The Good:

Jason Verrett, CB, TCU

Verrett had the best all-around day of any defensive back. He blazed under 4.4 in his 40 yard dash and was exceptionally fluid in all of the drills. He also displayed natural ball skills in the hands drills. I am a huge fan of Verrett’s tape, and he backed up his play with a stellar performance. If he was 2 inches taller, he would probably be a top 10 pick. At 5’9 ½”, he will likely slide to the end of the first round and perhaps into the 2nd round.

 

Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio St.

Like Verrett, Roby posted a sub-4.4 40 time. He showed impressive change of direction skills in the drills and solidified himself as a 1st round talent. Even though his talent suggests he should be a 1st round pick, I expect him to slide into the 2nd round. His tape against Wisconsin’s Jared Abbrederis was downright awful. Roby squatted on too many routes and wasn’t disciplined enough this past season.

 

Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech

Fuller’s 40 official 40 time was not quite as good as I expected at 4.49; his unofficial 40 of 4.40 was more in line with his game speed. Fuller has perhaps the best ball skills of anyone in the draft and he put on a show in the hands drills. Fuller’s backpedal is a little high, but he has such quick feet and fluid hips that he stood out as one of the best performers. Fuller has enormous talent, but he does have some durability questions. I feel he’s a late-1st/early-2nd round talent, and if a coach manages to clean up his technique, he could have an awesome career.

The Bad:

Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St.

Coming into the combine, scouts had questions about Dennard’s straight-line speed, as well as his ability in off-coverage. He answered questions about his long speed by running his 40 yard dash in a respectable 4.51 seconds (his unofficial time was 4.42). Unfortunately for Dennard, he did not have a good day otherwise. He was sloppy in most of the drills and looked stiff when he tried flipping his hips. Dennard did look incredibly natural catching the ball, but scouts will be worried about his ability in off man. He is still an awesome press corner, but he may have slipped into the latter half of the 1st round.

 

Loucheiz Purifoy, CB, Florida

Purifoy had a rough day. He started by putting up a pathetic 6 reps on the bench press. This obviously isn’t one of the more important workouts for DB’s, but scouts like to see some semblance of commitment in the weight room. And for a guy that plays incredibly soft, especially in the run game, this will not ease scouts’ concerns about Purifoy’s strength. Purifoy then ran a lumbering 4.61 40 (unofficial 4.55). For a guy that looked to have sub 4.5 speed in games, this was a disappointing time. In the drills, Purifoy’s struggles continued. He sat very high in his backpedal and looked stiff turning and running. He’s still a quick-footed corner with starter upside, but his stock took a hit. Prior to the combine, I had him as an early 3rd round corner. Post-combine, he has slipped toward the end of the third round and possibly into day 3.

The Ugly:

Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida

Roberson hurt his stock as much as anyone yesterday. Some scouts had him as a potential mid-1st round pick, but he can kiss those dreams goodbye. He was a complete train wreck. He ran a 4.61 40 yard dash, failing to meet expectations of a 4.4 40. He was among the worst in every single drill. He showed awful technique and looked absurdly stiff. Roberson looked unprepared, often having to redo drills. When I watched his games before the combine, I saw a talented corner that didn’t play up to his measurables. He was susceptible to double moves and consistently gave up separation at the top of routes. Still, he seemed to have NFL starter tools so I gave him a 3rd round grade. He’s now in severe danger of falling to day 3.