5 Combine Snubs to watch during the draft: Part 9

5 Combine Snubs to watch during the draft: PART 9

We continue our look at combine snubs to keep an eye on during this week’s NFL Draft with our ninth installment of our series.

1. WR JORDAN LESLIE, BYU

The UTEP transfer had a productive senior year but perhaps put himself in position to be a 6^th or 7^th round pick with his pro day workout with a 4.41 and 4.46 40 at 6’1 5/8, 204 pounds. Leslie had a 36 inch vertical, 10’10 broad jump, 4.08 short shuttle, and 6.87 3-cone. Not only does he have speed but he has explosion, change of direction, quickness, and big hands (10 ¼). He is a little rigid as a runner but does well to get off the jam and could potentially hear his name in the 7^th round.

2. QB JAMEILL SHOWERS, UTEP

If you are looking for a quarterback sleeper who was not at the combine then Showers is the man to keep an eye on. Most people are looking for a huge pocket passer to put a late round grade on but we have him as a 7^th round pick despite only being 6’2, 221 pounds. Showers is athletic, can run (4.6 40), and is explosive. He can make plays with his feet and showed the ability to move the chains and make good throws in the NFLPA Bowl. We know he only completed 55.6% of his passes as a senior but he got better as the year went on and we could see him going late in the draft. If he isn’t drafted, he will likely be our top rated undrafted free agent quarterback.

3. FB AARON RIPKOWSKI, OKLAHOMA

It’s hard to find good fullbacks that don’t get a combine invite but this one just might become that hard to find gem. We have him on the borderline of getting drafted because of the odds but we believe he would be a good pickup in the 7^th round. Ripkowski can block, run, and catch even though his biggest asset is as a blocker. At 6’1 3/8, 238 pounds with 4.7 speed he needs to bulk up but has very good athleticism. The 2014 2^nd team All-Big 12 fullback is certainly a player with a shot to make a roster so remember the name and track where he is drafted or who signs him, if undrafted.

4. CB DEXTER MCDONALD, KANSAS

As a senior, McDonald picked off two passes and broke up 13 more. At 6’0 ¾, 203 pounds with 4.4 speed he has the ideal physical tools that could get him drafted late. On tape he shows the ball skills and instincts to break up jump balls and he is a good tackler. He was very scrappy against Kevin White and Tyler Lockett making a couple plays against them. Once he ran 4.4s and then had a 40 ½ inch vertical, 11’2 broad jump, and did 10 bench reps at his pro day workout we believe a NFL team may be smart to take a late round flyer on him. He has the size/speed combo and ball skills that a team could possibly develop into a good NFL player.

5. DT CAMERON BOTTICELLI, MINNESOTA

We got a look at Botticelli a couple times during the fall and were impressed with the upside he showed at the NFLPA Bowl where he showed athleticism and strength. While he lacks great length he is a versatile athlete who could maybe fit in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. At 6’4 ½, 286 pounds he ran a 5.08 and 5.14 40, 29 ½ inch vertical, 8’6 broad jump, and did 24 bench reps at his pro day. His play on the field wasn’t too shabby either with 29 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks in 13 games as a senior. The All-Big Ten defensive tackle would be an ideal player to take late in the draft or sign as a free agent to develop on a practice squad.