Impressive explosion: Arkansas edge rusher Landon Jackson (40.5) and Texas A&M edge Shemar Stewart (40.0) became just the third and fourth defensive linemen weighing over 260 pounds to record a vertical jump of at least 40 inches. The other two were Mario Williams (2006) and Myles Garrett (2017), both No. 1 overall picks. Stewart, in particular, is going to be an interesting projection for teams. His measurables are off the charts, but why only 4.5 sacks combined the last three years?
Ringing endorsement: Texas running back Jaydon Blue said new Lions running back coach Tashard Choice 'is a genius' when it comes to the running back position. Choice coached Blue at Texas and he coached Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs at Georgia Tech. Lions head coach Dan Campbell said earlier this week Choice is terrific at developing backs.
"He's gifted," Campbell said. "He's played the position, he's coached in college, so he understands our level of it. He understands Gibbs. He's coached him. So that helps. I think he's gonna be great for David Montgomery as well. That's big. I just think he's gonna bring a lot to us."
Blazing 40: Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. really helped himself during testing Thursday. Pearce had 17.5 sacks the last two years combined for the Volunteers as an explosive speed rusher off the edge. He measured in at 245 pounds and ran a 4.47 in the 40, the top time among defensive linemen. He was fluid in field drills and might have moved securely into the first half of the first round.
Lions shoutout: Luther Burden III from Missouri is one of the top receivers in this draft. He's drawn comparisons to Garrett Wilson. He was asked Friday who his five favorite receivers in the NFL are and both Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams made the list. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty said his favorite three backs in the NFL right now are Gibbs, Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson.
Versatile weapon: Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell is quickly becoming one of my favorite prospects in this draft. He's got explosive traits and position versatility that a team like Detroit could really value. He can play all three linebacker spots and even stayed late to do pass-rush drills with the edge rushers during on-field drills. He's 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, had 5.0 sacks and 117 tackles, and ran the 40 in 4.52 seconds. He looked smooth in drills. He could play a lot of different roles in a defense like Kelvin Sheppard's.
Feeling slighted: All the talk about the quarterback position leading into the draft has been dominated by Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, widely considered the top two quarterbacks in the class. Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart is the next quarterback on most lists but don't tell him that. He said Friday he's extremely confident in his ability. He said he's won at every level he's played in and has intangibles that set him apart from the rest of the class. Dart did set the Ole Miss record with 10,617 career passing yards.
High expectations: There's a number of players that expect to run a fast 40 this weekend but Texas' Isaiah Bond was adamant he's going to break Xavier Worthy's 4.22 second record from last year. Bond said Friday he expects to go 4.20 or maybe lower. Oregon's Tez Johnson didn't give any predictions like Bond but had a good line: "If you blink you might miss me."
Intriguing pass rusher: Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku was wildly productive this past season with 16.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. He's 6-foot-2 1/2 and 248 pounds and shows terrific burst and quickness on tape. That matched the testing Thursday as Ezeiruaku's 6.94 seconds in the three-cone and 4.19 seconds in the short shuttle were the best among all defensive linemen.
Alabama work ethic: Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and former Alabama and current Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold had their fair share of battles in practice in college. Here's what Milroe had to say about his former teammate Friday at the Combine:
"This is a guy that is very, very disciplined when it comes to how he works," Milroe said of Arnold. "People don't know about the fourth quarter program at Alabama. It's hard to prepare for that. Me and him ran the track about six miles every day trying to prepare for that fourth quarter program. We ran hundreds each and every day trying to get our body fitted. We were around each other a lot. This is someone that puts a lot into football and who I love a lot."
Untapped potential: TCU receiver Savion Williams is an interesting prospect that offers a lot of possibilities to a creative offensive mind. He's 6-foot-5, 225 pounds and played receiver, running back, ran the wildcat and returned kicks in college. He had 611 receiving yards and six touchdowns and 322 rushing yards (6.3 average) with six more touchdowns last season. He's also got return ability. He's drawn some comparisons to Cordarrelle Patterson.
