NFL players finally have a chance to rest after a taxing 2013 season. As for those that haven’t yet made the league, their journey has just begun. Across the league, NFL scouts and general managers are scrambling to work harder than ever to get their draft boards in order. The NFL Draft is the most important offseason event in the league. After the end of the season, the first draft event is the NFL Draft Combine, which runs from Feb. 22 to Feb. 25 in Indianapolis.
The Draft Combine is the place for NFL Draft prospects to showcase their athletic ability for NFL teams. Many players can have their draft stock skyrocket with a great performance or have their stock plummet with a poor showing.
We start with consensus number one prospect, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney from South Carolina. Listed at 6-foot-6 inch and 274 pounds, Clowney is the most intriguing athlete in the entire draft class. If Clowney can put on a show, as he predicted, he will cement himself as a top five pick.
The player that will be getting the most attention at the combine is defensive end Michael Sam from Missouri. Sam is potentially the first openly gay NFL player in history after coming out to The New York Times Feb. 9.
Although the athletic drills will be important for Sam to propel his stock, the most important thing will be how he tests with his team interviews. Sam will be bombarded with questions about his sexuality and how he will fit into an NFL locker room. If he can pass the interview tests, then he can focus on the drills to improve his stock.
The most important position in football, quarterback, has a few players on the must-watch list. Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M is the most exciting prospect in the entire draft. Manziel has big playmaking ability and can make plays with his feet or his arm.
Another top quarterback to watch is Teddy Bridgewater from Louisville. Bridgewater is looked at as the best pure passer in this year’s class. Although these quarterbacks are two of the top prospects in the draft, most of their stock will be tied to team interviews, since signal callers may not throw at the combine.
There will be other top prospects that will be interesting to watch for such as linebacker Anthony Barr from UCLA, linebacker Khalil Mack from Buffalo, Auburn tackle Greg Robinson and Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton- Dix. Along with the top recognizable names, there are also many under-the-
radar prospects that will be intriguing to watch at the combine.
One prospect to watch is running back Isaiah Crowell from Alabama State. Crowell started his college career at Georgia as one of the top recruits in the nation. After multiple run-ins with the law, he was dismissed from Georgia and later enrolled at Alabama State. He was a very talented runner coming into college, so if he can have a strong showing at the combine, maybe he can show the potential to be an NFL caliber running back.
Another prospect with hidden potential is Quarterback Derek Carr from Fresno State. Although Carr is considered a possible first round pick, he is not looked at as a top quarterback like Manziel, Bridgewater or UCF’s Blake Bortles. Carr should be able to boost his draft stock in the combine with his interviews with teams. There may be a good amount of attention shown toward Carr, as there are multiple teams in need of a quarterback.
Other notable under-the-radar players to watch out for are tackle Zack Martin from Notre Dame, safety Deone Bucannon from Washington State, linebacker Kyle Van Noy from BYU and cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste from Nebraska.
The Underwear Olympics are the first stop on a crazy road leading up to the NFL Draft on May 8.
This weekend, 335 players will have their chance to show NFL scouts what they are made of. NFL fans are excited to see who propels their stock and whose stock will fall.
Dominick Falco can be reached at dominick.falco@spartans.ut.edu.