Ravens: NFL Combine Day 3 Recap of D-Line and Linebackers
By Cole Moog
Early Stock Risers: Defensive Line
Vic Beasley, Clemson
Vic Beasley had an overall fantastic day at the combine, easily the best performance of anyone. Beasley has a small frame but managed to put on fifteen pounds prior to the combine, and he didn’t not lose any athleticism with the weight. He ran the best official forty out of the defensive lineman group with a 4.53. Also Beasley put up 35 reps on the bench press, along with a 41-inch vertical. He showed even more explosiveness in the drills with his added weight and looks very comfortable in his new frame. There are multiple mixed opinions on Vic Beasley; some have him as a top ten player and some have him as late as an early second round selection. I believe Beasley should be taken in the middle of the first round but would not be surprised to see him go in the top ten picks.
Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA
His name is definitely a mouthful, but he’s also a handful to deal with on the football field. He showed tremendous athletic ability with a fantastic vertical jump — which was 39 inches, or two below Vic Beasley. He demonstrated great vertical quickness, posting a top five official forty-yard dash time of 4.62 seconds. Edge rusher is arguably the most important position in today’s pass heavy NFL. Odighizuwa also looked smooth in drills, showing good use of his hands along with a strong upper body.
Other Defensive Line Notes
Both Leonard Williams and Danny Shelton looked great in drills, cementing their worth as top ten picks. My top edge rusher – Shane Ray – was not cleared by doctors to run the forty-yard dash due to a hyper-extended foot injury he suffered in the Citrus Bowl. But he will run on his pro day on March 19th. Davis Tull is a small school player to watch from Tennessee-Chattanooga. He wasn’t able to run in drills because of a bad hamstring, but he posted the highest vertical out of all lineman at 42.5 inches. The biggest knock against Davis is his small arms, but I think he can be a great value pick in the forth or fifth round.
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