The NFL is about to get some astonishing athletes in their ranks.
The NFL Scouting Combine gives college prospects the chance to show off their strength, speed, and positional skills to scouts, coaches, and executives—and the 2017 class didn’t disappoint.
Whether it was potential first-overall pick Myles Garrett wowing scouts with his vertical leap, 240-pound tank Leonard Fournette showing great speed for a player his size, Bucky Hodges going wild on the broad jump, or lightning-quick John Ross setting a new 40-yard dash record, there were plenty of athletic feats from Indianapolis.
The performances helped some players elevate their draft stock, while others only cemented themselves as top-10 picks in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Some may have even put themselves into the conversation for the strongest, most ridiculously athletic Combine performances of all time.
Here’s a look at 13 players who absolutely crushed their Combine workouts:
13. Carl Lawson, Defensive End, Auburn
The 261-pound defensive star hit 35 reps on the 225-pound bench press, making him number one among all 49 defensive linemen at the Combine. We showed you how shredded Lawson was ahead of the Combine—so no wonder he was able to do this:
Heading into the Combine, the Sooners running back was considered to be one of the strongest players in college football. He only proved that with his performance, putting up the most reps (30) among running backs on the 225-pound bench press. Perine even beat out all but four of the offensive linemen:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=X46rkSsc5uI
10. Solomon Thomas, Defensive Line, Stanford
The Stanford defensive star is one of the biggest athletic freaks in this draft—he’s 6’3”, 266 pounds and is expected to be a top-10 pick. Thomas solidified that with a broad jump of 10’8″, the fourth-best since 2006 among defensive linemen, and a 4.7-second 40-yard dash, excellent for a player his size:
At 6’6”, 250 pounds, the Alabama star might be better suited as a linebacker than at tight end, but that’s what makes him unique among prospects this year. Howard put up the top 3-cone drill, short-shuttle drill, and 60-yard shuttle drill time of any tight end, and he showed off his blazing speed and ridiculous athleticism with a 4.51-second 40-yard dash—a time that most running backs would be happy with:
Even though they play different positions, T.J. Watt outdid his brother J.J. Watt, the three-time winner of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award with a 4.69-second 40-yard dash. This Watt guy might have a future in the NFL:
As if this draft needed another ridiculously athletic tight end, the 6′4″, 245-pound Hurricanes star put on a show with a 37.5″ vertical jump (fourth among all tight ends) and an 11’1″ broad jump (tied for fourth among all players at the Combine). Here’s Njoku’s very strong 4.64-second 40-yard dash:
NUC Alum and Cedar Grove, NJ Native David Njoku had an excellent day at the NFL Combine pic.twitter.com/DOxe4eoMm0
Njoku said he was going to break the broad jump record at the Combine, but instead it was another fellow tight end who did it. The 6’6”, 236-pound Virginia Tech star had a fantastic 4.58-second 40-yard dash and set the record for his position with an 11’2″ broad jump, shooting him up draft boards for scouts. His vertical leap of 39″ inches was the best for all tight ends at the Combine:
Vertical Jump: 39″ (#1 for all ’17 TEs) Broad Jump: 11’2″ (New TE Record)
The Connecticut defensive back may have made the best impression on scouts of any player at the draft. Melifonwu dominated his workouts, putting up a blazing-fast 4.46-second 40-yard dash, a 44″ vertical jump, and a 11’9″ broad jump, the best of any player at any position since 2003. Here are all three for your viewing pleasure:
Obi Melifonwu is a 6’4″ DB that just dominated every category of the NFL Combine pic.twitter.com/e9asSwKATC
Even though he was already considered one of the best running backs in the draft, Fournette may have vaulted himself into the top 5 with a 4.51-second 40 yard dash—amazing for a guy who weighs 240 pounds. His time was the fastest for any RB weighing at least 240 pounds since 2006:
Well, he didn’t win an island from Adidas, but the Huskies receiver put himself down in the history books with a 4.22-second 40-yard dash, besting the record set by Chris Johnson back in 2008.
After playing over 10 different positions for the Wolverines during the 2016 season, all eyes were on Peppers at the Combine.
He didn’t disappoint.
The 6’0”, 213-pound Heisman finalist worked with both the DBs and LBs in Indianapolis, looking great in positional drills and posting a 35.5” vertical leap and a 4.46-second 40-yard dash:
If there was any doubt that Garrett would be a worthy No. 1-overall pick, the 6’4”, 272-pound athletic beast put an end to it. Garrett aced every workout at the Combine, causing one NFL defensive coordinator to tell the MMQB: “I don’t have a player comparison for what I just saw. He looked like Wolverine.”
Garrett put up an absurd 4.64-second 40-yard dash, faster than NFL speedster Jarvis Landry, crushed 33 reps on the 225-pound bench press, had a 10’8″ broad jump, and a 41’ vertical leap, three inches higher than Odell Beckham:
