Previewing the NFL Scouting Combine: Edge Rushers and Tight Ends

As nearly all schemes in the NFL today are predicated on gaining favorable match-ups across the field, the specific roles of tight ends and edge rushers are a large part of creating those match-ups from both sides of the ball.  Tight ends in today's game no longer look and play the part of a sixth offensive lineman, as the current athletic profile of the prototype at the position resembles that more of a forward in basketball and performs mostly in the role of a receiver than a blocker.  The speed at the position is as fast and emphatic it's ever been, evident by Evan Engram, who ran a 4.42 at last year's NFL Scouting Combine, being selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the New York Giants despite weighing only 234 pounds, relatively light for a tight end, even by today's standards.  David Njoku, also selected in the first round last year —by the Cleveland Browns with the 29th pick— at the tight end position, was a national champion in track and field while in high school, further solidifying the type of athlete preferred at the position.

Edge rushers today have evolved as well, with a premium being placed on guys who can quickly get into the backfield and be more so disruptive and effective against the pass first, then the run. As teams are sending fewer guys after the quarterback in an effort to be sound in coverage,  players who can get to the quarterback consistently and creatively are decidedly important. Very similar to the tight end position, the emphasis on length and speed is at a premium amongst edge rushers.  Showing the ability to play with proper technique and overall productivity are still of importance at the position, though an amazing show of athleticism goes a long way when determining the top edge rushing prospects that may be taken towards the top of the draft, proven by outstanding athletes at the edge rushing spot, Jadeveon Clowney and Myles Garrett, going first overall in the NFL Draft during recent years.

Though the potential first defensive player taken in this year's draft, and possible top five overall pick, Bradley Chubb, being by in-large an edge rusher, his complete and overall ability to dominate the game from a number of spots across the line of scrimmage have him listed amongst the defensive line group of combine participants. Of the prospects listed amongst all edge rushers set to participate at this year's combine I've chosen ten players, as well as ten prospects at the tight end position, whose names bear watching during and, potentially, after the event.

Tight Ends

• Jordan Akins, UCF (Central Florida)
• Tyler Conklin, Central Michigan 
• Chris Herndon, Miami "The U"
• Jordan Thomas, Mississippi State
• Jaylen Samuels, North Carolina State
• Durham Smythe, Notre Dame
• Mark Andrews, Oklahoma
• Mike Gesicki, Penn State
• Hayden Hurst, South Carolina
• Dalton Schultz, Stanford

Edge Rushers

• Ja'Von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas State
• Jeff Holland, Auburn
• Harold Landry, Boston College
• Lorenzo Carter, Georgia
• Dorance Armstrong, Kansas
• James Hearns, Louisville
• Arden Key, LSU (Louisiana State)
• Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Oklahoma
• Kemoko Turay, Rutgers
• Hercules Mata'afa, Washington State