NFL Scouting Combine: Who Should Have Impressed 49ers?

Feb 27, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Quarterbacks and wide receivers get instructions on the workout drills during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

The NFL Scouting Combine is beginning to wind down. Who should the San Francisco 49ers have been paying attention to?

The NFL scouting combine is beginning to wind down. The defensive players started their on-field drills today, while defensive backs have their on-field workouts on Monday. The offensive players, however, have all finished, packed up, and left town.

The San Francisco 49ers were definitely interested in all of the offensive players strutting their stuff in the underwear Olympics. New head coach Chip Kelly could be spotted hand-timing the quarterbacks, and the entire front office was spotted in and around Indianapolis, when they weren’t dodging Colin Kaepernick rumors. With needs up and down the offensive line, as well as at wide receiver and quarterback, they were definitely very interested in all of the performances in the first couple of days of on-field action.

It’s important not to over-value the performance at the combine. While running a fast 40-yard dash or putting up a massive broad jump are definitely useful skills to have, they should not be allowed to overwhelm the actual in-game tape and performances that teams have on players. The most important data teams can gather from on-field data is how players perform in standardized athletic tests, removed from aspects of scheme or competition.

Maybe a player wasn’t asked to run 40 yards down the field, or drop back from center. Can they do it? Maybe a player didn’t run a full route tree; how are they at changing direction? By putting everyone through the same drills, teams can get a baseline comparison of their athletic abilities.

Far more important are the medical evaluations and interviews with players, but we as fans don’t yet have access to these parts of the combine—we have to rely on rumors and leaks, which all have their own agenda. The only things we can evaluate with our own two eyes are the on-field drills, and that’s what most of this article will talk about.

Here are a few players who had solid performances at the combine, and should have caught the attention of the 49ers’ offensive scouts during the first half of the combine.

Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

Feb 27, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Memphis Tigers quarterback Paxton Lynch throws a pass during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

I’ve written about Paxton Lynch before, and I remain high on him as an option. He’s a pretty clear third among quarterbacks behind Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, but if the 49ers choose to address holes on the offensive line, wide receiver or front seven with their first overall pick, they should make every effort to move back up into the latter half of the first round to take Lynch.

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While some teams were reportedly “spooked” by his medical examination—Lynch hurt his AC joint as a sophomore—some of that fear had to dissolve when he performed during the drills. Yes, he had some issues with his footwork—being a big guy with little experience coming from center meant he was choppy at times—but he displayed his big arm, with some absolutely beautiful touch on deep passes.

When it came to the measurables, Lynch tied for the top vertical jump among quarterbacks at a whopping 36 inches, and tied for second in the broad jump at 9’10”. This flashes his explosiveness and his ability to generate quick, sudden athletic performances. It reminds me of Cam Newton in a great many ways—and Newton’s broad jump was a full inch shorter than Lynch’s.

Add in his tremendous size—Lynch measured in at 6’7” and 244 lbs, with massive, 10 ¼” hands—and you have a talent filled with potential to be a mobile dynamo in the NFL. He solidified his position as a first rounder this week.

Josh Doctson, WR, TCU

Oct 29, 2015; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Josh Doctson (9) runs with the ball during the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Speaking of explosive players who might go at the end of the first round or high in the second, we have Josh Doctson. Doctson showed off his athletic abilities in the vertical jump (41 inches, tied for the best at the position), the broad jump (10’11”, second-best at the position), the 20-yard shuttle (4.08 seconds, a hundredth of a second out of first) and the 60-yard shuttle (11.06 seconds, third-best).

That profile leads you to players who are explosive out of their breaks, able to explode of their stance and high-point passes. It shows a player with excellent short-area quickness, able to change directions and accelerate quickly, which is a more meaningful skill than the 40-yard dash.

Oh, he was pretty good catching the football, too. His gauntlet performance, where you run across the field and catch footballs from all directions, was fantastic, showing very sure, natural pass-catching ability and soft hands. Speed isn’t any good if you can’t hold on to the football, but Dotson’s hands were among the best of all players at the combine.

