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2018 NFL Combine: Top performers by position

By Ryan O'Bleness
NFL: Combine Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The 2018 edition of the NFL Combine is officially over. As usual, there were some extremely impressive performances, and some very disappointing performances.

Let’s take a look at who stood out in Indianapolis. Using NFL.com’s Results Tracker tool, I’ve compiled the top-five performers by positional group in various combine drills into one easy-to read place, so that you don’t have to.

Bench Press (Reps):

QB

  1. Kurt Benkert, Virginia, 16 (only quarterback to participate)

RB

  1. Saquon Barkley, Penn State, 29
  2. Nick Chubb, Georgia, 29
  3. Chris Warren, Texas, 25
  4. Lavon Coleman, Washington, 23
  5. Three tied with 22 reps — Sony Michel, Darrell Williams, Kamryn Pettway

WR

  1. Ka’Raun White, West Virginia, 24
  2. Anthony Miller, Memphis, 22
  3. J’Mon Moore, Missouri, 21
  4. Equanimeous St. Brown, Notre Dame, 20
  5. Christian Kirk, Texas A&M, 20

TE

  1. Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State, 23
  2. Mike Gesicki, Penn State, 22
  3. Chris Herndon, Miami, 21
  4. David Wells, San Diego State, 20
  5. Four players tied with 18 reps —Tyler Conklin, Durham Smythe, Ryan Izzo, Jaylen Samuels

OL

  1. Will Hernandez, UTEP, 37
  2. Braden Smith, Auburn, 35
  3. Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame, 35
  4. Colby Gossett, Appalachian State, 32
  5. Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech, 30

DL/EDGE

  1. Harrison Phillips, Stanford, 42
  2. Vita Vea, Washington, 41
  3. BJ Hill, North Carolina State, 35
  4. Deadrin Senat, South Florida, 35
  5. Foley Fatukasi, Connecticut, 33

LB

  1. Christian Sam, Arizona State, 28
  2. Tegray Scales, Indiana, 27
  3. Malik Jefferson, Texas, 27
  4. Genard Avery, Memphis, 26
  5. Kenny Young, UCLA, 23

DB

  1. Natrell Jamerson, Wisconsin, 25
  2. Dane Cruikshank, Arizona, 25
  3. Davontae Harris, Illinois State, 22
  4. Derwin James, Florida State, 21
  5. Kyzir White, West Virginia, 21

40-Yard Dash (seconds)

QB

  1. Quinton Flowers, South Florida, 4.63
  2. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State, 4.70
  3. Josh Allen, Wyoming, 4.75
  4. Danny Etling, LSU, 4.76
  5. Logan Woodside, Toledo, 4.79

RB

  1. Nyheim Hines, North Carolina State, 4.38
  2. Saquon Barkley, Penn State, 4.40
  3. Kalen Ballage, Arizona State, 4.46
  4. Rashaad Penny, San Diego State, 4.46
  5. Derrius Guice, LSU, 4.49

WR

  1. D.J. Chark, LSU, 4.34
  2. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, South Florida, 4.37
  3. Robert Foster, Alabama, 4.41
  4. Antonio Callaway, Florida, 4.41
  5. D.J. Moore, Maryland, 4.42

TE

  1. Jaylen Samuels, North Carolina State, 4.54
  2. Mike Gesicki, Penn State, 4.54
  3. Hayden Hurst, South Carolina, 4.67
  4. Mark Andrews, Oklahoma, 4.67
  5. Ian Thomas, Indiana and Jordan Thomas, Mississippi State, 4.74

OL

  1. Brian O’Neill, Pittsburgh, 4.82
  2. Desmond Harrison, West Georgia, 4.90
  3. Kolton Miller, UCLA, 4.95
  4. Joseph Noteboom, TCU, 4.96
  5. Connor Williams, Texas, 5.05

DL/EDGE

  1. Leon Jacobs, Wisconsin, 4.48
  2. Lorenzo Carter, Georgia, 4.50
  3. Josh Sweat, Florida State, 4.53
  4. Peter Kalambayi, Stanford, 4.57
  5. Marcus Davenport, Texas-San Antonio, 4.58

