Cornhusker Combine News

It's been a couple of weeks since I checked in, main reason being there is pretty much nothing going on with the Huskers except 2009 recruiting (which is way too early to talk about for me) and getting ready for spring practice (which is still a month away). So I figured I'd take this time to weigh in on the NFL Combine, which receives way more attention than any event with guys running around in spandex ever should. That said, I'm not criticizing anyone who gets into the combine. I don't even really like pro football all that much, but even I have sat down and watched the kids doing drills on the NFL network. There were five Huskers invited to the draft this year: Sam Keller, Mo Purify, Carl Nicks, Steve Octavien, and Zach Bowman. I, like everyone else, am completely shocked that Corey McKeon was not invited. I'm not going to predict draft selections or anything, this is just a look at how the guys have done so far in the combine and pre-draft stuff.

A look at how the Big Red fared:

Sam Keller, Quarterback
Height: 6'4"

Weight: 241

40 time: 4.91

Vertical: 32 1/8"

The Skinny
Keller has been a question mark throughout the NFL scouting season. He played erratically during his only year at Nebraska, which as we all know was cut short by injury when he went down at Texas. Scouts love his size and pedigree (his dad played in the NFL, and he was a highly-sought recruit coming out of high school), but are still skeptical of his overall arm strength, accuracy, and decision making (what, so if he's not good at any of these, how the hell is he even considered a potential draft choice?). Anyone who watched Keller hop around in pocket for extended periods of time last year, only to watch him throw another 3-yard out to Lucky while getting hit, knows that he has a tendency to hold on to the ball too long and force passes into coverage. In addition to that, I was never impressed with his ability to add touch to his throws. It was maddening trying to watch him throw a fade route, because he was the only QB I've seen who's fade throws were still going UP when they reached the end zone.

He has failed in wowing anyone at either the Senior Bowl or the Combine, and besides the questions of his quarterbacking ability, Keller has to deal with the added scrutiny that comes with the Arizona State situation and his reputation as a bit of a partier. In the NFL, even the seemingly smallest of transgressions is going to have to be explained. Keller's answers to these questions will go a long way in determining if he is drafted or if he is merely a free-agent invite to camp. All this aside, I really hope Sam wows someone and gets a shot, because after all the b.s. he's dealt with the past three years, this kid deserves a break.

Keller links:
Arizona Republic
NFL Draft Scout
Lincoln Journal Star


Maurice Purify
Height: 6'4"

Weight: 224

40 time: 4.56

Vertical: 34"

The Skinny
The thing that will always stick in my craw is this: what kind of year would Mo have had if Joey Ganz was at the reins the entire year? With Keller's trouble with progression through his checkdowns, Purify was nowhere near the factor we had expected him to be his senior year. I knew we were in trouble when Keller couldn't hit him on a fade three times in a row during one of our non-conference games. Once Ganz entered the picture, it was as if Mo was trying to make up for lost time. His average game with Keller: 4 catches, 46 yards. His average game with Ganz: 8 catches, 134 yards. Now obviously, this is a stupid comparison. There's no way of knowing if Ganz would have lit it up the entire season, and the stats are skewed due to the fact we put up 76 points against KSU and 51 against the Buffs. But the fact of the matter is that Ganz understood that Mo is a playmaker, and that when you give him the opportunity, he can absolutely abuse a defense. Keller never seemed to understand that and was content to check down to a tight end or a back every time.

Most scouts expected Purify to run in the 4.7 range, so his 4.56 time was a pleasant surprise, and according to pretty much every report I've read, Purify looked fantastic in individual drills catching the ball (NFL Draft Scout called him one of the most dynamic wideouts there). If I were him, I'd just give every scout and coach I met a tape of the Kansas game where he demoralized star cornerback (and sure-fire 1st rounder) Aqib Talib. He's a proven producer in the red zone, and creates a bevy of mismatches when used out of the slot on slower, shorter linebackers.

All of that said, he has well-documented off-the-field issues that will definitely have to be answered for. His involvement in a bar fight as well as the DWI (or whatever they call it in Nebraska) were both atoned for through community service and being benched a game, but NFL personnel guys will want to know that the drinking days are behind him. Still, he definitely raised his stock this past weekend.

Mo links:
NFL Draft Scout
Lincoln Journal Star

Steve Octavien, OLB
Height: 6'

Weight: 239

40 time: 4.67

Vertical: 32.5"

The Skinny
In addition to the numbers above, Octo also completed an impressive 26 reps on the bench press. Always known as a physical beast, Octavien didn't fail to impress at what amounts to a showcase for people good at working out. He moved fluidly in pass coverage drills, showcased great speed for his bowling-ball build, and showed decent strength with the aforementioned bench press rep amount. That said, everybody knows the knock on him: injuries, injuries, injuries. His inability to stay on the field has many teams concerned about his durability, and unfortunately, no matter how many tests you do on a guy, you never know if he's gonna be an every-game guy or somebody who's nicked up for extended periods of time. Octo is seen as a high risk/high reward prospect because of this, so it's tough to project how early he could go.

