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Kyle Wilson at the NFL Combine: How will his performance affect his draft status?

The NFL Combine gets started today. And me without a Sprint NFL Network phone!

Kyle Wilson and the DBs will be last to go at the Combine. Will a good Combine performance get Wilson any higher than he already is? Can he drop with a bad performance? After the jump, discuss just how important the Combine is for Wilson's selection on Draft Day, and get the inside information on when he goes, who he's with, and what he'll be doing.

Star-divide

The Kyle Wilson summary for those of us who know nothing about Kyle Wilson

MEASUREMENTS:

  • Height: 5'10"
  • Weight: 190 pounds
  • 40 time: 4.42 (with a low of 4.32)

THE TWITTER SUMMARY:

Wilson is classic cover corner who wins one-on-one battles and makes plays #youdonotthrowatkylewilson

THINGS THE SCOUTS GET RIGHT:

Scouts across the NFL love Kyle Wilson's hips. They are fluid and smooth and - can someone just get these guys a room already?

Wilsonromance_medium

Wilson's hips are a big reason why he excels in coverage. He can move with a receiver and change directions at a moment's notice, and he has the closing speed to break on a ball. His aggressiveness can get him in trouble, but it can also pay off big time with INTs, PBUs, and the occasional pick-six. Wilson can read routes exceptionally well, and he has the ball skills to make a QB think twice before throwing his direction. He can take away a receiver fairly easily.

THINGS THE SCOUTS MAY NOT ACCOUNT FOR:

Wilson's aggressiveness can leave him susceptible to double moves or heinous coverage penalties. He can be beat with a well thrown ball, which may make him a No. 2 corner on a good team or a No. 1 on a bad. Scouts should not discount Wilson's leadership abilities or his desire and self-motivation.

NON-FOOTBALL THING YOU MAY FIND ENDEARING/CHARMING/INTERESTING:

He has his own motorhome, which is not to say that he owns it but rather that it is a shrine to him.

Wilson_rv_medium

RV there yet? (via media.2news.tv)

 

TOTAL SUMMARY GRADING OF OVER/UNDERRATED:

Wilson is a late first round pick in the majority of mock drafts, which is the perfect amount of ratedness for him. He may very well end up as the top NFL corner from this draft class, but he will not pass up DBs like Florida's Joe Haden on draft day thanks to the stigma of Wilson's WAC competition.

Kyle Wilson's schedule at the NFL Combine

The combine begins today with interviews, buffets, and shirtless pictures, but Wilson's combine will not really get underway until Saturday. Here is what's on tap for the Boise State star:

  • Saturday: Physical, interview
  • Tuesday: Position drills

Wilson will be with the cornerbacks and safeties, a group that includes Haden, Tennessee's Eric Berry, and others. Wilson is listed anywhere from the No. 2 cornerback in the draft to the No. 5 cornerback. If you want to watch Wilson in action (or anyone else in action for that matter), check out NFL.com's live feed of the Combine.

Also, if you have some time to kill, Mike Mayock does a pretty interesting breakdown of what drills each position will be running through. Plus, he's wearing sweatpants. That's fun.

2010-02-24_084628_medium

Boise State's Pro Day

Wilson and friends will host NFL scouts at the Boise State Pro Day on Friday, March 26. Last year's Pro Day highlights were Ian Johnson running fast and no one calling Jeremy Childs' bluff about going pro. This year, expect all eyes to be on Wilson's 40-yard-dash time.

The Bronco Pro Day  happens on the same day as the Pro Day for Miami, Arizona State, and Wake Forest.

WAC players at the combine

  • WR Seyi Ajirotutu, Fresno State
  • FS Jonathon Amaya, Nevada
  • DE Kevin Basped, Nevada
  • LB Justin Cole, San Jose State
  • DE Carl Ihenacho, San Jose State
  • OL Mike Iupati, Idaho
  • CB A.J. Jefferson, Fresno State
  • WR Kevin Jurovich, San Jose State
  • P Robert Malone, Fresno State
  • RB Ryan Mathews, Fresno State
  • RB Lonyae Miller, Fresno State
  • DT D'Anthony Smith, Louisiana Tech
  • WR Chastin West, Fresno State

That sure is a lot of Fresno State players. Pat Hill must be proud, and Fresno fans must be so confused why they have yet to win an outright WAC title.

How will the NFL Combine impact Kyle Wilson's draft status?

A lot can happen to a prospect at the NFL Combine. Run a blazing 40-yard-dash, and you go rocketing up draft boards (specifically the Raiders' draft board). Show up looking like an extra from Big Momma's House, and you go plummeting down draft boards (except the Raiders'). Some careers are made or broken at the NFL Combine. Will Wilson's be one of them?

