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Combine notebook | DBs impress with blazing 40 times

Screenshot 2025-03-01 at 1.27.37 PM

We're in the second half of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The offensive linemen rounded out the media availability on Saturday, and the wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks are set to conduct on-field drills later today. The tight ends and safeties were also at Lucas Oil Stadium Friday night and put on a show for those in attendance.

Let's look at some of the highlights.

-- Speed was the biggest takeaway from the defensive backs during their on-field workouts, as every single prospect who participated in the 40-yard dash ran a 4.59 or faster. Sitting at the top was Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who had the fastest time up to this point with a 4.29. Hairston, who had six interceptions and two defensive touchdowns in his final two seasons with the Wildcats, is on the small side at 183 pounds, but his motions were smooth during drills and good awareness for the ball. His size might be an issue against bigger wideouts, but he does have the athleticism to keep up with them at the professional level.

-- South Carolina's Nick Emmanwori, regarded as one of the top two safeties in the class, might have moved up to the top of his position after an exceptional combine performance. He had the fastest 10-yard split among safeties, which helped him run a 4.38, and paired that with a 43-inch vertical as well as an 11-foot-6 broad jump. Emmanwori's production was a bit uneven at times in college, but his 244 tackles and six interceptions are clear signs that he's one of the most productive players in his class.

-- Not to be outdone, Georgia safety Malaki Starks also had a strong night with a 4.5 40-yard dash and a 4.45 20-yard shuttle. What's even more impressive is that he hit the top speed for his position on every drill he participated in, including 18.39 mph on the gauntlet drill.

-- This year's tight end class is regarded as one of the deepest positions in the draft, and Oregon's Terrance Ferguson helped separate himself by running a position-best 4.63 in the 40-yard dash. Ferguson set program records for a tight end for the Ducks with 134 career receptions and 16 touchdowns. He had decent size, but he's built more as a pass-catcher than a blocker. If a team is looking for that archetype, they should be pleased with his tools as a pass-catcher.

-- Moving on to the linemen, Alabama's Tyler Booker has solid movement in pass protection and doesn't often let defenders get past him. However, in typical fashion for an offensive lineman, he prefers to run block and loves to run duo.

"Whenever we weren't having a lot of success on offense, I was calling for it," Booker said. "That was because it gives me and my left tackle, Kadyn Proctor, a chance to be at the point of attack on the play."

-- LSU's Will Campbell is viewed by many as one of the best offensive tackles available in this year's draft, although some criticize his arm length as being too short for the NFL. Campbell dismissed that point during his media availability, saying "I've shown everything that I need to show that I can play tackle at an elite level."

"You can go look at my tape, there's not one play on there that when I get beat you say that's because he has shorter arms. ... Obviously I don't have stereotypical offensive tackle arms. I'm aware of that. People have to nitpick something. I've heard it all my career. When I was coming out of high school, the college coaches all said the same thing. I proved them wrong; it's something I anticipate doing again."

-- Ohio State's Seth McLaughlin is fast and has solid footwork, which allows him to mirror interior pass-rushers and blow players off the line of scrimmage in the run game. But his intelligence is what will separate him from the rest of his class. When talking through plays with teams in this week's interviews, he said he picks plays that take a lot of explanation.

"And I install it like I'm the offensive coordinator. I draw up what every single guy on the field is doing and really try to impress these guys with the amount of knowledge that I have. It's different than saying, 'Hey, I can find where the MIKE is, but if I can tell you what every single person on the field is doing, then it really shows that I know what I'm doing."

-- North Dakota State's Grey Zabel is not regarded as a top 10 player at his position, but his size, physical play style and ability to play four of the five spots on the offensive line make him an interesting prospect. He said during his media availability that every team talked to him to play a different position. His response: "At the end of the day, I'm an offensive lineman."

"It's extremely critical at the NFL to be able to play multiple positions ... It just depends on what hand you put down and what set you take on the position and play and if you have to snap the football. That's a big part about this process is understanding that you never know what position you're going to play on any given week and going out there and being the best football player you can be is really critical.

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