Devin White Stars at the NFL Combine

LSU linebacker Devin White, to the surprise of nobody on this here website, put on a show for NFL scouts at the 2019 NFL Combine over the weekend, turning in the event’s fastest 40-yard dash time for true linebackers at 4.42 seconds.

Cornerback Greedy Williams ran a 4.37, putting him among the top five times at his position as well.

White, however, also stood out with an impressive 39.5-inch vertical jump, 22 bench-press reps (of 225 pounds) and a 118-inch broad jump.

Williams struggled in position drills, but blamed cramping. While that may bother some teams, checking in at an official 6-2 helped. Likewise, White also measured at a full six-foot tall.

Tight end Foster Moreau also put up a strong workout:

Height: 6-4
Weight: 253
40-yard dash: 4.66
Bench press: 22
Vertical jump: 36.5
Broad jump: 121 inches
Three-cone: 7.16
20-yard shuttle: 4.11

Numbers from the other Tiger attendees:

Devin White combine stats

Height: 6-0
Weight: 237
40-yard dash: 4.42
Bench press: 22
Vertical jump: 39.5
Broad jump: 118 inches
Three-cone: 7.07
20-yard shuttle: 4.17

Nick Brossette combine stats

Height: 5-11
Weight: 209
40-yard dash: 4.72
Bench press: 15
Vertical jump: 35.5
Broad jump: 118 inches
Three-cone: 7.38
20-yard shuttle: 4.44

John Battle combine stats

Height: 6-0
Weight: 201
40-yard dash: 4.67
Vertical jump: 29.5
Broad jump: 120 inches
Three-cone: 7.09
20-yard shuttle: 4.33

Cole Tracy combine stats

Height: 5-10
Weight: 184

Brossette showing some short-area explosiveness is a big positive. He’s going to be a scheme-fit guy as more of a zone-blocking specialist, but that means that some teams are going to value him more than others. Moreau also likely made himself some money last weekend as well.

Some closing thoughts to remember over these next few weeks — believe almost nothing you hear out of the NFL media when it comes to “rising” and “falling” up and down the draft order. NFL teams — and more importantly, agents — love to do whatever they can to try and manipulate this process. And the majority of the mainstream media that cover the league are more than happy to trade in that bullshit as a price of their access.

Although I didn’t hear nearly the same outcry regarding Charlie Casserly’s comments on Kyler Murray last year when a cabal of agents conspired with ESPN and the NFL Network to savage Derrius Guice’s character. It’s just part and parcel. Even somebody like Dan Patrick can’t see through something as blatant as questioning whether Murray’s height was correctly measured at the Combine.

Look for a lot of this talk regarding White, and especially Greedy Williams. The latter could go anywhere from the top 15 to the back of the first round, but he’s almost certainly one of the top cornerbacks in this draft, along with Georgia’s Deandre Baker. Between the Combine workout and skipping the Fiesta Bowl, there’s plenty of ammo for speculation, and a wide range for movement. That isn’t to say Williams is without his flaws — he struggles in off coverage, and he’s not the greatest tackler in the world. But he’s as good of a press, man-to-man cornerback as you’ll fine and tracks the ball in the air as well as any cornerback LSU’s had since Mo Claiborne.

For White, there will be a lot of “how valuable is a middle linebacker” type of talk from teams that either want him to fall to them, or increase their own trade value. But make no mistake; he’s probably the safest pick in this draft.