The NFL Combine has officially concluded, and the leadup to the NFL Draft has officially begun – and there were a ton of prospects that participated. There are a lot of players that raised their stocks at the combine. For the next few days, I will analyze the combine performances of key players at each position. The first position will be at linebacker.
Demetrius Knight is an intriguing prospect who many scouts have labeled as a mid-round draft choice. Entering the combine, Knight needed a strong combine performance to increase the chance of him being a Day 2 pick. Well, he did that by putting up good numbers at the combine.
Knight stood out in the agility drills by being 3rd in the 3-cone drill at 7.12 seconds and 2nd in the short shuttle with a time of 4.25 seconds. Knight also showcased his speed by running 4.58 seconds at the combine and a 10-yard split time of 1.58 seconds. He showcased his athleticism and with numbers like that, he got many scouts and NFL teams attention.
Out of all the linebacker prospects in this class, Francisco Mauigoa is very underrated. Watching the tape on him, there is so much potential and he plays with a strong level of physicality. He hasn’t been getting a ton of hype in the lead-up to this draft, but that just changed with his combined performance.
Mauigoa tested well and it showed with his agility tests. He had the best time in the shuttle drill completing it in 4.24 seconds. The 3-cone drill was the 4th best at 7.15 seconds. His jumping ability also stood out with a 35-inch vertical and a 10’1” broad jump. While his speed wasn’t the greatest running a 4.61 in the 40-yard dash, he made up for it with a 1.56 completion time in the 10-yard split drill. Overall, Mauigoa put in great numbers and raised his draft stock.
In the linebacker group, the biggest stock riser at the combine is Jihaad Campbell. His combine testing was excellent and was in the Top 5 in the 40-yard dash (4.52 seconds), 10-yard split (1.53 seconds), and broad jump (10’7”). Even in the position drills, he moved smoothly and with a ton of confidence.
To make things better for Campbell, it’s been reported that the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a ton of interest in him. Nobody can blame him after the strong combine performance and the many good performances in college. From what he has done the past few weeks, it would be stunning if Campbell wasn’t drafted in the first round.
Those are the three linebackers who stood out the most and raised their NFL Draft stock. What are your thoughts on the three linebackers above? Who else stood out to you at the combine for linebackers? Let me know in the comment section and don’t forget to give the article a like as well. Don’t forget to check out other NFL content on Stadium Rant.
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