Five Prospects to do Your Homework On.....................

NFL Combine: 5 prospects to do your homework on

Dontari Poe, Whitney Mercilus, Stephen Hill... Matt Bowen

February 29, 2012

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Once the NFL Combine wraps up there is always some buzz after the workouts, position drills, 40 times, etc. And this year is no different after the numbers posted in Indianapolis. However, despite some of the true athletic ability (and size) we saw on the field this week, here are five names that scouts need to do some more homework on before the Pro Day circuit starts up.
http://cdn.cloudfiles.mosso.com/c191...g/Mercilus.jpgICONDoes Mercilus' 4.63 speed consistently show up on tape?


Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois: Mercilus came into the Combine after posting 16 sacks this past season at Illinois. Wasn’t perfect in positional drills, but displayed enough athletic ability to align as a 4-3 DE or drop into coverage as a 3-4 backer. But what you are looking for is that 4.63 speed he posted in Indy that will give you a first-round edge rusher in both fronts. Plenty of discussion that Mercilus is a one-year wonder…let the tape be the judge of that.


Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis: The big man from Memphis was the talk of the Combine after he posted a 4.93 40 at just under 350-pounds. You just don’t see that from a player his size. Now, go back to the film room and find out if he has a consistent burst off the line of scrimmage, is physical on contact and sheds blockers to make enough plays that warrants a solid first round grade. Don’t allow his workout alone to be the deciding factor.


Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech: I talked about Hill earlier in the week because any WR with his size (6-4, 215) and speed (4.36 40) is going to improve their draft stock. This is what every NFL team is looking for outside of the numbers because it creates matchup issues for the defense and shows up in situational football: 3rd downs, red zone, etc. However, is Hill developmentally ready to run the NFL route tree and can he be considered a top target as a rookie?


Dwight Bentley, CB, Louisiana-Lafayette: I saw Bentley down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile throughout the week of practice and I loved the way he competed in drills. And on Tuesday, the CB ran a 4.43 40. Bentley isn't a top tier prospect at the position and he doesn’t have great size (5-10, 182), but this is still a player I think we need to keep an eye on throughout the draft process. Go back, watch the tape and see if Bentley has the overall skill set to make an impact as a rookie in the secondary.


Lamar Miller, RB, Miami: Can the former Hurricane be the second RB to come off the board after Alabama’s Trent Richardson? All he did in Indy was help his case by running a 4.40 40. As the NFP’s Wes Bunting pointed out, Miller would be a fit in a zone-blocking scheme and now scouts have to decide where he stacks up vs. Boise State’s Doug Martin and Virginia Tech’s David Wilson.




Follow me on Twitter: @MattBowen41

Not only will the Bears have Mercilus, Poe, and Hill on there boards but all three deserve some real scrutiny before a team jumps and picks one of them. I've been saying all along that the Combine tells teams a lot about a guys measurables but it can't measure whether or not a guy can put them to work at the NFL level and it can't measure football instincts or a players heart.

I'm more concerned with how he plays than how fast he can run or how many times he can lift 225 lbs off his chest. Over the past 10 years we've drafted enough athletes so this time let's try drafting football players instead.