I posted shortly after the combine a short of players I thought improved their stock in the eyes of the Panthers and therefore might be wearing black and teal this fall. Likewise I've got a few that probably didn't help themselves with their combine performance.
Vontaze Burfict did little to help his draft position
At one point this week, "things faster than Vontaze Burfict" ranked among the top trending topics on Twitter. People were mocking him by posting YouTube video of themselves running faster in their office parking lot. Oh, and Burfict also had the worst broad jump among linebackers and tied for next-to-last at his position in the vertical jump. He didn't even bother with the bench-press test or shuttle runs. So, let's see: No speed. No explosiveness. No competitive spirit.
'Things faster than Burfict!" Now that is too damn funny. This guy is like the anti-Panther who I bet is not even on the Panthers board at all. Here's another report on Burfict that confirms similar impressions:
2012 NFL Scouting Combine: The biggest risers and fallers in Indy - NFL - Sporting News
3. Vontaze Burfict, ILB, Arizona State, 6-1 1/2, 248; new likely draft position: Third or fourth round. Burfict did not go through his full workout after reportedly pulling a hamstring on his second 40. His first 40 time of 5.10 did not help him; that is slow for a linebacker. Of greater concern: We heard from different NFL scouts about Burfict’s disappointing interviews with teams. The scouts said he blamed his struggles in 2011 on everyone but himself. Do not be shocked if his draft stock continues to fall as teams remove him from their boards because of maturity concerns.
Our early pick for the Panthers no longer seems to warrant a top 10 pick:
Dre Kirkpatrick less than dazzling at Combine workout - NFL - Sporting News
Nothing he did Tuesday will take away from the outstanding potential seen in his game film over the course of his career at Alabama, but it does raise a few eyebrows about his preparation for this event. Kirkpatrick struggled to stay low in his backpedal and showed average change-of-direction skills in every drill. One NFL source in attendance said he saw "some stiffness" in his movements, which is not something elite pro prospects want to hear.
This was one of the surprises of the combine but now that it appears there was a lot of misinformation given out (like the fact Michael Brockers did not lift but was reported as registering 19 reps) I'm going to say Wright is faster than the 40 times reported:
2012 NFL Combine: risers and fallers highlight a mixed-up WR class | February
Kendall Wright (Baylor) No player hurt his stock more this weekend than Kendall Wright, who was expected to run a sub-4.4 time in the 40 yard dash. Instead, he pumped out a sluggish 4.61 in an official time. And with the measuring tape barely cracking the 5'10" mark, a dark horse candidate for a top ten pick becomes fodder for a massive drop.However, this is where game tape will work in his favor. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports offered this defense: "Kendall Wright ran slower than Michael Floyd. I ask this: Who plays faster? It isn't Floyd." That said, several observers commented that Wright looked thicker and less athletic than he should have, raising questions where there were none before, while existing doubts about his height and sub-elite three-star recruiting status continue to dog him. As 49ers beat reporter Grant Cohn asked rhetorically in a Twitter conversation with us: "Who was the last 5-10 receiver who didn't run a 4.3 to get drafted in the first round?"
I'm not sure whether to believe the 40 time either:
Winners and losers at the NFL Scouting Combine | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper
Combine notables: The 6-5, 322-pound Brockers created a buzz at the weigh-in when he was measured with 35-inch arms and a wingspan of nearly 84 inches, but that was the highlight. The player expected to wow scouts with his athleticism ran the 40 in 5.36 – the third-slowest time among the 49 defensive linemen who ran. Brockers was pedestrian in other tests, as well. But when teams turn on the tape and see his play-making ability, Brockers won’t fall far. On the Panthers’ radar? Yes. Brockers is scheduled to visit Charlotte on March 8.