LB

  1. Shaquem Griffin, Central Florida, 4.38
  2. Roquan Smith, Georgia, 4.51
  3. Malik Jefferson, Texas, 4.52
  4. Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech, 4.54
  5. Matthew Thomas, Florida State, 4.58

DB

  1. Donte Jackson, LSU, 4.32
  2. Denzel Ward, Ohio State, 4.32
  3. Parry Nickerson, Tulane, 4.32
  4. Troy Apke, Penn State, 4.34
  5. Troy Brown, Alabama, 4.35

Vertical Jump (inches)

QB

  1. Josh Allen, Wyoming, 33.5
  2. Tanner Lee, Nebraska, 32
  3. Logan Woodside, Toledo, 31.5
  4. Kurt Benkert, Virginia, 31
  5. Josh Rosen, UCLA and Kyle Lauletta, Richmond, 31

RB

  1. Saquon Barkley, Penn State, 41
  2. Kerryon Johnson, Auburn, 40
  3. Bo Scarbrough, Alabama, 40
  4. Nick Chubb, Georgia, 38.5
  5. Justin Jackson, Northwestern, 38.5

WR

  1. D.J. Chark, LSU, 40
  2. D.J. Moore, Maryland, 39.5
  3. Dylan Cantrell, Texas Tech, 38.5
  4. J’Mon Moore, Missouri, 38
  5. Allen Lazard, Iowa State and Jester Weah, Pittsburgh, 38

TE

  1. Mike Gesicki, Penn State, 41.5
  2. Tyler Conklin, Central Michigan, 38
  3. Ian Thomas, Indiana, 36
  4. Jaylen Samuels, North Carolina State, 34.5
  5. David Wells, San Diego State, 33

OL

  1. Connor Williams, Texas, 34
  2. Scott Quessenberry, UCLA, 33.5
  3. Braden Smith, Auburn, 33.5
  4. Will Richardson, North Carolina State, 31.5
  5. Kolton Miller, UCLA, 31.5

DL/EDGE

  1. Josh Sweat, Florida State, 39.5
  2. Ade Aruna, Tulane, 38.5
  3. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma, 38
  4. Harold Landy, Boston College, 36
  5. Bradley Chubb, North Carolina State and Lorenzo Carter, Georgia, 36

LB

  1. Matthew Thomas, Florida State, 41.5
  2. Oren Burks, Vanderbilt, 39.5
  3. Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State, 39.5
  4. Fred Warner, BYU, 38.5
  5. Jacob Pugh, Florida State, 38.5

DB

  1. Joshua Kalu, Nebraska, 41.5
  2. Terrell Edmunds, Virginia Tech, 41.5
  3. Troy Apke, Penn State, 41
  4. Chandon Sullivan, Georgia State, 40.5
  5. Siran Neal, Jacksonville State, 40.5

Broad Jump (inches)

QB

  1. Josh Allen, Wyoming, 119
  2. Tanner Lee, Nebraska, 115
  3. Danny Etling, LSU, 114
  4. Kyle Lauletta, Richmond, 113
  5. Three players tied at 112 inches — Quinton Flowers, Austin Allen and Kurt Benkert

RB

  1. Bo Scarbrough, Alabama, 129
  2. Nick Chubb, Georgia, 128
  3. Kerryon Johnson, Auburn, 126
  4. Roc Thomas, Jacksonville State, 125
  5. Kyle Hicks, TCU, 122

WR

  1. D.J. Moore, Maryland, 132
  2. Tre’Quan Smith, Central Florida, 130
  3. Dylan Cantrell, Texas Tech, 130
  4. D.J. Chark, LSU, 129
  5. Jester Weah, Pittsburgh, 129

TE

  1. Mike Gesicki, Penn State, 129
  2. Ian Thomas, Indiana, 123
  3. Jaylen Samuels, North Carolina State, 121
  4. Tyler Conklin, Central Michigan, 120
  5. Hayden Hurst, South Carolina and Dalton Schultz, Stanford, 120

OL

  1. Kolton Miller, UCLA, 121
  2. Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech, 114
  3. Braden Smith, Auburn, 113
  4. Brandon Parker, North Carolina A&T, 113
  5. Connor Williams, Texas, 112

