- Thread Author
- #1
kdp1980
Senior Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2011
- Messages
- 6,213
Http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...brown-trent-corney-highlight-regional-combine
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/profilexnews.php?pyid=129601&draftyear=2016&genpos=DE
HOUSTON -- The NFL scouting community travels far and wide to find players with NFL futures. If a scout is made aware of a 6-foot-3, 215-pound safety who runs a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash and has ball skills somewhere on Mars, NFL scouts would become the next Martians. Unfortunately, due to the vast college football landscape, NFL scouts can't unearth every single player that has next level potential. That's why the NFL's Regional Combines are so helpful for scouts; the players come to them.
A number of participants at the Houston Regional Combine came from a far distance to show off for the handful of scouts on hand. Although this region is wrought with football players, the day's three standouts came from the Florida Muck, Canada and a Division II program in Michigan, respectively.
Saturday's surprise, though, was the state of Michigan's hidden secret. Ferris State defensive tackle/defensive end Justin Zimmer walked in and put on a show. At nearly 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds, Zimmer ran a 4.89 in the 40-yard dash, had a 33-inch vertical and excelled at each of the position movement drills during the day. It was clear that he was a notch or three above all other defensive lineman candidates.
Later in the day, I heard some buzz that Zimmer wanted to break the Combine bench press record. He didn't get an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine, but had that happened, he would've had a chance. When I put "Justin Zimmer bench press" into my search engine, a YouTube video popped up of Zimmer completing 46 reps of 225 a couple of years ago (the record is 51). Not invited to the Combine and with no potential Pro Day on the horizon, Zimmer made a key decision in his draft preparation.
"I'm training with Michael Johnson (not the Bengals MJ, gold medal sprinter MJ) in McKinney, Texas, so that's how I got down here to Houston."
But, can he play? I raced back to my office at lunch to find some tape on Zimmer and within just three plays, it was evident that he was capable of being the rare Regional Combine participant that gets drafted. In 2015, Texas Southern University cornerback Tray Walker was drafted in the fourth round, due in large part to his Regional Combine performance in Miami.
The next step is just getting Zimmer a Pro Day to showcase his skills even further.
"I don't know if I'll have one. Ferris State doesn't have an indoor facility," Zimmer said.
Luckily, the Houston Regional Combine allowed for his introduction to the NFL world at large.
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/profilexnews.php?pyid=129601&draftyear=2016&genpos=DE
HOUSTON -- The NFL scouting community travels far and wide to find players with NFL futures. If a scout is made aware of a 6-foot-3, 215-pound safety who runs a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash and has ball skills somewhere on Mars, NFL scouts would become the next Martians. Unfortunately, due to the vast college football landscape, NFL scouts can't unearth every single player that has next level potential. That's why the NFL's Regional Combines are so helpful for scouts; the players come to them.
A number of participants at the Houston Regional Combine came from a far distance to show off for the handful of scouts on hand. Although this region is wrought with football players, the day's three standouts came from the Florida Muck, Canada and a Division II program in Michigan, respectively.
Saturday's surprise, though, was the state of Michigan's hidden secret. Ferris State defensive tackle/defensive end Justin Zimmer walked in and put on a show. At nearly 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds, Zimmer ran a 4.89 in the 40-yard dash, had a 33-inch vertical and excelled at each of the position movement drills during the day. It was clear that he was a notch or three above all other defensive lineman candidates.
Later in the day, I heard some buzz that Zimmer wanted to break the Combine bench press record. He didn't get an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine, but had that happened, he would've had a chance. When I put "Justin Zimmer bench press" into my search engine, a YouTube video popped up of Zimmer completing 46 reps of 225 a couple of years ago (the record is 51). Not invited to the Combine and with no potential Pro Day on the horizon, Zimmer made a key decision in his draft preparation.
"I'm training with Michael Johnson (not the Bengals MJ, gold medal sprinter MJ) in McKinney, Texas, so that's how I got down here to Houston."
But, can he play? I raced back to my office at lunch to find some tape on Zimmer and within just three plays, it was evident that he was capable of being the rare Regional Combine participant that gets drafted. In 2015, Texas Southern University cornerback Tray Walker was drafted in the fourth round, due in large part to his Regional Combine performance in Miami.
The next step is just getting Zimmer a Pro Day to showcase his skills even further.
"I don't know if I'll have one. Ferris State doesn't have an indoor facility," Zimmer said.
Luckily, the Houston Regional Combine allowed for his introduction to the NFL world at large.
Last edited:
