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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.