One the few brightspots on the cheerleading squad, er, Blackshirts last year, Octo racked up 92 tackles last year, which is twice as impressive when you take into account there was seemingly no game plan after the 5th game of the season (with the exception of the Texas game). In addition to his good play this past season, Octo also had several good games in 2006 (with the Texas snow game being most prominent). Steve is seen among pundits as one of the biggest risers among his position at the combine. He is on par with top-10 pick Veranon Gholston (out of Ohio State) in many of the tests except bench press, where the former Buckeye put up an astounding 37 reps. So they are comparable, even if Gholston's production was greater. I would argue that in a similar system to OSU (i.e., one that doesn't suck), Octo would have been a force to be reckoned with. He is an ideal player for the 3-4, where he can be used off the edge or in pass coverage.

Octo links:
NFL Draft Scout
Sports Illustrated
News-Press

Carl Nicks, T
Height: 6'5"

Weight: 341

40 time: 5.12

Vertical: I couldn't find it, but I'm guessing it's not very high.......

The Skinny
Nicks is going to be Nebraska's highest drafted player this year, with many projecting him to be a 2nd round pick after his good showing at the combine. Considered somewhat raw due to the fact he only started one year, his athleticism and frame intrigue pro scouts, who see him as a potential road grader at right tackle (some websites say he is the #1 RT prospect in the draft). In addition to his surprising mobility, he also put up 31 reps on the bench press.

Nicks links:
Omaha World-Herald
NFL Draft Scout

Zack Bowman, CB
Height: 6'2"

Weight: 200

40 time: 4.38

Vertical: Couldn't find one........gayness.......

The Skinny
Obviously there's a bit of concern from scouts about the injuries that Bowman suffered the past couple of years. Still, with the good combine showing, he showed he has great ability, though from what I read he didn't play well at the Senior Bowl. Anyways, I'd love to break it down and give you my opinion on his abilities, but I've only seen the guy play like 3 times, so it's a tough call to make. I'm just glad he made it through the scouting circuit without some freak injury happening. I was always expecting something like this coming across on the ESPN ticker: "Nebraska CB Zack Bowman in intensive care after being trampled by elephant at NFL combine." Hopefully God cuts him a break, he deserves it after the past couple of years. Plus, from what I hear, he is one of the more upstanding, good guys on the team.

Bowman link:
NFL Draft Scout
NFL Draft Countdown

Some other draft opinions really quick:

- Still not sold on Matt Ryan. I really don't get it at all, the high opinion of him by NFL guys. A comparison I would make would be me after 20 beers at a bar filled with girls who are no better than a 6 on the classic 1-10 rating scale. It's like every GM or scout is just s*itfaced and Matt Ryan is the 6 who suddenly is looking pretty damn good. Which is why 5 years from now, when the former BC star is the new Joey Harrington, some GM is going to be like me the morning after: "Aww, what the hell was I thinking? Oh wait, I wasn't, I was hammered." The guy has questionable arm strength, still throws way too many picks, and tends to be a "gunslinger" type when he doesn't have the cannon to do so, which is why he has a lot of the aforementioned interceptions. Time may prove me wrong, but I just don't think this guy is going to be anything special, at least not worthy of a top 10 pick. Then again, I never thought Tom Brady would be anything but a 3rd-string clipboard carrier. And now he's the biggest pimp on the planet and has 3 Super Bowl rings. You never know. (By the way, I still don't think Gisele is all that hot. I just don't. I'd take at least 4 other Victoria's Secret girls over her. Maybe more.)

- Ooooh, Darren McFadden ran a 4.33! How stupid is the combine? Does McFadden really need a good sprint to validate his worthiness as a stud? Do these dumbasses even watch college football? Living in Minnesota, I'd be nearly irate with irritation when all these Viking fans were shocked with how good Adrian Petersen is. I just wanted to backhand them and be like "Do you have any f*cking idea how good this guy is? Did you watch him at Oklahoma? The guy could sleepwalk to 1300 yards!" Anyone who watched the Big 12 knew that he'd be a top 3 NFL back the day he was drafted, so it just irks me when these NFL fans (most of whom, in my opinion, don't know as much about football as college fans) are so shocked.

- If you had told an NFL fan 30 years ago that someday we'd be watching grown men go through workouts wearing nothing but spandex, he'd be dumbfounded. He'd wonder why we would want to watch that. It is just insane how insatiable the appetite for football is right now. And it will continue to trickle down. High school, the last bastion of innocence, is already being televised at a ridiculous rate, and every year there are more all-star games. Used to be, it was about the Friday Night Lights and just playing with your buddies. And in some places where football isn't king (like Minnesota), that still holds true. But more and more, HS football will be seen as merely a place to showcase your abilities and try to get a scholarship. The football machine will never stop growing. And I really can't decide if that's a good or bad thing. Probably both.