end of his sophomore season. This week, he surprised everyone when he said that the reason he entered the draft early was because his mother was homeless. It’s since been clarified that she is not actually homeless, but lives with Barber’s sister and her children in a small apartment, but this does clear up why he is so eager to jump to the NFL.
Barber was a work horse for Auburn’s offense in 2015, amassing 1,017 rushing yards and 13 scores on 238 carries, and he was expected to be the leader of a talented group of backs in 2016. Scouts think he has the size and the talent to do well in the NFL, but his place in the draft might be determined by his ability to help on special teams and third downs. Right now, he’s projected as a fifth or sixth-round pick, but could improve based on his combine workout stats.
Linebacker Kris Frost struggled a bit with Auburn’s defensive woes the last two years, but hopes to do well at the combine despite a “nagging injury” that kept him out of the East-West Shrine Game. Frost recorded 96 tackles with two interceptions and two passes broken up in 2015. He’s always an eloquent subject to interview and has the skills to be an on-field leader, he just needs the right environment. Scouts project that Frost will be taken around the sixth or seventh-round and may possibly wind up as an undrafted free agent.
CB Jonathan Jones started every Auburn game in 2015, compiling 69 tackles, 1 interception and 13 pass breakups, even after missing spring practice due to foot surgery. Jones speed and success in both man-to-man and zone coverage should help him in the draft. Projections are that he’ll be a fifth-round pick.
WR Ricardo Louis, of “The Prayer in Jordan-Hare” fame, plans to add another huge accolade to his legend at the combine. Louis was quoted during his media interview as saying that he would break Chris Johnson’s 8 year old record in the 40 yard dash. Johnson set the record in 2008 at 4.2 seconds, and Louis says he’s been waiting for his turn to break that record ever since. Louis is fast, Auburn fast, and recorded 716 yards and 3 touchdowns on 46 catches in 2015, and an additional 158 rushing yards with a touchdown. If he shatters that record during workouts at the combine, his draft stock should rise exponentially. For now though, he’s projected to go in one of the last rounds, or as an undrafted free agent.
OT Avery Young is looking to make the NFL a family affair after declaring for the draft at the end of the 2015 season. Young’s older brother Willie is an NFL defensive end, and his cousin Thomas Davis is a Carolina Panther. Young is suited to play both right tackle and guard at the next level, and this versatility along with his size and blocking abilities can help raise his prospective draft number, which is now forecasted to be in the sixth-round.
Workouts and drills kick off Friday by position and continue through the weekend, finishing up on Monday. Here’s a description of what these Auburn players and other NFL hopefuls will be doing, courtesy of the NFL.
40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is the marquee event at the combine. It’s kind of like the 100-meters at the Olympics. It’s all about speed, explosion and watching skilled athletes run great times. These athletes are timed at 10, 20 and 40-yard intervals. What the scouts are looking for is an explosion from a static start.
Bench press
The bench press is a test of strength — 225 pounds, as many reps as the athlete can get. What the NFL scouts are also looking for is endurance. Anybody can do a max one time, but what the bench press tells the pro scouts is how often the athlete frequented his college weight room for the last 3 to 5 years.
Vertical jump
The vertical jump is all about lower-body explosion and power. The athlete stands flat-footed and they measure his reach. It is important to accurately measure the reach, because the differential between the reach and the flag the athlete touches is his vertical jump measurement.
Broad jump
The broad jump is like being in gym class back in junior high school. Basically, it is testing an athlete’s lower-body explosion and lower-body strength. The athlete starts out with a stance balanced and then he explodes out as far as he can. It tests explosion and balance, because he has to land without moving.
3 cone drill
The three cone drill tests an athlete’s ability to change directions at a high speed. Three cones in an L-shape. He starts from the starting line, goes five yards to the first cone and back. Then, he turns, runs around the second cone, runs a weave around the third cone, which is the high point of the L, changes directions, comes back around that second cone and finishes.
Shuttle run
The short shuttle is the first of the cone drills. It is known as the 5-10-5. What it tests is the athlete’s lateral quickness and explosion in short areas. The athlete starts in the three-point stance, explodes out five yards to his right, touches the line, goes back 10 yards to his left, left hand touches the line, pivot, and he turns five more yards and finishes.