For Wilson, the combine may not be the all-important event that it is for other players. Wilson is in an enviable position; he has already received loads of offseason hype and has carved out a regular spot in the late first round of all the experts' mock drafts. Wilson is one of the stars of the Combine, and the Combine's stars are rarely affected to a great extent by their performance, unless it is catastrophic.

2l9lh50_medium

Unless Wilson shows up to the Combine with a tail, he should leave Indianapolis as one of the best CBs in the draft.

His biggest opportunity at the Combine will be in the player interviews held by NFL teams. His on-field performance has been well-documented, and there may not be much that can devalue that (see below). But the more teams get to know Wilson, the more they will like him. His love of football, his knowledge of the CB position, and his personality will all be on display for NFL personnel. Judged on interviews alone, Wilson would have to be one of the draft's top prospects. Here's hoping NFL teams feel the same way.

Should the NFL Combine impact Kyle Wilson's draft status?

This one is up for debate. How much should drills and tests matter when it comes to evaluating Wilson's talent?

I would hope that scouts remember Wilson's tour de force performance at the Senior Bowl and weigh that more heavily than how he does in a three cone drill. Wilson is more a football player than he is a Vernon Gholston-like underwear terror. The feeling is that more NFL teams are beginning to value game film and practice tape than they are workouts and combines. That's probably for the best.

Do you think the NFL Combine holds any value any more? I'd be curious to hear your opinion.

I believe it is important to keep the Combine in perspective with a player's body of work during his college career. Moreso, I think that all-star games like the Senior Bowl provide a better measure of a player's football ability than Combine drills and tests.

However, the Combine is not a complete waste of time. The drills and exercises are designed to show teams a specific part of a player's ability. You get to see a player's burst of speed and lateral movement in a cone drill the same way you would see it in a practice or scrimmage. Scouts should not be judging players based on the Combine alone. But they also should not be skipping out on the value that the Combine provides.

Agree? Disagree?

Your turn

What do you think of the NFL Combine? Think Kyle Wilson can jump to the top of the CB list with a good performance? Looking forward to Boise State's Pro Day? Share your thoughts in the comments.

0 recs  |  Comment 17 comments |

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Unless something catastrophic happens, I dont think his situation will change.

He’s received a lot of analysis. One area o fconcern-Kyle relied a lot on his closing speed which while excellent for college will not be availing at the next level.I think his status is close to set and will not be much affected either way, but again something very negative coudl influence it. i would say the same for soemthing very positive but cant’ imagine what it would be bc he’s recevied accolades so far.

tvmunson

by tmunson on Feb 24, 2010 8:29 AM PST reply actions  

OBNUG

I don’t have a comment on the combine specifically, other than that I think it is high time scouts started paying attention to what these athletes do as football players on the field, and paying less attention to cone drills and 40 times.

I am primarily commenting to note how impressed I am with what this site is developing into, with regular and well written articles and interesting links. This is growing to be the online hub of Bronco Nation. Keep up the good work!

by loader11 on Feb 24, 2010 9:18 AM PST reply actions  

Welcome, loader

And thanks for the ego boost. Just wait until we get to spring practice in a couple weeks. The posts will be coming hot and heavy then for sure.

"Islanders fan, huh? Team of the future, I'd say." - Roger Johnson

by Kevan Lee on Feb 24, 2010 12:32 PM PST up reply actions  

Return man?

Would a team make him a return guy his rookie year? Is he fast enough at the NFL level for that? I remember Carr doing that untill he became more of a position player. I don’t expect to see him at CB as a rookie. I could be wrong.

by ruffneck on Feb 24, 2010 9:43 AM PST reply actions  

That blob of a man...

In the pic above, could probably run circles around most of us. I’m not sure how I feel about that.

by ruffneck on Feb 24, 2010 9:45 AM PST up reply actions  

Definitely a possibility as a returner

I have no evidence of this, but I would bet that he is at least as fast as Carr was when he entered the NFL. The only area that I would be concerned about is in ball security. He dropped a couple during his times at BSU, and if the NFL has a very low tolerance for dropped punts.

He would no doubt be a special teams terror on coverage units, too. Gunner, maybe?

"Islanders fan, huh? Team of the future, I'd say." - Roger Johnson

by Kevan Lee on Feb 24, 2010 12:34 PM PST up reply actions  

rookies contribute whereever possible to show value and make the team

I believe Wilson has been timed in the sub 4.4 area, so is fast enough to return kicks—-depends on who else is on the team.

If he is drafted early, he will likely see time at CB immediately at least as the third CB in nickel situations.. You can’t draft a first rounder in today’s NFL and not play him. Scandrick was a 5th rounder, and he played lots of CB his first year.

by ElPepeGrande on Feb 25, 2010 11:07 AM PST up reply actions  

The Combine gives us all what we want. Ooohs and Ahhhhs.

