Stars shine at combine, flame out as pros
Draft evaluation oversold some, to teams’ dismay
On Friday, NFL scouting combine on-field workouts will get underway in Indianapolis. Part track meet, part grammar school fitness test, the combine is a cog in the NFL draft’s evaluation machine. This is also often the first time key decision-makers in the league get a firsthand look at the fresh talent. And, as the saying goes, first impressions matter. Sometimes way too much. What happens on Lucas Oil Stadium’s artificial turf can seemingly overshadow what transpired on the field in actual pads the previous autumn. Here’s a look at prospects whose work in Indy might have factored a bit too much into their overall draft evaluation. What followed? Well, mistakes were made. 7. CHRIS HENRY, RB Draft: 2007, Round 2, No. 50 overall Selected by: Tennessee Titans
He posted less-than-impressive numbers during his four seasons at Arizona, never rushing for more than 600 yards in a year and scoring only nine touchdowns with a 3.3-yards-per-carry average. Still, a stellar combine workout — highlighted by a 4.4second 40 time — can change minds quickly. Henry played in just 11 games — with no starts — in a four-year NFL career, rushing for 122 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
6. AARON CURRY, LB Draft: 2009, Round 1, No. 4 overall
Selected by: Seattle Seahawks He was considered an elite prospect heading into the combine. Curry solidified that lofty perch by running a 4.56-second 40 and posting a 37-inch vertical. The Wake Forest standout became the highest-drafted linebacker since LaVar Arrington went No. 2 overall in the 2000 draft. Curry played in 30 games in his first two seasons but rarely made an impact. By 2011, his draft-bust status was nearly complete after he lost his starting job to K.J. Wright and was shipped to the Raiders in exchange for a seventh-round pick.
5. DARRIUS HEYWARD-BEY, WR Draft: 2009, Round 1, No. 7 overall
Selected by: Raiders Of the 14 players with the fastest 40 times at the combine since 2006, four were drafted by the Raiders (Heyward-Bey, Jacoby Ford, DeMarcus Van Dyke, Tyvon Branch). Heyward-Bey was a relatively unspectacular prospect coming out of Maryland, where he decided to forgo his senior season. That move paid off handsomely. Heyward-Bey’s 4.3-sec- ond 40 time boosted his draft stock, and the Raiders picked him over more-heralded receivers such as Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin. Heyward-Bey lasted four seasons with the Raiders, collecting 11 touchdown passes and 2,071 yards receiving. 4. MIKE MAMULA, DE-LB Draft: 1995, Round 1, No. 7 overall Selected by: Philadelphia Eagles
Mamula is the cautionary tale for putting too much stock in a combine performance. Turn back the clock to 1995, and it was rare that a draft prospect trained specifically for the combine’s drills. But such preparation paid off tremendously for Mamula, who had a 381⁄ 2- inch vertical, ran a 40 that was extremely fast for his position (a reported 4.58 seconds) and had more bench press reps than the top offensive tackle in the draft (Tony Boselli). These numbers helped persuade the Eagles to make an aggressive move to get Mamula, trading up five spots from No. 12 to No. 7 overall with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Five picks after the Eagles selected him, the Bucs took future Hall of Famer Warren Sapp. 3. MATT JONES, WR Draft: 2005, Round 1, No. 21 overall Selected by: Jacksonville Jaguars
He played quarterback at Arkansas and once held the Southeastern Conference record for rushing yards by a quarterback. Jones’ athleticism prompted a position switch to help his draft status. At 6-6, he ran a sub-4.4 40. Mesmerized by a target with that enticing stature-and-speed combination, the Jags picked Jones, who was off the board six spots before the Atlanta Falcons took Roddy White and three selections before Aaron Rodgers fell to the Green Bay Packers. Jones lasted four seasons in Jacksonville, starting 15 games and catching 166 passes for 2,153 yards and 15 touchdowns. In 2009, Jacksonville had had enough of Jones’ off-field troubles and released him. 2. TROY WILLIAMSON, WR Draft: 2005, Round 1, No. 7 overall Selected by: Minnesota Vikings
After trading Randy Moss to the Raiders, the Vikings were desperate to replicate that vertical threat. Williamson was fast (4.32second 40), but he caught a bad case of the dropsies. He lasted three seasons and caught 79 passes (on 167 targets) for three touchdowns. He was shipped to the Jaguars in 2008 in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
1. VERNON GHOLSTON, DE Draft: 2008, Round 1, No. 6 overall
Selected by: New York Jets He came out of Ohio State with all of the measurables: size, speed, length, strength. But Gholston was raw and inexperienced. The 6-4, 258-pound physical specimen was impressive at the combine (4.67-second 40, 351⁄ 2- inch vertical, 37 reps of 225 pounds on the bench), and New York was smitten, burning a top-10 selection on a player who would start just five games and record no sacks over three seasons with the team.