NFL Combine 2022 Drills: DL Winners And Losers

WINNERS

Jordan Davis, Georgia

There wasn’t a single drill in combine testing on Saturday that Jordan Davis did poorly. Obviously, his 4.78 official 40-yard dash time will make the headlines—and rightly so, that’s insane for a 341-pound man—but he also put up monster numbers in his vert (32-inch) and broad jump (10-foot-3). His explosiveness and speed were jaw-dropping for a man of his size, not only for this year but on a historical level. Davis might be THE winner of the combine so far.

Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon

Kayvon Thibodeaux checked several boxes in his testing on Saturday. He began the day leading all defensive ends with 27 reps in the bench press, and he made it look easy. And while he didn’t participate in some field drills or the jumps, he looked plenty fast and explosive with a 4.65-second unofficial 40-yard dash and a 1.59-second unofficial 10-yard split. Best of all, those numbers put him ahead of fellow top edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.

Devonte Wyatt, Georgia

All year, it seemed like Georgia’s defensive line was playing at a different speed than any other team. Well, that’s because they were. Not only did Davis run the 40 in 4.78 seconds, but Devonte Wyatt put up a 4.77 of his own. His broad jump (9-foot-3) and vert (29-inch) numbers, while not as eye-popping as Davis’, were nothing to scoff at either. It’s been a great weekend for Georgia’s front seven, even before the linebackers’ numbers start rolling in.

LOSERS

Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati

Not only did Myjai Sanders weigh in nearly 15 pounds lighter than he did at the Senior Bowl last month, but he didn’t pick up any explosiveness or speed with that dropped weight. Sanders looked incredibly slim at 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds, but he ran a 4.67 40—slower than heavier guys like Thibodeaux and David Ojabo. He also had a vert of 33 inches, which was the sixth-lowest of defensive ends that participated. He didn’t look especially explosive in positional drills either. The dropped weight is concerning, and the lack of impressive numbers didn’t make his Saturday any better.

Kingsley Enagbare

Kingsley Enagbare went from an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl, looking dominant and explosive in Mobile, to a significantly less magnificent outing at the combine. Enagbare had the third-slowest 40 time of any defensive end—4.87 seconds—and tied Hutchinson for the fourth-lowest total in the broad jump: 9-feet-9-inches. After looking so good in Mobile, it behooved Enagbare to have a performance like that translate to the field at the combine, but he couldn’t follow through in Indianapolis.