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Essentials Inside The Story

  • David Bailey verified his top-five status with a field-best 40-yard dash.
  • Sonny Styles set a combine record with a 43.5-inch vertical jump.
  • Zane Durant led all defensive tackles with a 4.75s dash.

The first day of on-field workouts at the combine saw the big men take to the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium and perform for scouts. There were some really quick times and terrific performances from all the defensive linemen and a very fast group of linebackers. Here are a half-dozen players that stood out.

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David Bailey/Edge/Texas Tech

The fact that an expectant top-five pick like Bailey did a complete workout at the combine is newsworthy. The fact that he performed brilliantly just confirmed his status as an early selection. Bailey was the fastest of all the defensive ends/edge rushers, timing 4.51 seconds in the 40 with a 1.62-second 10-yard split. His vertical jump was 35 inches, and his broad jump measured 10 feet 9 inches. He was terrific in drills and looked fluid and fast in every direction while showing a lot of quickness. He displayed violent hand punches in drills and covered a ton of area in pass defense drills. If anyone had doubts that Bailey would not end up in the first handful of picks in the draft, he silenced them Thursday.

Sonny Styles/LB/Ohio State

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The Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina ended just a few days ago, yet if there was a workout of Olympian proportions at the combine Thursday, Styles won the award. His marks included 4.46 seconds in the 40, a record-setting 43.5 inches in the vertical jump, and 11 feet 2 inches in the broad jump. He looked equally as fast during drills, easily moving around the field, displaying great quickness and footwork, and really standing out in coverage drills. His athletic numbers should not be a surprise given his lineage and the fact that Styles is a former defensive back, yet his workout should be applauded, as it vaulted the Buckeye into the draft’s top 10.

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Arvell Reese/LB/Ohio State

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Reese only tested in the 40 on Thursday and was fast, timing 4.46 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.58 seconds. He then did linebacker drills and looked terrific, which was no surprise. He’s a continual mover and showed none of the start-and-stop motion many of the other linebackers displayed. Reese, who’ll be miscast as an edge rusher, was also terrific in coverage drills.

Romello Height/Edge/Texas Tech

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Height was a step below his teammate Bailey, yet everyone on hand was impressed with his performance. He timed 4.64 seconds in the 40 with a 10-yard split of 1.63 seconds and touched 39 inches in the vertical jump and 10 feet 5 inches in the broad jump. Those marks in the vertical and broad were outstanding. He then looked fast in drills, easily changing direction and showing vertical speed. Height struggled in coverage drills in comparison to his Texas Tech teammate, yet he leaves Indianapolis with an improved draft grade.

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Zane Durant/DT/Penn State

The Penn State defensive tackle was the most athletic player at his position, as he tested well and looked good in drills. His 40 time of 4.75 seconds and 10-yard split of 1.66 seconds were the best of all the defensive tackles. His vertical jump of 33.5 inches was another good mark. Durant translated that athleticism onto the field during drills, moving exceptionally well and earning the praise of scouts. He’s a scheme-specific, one-gap/three-technique lineman, but Durant has a great motor and terrific football ability.

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Kaleb Proctor/DT/Southeastern Louisiana

The small-school prospect proved he belonged at the combine and turned in a terrific workout. His numbers rivaled Durant’s, as his 40 time was 4.79 seconds with a 1.69 10-yard split. His jumps included 33 inches in the vertical jump as well as 9 feet 5 inches in the broad jump. Proctor’s 20-yard shuttle time of 4.71 seconds was outstanding for a 291-pound defensive tackle. He looked equally as smooth and fluid during drills and has solidified himself as a Day 3 pick.

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Kaleb Elarms-Orr/LB/TCU: Entering the season graded as a late-round pick, Elarms-Orr has checked all the boxes since last September and impressed during the combine. His testing marks were outstanding and included 4.47 seconds in the 40, 40 inches in the vertical jump, and 10 feet 4 inches in the broad jump. Elarms-Orr was exceptional in position drills, displaying great quickness and footwork in every direction, as well as balance. He has improved his draft stock 3-4 rounds from where it was nine months ago.

Malachi Lawrence/Edge/Central Florida

Lawrence turned in a sensational testing workout at the combine, ranking in the top two in all the major events. His 40 time clocked 4.52 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.59 seconds. He touched 40 inches in the vertical jump, an astounding mark for a 253-pound athlete, and he reached 10 feet 10 inches in the broad jump. Lawrence was equally effective in drills, easily moving around the field and displaying terrific hip flexibility in coverage drills. Teams will now have to consider moving Lawrence into the late part of the draft’s second day, considering his performance on Thursday and the upside he brings to the NFL.

Caleb Banks/DT/Florida

Banks struggled through an injury-plagued season in which he dressed for just two games, which hurt his draft stock. He gained a bit of it back here during combine workouts by putting in a terrific performance. Weighing 327 pounds, Banks timed 5.04 seconds in the 40 with a 10-yard split of 1.76 seconds. His broad jump was a solid 9 feet 6 inches, and he later looked good in drills. Measuring 6-foot-6, NFL teams love the upside, athleticism, and versatility Banks brings. And while he won’t be a first-round pick as many predicted before the season, he’ll most assuredly come off the board in the top half of the second round.

Trey Moore/Edge/Texas

Moore deserves to be mentioned on guts alone. Despite dealing with a Grade 3 pectoral strain, he completed all the testing and did extremely well. His 40-yard time clocked 4.54 seconds, and his 20-yard shuttle was 4.43 seconds. He hit 38.5 inches in the vertical jump and 10 feet in the broad jump. In many ways miscast as an edge rusher, the 243-pound defender can be a three-down linebacker on Sundays who can also rush the passer.

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