COMBINE

[Big Duke 6]

After a long week in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine, here is a look at the 27 players who helped or hurt their draft stock the most:

WINNERS

QB Brian Brohm, Louisville. Brohm came to Indy viewed by many as a notch below Matt Ryan, but a strong showing by Brohm has re-started the No. 1 quarterback debate. Brohm did a good job of striding into throws and displayed good arm strength. He also showed good athletic ability during his workout, shocking those who thought he was heavy-legged.

QB Josh Johnson, San Diego. Johnson started strongly when he ran so well in the 40-yard dash -- in the high 4.4 seconds to low 4.5s, depending on the scout timing him -- and continued to impress during drills. He showed a surprisingly quick, compact and efficient delivery and excellent footwork. Though his passes did not have the sharpest spiral, he showed the arm strength to make all the NFL throws. If he has a strong on-campus workout, he could be a second- or third-round pick.

RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas. Nearly everyone tried to pick apart McFadden and say he was not as good as the hype, but he did have a strong workout. He ran extremely fast in the 40 and showed athleticism, agility and sharp cutting ability during drills and caught the ball better than expected. There are concerns about some recent off-field issues, but his on-field performance in Indianapolis was that of a high pick.

RB Chris Johnson, East Carolina. After a tough week at the Senior Bowl, Johnson blew everyone away by running the fastest 40 at the Combine and showed the elite explosiveness, quick cutting ability and receiving skills we expected to see in Mobile, Ala. His Combine performance renewed comparisons between Johnson and the Eagles' Brian Westbrook.

RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois. Mendenhall impressed us with his solid physique and continued to shine throughout the Combine. He ran well in the 40 and looked good enough in all the drills to put himself in position to amongst the top 15-20 players drafted.

WR Devin Thomas, Michigan State. Thomas was dominant and put himself in position to possibly be the first receiver drafted if he follows up his Combine performance with a strong on-campus workout. He shocked nearly everyone by running so fast in the 40 and made precise cuts and caught the ball well in drills.

WR Andre' Caldwell, Florida. At the Senior Bowl, he ran past cornerbacks all week. He followed that up with an excellent Combine. He helped himself by weighing more than 200 pounds, showing he could maintain that weight since the Senior Bowl. In the 40, he ran in the high 4.3s or low 4.4s. He has proven he has the size, athleticism, explosiveness and hands to be a first-round pick.

TE Dustin Keller, Purdue. Keller's lack of bulk always will keep him from being a good blocker, but he helped himself greatly at the Combine. He shocked everyone with his speed, agility and explosiveness. He never will be a complete tight end, but he can have an impact as a receiver. Keller jumped up draft boards -- a likely second-round pick.

OT Jake Long, Michigan. Long lacks the ideal athleticism for a left tackle, but he is a fluid and efficient blocker. He handled the interview process well. Despite lacking much upside, Long showed he is the surest thing of the tackles and should be an NFL starter for 10-12 years.

DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State. Gholston stood out as an elite athlete. Although he grades out as a second- or third-round prospect through film study, his elite Combine workout assured him of a first-round spot. That said, Gholston must produce much better in the NFL than he did at Ohio State.

DE Chris Long, Virginia. Long impressed during the interview process, and his performance during the workouts secured him the spot as the No. 1 defensive end. He was so smooth and athletic in drills that he looked more a like a linebacker. He showed quick footwork and great agility and body control.

DE Derrick Harvey, Florida. For a player who was viewed as an undersized defensive end, Harvey helped himself by weighing 290 pounds. He then surprised us with how well he played at such a weight. He was quick, smooth and agile, convincing NFL personnel men he has the bulk to be a full-time end. In the last week, Harvey went from a likely third-round pick to a likely first-round spot.

DT Dre' Moore, Maryland. Moore stood out by running the 40 in the 4.8s at more than 300 pounds. He further impressed with how good he looked in the drills, maintaining good balance, moving easily in the open field and changing directions smoothly.

OLB Cliff Avril, Purdue. Avril mostly played defensive end in college, but his workout at the Combine showed he has the athleticism to switch to outside linebacker. He was smooth in all the drills and shows the tools to be effective playing upright in a two-point stance. He was given a "Workout Wonder" label and must prove he is as good of a football player as he is an athlete. Avril played like a fifth-rounder at Purdue in '07 but looked like a first-round athlete at the Combine, which means he probably will get drafted in the second or third round.

OLB Wesley Woodyard, Kentucky. Woodyard's strong Combine compensated for an up-and-down week at the Senior Bowl. He showed he has elite linebacker speed when he ran in the low 4.5s, and he was sharp, smooth and athletic in all drills. Woodyard is in position to be a third- or fourth-round pick.

S Josh Barrett, Arizona State. Barrett looked muscular during the weigh-in and ran well in the 40. He performed well in all the drills and showed good athleticism for a big safety. His Combine performance has positioned him to be a mid-round prospect.

S Kenny Phillips, Miami (Fla.). Phillips impressed many with his good 40 time and his all-around athleticism. Additionally, he was more impressive in his interviews than he was on the field, showing maturity and excellent football smarts.

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State. Rodgers-Cromartie has been on a meteoric rise since the Senior Bowl and knocked everyone's socks off at the Combine. He was a notch quicker and more explosive in the drills than all the other cornerbacks. Rodgers-Cromartie proved he is an elite athlete but still must show he can become the football player he was not in college.

CB Leodis McKelvin, Troy. McKelvin rebounded from an inconsistent week at the Senior Bowl and showed the athleticism we expected. After Rodgers-Cromartie, McKelvin was the most explosive cornerback.

LOSERS

RB Mike Hart, Michigan. Hart started poorly when he ran in the high 4.6s in the 40-yard dash and did not show the explosiveness in drills to convince us he can overcome his poor 40 time. Most NFL personnel men came away with the impression that Hart is suited only for a third-down or change-of-pace role.

TE John Carlson, Notre Dame. Carlson ran in the high 4.8s/low 4.9s in the 40 and did not show any quickness, speed or explosiveness in drills. He looked like an average athlete, which would diminish his impact as a receiving tight end. Considering how bad a blocker he is, his stock is sure to drop.

OT Jeff Otah, Pitt. Otah looked sluggish running his 40 and slow-footed in drills. He did not show any real quick-twitch movements during the workout -- a major concern for an offensive tackle.

DT Frank Okam, Texas. Okam arrived drastically overweight at 347 pounds and looked soft-bodied. He looked sloppy running the 40 and struggled to stay on his feet throughout drills.

DT Pat Sims, Auburn. Sims looked soft and seemed to be out of shape. He did not move well in drills, was often choppy and struggled to maintain his balance. He must have a strong on-campus workout to prove he is a legitimate late-first or early-second round pick.

OLB Ali Highsmith, LSU. Highsmith needed a strong week in Indy to overcome his poor play in '07, but he did not pull it off. He looked slow running the 40 and struggled in drills. He must have an excellent on-campus workout or will slide down to the late rounds.

CB Chevis Jackson, LSU. Jackson had a strong '07 season and an excellent week at the Senior Bowl, but he hurt himself with bad 40 times at the Combine. His overall workout was solid, but running in the mid-4.6s will hurt his draft status unless he redeems himself in on-campus workouts with a 40-yard dash in the low 4.5s.

S Marcus Griffin, Texas. Already on thin ice, Griffin must greatly improve his 4.8 40 time or will not be drafted.

[Knight of God]

For RB I hope we cut Snelling and pick up Rice or Hart and maybe Kevin O'Connell or Josh Johnson.

[Vicious]

Wrong forum.

[Rev.Jesse Jackson.]

Here we go again.

[Big Duke 6]

Vicious (3/2/2008)

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Wrong forum.

Dont read it.

[FalconFanatic!!!!]

please Josh Johnson

[Vicious]

bigduke633 (3/2/2008)

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Vicious (3/2/2008)

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Wrong forum.

Dont read it.

Post it where it goes. I didn't read it.

[Knight of God]

Vicious (3/2/2008)

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Wrong forum.

I don't go to the other forum. The mocks flood the place. Trade down to this and that and no trades are even being spoken of. At least here some of the guys actually try and make knowledgeable threads from time to time.

[Big Duke 6]

Vicious (3/2/2008)

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bigduke633 (3/2/2008)

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Vicious (3/2/2008)

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Wrong forum.

Dont read it.

Post it where it goes. I didn't read it.

How do you know it doesnt belong if you didnt read it?

[Vicious]

Legion (3/2/2008)

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Vicious (3/2/2008)

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Wrong forum.

I don't go to the other forum. The mocks flood the place. Trade down to this and that and no trades are even being spoken of. At least here some of the guys actually try and make knowledgeable threads from time to time.

There are very few. It's really hard to find intelligent life around here.

[Big Duke 6]

Trade talk or topics where people come up witht trades teams would never consider are lame.Good mocks that mostly consider where players value is graded are good though.

[Rev.Jesse Jackson.]

bigduke633 (3/2/2008)

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Trade talk or topics where people come up witht trades teams would never consider are lame.Good mocks that mostly consider where players value is graded are good though.

TATF