The Miami Hurricanes were one of the more represented schools at the NFL Scouting Combine with six players attending the workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Five of those players were on the defensive side of the ball while just one was from the offensive.
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Jaquan Johnson, Sheldrick Redwine, Michael Jackson, Gerald Willis, Joe Jackson, and Travis Homer each participated in the combine, some impressing with their performances while others left more to be desired.
The NFL Combine can be a way to move up draft boards by showing how athletic a player is, but it can also show a lack of size, speed, strength, or general athleticism. There was a little bit of both for the former Hurricanes who worked out over the past week.
Travis Homer, Running Back
40-Yard Dash: 4.48u seconds
Bench Press: 17 reps
Vertical Jump: 39.5 inches
Broad Jump: 130.0 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.07 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.31
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP
In the three years Homer played in Miami, he never had a single trait that set him apart. He was just always a well-rounded back that did everything pretty well. That showed during the combine, doing everything pretty well with nothing that jumped out as amazing.
He was close to the top of the six workouts he did. Among running backs, he finished fifth in the 40-yard dash, tied for 18th in the bench press, second in the vertical jump, tied for first in the broad jump, tied for sixth in the three-cone drill, and tied for eighth in the 20-yard shuttle.
I think it is pretty impressive to be in the top eight of every event other than the bench press, even though he put up 17 reps at 225 pounds in the event. Homer showed he has a great combination of speed, quickness, and strength.
Joe Jackson, Defensive Lineman
40-Yard Dash: DNP
Bench Press: 22 reps
Vertical Jump: 27.0 inches
Broad Jump: 109.0 inches
3-Cone Drill: DNP
20-Yard Shuttle: DNP
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP
Even though he only participated in three of the seven drills in Indianapolis, Jackson had a solid performance. He didn't really do much to wow scouts, but he didn't have any gaping under-performances either. The thing that hurts Jackson in this draft is the insane amount of talent and depth along the defensive line. There's basically three years worth of first-round talent just among defensive linemen. But if he can be taken by a good team in need of defensive end like New England, he could have a really good career without the high expectations of being a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
Gerald Willis III, Defensive Lineman
40-Yard Dash: DNP
Bench Press: DNP
Vertical Jump: DNP
Broad Jump: DNP
3-Cone Drill: DNP
20-Yard Shuttle: DNP
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP
I don't think participating in the combine would have helped Willis much unless he would have ran some crazy times, which probably wouldn't have happened. He will probably do all of these workouts at Miami's pro day, giving him more time to get ready and not have some bad times or rep numbers hanging over him that scouts refuse to forget.
Michael Jackson, Cornerback
40-Yard Dash: 4.45u seconds
Bench Press: 13 reps
Vertical Jump: 40.5 inches
Broad Jump: 130.0 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.12 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.12 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP
The Hurricanes' best corner from the past few seasons showed why he was so successful with a great performance at the combine. He had some pretty good numbers during the testing, but this pairs with his great size for the position.
He tied for eighth in the 40-yard dash, was fourth in the vertical jump, seventh in the broad jump, and eighth in the 20-yard shuttle for his best performances. At 6-foot-1, Jackson could translate into a really good corner for an NFL team, and is seen as a player who could go on day two of the draft.
Jaquan Johnson, Safety
40-Yard Dash: 4.69u seconds
Bench Press: 18 reps
Vertical Jump: 33.0 inches
Broad Jump: 121.0 inches
3-Cone Drill: DNP
20-Yard Shuttle: DNP
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP
Johnson, the leader of the Miami defense over the last two seasons, definitely didn't help his draft stock while in Indy. But I think there are probably some teams that will look at film and care less about the numbers at the combine and more about what he did in college. There is literally no doubt in my mind that he will find a team that will use him correctly and will have a really successful NFL career.
Yes, a 4.69 in the 40-yard dash is pretty slow for a safety, but he has never had trouble getting to his spots in-game, so I will take that time with a grain of salt. Even if he has to be used in certain scenarios at the next level, he is still a play-maker that will find his place. Look for him to put up a much better time at the pro-day and help his stock recuperate before the draft.
Sheldrick Redwine, Safety
40-Yard Dash: 4.44u seconds
Bench Press: DNP
Vertical Jump: 39.0 inches
Broad Jump: 130.0 inches
3-Cone Drill: DNP
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.14
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP
I want to start off by saying how much I love in the video above, during the broad jump, Jaquan Johnson and Michael Jackson are standing there with Redwine. These three have been a great unit over the past two seasons in Coral Gables, and it is cool to see them sticking together.
But with Johnson's poor performance, Redwine did the opposite and had a great day. He ran the sixth-fastest 40-time for safeties, had the fourth-highest vertical jump, third-farthest broad jump, and tied for sixth in the 20-yard shuttle. This performance, though may not move him way up boards, definitely put him on some teams' radars as a solid pick-up later in the draft. Showing speed and athleticism gives him the opportunity to have a floor of a really good special-teamer, but could be a good safety as well.
