After years of conditioning us to watch football on Sundays, it was no surprise that Day 4 of the Combine brought the marquee names to the stage. While the defensive linemen and linebackers tipped the scales and tossed around 225 pounds, the backs and receivers took to the field for running, jumping, throwing and catching. And while there wasn’t a Chris Johnson 4.24 in the bunch, there were a few notables whose performance might impact their draft stock in late April.
With Georgia’s Matt Stafford on the sidelines, USC’s Mark Sanchez used the opportunity to shine. Scouts who hadn’t seen enough in his limited experience with the Trojans raved about his arm, his technique, his accuracy, how the ball came out of his hand, etc., etc. Part of the reason may have been an uninspiring group of quarterbacks, working off the theory that in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king. That said, some draft analysts thought Sanchez had moved into a tie with Stafford atop the quarterbacks board.
Perhaps the most impressive quarterback of the day was Pat White of West Virginia, who opted to work out only as a quarterback at the Combine. Good choice, because he made all the throws and looked sharp doing so. White also flashed plenty of athleticism, running a 4.55 40—significantly ahead of the rest of the pack—with a 35-inch vertical and a 9-9 broad jump. White’s performance plant the seed that he can play quarterback at the NFL level, and his decision to focus on that position at the Combine—and willingness to work out as a receiver at his pro day—solidified his status as, at worst, an early Day Two selection.
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