The DL/LB Group Got the NFL Combine Started with a Bang
Josh Frey
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The on-field workouts at the NFL combine officially kicked off on Thursday, and the first position groups to take the field in Indianapolis were the defensive linemen and linebackers. These are two positions that the Minnesota Vikings could target in April’s draft, so this was a particularly important day for Vikings fans to take notice of some players that could be suiting up in purple this fall. Here are the four biggest winners from the DL/LB groups.
Auburn EDGE Derick Hall
Derick Hall proved exactly what he needed to on Thursday, and that is that he can hang with anyone in this class with his athletic skills. He clocked a 4.55 in the 40, including a 1.59 10-yard split and put together solid marks in both the vertical (33.5″) and broad jump (10’7″).
Hall has been a borderline first-round prospect for much of this process, and this showcase should make teams feel much better about potentially using a top-end pick on him.
Louisville DL YaYa Diaby
YaYa Diaby was one of the “dark-horses” of the defensive linemen coming into the week, but he leaves Indianapolis as one of the biggest success stories of the day. Diaby showcased elite burst for a player weighing in at 263 pounds.
The Louisville defensive lineman ran a 4.51 in the 40, but the most impressive part of this run may have been his 10-yard split that clocked in at 1.56 seconds. That is even faster than Georgia’s Nolan Smith, who we will get to talk about in a little while. He also had the seventh-highest vertical of the day at 37″.
Pittsburgh IDL Calijah Kancey
Calijah Kancey was a name that, if you didn’t know coming in Thursday, you certainly do now. At 281 pounds, Kancey put together a 40 of 4.67, topping Aaron Donald’s time of 4.68 back in 2014 for the fastest by a defensive tackle since 2003.
Vikings fans are all too familiar with athletic, undersized Pittsburgh defensive tackles that didn’t work out (Jaylen Tywman), but this is also the mold that created the monster that is Donald. Could the Vikings take another stab at this sort of player by drafting Kancey?
Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith
Looking at Nolan Smith’s testing from Thursday, it would be easy to mistake him for a wide receiver rather than an edge rusher. The Georgia product recorded a 4.39 in the 40, tied for the fastest with Auburn LB Owen Pappoe for the fastest among all the LBs and DLs, and he added a ridiculous 41.5″ vertical jump as well, the highest of the group.
This type of showing, plus some explosive tape, is exactly what he needed to help bolster his draft stock heading into April. This EDGE class is very deep, but Smith is the cream of the crop in terms of athletic ability.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken