The NFL Combine is an event where college players can drastically improve their draft stock, earning them millions.
However, the opposite can sometimes happen.
Here are five players who lost the 2019 NFL Combine.
5. Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
At 6'2″ 185lbs, Williams is slight, but he has the ideal frame for an NFL cornerback. His 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds was fantastic, but the rest of his day didn't go nearly as well.
He had to restart multiple times in the drills that he participated in, and he looked uncoordinated and awkward during them. His day ended early due to cramps, so the only official number that he has at the Combine is his 40 time.
His aversion to physicality makes him a risky prospect, and he did nothing to quell those fears during the combine.
Williams will need to perform well at LSU's pro day, and remains one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects in this class.
4. Elijah Holyfield, RB, Georgia
In a class that may feature no first-round running back, Holyfield had a chance to put vault himself into day two with a strong combine performance.
He put up the third-most bench press reps among RBs with 26, but the rest of his workout was pedestrian.
His 40-yard dash time was 4.78 seconds, an absolutely abysmal time for a back.
If he doesn't run significantly faster at Georgia's pro day, Holyfield will be fortunate to go in the fifth round.
3. Greg Little, OT, Auburn
Little was receiving first-round buzz before the combine, as his size and athleticism stood out on tape. His footwork and technique also stood out, but for the wrong reasons.
If a team were to draft Little high, they would be banking on him becoming a much better player than he was in college.
Little's size is impressive, but he currently lacks the power to be a high-level starter in the NFL, and his Combine performance didn't exactly do much to raise his stock.
Little looked like an average athlete, finished second-to-last among all offensive lineman in the 40-yard dash with a time of 5.33 seconds. His vertical jump of 25 inches placed him third-worst among OL. His 113″ broad jump placed him seventh, and his 4.74-second shuttle was middle-of-the-pack.
Little is the definition of a project, and his less-than-stellar Combine raises the question of whether the possible reward is worth the risk.
2. Dre'Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State
Gaudy stats were never Jones' thing at Ohio State, but his impact on the Buckeye's defense was bigger than anyone not named Nick Bosa.
Jones was a disruptive defensive tackle, knifing into the backfield to pressure QBs and deck RBs for a loss. His short-area quickness and smaller size allowed him to penetrate with ease and made him one of the top pass-rushing DT prospects in the 2019 Draft class.
Jones' size may be a bigger problem than originally thought, as he measured 6'2 6/8″ 281lbs, tied for the lightest DT with Kansas's Daniel Wise.
His weight makes his athletic testing look worse; a 31.5″ vertical, 110″ broad jump, 7.71-second three-cone, and a 4.53-second shuttle place him behind players 20-30lbs heavier than he. Jones' stock may have dropped from a fringe first-rounder to a mid-to-late second-rounder, in spite of his excellent film.
Jones will be one of, if not the lightest DT in the NFL when he is drafted, and his subpar athleticism is concerning.
1. Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida
The Combine started off pretty well for Polite, as he weighed in at 258lbs.
Polite's biggest weakness in college was in run support, so the fact that he could bulk up and add weight to his frame was a positive. Everything went downhill from there.
His press conference was horrible, as he complained about teams “bashing him” and “only pulling up my bad plays”. Polite's answers showed immaturity and a lack of preparation.
His testing was even worse at the NFL combine. For a player heralded as one of the most explosive pass rushers in years, Polite's athleticism was extremely disappointing, perhaps due to all the added weight he put on. His 32″ vertical was the fifth-worst of all EDGEs, and his 4.84 40-yard dash was third-worst, slower than 303lbs DT Quinnen Williams.
To make matters worse, he suffered a hamstring injury and was unable to participate in the remainder of the drills, although some feel that his injury was a cop-out to avoid embarrassing himself even more.
Polite was a popular mock to the Green Bay Packers at 12th overall, and could have sneaked into the top 10 with a strong performance.
Now, he looks like a late first-rounder.
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