He’s never going to be your game-changing number-one receiver, but I see him as a more sure-handed variant on Nate Burleson—and that might be underselling Doctson. Over the last 17 draft classes, only 13 receivers have put up numbers in the 40-yard dash, broad jump and vertical jumps while matching Doctson’s height—he’s a special talent. San Francisco fans should hope he doesn’t move up into the first round, so they have a chance to grab him with the 37^th pick.

Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana

Jan 30, 2016; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad offensive tackle Jason Spriggs of Indiana (78) and tight end Henry Krieger-Coble of Iowa (82) in the second half of the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /

Of course, if Doctson is gone, the 49ers could pay attention to their offensive line with their second-round pick and get the very solid Jason Spriggs, who had himself quite a day at the combine.

First of all, any time you have an offensive lineman run the 40-yard dash under five seconds, you have to take notice. No, you’re not going to see offensive tackles sprinting 40 yards down the field, but it shows athleticism and an ability to really move in space, both of which could come in handy in Chip Kelly’s system. His 115-inch broad jump and 4.44-second 20-yard shuttle time also highlight explosiveness and the ability to operate in space.

I’m also impressed by his 31-reps in the bench press, ranked fourth among offensive linemen. Combine that with his athleticism, and you have a guy who can get out of his stance, catch a speed rusher around the edge, and lower the proverbial boom. He’s a left tackle of the future, and while the 49ers don’t need that now, Joe Staley isn’t getting any younger. His smooth moves and solid size will make him a top-50 pick in this year’s draft.

Joe Thuney, OG, North Carolina State

Feb 26, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ole Miss Rebels offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil (48) squares off in drills against North Carolina State Wolfpack offensive lineman Joe Thuney (44) during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

The top players are always going to perform decently at the combine. I’m usually more interested in the borderline-draftable prospects who have good days, because those are the people you take late on day three, with a skill you try to build around. These are the guys with great power or fantastic speed that have yet to put everything together; you spend a proverbial lottery ticket on them and hope you can mold them into a quality NFL player around the skill they flashed at the combine.

Joe Thuney might be one of those players. He was second-fastest among offensive linemen in the 40-yard dash, behind only Spriggs, and again, any time a lineman runs a sub-five-second 40-yard dash, take notes. He also was the absolute fastest over the first 10 yards, which seems slightly more important for an offensive lineman. He continued his strong performance, looking sharp on the field, and he has experience playing multiple positions. That’s exactly the kind of guy you want to target late in a draft, so keep an eye out for Thuney with one of the 49ers’ plethora of sixth-round draft picks.

Jake Brendel, C, UCLA

Feb 24, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA Bruin offensive lineman Jake Brendel speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Rounding out our trio of offensive linemen who flashed in the 40-yard dash is Jake Brendel, who clocked in at 5.01 seconds, with very strong shuttle times as well.

I keep highlighting speedy offensive linemen for San Francisco because Chip Kelly has specifically said he wants an “athletic” offensive line, while not sacrificing size. Spriggs, Thuney and Brendel are all a bit undersized for their positions, but that athleticism has to be enough to at least turn a few heads.

Brendel’s 20-yard shuttle is actually the second-fastest since 2006, behind only Jason Kelce. At only 286 pounds, Brendel has to bulk up to play in the NFL, but you’re starting with an incredibly athletic frame. He’s worth drafting and stashing on a practice squad while he bulks up.

Next: 49ers' Big Board for Quarterbacks

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Bryan Knowles is a staff writer here at Niner Noise. Follow him @BryKno on Twitter.

2016 NFL Scouting Combine: Offensive Players Who Should Have Impressed 49ers

By Bryan Knowles | Feb 28, 2016

The NFL Scouting Combine is beginning to wind down. Who should the San Francisco 49ers have been paying attention to?

More from Niner Noise