Quarterback Trubisky stands tall at combine
Six-foot-two Trubisky looms large as potential No. 1 pick for Cleveland
Without even spinning a pigskin, the Mitch Trubisky show was centre stage on the first major day of the NFL Combine.
After a couple days of arrivals, interviews, physicals and hobnobbing with various personnel departments, quarterback prospects were poked and prodded Thursday, and it couldn’t have gone any better for Trubisky.
The potential first-overall pick, who, along with the rest of the quarterback class, will throw for scouts Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, measured in at a shade over six-foot-two, a very newsworthy height.
We may not see much difference between a six-foot-one quarterback and a six-foot-three signalcaller, but the scouting community sure does and everyone took notice when the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock suggested Trubisky would measure in closer to sixfoot-one than the six-foot-three he was listed at while playing for the University of North Carolina. Trubisky split the difference. “I got a note this morning that he measured in at 6-2, so he made himself some money today, I can promise you that,” San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch told Rob Rang of CBS.
Interestingly, Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson also said Thursday he believes six-foot-two is an important threshold for a QB, a statement that was timed nicely with a report by the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot that the Browns are “strongly considering” Trubisky with the top pick in the draft.
Trubisky grew up in Mentor, Ohio, about 30 minutes outside of Cleveland.
“Obviously, he’s a tremendous player,” Jackson told reporters. “There’s a lot of good players in this draft. It’s just so early for us to determine exactly where we are. All those things will be discussed and thrown around as we continue to move forward.”
TESTING TIME
The first day of on-field testing goes Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium, and all eyes will be on the running backs.
There are four potential first rounders — LSU’s Leonard Fournette, who checked in at a robust 240 pounds Thursday, Florida State’s Dalvin Cook, Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey and Tennessee’s Alvin Kamara — who will be looking to solidify their draft stock with a fast time in the 40yard dash.
Specialists, offensive linemen and running backs will test Friday (9 a.m., NFL Network), followed by quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends Saturday, defensive linemen and linebackers Sunday, before defensive backs round out the event Monday.
MIXON IT UP
Joe Mixon wasn’t one of the 330 draft prospects invited to the combine, and there’s at least one NFL general manager who’s disappointed by that.
Detroit Lions GM Bob Quinn also noted he hasn’t taken the troubled Oklahoma running back off his draft board, something many teams that shy away from players with off-the-field concerns have already done.
Mixon wasn’t invited to the combine this week in Indy because of an ugly 2014 incident in which he punched a woman in the face.
He was suspended by the Sooners for the 2014 season, but video footage released in December put Mixon’s problems back in the spotlight.
“We’re going to leave the door open on Joe,” Quinn said. “I think it’s really disappointing that Joe’s not here. We come here to see the best college football players in college football. So there’s 330, 340some odd players here. Him not being here, because of those issues, personally, I don’t think that’s real fair because we have a lot of investigation that we want to do on him and to get him in one spot for all the teams would have been great.”
That wasn’t the consensus opinion, however, as Kansas City Chiefs GM John Dorsey called it a “privilege, not a right” to be invited.
QUICK HITS
In addition to Trubisky, Clemson QB Deshaun Watson and Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes also both measured in at just over six-foottwo. One concern, however, was Mahomes’ hands were measured at 9 1/4 inches. Anything around the nine-inch mark is where NFL teams start worrying about ball security. If you need proof why hand size matters, simply go back and look at the way Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was able to hold onto the ball with his fingertips on a blindside sack in the playoffs … Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, a projected top-five pick, had surgery to repair labrum tears in both shoulders during his college career, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The news is unlikely to hurt his draft stock, but it’s a minor red flag … Miami Hurricanes TE David Njoku turned heads Thursday when his wingspan checked in at a condor-like 82 1/2-inches. Njoku was also a national champion high-jumper, a combo that will interest just about every NFL team on draft day … Utah guard Isaac Asiata led all offensive linemen with 35 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press Thursday … At fivefoot-11, 233 pounds, Oklahoma RB Samaje Perine logged 30 reps. The next best tailback was Cook with 22 reps. McCaffrey, who was smaller than scouts expected at 202 pounds, could only manage 10 reps.
There’s a lot of good players in this draft. It’s just so early for us to determine exactly where we are.