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2016 NFL Scouting Combine winners and losers: Linebackers

Which linebackers impressed and which ones were a let down at the 2016 NFL Combine?

By HankJoness
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Last week, we previewed some linebackers to keep an eye on during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine. You can read that preview here. How did those linebackers fare in the all important day in Indianapolis? Who were some extra winners and losers from the group? Any the Jacksonville Jaguars should keep their eye on?

Darron Lee

We mentioned that Lee had to have a big workout in Indy to backup the draft hype he has gotten since he has declared. He has been talked about as a potential top-20 pick and leader of the 2nd tier group of linebackers this year and most of that hype have stemmed from the excitement around his athleticism.

Lee didn't disappoint. He had a monster workout.

  • A faster 40-yard dash than his teammates Braxton Miller and Ezekiel Elliot
  • The third-best broad jump of all linebackers since 2006
  • A better broad jump and 20-yard shuttle than Ryan Shazier

You can see just how uniquely explosive Lee is below.

Deion Jones

Jones was expected to be another big winner in the same vein as Lee, but he had a fairly forgettable day. He did not test in the agility drills and he ran a slower 40 than expected. If you told me coming into Indy that Jones would be close to running a 4.6, I would have called you a liar or something worse... like a Titans fan.

Jones has a lot of iffy tape. He got steamrolled by Jacob Coker of all people during a game this season. He needed a big combine to propel his hype and it just didn't happen.

Reggie Ragland

Ragland is a weird situation to look into. On one hand, none of his numbers were impressive. On the other hand, he still did way better than a lot of people thought he would.

Ragland was a player who stood the chance of perhaps falling out of the 1st round altogether if he had as terrible of a workout as many predicted he would, but he did generally fine. Nothing special but no reason to continue to dock him. Ragland isn't a top 10 type prospect but in this class, he should not fall out of the top 25 picks by any means.

Eric Striker

Striker may have had the worst workout of any of the linebackers all things considered. When you are 5'11" and under 230 pounds and you put up the numbers he did, it is a serious question if you will even end up drafted.

Leonard Floyd

Floyd, like Striker, is a fairly undersized player who needed a big combine to give substance to the hype around him. But unlike Striker, he did not disappoint. He turned in a great workout.

For starters, he showed up at 244 lbs which is huge for him. And following that he posted great numbers in every drill he participated in. I like Floyd a lot in a Jamie Collins type role, just let him roam around the formation and create mismatches for him. He might be the most ideal 2nd round pick for the Jaguars but at this point I doubt he makes it there.

Other Winners

Washington Linebacker Travis Feener was an unknown heading into the week, but no way that is the case now. Just look at these numbers he put up in his jumps. This is the kind of performance you want to have if you are a draft sleeper.

Losers

Scooby Wright had a predictable bad day but the biggest loser from the Linebackers may have been Su'a Cravens. His workout was putrid.

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