Tell me you didn’t feel relieved when Chris Johnson posted his 4.24 in the 40, and you were then comfortable with the Broncos giving up an insane amount of yards to him in 2007.

When someone puts up a ridiculous bench press or a huge vertical leap it is impressive, and we all like to hear about it. Whether it translates to on the field production or not is a question that is hard to answer. Guys like Johnson benefit greatly from the chance to put up gaudy numbers. Sometimes though it doesn’t pan out for others. That’s where I believe the interviews and psychological evaluations are paramount to the Combine. Also, that’s where Kyle Wilson should impress scouts the most.

But remember, just because you look good without a shirt on, doesn’t mean you can play football;

I rest my case.

Boise State - The best in all the land (The "land" being Idaho, and large parts of California, Oregon, and Nevada.)

by Mikrino on Feb 24, 2010 10:32 AM PST reply actions   2 recs

rec’d for the Chris Johnson analogy but not for making me bleach my eyes after seeing that picture again.

If Ryan Mathews runs a 4.24 40 at the combine, will you feel better about what he did to the Broncos? I don’t know if I will. Mathews wasn’t going 4.24 when BSU was missing tackles.

"Islanders fan, huh? Team of the future, I'd say." - Roger Johnson

by Kevan Lee on Feb 24, 2010 12:36 PM PST up reply actions   1 recs

rec'd for claiming you rec'd me but not actually rec'ing anything.

I agree about Ryan Mathews against the Broncos. He had help by way of Jeron Johnson, George Iloka, and even Wilson once I believe completely whiffing in the open field.

But, Boise State lapses in judgement aside, he did it to every other team this year too. He will probably have a good showing, but I don’t think he’s a burner like Johnson was. I do think he’ll be a good pro. Hooray for Fresno and getting guys to the pros. Boo for Fresno not winning championships of their own.

Boise State - The best in all the land (The "land" being Idaho, and large parts of California, Oregon, and Nevada.) Now also including Fort Worth, TX and coming soon this fall, Washington D.C.!

by Mikrino on Feb 24, 2010 12:48 PM PST up reply actions  

Although we really wouldn’t want Fresno to be winning championships, would we?

Winning OOC games, maybe. But not those championships, no.

by Egnowit on Feb 24, 2010 9:30 PM PST up reply actions  

Another "phantom" rec to you for coming back and rec'ing me after the fact!

Boise State - The best in all the land (The "land" being Idaho, and large parts of California, Oregon, and Nevada.) Now also including Fort Worth, TX and coming soon this fall, Washington D.C.!

by Mikrino on Feb 24, 2010 1:49 PM PST up reply actions  

Rec'd

for making the rest of the comments on this page italicized somehow.

"Everyone counted us out. I don't know why they keep doing that." -- Kyle Wilson

by Loque on Feb 25, 2010 10:51 AM PST up reply actions  

Note the pic of Wilson on Dalton

and note Bacon in the background. We have him for 3 more years. I dont think dalton would have gotten the pass off even if Kyle hadnt hammered him. Plus note Root also there-nice to see backups on money downs.

tvmunson

by tmunson on Feb 24, 2010 11:14 AM PST reply actions  

first round pick.

I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. I was building a house, I don't deserve this, deserves have nothing to do with it. Bang. "Unforgiven" I drink your milkshake. I drink it up! "There Will BE Blood"

by wolfmanshowlforever on Feb 24, 2010 3:59 PM PST reply actions  

I actually think

the Combine could hurt him, more than help him. If he runs a slow 40, or bombs some of the interviews of whatever, I think that definitely could drop him (particularly since his draft-rating shot up a LOT after the senior bowl, so it may be more susceptible to dropping again). That said, I don’t see any way how either of those happen.

For how much the combine should affect player draft status, I like the quote peter king had in this weeks MMQB, where a top NFL guy basically said the combine was good for the medical evaluation and the interviews, but the rest was pretty overrated.

by killtacular on Feb 24, 2010 5:04 PM PST reply actions  

it all depends

As for the Combine, i’ve been watching it for years now and have observed that there are many variables that can hurt or help the prospects. Some of the variables depends on the other athletes at each positions and ‘grading on a curve’ effect. (take Ian Johnson’s performance in a slow/weak RB field last year as an example." Other variables have to do with impressions scouts have in each prospect going into the combine that can improve or drop their draft stock.

My only concern about KW is all the attention and hype he’s got after the Senior bowl might slightly hurt him if he doesn’t perform up to expectations at the combine. I think as long as he does well enough at the drills and interviews, then he’ll stay at the 2nd best CB in the draft.

Whatever happens i’ll still be watching and cheering him on.

by CaptainBronco on Feb 24, 2010 8:47 PM PST reply actions  

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