DL/EDGE

  1. Lorenzo Carter, Georgia, 130
  2. Ade Aruna, Tulane, 128
  3. Josh Sweat, Florida State, 124
  4. Marcus Davenport, Texas-San Antonio, 124
  5. Marquis Haynes, Mississippi, 123

LB

  1. Oren Burks, Vanderbilt, 131
  2. Jerome Baker, Ohio State, 126
  3. Malik Jefferson, Texas, 125
  4. Genard Avery, Memphis, 124
  5. Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State, 124

DB

  1. Denzel Ward, Ohio State, 136
  2. Joshua Kalu, Nebraska, 134
  3. Terrell Edmunds, Virginia Tech, 134
  4. Chandon Sullivan, Georgia State, 134
  5. Derwin James, Florida State, 132

Three-cone (seconds)

QB

  1. Quinton Flowers, South Florida, 6.81
  2. Josh Allen, Wyoming, 6.90
  3. Logan Woodside, Toledo, 6.94
  4. Kyle Lauletta, Richmond, 6.95
  5. Sam Darnold, USC, 6.96

RB

  1. Chase Edmonds, Fordham, 6.79
  2. Justin Jackson, Northwestern, 6.81
  3. Royce Freeman, Oregon, 6.90
  4. Kalen Ballage, Arizona State, 6.91
  5. Jarvion Franklin, Western Michigan, 6.93

WR

  1. Dylan Cantrell, Texas Tech, 6.56
  2. J’Mon Moore, Missouri, 6.56
  3. Courtland Sutton, SMU, 6.57
  4. Simmie Cobbs, Indiana, 6.70
  5. Deon Cain, Clemson, 6.71

TE

  1. Mike Gesicki, Penn State, 6.76
  2. Jaylen Samuels, North Carolina State, 6.93
  3. Dalton Schultz, Stanford, 7.00
  4. Will Dissly, Washington, 7.07
  5. Tyler Conklin, Central Michigan, 7.13

OL

  1. Brian O’Neill, Pittsburgh, 7.14
  2. James Daniels, Iowa, 7.29
  3. Kolton Miller, UCLA, 7.34
  4. Greg Senat, Wagner, 7.41
  5. Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech, 7.45

DL/EDGE

  1. Sam Hubbard, Ohio State, 6.84
  2. Harold Landy, Boston College, 6.88
  3. Kylie Fitts, Utah, 6.88
  4. Trevon Young, Louisville, 6.99
  5. Dorance Armstrong, Kansas and Taven Bryan, Florida, 7.12

LB

  1. Dorian O’Daniel, Clemson, 6.64
  2. Josey Jewell, Iowa, 6.80
  3. Oren Burks, Vanderbilt, 6.82
  4. Matthew Thomas, Florida State, 6.85
  5. Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State, 6.88

DB

  1. Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma, 6.28
  2. Grant Haley, Penn State, 6.51
  3. Avonte Maddox, Pittsburgh, 6.51
  4. Godwin Igwebuike, Northwestern, 6.56
  5. Troy Apke, Penn State, 6.56

Top Overall Performers

Bench Press: Harrison Phillips, Stanford, 42 reps
40-yard Dash: Three players tied at 4.32 seconds — Parry Nickerson, Denzel Ward, Donte Jackson
Vertical Jump: Four players tied at 41.5 inches: Mike Gesicki, Terrell Edmunds, Joshua Kalu, Matthew Thomas
Broad Jump: Denzel Ward, Ohio State, 136 inches
Three-cone Drill: Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma, 6.28
20-yard Shuffle: Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma and Grant Haley, Penn State, 3.94 seconds
60-yard Shuffle: Avonte Maddox, 10.72 seconds

While all of these players are impressive, I think it is important to remember that these metrics do not tell the whole story. These are incredible athletes, but also human beings, capable of having a very good week (Saquon Barkley) or a very poor week (Orlando Brown Jr.). The tape will always tell you more about a prospect, because the Combine is not live game action.

Well, that took entirely too much of my time — mainly because I couldn’t stop clicking on prospect profiles to learn more about these players. Enjoy!

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