WebProNews

Tag: NFL Combine

  • Johnny Manziel’s NFL Combine Results: How Did He Compare?

    Former Texas A&M star and Heisman winner Johnny Manziel’s official NFL Combine results are in. The redshirt sophomore quarterback, who decided to forego his final two seasons of eligibility to head for the pros, ran a 4.68 in the 40-yard dash on Sunday and did well in the other drills. Manziel’s speed makes him just a step slower than former number one NFL Draft picks Andrew Luck (40-yard dash time of 4.66) and Cam Newton (40-yard dash time of 4.59). How did the much hyped quarterback, who has been compared to Brett Favre, stack up to other draft hopefuls yesterday?

    While Manziel’s 40 time was solid, he wasn’t quite the quickest quarterback at the NFL Combine, nor did he outdo the competition in the broad jump, vertical jump, or cone drill. Manziel had the fourth fastest 40 time, which put him behind Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas, Miami’s Stephen Morris, and South Carolina’s Connor Shaw. In fact, Manziel finished behind Thomas and Shaw in three other categories as well. Check out the results for the top five quarterback performers in each category below.

    40-YARD DASH
    Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech (4.61)
    Stephen Morris, Miami (4.63)
    Connor Shaw, South Carolina (4.66)
    Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (4.68)
    Derek Carr, Fresno State (4.69)

    BROAD JUMP
    Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech (118.0)
    Connor Shaw, South Carolina (116.0)
    Blake Bortles, Central Florida (115.0)
    Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville (113.0)
    Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (113.0)

    VERTICAL JUMP
    Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech (35.5)
    Derek Carr, Fresno St. (34.5)
    Connor Shaw, South Carolina (34.0)
    Blake Bortles, Central Florida (32.5)
    Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (31.5)

    CONE DRILL
    Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech (4.61)
    Stephen Morris, Miami (4.63)
    Connor Shaw, South Carolina (4.66)
    Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (4.68)
    Derek Carr, Fresno St. (4.69)

    Manziel had a great showing at the NFL Combine, but will it be enough for some of the questions surrounding him to go away? Even though Manziel is considered a first round draft pick by most analysts–and a top five pick, at that–the fact that Manziel chose not to participate in the passing drills certainly didn’t help questions surrounding his arm strength. Manziel will have to put those questions to rest when he throws for scouts at a workout he has scheduled for late March.

    Manziel’s height has also been a bit of a concern for some analysts, and the quarterback measured in shorter than his height listed at Texas A&M, which was 6’1″. Manziel measured at just under six feet at 5-foot-11 3/4 at the Combine. Of course NFL quarterback Russell Wilson–who just happened to win the Super Bowl–also measures in at 5’11”, so being a little shorter than the average NFL quarterback certainly doesn’t equate to being unsuccessful in the NFL.

    The question of whether Johnny Football is mature enough to handle the NFL is still there, but that isn’t anything that can be answered by a Combine drill. Despite Manziel’s shorter height and not being the fastest quarterback at the NFL Combine as many expected, most would agree that as far as Manziel is concerned, the whole is greater than the sum of his parts. Do you think Johnny Manziel will be a high first round pick in the NFL Draft? Add your comments below.

    Image via Twitter

  • Joe Montana’s Son Tries Out For the NFL

    It can be hard following for children following in the footsteps of a parent. However, when that parent is NFL legend Joe Montana, following in his footsteps could be all but impossible. Not that Nate Montana isn’t trying.

    According to an NFL.com report, Nate Montana was part of the NFL Super Regional Combine this week at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. Unfortunately, analysts are calling Nate a “long shot” who has a “weak throwing arm.”

    Nate Montana went to Notre Dame, his father’s alma mater, in 2008 and joined the football team as a walk-on. The quarterback found himself lacking in play time, and transferred to Pasadena City College in 2009, where he red-shirted for one year. He went back to Notre Dame in 2010, before transferring twice more, to the University of Montana in 2011 and West Virginia Wesleyan in 2012.

    During his year with West Virginia Wesleyan, Nate racked up 2480 passing yards and 19 touchdowns with the Division II program. As slim as his chances are of making a career in the NFL, it’s clear that his passions lie in football.

  • Compare Your 40 Time With Rich Eisen, NFL Draft Prospects

    The NFL Scouting Combine begins today (2/22) as teams get ready for the meat market-like approach to evaluating future NFL prospects, in preparation for the upcoming NFL Draft. The Combine is popular event in the sports world, getting almost as much attention as the NFL Draft itself.

    When you hear NFL pundits say the season never ends, this is what they are referring to.

    One of the more popular/important activities of the NFL Scouting Combine is the 40-yard dash. Entire careers are made (or broken) based on the amount of time it takes these prospects to travel 40 yards as quickly as they can. Not only have careers been made, but the NFL Scouting Combine also offers the opportunity to create a legend. Just ask Chris Johnson after his 40 time was posted.

    There is, of course, video of Johnson’s monumental dash:


    Another legend that was born from the Combine’s 40-yard dash involves NFL Channel personality, Rich Eisen. In 2005, Eisen famously tried his luck at the infamous dash, complete with a suit and tie. His time? Well, let’s just say Chris Johnson’s legend is still safe. Now Eisen’s dash has become a yearly event, something the following video indicates quite well:


    Now Eisen, along with the rest of the NFL family, is inviting you to do the same. His post has the details:

    At any rate, the good folks at the NFL Network came up with this idea to have you to run in your work clothes at your work place, roll a camera on it and post the video. The best ones will air on NFL Network before I lace ‘em up again and make another molasses-like run at glory. Please, do not hurt yourself. And also do not cost yourself your job.

    But, wherever you are, foreign or domestic, the one thing that you absolutely must do … is run.

    Once the video is posted, Eisen recommends tweeting a link to his account (@RichEisen), the NFL’s (@NFL), or to the NFL Network (@NFLNetwork). Be sure to use the hashtag #RunRichRun.

    Of course, the best and worst videos will be shown on the NFL Network, shortly before Eisen once again hurtles himself down the 40-yard distance. With that in mind, get to posting those 40-yard dash videos, if, for nothing else, to see how you stack up against future NFL pros, and, well, Rich Eisen, too. Considering how Eisen compared to Julio Jones (upcoming video), don’t get too discouraged if you’re miles away from Chris Johnson’s epic time: