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Essentials Inside The Story

  • Brady's 5.28-second 40-yard dash and unathletic physique became infamous for his fall to the 199th pick
  • Jarvis Landry was a projected first-rounder who slid to 63rd overall after a 4.71 40-yard dash
  • NaVorro Bowman's poor athleticism score pushed him to the third round

The NFL Combine is where players prove their talent for the first time in front of every NFL team. While this has allowed players to rapidly climb up draft boards, it has also caused players to drop drastically. But for some of the NFL’s greatest players, it was little more than a minor annoyance on their path to stardom.

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A difference of .2 seconds can dictate whether a player goes from the first round to the fourth round of the NFL draft. While combine testing has become less about the recorded times and more about the players’ meetings, poor testing has dropped players’ top prospects to late-round options.

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ES NFL Draft Insider Tony Pauline said in this week’s episode of DraftCast “[NFL teams] who are willing to roll the dice on players both medically and as far as character concerns because they think they’ll get a good football player.” While teams may be willing to overlook outside reasons, it’s hard for a player to prove they belong when their athleticism tests poorly.

And for every prospect who runs a 40-yard dash and becomes a top-10 pick, there’s another whose NFL dreams are nearly dashed by a slow time. Yet, as history shows, the game tape often tells a truer story than the Combine itself.

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8. WR Jarvis Landry, 2014

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Former LSU wide receiver Jarvis Landry had no trouble producing in college. During his final year at LSU, Landry logged 1,193 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, catapulting him onto NFL teams’ radars.

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Landry was considered a potential late first-rounder, but saw his stock fall after a disappointing 4.71 40-yard dash. Landry also logged a 28.5-inch vertical jump and a 9’2″ broad jump. The former LSU receiver, however, was injured during his combine testing.

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The Miami Dolphins selected Landry in the back of the second round with the 63rd overall pick, and he immediately became the Dolphins’ top receiving target. Landry logged three 1,000-yard seasons in the NFL and was named to five consecutive Pro Bowls.

Career accolades: 5x Pro Bowler

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7. LB Vontaze Burfict, 2012

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Linebacker Vontaze Burfict was projected to be a first-round pick for the 2012 draft. While there were plenty of reasons why he would eventually go undrafted, such as character concerns and a failed drug test, his poor combine showing didn’t help.

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Burfict ran a bad 5.09 40-yard dash, a 30-inch vertical jump, and an 8’8″ broad jump. The linebacker’s testing finished nearly last among all linebackers in every physical test.

The longtime Cincinnati Bengals linebacker would have a solid career, earning Pro Bowl honors despite his disastrous combine testing.

Career accolades: 1x Pro Bowler, 1x Second-Team All-Pro

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7. Calais Campbell, 2008

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Defensive end Calais Campbell is still going strong in the NFL, 18 seasons after his combine performance.

The biggest takeaway from Campbell’s combine performance was his 16 bench press reps. At 6-foot-8, 290 pounds, 16 reps isn’t just bad, it’s horrible. The 290-pound defensive lineman wasn’t expected to put up groundbreaking numbers in the athleticism tests, but his 5.04 40-yard dash and 7.45 3-cone drill were more underwhelming than initially thought.

Campbell dropped from a first-round pick to the 50th overall selection for the Arizona Cardinals.

Career accolades: 6x Pro Bowler, 2x Second-Team All-Pro, 1x First-Team All-Pro

5. LB NaVorro Bowman, 2010

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Linebacker NaVorro Bowman had an underwhelming combine performance. He displayed impressive strength, putting up 26 bench press reps, but his overall testing was disappointing, earning a 60 Athleticism Score, ranking 24th among all linebackers.

Bowman was originally projected to be a late first-rounder to early second round pick, but his underwhelming performance at the combine saw him drop to late in the third round, being selected 91st overall by the San Francisco 49ers.

In his eight NFL seasons, Bowman earned First-Team All-Pro honors four times.

Career accolades: 4x First-Team All-Pro, 3x Pro Bowler

4. WR Cooper Kupp, 2017

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Cooper Kupp already had a long road ahead of him to be drafted. He was a small school product coming out of Eastern Michigan.

But it didn’t get easier for Kupp, who didn’t perform to his expectations in front of all 32 NFL teams. Kupp ran a 4.62 40-yard dash, recorded a vertical jump of 31 inches, and a broad jump of 116 inches, all ranking below average.

It wasn’t all bad. To no ones surprise, the freak route runner tested well in agility drills.

Kupp fell to the third round of the draft and became a major steal for the Los Angeles Rams.

Career accolades: 2x Super Bowl winner, 1x Offensive Player of the Year, 1x Pro Bowler, 1x First-Team All-Pro

3. WR Anquan Boldin, 2003

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Legendary NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin was a projected first-round pick before running a 4.71 40-yard dash. The 40-yard dash is the NFL Combine’s most anticipated drill, with fans interested in seeing which players can run the fastest.

Boldin’s poor testing saw him drop from his first-round projection late into the second round, where he would join the Cardinals at 54th overall. Boldin’s agility testing was also reported to be subpar.

It didn’t take long for Boldin to prove the Combine doubters wrong, as he caught 10 passes for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns in his NFL debut.

Career accolades: Offensive Rookie of the Year, 3x Pro Bowler, 1x Super Bowl winner

2. LB Terrell Suggs, 2003

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Longtime Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs didn’t have a good day at the 2003 NFL Combine. Suggs ran a disappointing 4.84 40-yard dash, recorded a 33-inch vertical jump, and put out 19 reps on the bench press.

The legendary linebacker’s testing wasn’t terrible, but definitely disappointing due to the hype around his single-season sack record in college, recording 24.0 sacks before declaring for the draft. While Suggs still went  top-10 in the draft, his poor combine performance dropped him from being projected as a top-3 pick.

Clearly, Suggs’ poor testing didn’t affect him much. He went on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and has been named to multiple All-Pro teams.

Career accolades: 2x Super Bowl winner, Defensive Rookie of the Year, 7x Pro Bowler, 1x First-Team All-Pro, 1x Second-Team All-Pro

1. QB Tom Brady, 2000

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There’s no other way to start this piece without mentioning Tom Brady. Outside of his 6-foot-4 frame, Brady didn’t show scouts much promise during his Combine testing.

The legendary NFL quarterback ran a 5.28 40-yard dash, a 24.5 vertical jump, and a 7.20 3-cone drill. His testing wasn’t just poor; it was all-time bad. His iconic Combine photo even makes its rounds every year, despite being taken 26 years ago.

But it goes without saying that Brady’s testing didn’t affect his career much. While he was never the most athletic passer in the league, his lack of athleticism didn’t seem to bother him much on his way to seven Super Bowls and earning the title of greatest player of all time.

Career accolades: 3x MVP, 15x Pro Bowler, 3x First-Team All-Pro, 7x Super Bowl winner

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