Combine Thoughts: Stock Up, Stock Down

So the NFL Scouting Combine is done for 2010, and coming away from Lucas Oil Stadium, there were some clear winners and clear losers. These are the top 5 guys who have improved their stock, and top 5 guys who saw their stock drop.

Stock Up:
1. Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh
Kind of an obvious pick here after an absolutely dominating performance in the 40 yard dash and vertical jump. He ran a 4.40 and jumped 43.5 inches and dominated the competition at TE. The only downside was that he measured in at 6'1", small for an ideal NFL TE, but probably ok for H-back. While I think he'll probably go in the 2nd round now, he still doesn't do anything for me as a player. His numbers may say Vernon Davis, but his production in college doesn't.

2. Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
Another guy who ran well in the 40, but I was more impressed with McCourty during his backpedal in the drills. He didn't look great when opening up his hips, and didn't really play the ball as well as I would like to see, but he did look fluid in short bursts. Perhaps he isn't suited for press coverage, but his ability to drive shows me he could play off a bit and really help.

3. Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
While he was expected to shine in Indy, he went above and beyond. His sporadic play is still the greatest concern, but Campbell is a guy who truly could be coached into greatness with the right team. He probably solidified a first round pick with his performance here.

4. Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri
Weatherspoon had slowly been creeping up big boards and mock drafts, and really proved why this past week. He looked fluid, fast, and strong. He is the top OLB prospect in this years draft, and may find himself in the late teens of the first round for a team with an OLB need. The nice thing is that his tape reflects his position, and he really played well at the Senior Bowl against some tough competition.

5. Jason Worilds, DE/OLB, Virginia Tech
Worilds is one of my favorites this year, and his combine really helped him a lot. He ran fast and performed well enough to really set himself up as a 3-4 OLB in the draft. His shoulder will always be something teams will be aware of, and will cause him to drop on draft day. However, he proved that athletically he is more than able to make the transition in the NFL. His college productivity and willingness to play through pain should cement him in the 3rd-4th round range.

Honorable Mention:
Golden Tate
Russell Okung
Jimmy Graham
Ryan Matthews
Dennis Pitta

Stock Down:
1. Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan
LeFevour missed a chance to really put himself at the top of the 2nd round by deciding to only throw at bags and wait for his pro day. All the teams have representatives in Indy, and after a strong Senior Bowl week of practice he had the momentum in his favor. Now he has to hope teams will travel to Michigan to see him work out at his Pro Day (UConn and NC State both have pro days that day, so that may take away from his group). A bad performance there and he may slip out of the 2nd round all together.

2. Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
Dunlap was projected as a 3-4 DE in the NFL with great upside due to his speed, strength, and size. Well, the speed is there, but the strength and size were a bit lacking. Dunlap weighed in at 272, a full 18 lbs lighter than he was listed at Florida. He wasn't a top performer in the bench press, but was in the 40 yard dash. This may mean a transition from 3-4 end to 4-3 end or even 3-4 OLB, however that would be a brand new position unlike what he played in college. He becomes a risk now in the first round, and may have dropped himself out.

3. Navorro Bowman, OLB, Penn State
Bowman looked sloppy in his drills, falling down once and showing poor footwork. Bowman was projected high despite some problems because of his athletic ability, but that really didn't show through. He did well in the bench and some cone drills, but was slow in the 40, had a poor vertical jump, and was generally underwhelming. He had character issues before the season, and with this performance may have dropped out of the first round.

4. Joe Haden, CB, Florida
Haden ran a surprisingly slow 40 yard dash and didn't really do great in any drills. He still shows great skill on tape, but may drop a bit by teams concerned with his ability to keep up with the faster WRs in the league. If Haden can do a little better at his pro day he may be able to reverse the damage, but it seems likely that he will see his stock drop.

5. Myron Rolle, S, Florida State
I like Rolle a lot because he's a Rhodes Scholar and a high character guy. That doesn't mean he performed well at the combine. He was slow in the 40 and looked rather out of shape. He didn't have a great showing at the Senior Bowl either. He was out of position there, and really didn't turn well at the combine. Maybe once he gets back into football shape and plays more he will be productive, but he definitely hurt himself at the combine.