Notably strong vertical jump performances from tight end prospects: Jimmy Graham (38.5 in 2010), Greg Olsen (35.5 in 2007) and Vernon Davis (42.0 in 2006). And both could see extensive action in 2020, following the release of Jimmy Graham this past March. He may end up as streamer, however, depending on how the rest of the offseason pans out. If you perform well here, you're probably more explosive and athletic than your peers.The combine's most glamorous event might be the most important drill for one of football's least glamorous positions.Common sense indicates that the guys who battle interior offensive linemen on a down-by-down basis require similar skills. 2019 wasn't a great one for Jimmy Graham, as he posted just 447 receiving yards and three scores.The Bears have some playmakers on their offense, but the QB situation is still somewhat of a question mark. Ruggs, despite what looked like a slightly slow start, ran a ridiculously fast 40-yard dash.Unfortunately, Ruggs didn’t see the field for the gauntlet as he was seen putting ice on his quad following his second attempt at the 40. Beyond the numbers, people will draw conclusions based on players' performances in position drills and whether their team interviews reportedly went either magnificently or terribly.Reading and reacting while moving laterally is pretty damn important if you're a linebacker, and it's important for prospects at that position to display that ability in a vacuum at the combine, rather than just on tape.On the surface, the higher a receiver can jump, the larger his catch radius is likely to be. The vertical gives evaluators a better feel for what kind of athlete a receiver is.The 2018 NFL Scouting Combine gets underway Tuesday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, giving football addicts their first dose of pigskin in nearly a month.Many of us will draw way-too-large conclusions about prospects based on their 40-yard dashes, their bench-press results, their 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drill speeds and their totals in the vertical and/or broad jump. Not only does the vertical measure that ability, but it also illustrates a player's lower-body strength. Candidates: Robert Tonyan, Josiah Deguara What to watch: It will be interesting to see how the Packers utilize the tight end position in 2020.Sternberger is the most likely option to replace Jimmy Graham as a starter, but there are a bunch of snaps to be earned as the move tight end.
But it’s much harder for a prospect to convince a team he can get open if he doesn’t show the size, speed, and quickness to do so.We knew Ruggs was fast coming into the combine, and though he ultimately failed to break the 4.22 mark set by John Ross III, he was still a gosh dang blur out there. Tight EndsHeight Weight Arm Length Hand Size 10 Yard Split 40 Yard Dash Vertical Jump Broad Jump 3-Cone Drill 20 Yard Shuttle 87 74 97 93 89 94 95 80 90 30. But one thing experts agreed on going into the combine was that he needed to bulk up a little bit.But his 4.70-second performance in the 40-yard dash was in the top five among players at his position.Showing off that athleticism crucial for receivers, though.Peoples-Jones is a bit buried in a deep wide receiver class and his vertical won’t change the fact he never made a huge impact at Michigan. Jimmy Graham. You need some of those attributes, but not all of them because there are so many different ways to excel as a cornerback or safety.Only position drills can reveal a receiver's ability to catch footballs consistently, but you can also see that on tape. 44.5" vertical jump for @UMichFootball WR @dpeoplesjones ! That, along with his strong numbers in other events (a 4.48-second 40, 11’7 broad jump) should help Peoples-Jones stand out a bit.Claypool also put in 19 bench press reps and a 40.5-inch vertical, showing both strength and explosiveness to go with his speed.There probably won’t be a performance as superhuman as Metcalf’s at the 2020 NFL Combine, but there were a few players who have stood out so far, both positively and negatively.Albert Okwuegbunam posted one of the fastest times ever for a tight end, while Mitchell Wilcox took a football to the face.And now the concern might be that he bulked up too much, because his 40-yard dash was a bit lackluster.
A quick study, Sternberger caught 47 passes for …