Paul Dawson ran an absolutely awful 4.93, Perryman was a 4.78. The guy who excelled was Vic Beasley. Athletic freak is the word for him: 4.53 40, 35 bench presses, 41" vertical, 130" broad jump, Yeesh.
The guy that intrigues me more and more is Stephone Anthony. 4.56 40, 23 bench presses, 37" vertical, 122" broad jump. He's faster, stronger, more athletic than Kendricks. I really think the packers should have a look at him, especially if he's still there in round 3.
I stated Dawson was among the most overrated players mentioned in these pages. That 40 time speaks for itself. We'll see what he does at his Pro Day. He better show up.
Beasley was out of range at #30 before the Combine; he's way out of range now. Besides, he's projected at OLB. Having bulked up to 246 with 35 lifts, some teams will like him for a 4-3 edge rusher.
My preliminary assessment of Perryman was that he's a box ILB. While we knew he strong and explosive coming in, the athletic measurements come up short. He's a box ILB.
Kendrick's numbers were comparable to Anthony...4.61, 19, 38", 124". We know Kendricks is a football player; we're not so certain about Anthony. Kendricks lifts are a question. But when you look at the tape he flows to the hole and has the technique to make the stop even if he doesn't blow people up. Pat Willis had 22 lifts at his Combine...technique trumps brute force.
If you want a 3-down backer who can stop guys in the hole, has pristine instincts, can run like the wind, and has great feel in coverage, then go draft Pat Willis with the 11th. pick.
So, it's time to fish or cut bait.
Do you want a 2-down guy who will blow up runners from time to time? Then go for Perryman or sign Spikes in FA.
Or do you want a 3-down guy to play the weak side who will flow to ball carrier, track Lynch on a wheel route or Forte out of the backfield, man the middle zone in nickle and dime coverage, and spy the faster QBs? Then go with Kendricks. Barrington takes the strong side.
I made my choice already; the Combine numbers just confirmed it. They were better than I expected.
